Time to Get Kraken

I'm trying to write here, Mr. Cthulhu

If I'm going to be ready to write a whole novel in November I'm going to have to get ready.  I know it might
seem too late, but I figure if I buckle down and get cracking I can be ready to at least write it as a discover novel.

What is a discover novel?  I'm not sure if it's an official term, but I know that some people are discovery writers.  This means that they have a general situation and characters set when they start, but they either don't know where the story is going to go or they know where they want the story to go, but if the characters take it in a different direction they let them.

I have a couple of guides to help me prepare.  I've done 30 Days of Worldbuilding before, but I don't have that kind of time now.  I'm going to have to use an abbreviated guide.

First, to start a novel Holly Lisle says:

1. Know your world
2. Know your characters
3. Know your conflict
4. Embrace a theme
5. Determine a voice
6. Know your genre
7. Know your expectations

Holly advises in worldbuilding to build only what you need, which includes:

1. "Special physics"
2. Organized terrain
3. Defined inhabitants
4. Uniform method of counting time, weights and measures
5. Defined cultures
6. Spoken and written languages
7. Consistent technological level
8. Cast of characters

Annalee Newitz has rules for Quick and Dirty worldbuilding:

1. Do a little research
2. Have a few rules
3. Don't obsess over consistency
4. Consider what's good and what's bad about your world
5. Create characters who are plausibly the products of your world

Patricia Wrede advises that for worldbuilding you need to know:

1. Trade
2. Religion
3. Geography
4. Countries / maps
5. Politics
6. Culture
7. Magic [or SF tech if appropriate]

Kaye Dacus is currently running a series on prepping for NaNo.  She seems to have nine pieces so far:

1. Pick software
2. Main characters
3. Scenes
4. Props [yeah,I like that, oh, she means the "stuff" in the story]
5. Clothing
6. Minor characters
7. Style sheet
8. Theme
9. Outline and/or synopsis

I've also read H.P. Lovecraft's notes on how he writes a story:

1. Prepare a synopsis in order of occurrence
2. Prepare a synopsis in order of narration
3. Write out the story
4. Refine

So now, instead of 30 things I have 38.  Well, that's not exactly true because some overlap and some are not appropriate.  I think I really have it down to about 10 things, maybe a dozen to do in the next five days.

No problem!

I'm going to share what I can here.  I won't give anything away so I can't share everything.  If I can get the beginnings of the prep work done I know the story and characters will take me the rest of the way.