"Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen." --John Steinbeck
"A plot bunny is a story idea that refuses to go away until it is written. The term's origin is unknown but is known to predate NaNoWriMo. Because plot bunnies tend to multiply quickly, the term is thought to be related to the oft-quoted John Steinbeck quote about ideas and rabbits." - Wikiwrimo
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| Bunnies awaiting decoration |
In my region every year a group of people get together and make "plot bunnies" (Our plot bunnies are decorated "boo boo bunnies") that are auctioned off at the Kick-off party to raise money for the Office of Letters and Light (the people who run Nanowrimo). This year I got to help out and make some and went to a plot bunny making party. It was a lot of fun! I believe we now have around 60 bunnies.
Trying to write one story during Nanowrimo is a great way to get a lot of other ideas for stories that will in no way help your current story. Getting a lot of story ideas are great and will help with future writer's block but you must remember that during Nanowrimo it is important to stick with your current idea. You must not let the plot bunnies over power you.
The following describes how to deal with these plot bunnies:
"These little lovelies will come to you with all the sinuous promise of nubile temptresses, clamoring for your affection and posing suggestively before you. The only way to stop their onslaught is to grab your pencil and dash off their basic premise and then file them away until December 1st. Mark my words: if you just try to shut them out they will haunt you one way or another. They’ll either keep yapping in the back of your brain like an ice pick chipping away the gray matter or dissipate until all that remains is the vague feeling that you just lost the best idea you ever had." - Bullish Nanowrimo Survival GuideDuring Nanowrimo as I get ideas for other stories I write them down in my everything notebook and file them away for another time. Now during non-nano months I have a plethora of ideas to write about and maybe some ideas for future Nanowrimos.
Since we are still in the planning stages for Nanowrimo, some of you may want to be visited by plot bunnies because you might not even have one idea that you want to write about. Well have no fear! There are some things you can do to get those ideas flowing.
First check out my post about inspiration and if that doesn't help then there is a forum thread over on Nanowrimo where people drop off their unwanted plot bunnies that you can use.
Off topic but still helpful: Today I came across an excellent blog post on how to survive Nanowrimo and I would recommend reading it, especially if you are new to Nanowrimo: Bullish Nanowrimo Survival Guide
Happy Planning,
<3 Andrea
