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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner by EM Lynley

Story Planning Worksheet
Copyright 2013 EM Lynley
Do not copy or share this document

Please support the author by purchasing the book with full instructions
for using the worksheet: How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner, from Silk
Road Press .For sale at Amazon, Smashwords, ARe/Omni or direct from
EM Lynley at http://www.emlynley.com/NaNo

Step 1: Draft premise

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Keep the next section blank until you work through each set of exercises.
Version 2

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Version 3

How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

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Version 4

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Version 5
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Version 6
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Version 7
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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

Version 8
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Version 9

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FINAL Version
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Brainstorming the Premise

Interesting people
1._____________________________________

3._____________________________________

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2._____________________________________

4._____________________________________

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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

5._____________________________________

8._____________________________________

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6._____________________________________

9._____________________________________

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7._____________________________________

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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

Interesting problems and situations

1.___________________________________________________________________________
2.___________________________________________________________________________
3.____________________________________________________________________________
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5.____________________________________________________________________________
6.____________________________________________________________________________
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Try your hand at crafting a premise after brainstorming:

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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

Step 2: Test your premise

Five possible storylines related to the draft premise.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Step 3: Character Needs and Wants

Main character 1
Desire:_______________________________________________________________________________
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Need:________________________________________________________________________________
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Strength:______________________________________________
Strength:______________________________________________
Strength:______________________________________________
Weakness:______________________________________________
Psychological:______________________________________________

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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

Moral:______________________________________________
Character arc:______________________________________________
Beginning:______________________________________________
Ending:______________________________________________

Main character 2
Fill in all steps for a romance, optional for other genres. You can always come back later if you need to
develop this information for any other character.
Desire:_______________________________________________________________________________
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Need:________________________________________________________________________________
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Strength:______________________________________________
Strength:______________________________________________
Strength:______________________________________________
Weakness:______________________________________________
Psychological:______________________________________________

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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

Moral:______________________________________________
Character arc:______________________________________________
Beginning:______________________________________________
Ending:______________________________________________

Step 4: Character Arcs

For your main character(s)
Main Characters arc:______________________________________________
Beginning Weakness/Need:________________________________________________________
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Ending Weakness/Need:________________________________________________________
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Second Main Character/Love Interests arc:______________________________________________
Beginning Weakness/Need:________________________________________________________
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Ending Weakness/Need:________________________________________________________
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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

Revise your premise again at the top of this worksheet.

Step 5: Villain/Main Opponent

Desire:_______________________________________________________________________________
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Need:________________________________________________________________________________
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What is his rationale to justify his attempts to stop the hero?___________________________________
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Strength:______________________________________________
Strength:______________________________________________
Weakness:______________________________________________
Weakness:______________________________________________
Psychological:______________________________________________
Moral:______________________________________________

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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

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Character arc:______________________________________________
Beginning:______________________________________________
Ending:______________________________________________

How does he cause conflict with MC1?

What goal(s) do they both pursue? Which of the MCs goal(s) must the villain stop in order to achieve his
own goals?
1.

2.

3.

4.

How does he exploit MC1s weakness?

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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

Revise your premise again at the top of this worksheet.

Step 6: Develop the Character Web

Main Characters Allies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Opponents
1.
2.
3.

False Allies
1.
2.
3.

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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

False Opponents
1.
2.
3.

Main Character #2
Allies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Opponents
1.
2.
3.

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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

4.
5.
False Allies
1.
2.
3.

False Opponents
1.
2.
3.

Revise your premise again at the top of this worksheet.

Step 7: Reaching for the Desire

1.
2.
3.

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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
How do his opponents affect these plans?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

How do his allies help him?

1.
2.

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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

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3.
4.
5.

How does an ally betray him?

1.

2.

3.
Write down a possible sequence for the elements of the plan, the opponents actions, the allies actions
and the heros reactions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

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8.
9.
10.

Revise your premise again at the top of this worksheet.

Step 8: Battle/Climax

Step 9: Self-Revelation

Double reversal?

Step 10: The Ending

How has the main character (couple for a romance) overcome their weaknesses, resolved the conflict(s),
and used these changes to defeat the opponent(s)?

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How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner/ EM LynleyStory Planning Worksheet

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Step 11: Your Final Working Premise

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Transfer the key information from this worksheet to the Story Skeleton Worksheet, available for
download from http://www.emlynley.com/NaNo/

Please support the author by purchasing the book with full instructions
for using the worksheet: How to Be a NaNoWriMo Winner, from Silk
Road Press, for sale at Amazon, Smashwords, ARe/Omni or direct from
EM Lynley at http://www.emlynley.com/NaNo

www.emlynley.com/NaNo