So am I!
I'm sure this is a problem that I share with a fair amount of people- writing too fast, in a sense. You introduce all of your plot lines within the first 10,000 words of your novel, and then you almost have to force yourself to not just end the novel at 20,000 words. Writing pointless filler scenes is really difficult for me, which makes NaNoWriMo a difficult feat.
How does one elongate their novel and not move the story too fast? I could use some help on this.
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"I'm just a musical prostitute, my dear." -Freddie Mercury
4,456 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 17 46
Use plot twists (though I advise against total cliches). Introduce subplots that distract your main character from moving on toward completion of the final goal...and then have her realize that the subplot was actually the only way to actually achieve the goal! For example, to use a very basic and overdone example:
Hero receives her call to adventure, or maybe a personal quest drives her toward some as-yet-unknown goal. But wait! Hero meets some suave rogue whose machiavellian antics divert her from her present course into some ridiculous, yet meaningful adventure. The Ice Wand which was needed to cool a path through a burning volcano (which she doesn't even know about yet) just happens to carry a rare jewel that this handsome rogue wants to sell. She somehow ends up possessing this jewel, thus "obliging" the rogue to follow her under the agreement that he will have the jewel in the end...though we all know that this little adventure together was the beginning of a strong bond of friendship and perhaps more....
Without this subplot, the main character would have just move straight on to the volcano and some simple method of crossing the volcanic river would have made itself known. "too" convenient, you know?
Anyway, just describing those two different approaches differed greatly in word count! Take a careful look at your plot and see where you can slip some interesting set of circumstances in to enhance your overall word count potential. Good luck! Remember, how you feel about your novel(la) is ultimately the most important thing. Good luck!
----------iliketoridemybikesiliketoridmybikesiliketoridemybikes
54,373 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 18 22
Add barriers and obstacles to the path. So the goal is clear and laid out. All you need to do is get Box A to Point B by Friday. Simple enough until someone switches boxes when you aren't looking. Or Point B blows up and now you have to get it to point C, or the contents of the box escape. Or you learn that the guy you are working for is the bully who stole your lunch money in middle school. Or all of the above. Just because you know the goal doesn't mean it has to be easy to get there.
When all else fails, add a character.
----------It's not about the words, it's about the meaning - the words are just there to hold it all together.
2007 - Hands Down - winner
2008 - Natural Spirits - winner
2009 - The Queen's Own - winner
50,398 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 11 00
I've found adding more parties, vacations, shopping trips helps. Also, I would have the character go online and browse through random journals and find interesting poems or what nots and comment on them. Then, you can have one of those internet pages contain something that reminds her of her goal or helps her in some way.
----------19,765 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 11 34
Actually, that doesn't help me what so ever. None of that exists in this time period. Which is unfortunate...
Thanks, everybody!
----------"I'm just a musical prostitute, my dear." -Freddie Mercury
51,237 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 12 09
I've got some really short chapters and some medium length ones. By Chapter 13, I realized that two of my main characters were so set in their ways that I had to figure out why. So I wrote a long (loooooooong) chapter which told of an incident in their past which helped make them who they are today. It also helps a bit with some (possible?) foreshadowing.
What makes your protagonist special or interesting? Can they pilot the canyons or track the mastodons the best? Do they have a kind and helpful ear or a hot temper? Remember to avoid the Mary Sue when constructing their personality ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue )
Also think about not only where the plot is going, but how the characters know where/how the plot is going. Using Mreauow's example, how do they know where point B is? What is their motivation to taking Box A in the first place? How did they get into the box moving business and is this where they even want to be?
50,398 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 12 11
Oops! That would be a bit of a problem. But, parties always existed. They just took a different form of music and gathering and all. So much for my *ahem expertise NOT. LOL Didn't realize you were doing a period piece. Silly me.
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Nov 6, 2009 - 12 21
Filling in backstory. Take something that happens to one of your characters and tell a story from their past brings a new perspective to what is happening now. Or explains why they do something a certain way. No matter what else it adds, back story bunny trails like this add *words* to your story, and that is what it is all about.
19,765 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 14 16
Thanks, guys! I just realized my main character is a Mary Sue. I'll need to show some love history that didn't turn out because of her faults... yeeeeaahh.
And I like the idea of a party, like, folk music and such. YEAH! This is helping! Thanks thanks thanks!
----------"I'm just a musical prostitute, my dear." -Freddie Mercury