Desert Row of Vintage Typewriters

Novel Writing Checklist

The final project for this class is to complete each item in the checklist below—going from prepping to writing your novel to writing a rough draft to revising it!

If you'd like to share an excerpt of your novel here, please feel free to do so.

Developing your creative mindset

• Hone your purpose: “Why write?” exercise
  
• Face your fears: “Your Five Biggest Fears” exercise
  
• “Make Your Inner Critic Work for You” exercise
  
• “Exorcize Your Inner Critic” exercise
  
• “Beginner’s Mind Reflection” exercise
  
• Explore writing communities to help keep you accountable and support your writing

Prepping to write your novel

• Getting ideas: List your favorite novels and reflect on why you enjoy them
  Identify what you think are aspects of good and bad novels.
  
• Getting ideas: List your favorite characters and reflect on why you enjoy them
  
• Identify what you think are aspects of good and bad characters
  
• Complete characterization “personality tests” for your main character: the “Proust Questionnaire”
  
• Character log line: Identify the main desires, conflicts, and obstacles for your main character in just a couple of sentences.
  
• Complete “What if?” plot brainstorming exercise
  
• Study your favorite novel’s plot and identify the major plot points
  
• Write the dust jacket for your novel
  
• Complete setting exercise: Go on a story field trip
  
• If writing fantasy, go to worldbuilding track: https://nanowrimo.org/world-building
  
• Go on a time hunt to see how much writing time you have available—and to decide on how you can fit more writing time in
  
• Set a word-count goal and a deadline for your novel
  
• Write with abandon: Explore writing techniques to overcome writer’s “block”
  
• Pomodoro technique
  
• Improvisational writing: Do a writing sprint

Revise your novel

• Complete macro review of your novel
  
• Complete micro review of your novel
  
• Develop a feedback plan
  
• Find beta reader(s)
  
• Go on a mini retreat