Mythic Structure for Nanowrimo

There’s a lot all in one place, all in the one diagram. Basically, though, this is a handy one-size-fits-all guide to both the pacing of a Nano-novel, and a roadmap of where you ought to be based on an even writing pace through the whole month.

Hope it helps.

         0    -----------------    01    Ordinary World                -----------------
                      .                                                      .
                      .            02    Call To Adventure                   .
               WEEK 1 .            03    Refusal Of The Call                 .  ACT I
         "separation" .            04    Mentor                              .
                      .                                                      .
    12,500    -----------------    05    First Threshold               -----------------
                      .                                                      .
                      .            06    Tests, Allies And Enemies           .
               WEEK 2 .                                                      .
            "descent" .            07    Approach To The Inmost Cave         .
                      .                                                      .
    25,000    -----------------    08    Supreme Ordeal                      .  ACT II
                      .                                                      .
                      .                                                      .
               WEEK 3 .            09    Reward (Seizing The Sword)          .
         "initiation" .                                                      .
                      .                                                      .
    37,500    -----------------    10    The Road Back                 -----------------
                      .                                                      .
                      .            11    Resurrection                        .
               WEEK 4 .                                                      .  ACT III
             "return" .            12    Return With The Elixir              .
                      .                                                      .
    50,000    -----------------                                        -----------------

2 Comments

  • Brill post! I like your set-up; simple and easy to follow. Maybe I’ll actually finish a NaNo if I think of this.

    The nitpicker inside whispers that you spelled “seizing” wrong. ;)

  • Grr … gotta hate those irregular verbs that don’t want to follow the grade-school “I before E, except after C” rule. :-)

    TY for the nitpick.

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