November is National Novel Writing Month.
NaNoWriMo, as it’s known among writers, challenges its participants to complete a 50,000 word manuscript between Nov. 1 and Nov. 30. But if you haven’t started yet, don’t despair: You’re only a day behind and Inland 360 is here to help you with the difficult first step of deciding what your book will be about. Complete this template word game to determine the synopsis of your novel — then all you have to do is come up with slightly fewer than 50,000 words to fill the story out.
Step One: Select a word or number for each of these prompts:
year ___________
first name 1 ___________
noun ___________
country ___________
socio-economic status ___________
noun ___________
adverb ___________
adverb ___________
first name 1 ___________
object found in nature ___________
first name 2 ___________
first name 1 ___________
first name 2 ___________
tool used in manual labor or branch of law enforcement (pick one) ___________
first name 2 ___________
noun ___________
first name 1 ___________
Step Two: Pick Ending 1 or Ending 2 and complete the word for their prompts:
Ending 1:
noun (same as last noun above) ___________
first name 2 ___________
first name 2 ___________
superpower ___________
emotional state ___________
first name 2 ___________
gender-appropriate possessive pronoun of first name 2 ___________
verb ending in -ing, describing desirable skill 1 ___________
verb ending in -ing, describing desirable skill 2 ___________
gender-appropriate pronoun of first name 2 ___________
first name 1 ___________
reaction by two people meeting for the first time ___________
lifetime pursuit ___________
overarching theme 1 ___________
overarching theme 2 ___________
Ending 2:
first name 2 ___________
sound ___________
first name 2 ___________
verb, present tense ___________
amount of time ___________
plural noun ___________
color ___________
plural noun ___________
first name 2 ___________
first name 1 ___________
gender-appropriate pronoun of first name 2 ___________
adjective ___________
noun ___________
overarching theme 1 ___________
overarching theme 2 ___________
Step Three: Write down your selections in the following synopsis.
It is the year ___________(year) and ___________(first name 1) has just discovered a lost ___________(noun) while wandering in the forest where he lives in ___________(country). ___________(socio-economic status) and without a ___________(noun), he ___________(adverb) buries his find and ___________(adverb) marks its location so he can come back to it later. But ___________(first name 1) was not alone. From behind a ___________(object found in nature), ___________(first name 2) was watching. After ___________(first name 1) leaves, ___________(first name 2) runs to get a ___________(tool used in manual labor/branch of law enforcement). With the extra help, it wasn’t long before ___________(first name 2) finds a (noun) where ___________(first name 1) had been digging.
Ending 1: But this was no ordinary ___________(noun). When ___________(first name 2) picks it up, a bright light flashes and ___________(first name 2) has the power to ___________(superpower). ___________(emotional state), ___________(first name 2) explores ___________(gender-appropriate possessive pronoun of first name 2) new ability. Busy ___________(verb ending in -ing, describing desirable skill 1) and ___________(verb ending in -ing, describing desirable skill 2), ___________(gender-appropriate pronoun of first name 2) does not notice that ___________(first name 1) has return to the site. As their eyes meet, they ___________ (reaction by two people meeting for the first time) and decide to ___________ (lifetime pursuit) together. The story explores the feel-good themes of ___________ (overarching theme 1) and (overarching theme 2).
Ending 2: Before ___________(first name 2) can get a closer look, a loud ___________(sound) fills the air. Sensing danger, ___________(first name 2) (verb, present tense) from the place in search of cover. Within ___________(amount of time), a brigade of ___________(plural noun) surround the area. They are wearing ___________(color) and carrying threatening ___________(plural noun). (first name 2) spots ___________(first name 1) among them, bound and gagged. ___________(gender-appropriate pronoun of first name 2) quickly hatches a rescue plan by dressing up as a ___________(adjective) ___________(noun). The story explores the serious themes of (overarching theme 1) and ___________(overarching theme 2).
