April’s Rough Draft Challenge

Prepping for RDC:

We all write different things in different ways, so change/add/delete whatever works for you! I’m also working on an annotated bibliography here on the website that is available for free to anyone who is interested. While I would never presume to tell another writer how to write a book, I am a reference librarian who is good at organizing and making lists of resources for authors at all stages of their careers. So I’ve put together a quick checklist of things to think about before you begin your RDC project, with links to other writers who know way more than I do! I’ve also added links to some wonderful writing YouTubers who offer great advice–for beginner and advanced writers. Many of these videos also come with links for free printables. This list is a guideline to help you mentally prepare for Spring’s RDC! 

• Choose the title, genre/sub-genre, and length of the story.
• Check your calendar/schedule for April and set aside days and times you know you can write. Do it now before your schedule fills up! (Here is another video from Sarra that offers a free Spring RDC Planning Guide with a full calendar)
• Set up your Scrivener or Word file. Play around with templates. (Alexa Donne, another great YouTuber and author, has some great videos on how to set up Scrivener for beginners and for Scrivener for advanced writers. Bethany Atazadeh, another great YouTuber and author, has this great tutorial on tips for setting up a Word document for a complete novel.)
• Write a logline: Who, what, when/where, how, & why (See Hauge, Michael, Selling Your Story in Sixty Seconds: The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Story Read, Michael Wiese Productions, 2006 for a great walkthrough on how to do this.)
• Decide on the type plot structure you want to follow and jot down the basics you already know. (Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheets, The Hero’s Journey, etc. See the annotated bibliography for more resources) Plottr, the online writing app, is also a great resource and it comes with a free 30-day trial. I’m also playing around with a new app called Emberwrite and may use it for April’s RDC since you can try it free for a month.
• Make a list of character names and roles they play in the story. (primary and secondary)
• Brainstorm your characters’ traits, personalities, etc. and create character summary sheets (Enneagram? Archetypes?)
• If you have any ideas of scenes you already know, journal about them quickly. Just get them down before you forget.
• Decide on a setting and do some preliminary research.
• Buy the perfect writing candle to light for inspiration while you write. (Not a necessity, but fun to do)
• Fill out a world-building questionnaire (especially if writing sci-fi or fantasy or paranormal).
• Research ways to build a series bible, if necessary for your story/series/world. (Here’s another video by Bethany Atazadeh on building a Story Bible) and I’ve been writing a blog series about this topic as well.
• Create a writing music playlist or white noise.
• Plan rewards and reward system.
• Pre-plan easy meals, maybe even make some and freeze ahead. (Here is one I made for November’s RDC)
• Choose a new writing craft book to read this month. (some suggestions below)
• Stock up on snacks/coffee/tea/treats for April.
• Find other writing friends/accountability partners.
• Clean and prepare your writing space. 
• Buy whatever office supplies you may need (notecards, highlighters, colored markers, etc).
• Buy a new journal and begin brainstorming your story outline.