Hi friends! This is a workshop I’m going to be giving in a couple of places this year, and I thought I’d share it on the blog, too.

I’m not saying this is the best way to plot a novel. I take at least a few weeks, and sometimes muchlonger, to outline a story and develop my characters.

But if you’re usually a complete pantser (that’s the word for people who don’t plot their stories before they write them—they write “by the seat of their pants”), then this might give you a little more structure without much effort. And if Camp NaNoWriMo or NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, in November) is coming right up, and you’re panicking because you don’t have an idea, this can help! It can also work for a script or a short story.

For this exercise, you might want to use the timer on your smartphone, if you have one. Or you can just use the clock. Ready? Let’s do it!