NaNo Prep Virtual Write-In: Generating Plot Ideas

Want to write a novel but not quite sure where to start? Here are 2 quick activities to help you generate ideas for your next masterpiece. Visit for all our NaNo Prep resources!

Every NaNoWriMo Live Virtual Write-In is designed to help you set aside your time for writing: complete with writing prompts, quiet time to write, and a chance to share a sentence or two (especially if you join us live!).

Prompt #1 (5 mins): Borrow a Plot: First, write a summary of 1-3 books or movies or stories you love. Include important characters, major plot turns, and setting. Here’s an example:
"A teenage girl lives in a dystopian world where the USA has been divided into 13 Districts, and every year children are chosen from each district to fight to the death. The teenage girl volunteers to fight in place of her sister. She tries to survive while also protesting against the evil Capital and (maybe) falling in love. (Hunger Games)."

Prompt #2 (5 mins): Take the summaries you wrote, and start changing around different elements of it — characters, setting, plot turns, adjectives, verbs, anything else you like! See where those changes take you, and keep writing when you get inspired. Here’s an example:
"A teenage girl lives in a future where the oceans have risen and everyone lives on small islands. The water is controlled by pirates who demand a sacrifice each year to keep the island safe. The girl is chosen, but in a storm, she’s rescued by a different kind of pirate ship - one made up of former would-be sacrifices who act as pirates against the pirates."

Prompt #2 (7 minutes): Scroll through some photos until you find one (or more!) that sparks something for you, then pause and write your questions, wonderings, and ideas. What kind of place is this? How did it get this way? Who might live or travel through it? How do they feel? What is it like for them there? What challenges do they face?




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