Start with an unfinished exchange
Find the last thing your protagonist asked someone to do. Write the moment that person agrees, then name the condition attached.
30 NaNoWriMo writing prompts that move one novel forward
Pick a scene prompt for the manuscript already on your desk. Download thirty printable cards for character choices, reversals and payoffs.
Write through a quiet chapter
Choose one unfinished thread
A fresh opening line is little help halfway through a draft. Look for the pressure that already exists between two people on the page.
Inside the worksheet
Carry a consequence forward
If a character lied to get through the previous scene, put the one person who knows the truth in the next room. Give them a reason to stay quiet until tomorrow.
Use an object twice
Choose an object your reader has already seen. Change who holds it. At the end of the scene, write down who can now prove where it came from.
Try one session
Pick a loose thread
Underline one unanswered request or one object whose ownership is uncertain.
Select a prompt
Take a character prompt for the request or a payoff prompt for the object.
Keep the consequence
After writing, record what the character can no longer do as a result.
Choose an approach
Write through a quiet chapter
| Capability | Character card | Payoff card |
|---|---|---|
| When it fits | Use it when you know who acts but not what they want. | Use it when you have a setup and need a consequence. |
| Pick a starting point | Find the last unresolved request | Look for an object or line the reader already knows |
| End the scene when | Someone agrees on a condition | The object or line acquires a new meaning |
Frequently asked questions
Can I start in the middle of November?
Yes. Choose the card that suits the last scene you wrote. The numbers help you find a card again and impose no reading order.
KEEP READING
Choose one unfinished thread
Write one scene, underline the decision it contains and carry its consequence into tomorrow's draft.