ONE: Ordinary world (let’s say 5000 words)
We meet our hero.
TWO: Call to adventure (5000 words)
The adventure begins.
THREE: Refusal of the call (2500 words)
The hero digs in his feet.
FOUR: Meeting the mentor (2500 words)
The hero acquires a personal trainer
FIVE: Crossing the first threshold (3000 words)
The hero enters the other world in earnest.
SIX: Tests, allies, enemies (5000 words)
The hero faces new challenges and gets a squad.
SEVEN: Approach to the inmost cave (3000 words)
The hero gets closer to his goal.
EIGHT: Ordeal (5000 words)
The hero faces his biggest test of all so far.
NINE: Reward; seizing the sword (3000 words)
The hero sees the light at the end of the tunnel.
TEN: The road back (2500 words)
The light at the end of the tunnel might be further than the hero thought.
ELEVEN: Resurrection (1500 words)
The last test is met.
TWELVE: Return with the elixir (2500 words)
The hero has a triumphant homecoming.
This adds up to 40,500 words, which means I have 9,500 words to play with in hitting my goal. I’m going to have to revisit this every few days because honestly I don’t know how many words it takes to get my character from one step in the journey to the next.
More NaNoWriMo talk Friday.