Day 09 – Make a List

Today is Friday, so this one will be easy.

Or rather it will be simple. I’m going to put a twist into it that will make it a little dicey for some folks.

Today’s mini-task is to make a list.

A list of what? A list with how many items? How long or short should each item be? What should I do with this list…?

That’s where it might be dicey: I’m going to leave all that up to you.

All of it? Yes, all of it.

Your list can be about anything – anything NaNoWriMo-oriented, that is. But beyond that, your imagination is the limit. Don’t think lists can’t be wildly creative. Here’s one of Jeremy Griffin’s 100 word stories, a list, from the flash fiction site, Name Your Tale:

15 People Die for No Apparent Reason
Thomas Gort – Attacked by invisible cane toads.
Plute Krantz – Buried himself alive.
Fran Hornering – Broken heart. Derrick Flapp – Didn’t wake up in time from dream about falling.
Glitter McFee – Just tickled to death. Ramner Pendergrass – Held breath too long.
Marol Plinsk – Son stepped on a crack.
Snelda Hump – God’s will.
Yorman Lamphries – Had one more drink.
Fanny Folger – Boredom. Marten Grolthmer – Too good for this world.
Smyrna Plooch – More of an idea than a person.
Ern “Flapjack” Fleck – Retired from cooking, retired from life.
Horace Mintbern – Tormented by multiple personalities who killed one another.
D’Jarinda Kloop – Sudden death syndrome.

Jeremy’s list was a performance, meant to entertain readers. Yours is your own. No one will ever see it but you. No need to make your list funny or creative. Use your list to play out and elaborate a thought, subject, character, idea, fear etc. that could be a part, even an essential part, of the story you have in mind for NaNoWriMo.

No story (yet)? Not a problem: go ahead anyway. Make your list as concrete as possible without referring to the specifics of a story.

And here’s a final twist:

When you’re done, take each item on your list and make it the subject of another list.

Then stop.

Note: You can access all previous mini-tasks at Write a Better Novel Write a Better Novel Just mouse over the “15 Day Countdown to NaNoWriMo” navigation tab at the top right of any page.