Mile 2: From initial book idea to “What if?” question

Dear Novelists & Novelistas,
🏃Welcome to Mile 2 of Novel Marathon – The 2023 Edition!
The basics: Novel Marathon is a self-directed class. Like you, my goal is to write a novel in a year. Let’s do it together 💪
Here are the readings and assignments to work on for the NEXT two weeks:
📚Required reading
Ch. 3&4 in The One Year Novelist
Ch. 5 in Story Genius
🌟Extra credit reading
Pgs. 7-13 in Refuse To Be Done
✏️ Your Assignment
👟Accountability
Check in with the three people you told that you’re writing a novel. Let them know how it’s going.
👟Motivation
Re-read chapter 3 in Story Genius. Write a paragraph about why you want to write a novel. What’s driving you to write a long-form work of fiction, with all the work that it requires?
👟From initial idea to “What if?”
Do the exercise on p. 50 in Story Genius. Can you transform the initial idea of your story into a powerful “What if?” question?
👟Conflict
Revisit your protagonist’s and antagonist’s (if you have one) goals. Are they directly opposed to each other? If not, what can you do to sharpen the conflict and create a formidable opponent or obstacle for your MC?
Write down 2 or 3 obstacles that would throw a significant wrench into your main character’s path.
Previous assignments can be found at novelmarathon.substack.com
🎧 Podcast
Find the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen!
Newsletter 💌 and latest post
https://novelmarathon.substack.com More info💡
https://www.novelmarathon.com
Good luck & happy writing! ✍️