Goal Setting Time!
Oooh, this could hurt.
It’s time to set goals for the next book. I’m so obsessed with the current novel, I haven’t worked as hard as I need to on my take of Wang Mang’s life. Still, I’m pretty sure I know where I’m focussing, so here go the goals:
1. I will know who my main characters are. (Minor characters can pop up as needed.)
2. I will know my basic plot. (Twists and complications can occur as needed.)
3. I will be ready to write by the end of October.
Right now, I’ve got one of the main characters and the events of his life are the driving force of the novel. But I need two other characters as love interest and antagonist. I know who they’ll be in his life (or I think I do), but I don’t have enough information on them yet. More research is required.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Chinese history, Wang Mang is vilified by some as regicide and murderer of children, to some he’s a self-sacrificing would-be empire salvationist. To me, he’s a fascinating personality. He lived about 180 years before my current story arc happened.
Sounds like you have a source of inspiration. Hopefully the rest will start to fall into place.
I'm planning on having an intense writing month in October. An OctNoWriMo I suppose. November is just too hectic. I'll cheer you on.
If I thought for one minute that I could get all of my data together that fast, I'd join you. As it is, I suspect November may be too soon. I need doctoral thesi to round out my backstory. One usually does not find thesi on Amazon. 🙂
It sounds intriguing! I think you can get it done by November. Just remember that you don't need all the research beforehand; my last two NaNo projects I did as much as I could but marked areas that needed more detail and research.
Getting info though is not easy…now if I were focusing on the next project, a novel set during or after the Revolutionary War, there's a wealth of info to be found. Just not so much on Edo era Japan. In English anyway.
Yeah, I tend to get caught up in the desire to know how the research will effect the later sections of the story. Hopefully I'll be able to do as you suggest this time!