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Helpful techniques for an author
G.G., Ian, and Owen - Thank you very much for your helpful advice.I guess when I wrote my 2 novels decades ago, it was after writing notes and scenes for years and stuffing them in a folder while I worked full time. Then I put them in order and typed the first draft. That's what made me think I'm supposed to write my current story in order. I now know I was wrong.
So now when I get excited about an idea I have for an important scene, instead of scribbling frantically in my notebook until I can't read my own writing, I will type it into my book and title it something like "Fight - middle of story" or "Last chapter - cliffhanger." I have physical and emotional attributes written for each character, and a few others like, "always hungry" or "clumsy."
I feel so much better having posed this question and am very grateful for the very helpful advice I have received from all of you. Thank you for your good wishes. My goal is to be able to participate in the SIAFBB even next year.
Thank you all, Sue
Ian wrote: "That's a good idea for character development, and it reminded me of a related technique I've used a couple of times: write a summary of the story itself from different characters' points of view. I've done this to help sort out plot tangles ..."Ian! I couldn't agree with this more. I didn't KNOW to do this in my early writing but I ended up doing it- purely by accident lol- and it is now a technique I use all the time. I call it layering, layering in all the important characters' own storyline creates some terrific subplots and very often I find CONFLICTS! And then I must get in and work out these problems and that's when I feel I am writing the best. Solving problems as different stories collide. I cannot stress enough to other writers how important it is to FULLY flesh out everyone that has a significant role, because that's where conflicts with other characters come in- OR where you have two characters with a lot in common and this happened to me recently while working on Book 2- I saw the potential for an alliance between two cousins I never even had on the same page- and VOILA! I will be drawing that story line out a bit more in the subplots to create tension for the main character- he'll be worried about what these two jackasses are doing lol
Sue (Dog Mom) wrote: "I guess when I wrote my 2 novels decades ago, it was after writing notes and scenes for years and stuffing them in a folder while I worked full time. Then I put them in order and typed the first draft ..."Sue, this is exactly how I write- I call them 'cupcakes' lol because they are perfect little scenes that will eventually make up the whole 'cake' or book, of course. I find it's very helpful to get it out in it's purest form, and I will know generally where it goes but it's also adaptable in different parts of the book. For instance- I've taken cupcakes and layered them in towards the front of the book, thinking I wrote it for the middle or end, but as long as you weave the scenes before and after through it, it can work anywhere.
So, yes, if this technique worked for you in the passed, do it. Get the perfect little scene out and then worry about where it's gonna go once you have your book's direction. And for me, it took years, but the story knows when it's ready to be a complete cake!
Oh dear! I make it up as I go along, have a few files for research and back up externally when I remember.
Mod
If this is what makes you happy and if it produces results you're satisfied with, nothing wrong with it. This is more or less what I do, too.
Jack wrote: "Oh dear! I make it up as I go along, have a few files for research and back up externally when I remember."The only thing you can be judged by are the words on the page at the end of it all. How you got there is your business.
If this approach does the job for you, great! No-one can tell you it's wrong, although it's always good to keep an eye out for tips that might turn out to be helpful. Try them. If they don't work, forget them. If they do, steal them :)
Thank you J. for your point of view. I carry a notebook with me all the time so I can make notes when they come to mind.Jack = Don't say "Oh dear!" I think your method is great and organized. Like Dwayne and Ian stated, there is nothing wrong with your process. It's your method. Do what works for you. It's all very personal. Not everyone makes chocolate chip cookies the same way.
Thanks to all of you, I no longer feel inept about not being able to start with Chapter 1 and write in order. I also now feel comfortable about actually adding an important scene directly into my story instead of scribbling it out in a notebook. I need to write when the emotion strikes because I may not have it when I write the scene in later. I'm an emotional person and need to open the laptop instead of the notebook when the mood strikes.
I have received a lot of helpful advice from wonderful and selfless people, for which I am sincerely grateful. I am also very thankful to be accepted as part of this group.
An easy thing I do at the head of every chapter is to just put down some bullet points of the key things that I want to happen in the chapter.The journey between each point and the points themselves don't have to be painstakingly crafted or planned out in advance. I like a free-form flow when I'm writing but the bullet points keep me on track.
Mod
Dwayne wrote: "Reminder, folks. No bookwhacking. Thanks."Sorry, sir. I totally didn't even think of it that way. Just like things to look pretty *grins* I'll take out the link immediately. Again, apologies!!
EDIT: Oh, ouch. It's gone. hahahah. Cool beans :)
Wow, you're all so organised and I will have to check out Neospeech. Never heard of it. I keep my research in separate files and I have a file for new ideas- physical ones - not computer ones. I back up my work on a flash drive. I do an outline of my story in a note book and have another one to jot down random thoughts.I back up onto a flash drive or two and email my work back to me or my husband. I've only "lost" my work once (but hey, my husband found it for me) and yeah have also lost my flash drive once and well...never found it. I tried using Scrivener but found myself spending too much time figuring it out and not enough time writing. I guess you could say I'm a bit computer challenged!
Yolanda, you sound very organized to me. That's close to my system. Do you also carry a 4" x 7" notebook in your purse. just in case an idea pops up you don't want to forget. You just made me realize how dumb I am to leave my flash drive in the organizer tray filled with pens, highlighters, and Post-it notes. Hmm... where to put it?
Just wondering, what is "bookwhacking"?
I have an idea in my mind of how the story will go. I write comedy, but I still like it to follow the usual plot structure. I try to match it to the Heros Journey, as Joseph Campbell wrote about. Then I break it up so that each chapter is almost a stand alone story in itself, and yet there's still something unanswered at the end of the chapter, to keep people reading. I try to make the worst thing possible happen, to make it funny. And the I draw pictures to help people see where I'm coming from. In the end, I'm always afraid that I am such a freak that no one will think it is funny or entertaining, but that does not seem to actually be the case. I can understand if you just write and see where it goes, though. Why not? I think I have enjoyed reading many stories of that sort. If you have solid characters, you can probably do thought experiments and see where that goes.
I did once try something called "the snowflake method," and the result was a nearly unreadable novel, the worst thing I've ever written. The lesson I took from that experience was that everyone has his or her own method, and you should do what feels right for you. Don't use a "method" that someone else is using. You have to follow your muse. :) But you do need to work on it every day, no matter what your method is!
Shoshanah wrote: "Just wondering, what is "bookwhacking"?"I've posted this a while ago on the introduction thread.
Bookwhack:
Think about bookwhack as bird droppings. Everyone is having a picnic. The sun is shining. The food is good. The conversation is flowing. Then, suddenly a bird flies down and leaves a dropping, ruining the day for everyone.
Bookwhacking is doing the same with your book. Going into threads and dropping your book name or cover or blurb without being invited to do so. You fly over, drop the bomb. and leave. Sometimes you stay to add a short comment but the sole purpose of it is to make people think you actually had something to say. In other words, it's finding any reason to push your book in the face of people who were not expecting it.
Hope this helps. :P
Thanks everyone. Very interesting hearing how each person writes. I have a plot in my head for a few months and little by little it builds until I have the basic story, the beginning and the ending. Then I photos I've taken and/or cut out pictures of people who look similar to the characters in my head and post them on a huge canvas. I list the locations, crimes, ages, jobs, and how they all connect. Then I start typing and I rarely get stuck along the way, but the story does change drastically in some areas at times.
Sue (Dog Mom) wrote: "Yolanda, you sound very organized to me. That's close to my system. Do you also carry a 4" x 7" notebook in your purse. just in case an idea pops up you don't want to forget. You just made me reali..."Yes, i carry my notebook around with me and if I dont have it close, make notes on the memo app on my phone.
There are some really organised people on here. It makes me realise I just don't backup often enough. I'm just about to email everything to myself, save it to a flash drive and upload to BT Cloud. That should about do it I think.
Hi Ann, I don't think you could get any safer than that. : )
My computer is set to backup the hard drive to a flash drive on the 1st of every month. I upload my writing to the cloud at Amazon.com. If you have an account with Amazon, you get 5GB free storage.
Ken, I have an account with Amazon and had no idea that was available to me. Thank you for sharing!
Sue (Dog Mom) wrote: "Ken, I have an account with Amazon and had no idea that was available to me. Thank you for sharing!"
You're more than welcome.
You're more than welcome.
G.G. wrote: "Shoshanah wrote: "Just wondering, what is "bookwhacking"?"I've posted this a while ago on the introduction thread.
Bookwhack:
Think about bookwhack as bird droppings. Everyone is having a picn..."
hahahaha nice
Hm, bookshitting... that's evocative. :PA writing technique I like is to do a brief outline of what I want to happen in the book, what are the main character's goals, and a little blurb about the main characters (full name, date of birth, hair color, etc) so I have an idea of what's going on. Then, I open up a Word document and do a brief chapter outline (Chapter One - Frank packs a suitcase and talks on the phone, Chapter Two - Frank is driving through a creepy small town when his car breaks down, Chapter Three - a shadowy figure approaches Frank's car while he is trying to sleep in it... etc).
Nancy wrote: "I just got the app, 5,000 WPH, and I love it! There's a free version and a paid version for 2.99. I have my current project listed in there and set my sprint timer, usually for 30 minutes, but up t..."Tsk, that sounded great, Nancy! But it's just for iphone :( Anybody know an android/pc version?
Evalangui wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I just got the app, 5,000 WPH, and I love it! There's a free version and a paid version for 2.99. I have my current project listed in there and set my sprint timer, usually for 30 min..."what app?
For someone who is so organized in life, my technique might seem a travesty, but I have a general vision of my main storyline from beginning to end. Then, I set to work, fabricating as I go along. However, I probably make up for it by constantly re-reading each scene to embellish it with details. The footsteps I leave behind with each phase of writing keeps me on the straight and narrow. This is what works for me. The end justifies the means ...
Eva wrote: "For someone who is so organized in life, my technique might seem a travesty, but I have a general vision of my main storyline from beginning to end. Then, I set to work, fabricating as I go along. ..."
That's pretty much the way I do it. I think I love embellishing and expanding a scene more than I like starting one. It's amazing what the imagination can come up with, including completely new and well-rounded characters, when you immerse yourself in one scene and try to perfect it before moving on. I didn't always write this way, but I seemed to have recently adapted this style and I'm pretty comfortable with it. No pressure.
That's pretty much the way I do it. I think I love embellishing and expanding a scene more than I like starting one. It's amazing what the imagination can come up with, including completely new and well-rounded characters, when you immerse yourself in one scene and try to perfect it before moving on. I didn't always write this way, but I seemed to have recently adapted this style and I'm pretty comfortable with it. No pressure.
I wrote a very tongue-in-cheek blog post on how to write a best selling novel, this morning:Duncan Incidental
I hope you enjoy it.
Duncan wrote: "I wrote a very tongue-in-cheek blog post on how to write a best selling novel, this morning:Duncan Incidental
I hope you enjoy it."
Love the post!
I type very fast but found that when I use my key board to write, I lose my creativity as I focus on analytical stuff (spelling, grammar, etc.) and the creative nature and flow get pushed back. Also, when I type on the keyboard, I find myself in constant edit mode. Due to these constraints, I committed to writing my second book long- hand in cursive. I would review the pages and make several changes using notes on the same paper. After I was done with the basic rough draft (beginning to end) I would then key it up and start deep edits. I really liked the way the second book turned out in terms of the flow and style. The process also went much more quickly. However, until I actually keyed and saved the document onto my computer, I was always stressed out that something was going to happen to my handwritten manuscript. Nothing ever happened to the handwritten manuscript but it was sure in the back of my mind. :)
Is there anyone else out there who starts with an idea of how a book will start and where it will go, but finds that the finished novel bears little or no relationship to the original idea?As this has happened to me with all (admittedly only three, with two in the pipeline) my books, I now write down the original outline in the somewhat muddled theory that it might fit another set of characters somewhere down the road.
My most helpful technique otherwise is a notebook. I keep a list of names a timeline and stuff like that beside me. I find it a much easier aide memoire than keeping electronic notes.
Jane wrote: "Is there anyone else out there who starts with an idea of how a book will start and where it will go, but finds that the finished novel bears little or no relationship to the original idea?As thi..."
Yes! This happens to me, too. So much more was supposed to happen in my most recent release, but I had to hold it off until the next book because my characters all had other ideas.
A notebook is an interesting idea. I'm not sure I could do it. Part of my process is to email each chapter to my favorite beta reader after I finish it. That creates a backup of the chapter, and my beta reader's reactions and input drive me to keep writing. That beta reader is my mom! LOL Sometimes I feel so lame admitting that, but she can be very critical, and she's been a huge supporter of my writing.
Several years ago, I wrote an article called Mind-mapping a Novel and had it published. The publishing site has disappeared so the article is no longer available. I republished the article on my own web site. Here is link if you’re interested in reading it: http://www.writersarc.com/mind-mappin...
"Is there anyone else out there who starts with an idea of how a book will start and where it will go, but finds that the finished novel bears little or no relationship to the original idea?"You have to be strict with your characters, Jane, and keep them in line!
Only joking, but I know what you mean about stories taking on a life of their own. I have yet to have the whole thing change, as I often start out with the end - if that doesn't sound like double Dutch - but on a good day, when things just seem to flow, yes, they can end up going in a direction that was not planned.
I find some rough notes on what needs to be in each chapter useful. Then when writing the chapter, as long as one keeps to one's earlier outline, there is some freedom to stray to some extent.
Absolutely agree with you about something in hard copy, such as a notebook - the thing is visible in front of you on the desk, whereas electronic notes are hidden away there in some file and can be hard to find even when you do want them and are never found for a casual glance.
Hank wrote: "I write all my books, fiction and non-fiction, in Scrivener. It's a program that stores EVERYTHING about the book in a single file: scenes, chapters, character sketches, plot diagrams, locations an..."Micah wrote: "One thing I would like to sort out, though, is some way to store, organize, and access data about specific writing projects.
Hi Hank,
I'm just starting to learn Scrivener and very excited about having everything in one place and many other features. But, you mentioned dropbox. Can you explain how that works? My latest laptop has it and I'm not sure what to do with it. Thanks so much!
Like ideas and info on world creation. I have two separate worlds that ..."
Gippy wrote: "Hank wrote: "I write all my books, fiction and non-fiction, in Scrivener. It's a program that stores EVERYTHING about the book in a single file: scenes, chapters, character sketches, plot diagrams,..."Hi, Gippy!
Dropbox is a handy little tool that allows you portability between different computers. You copy (Do NOT drag and drop) your file onto the dropbox icon (or you can open it and create files to organize things the way you want to) and then you have a copy of your file that is NOT stored on your computer. You can then go to another computer, open your dropbox and there is your file to pick up right where you left off.
I use it to enable me to work on my desktop computer in the morning, save it to dropbox, and then work on the file again on my laptop that evening.
f you drag and drop your file to dropbox, you will no longer have a copy of your file on that computer; it will be in dropbox ONLY. That is why I copy it instead.
I hope this helps. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Missy wrote: "Jane wrote: "Is there anyone else out there who starts with an idea of how a book will start and where it will go, but finds that the finished novel bears little or no relationship to the original ..."
I know writers who keep notebooks and it works for them. I tend to create computer files in Word for background, characters, and a chapter by chapter synopsis. And an outline in Excel. I back everything up to the cloud, (Dropbox), and I also make hard copies of what I'm currently working on.
To respond to your particular question, my characters have lives of their own and I find bits of the story changing, sometimes minor or major plot lines. But, unless I decide the original idea is flawed, and start over again, the finished story generally bears a strong relationship to that idea.
I know writers who keep notebooks and it works for them. I tend to create computer files in Word for background, characters, and a chapter by chapter synopsis. And an outline in Excel. I back everything up to the cloud, (Dropbox), and I also make hard copies of what I'm currently working on.
To respond to your particular question, my characters have lives of their own and I find bits of the story changing, sometimes minor or major plot lines. But, unless I decide the original idea is flawed, and start over again, the finished story generally bears a strong relationship to that idea.
Jane wrote: "Is there anyone else out there who starts with an idea of how a book will start and where it will go, but finds that the finished novel bears little or no relationship to the original idea?"I noticed that when it's not meant to be, I just can't find the words and I end up changing the story little by little. The characters have a mind of their own and they tend to decide their own destiny.
I frequently start a story with no ides of how it will end. I sometimes have a general idea, and then as the characters develop, I see a direction that I can go that will make an interesting ending and go for it.
My stories always start as a concept, not a beginning or an end. It might be a scene, or a problem, or a traumatic event.From there, I flesh out an idea (a page or two that makes the concept sound more like a story).
Then there's a vital phase of just jotting down anything relevant -- plot elements, characters, traits, bits of dialogue, reveals. I do this in a Word file but also in a notepad. And I have Post-it notes everywhere in my office.
Then I outline most of the chapters. I'm compulsive about this because I like to know where I'm going before I get too far. Plus my memory isn't so great. I don't worry about getting everything in the outline, because I know it'll morph.
And then -- this is the fun part -- when I start writing, the characters and the challenges they face take the story in new directions. If I listen to them, the story evolves. If I try to force them to do what I want, the story tends to stall.
But here's the thing: There's no one right way. Whatever keeps your fingers moving, that's the right way, me thinks.
I have recently started using Pinterest more and more to collect images of people, places, colours, objects, clothing and fashions - anything that I think will have an influence on my story. It has worked really well as a prompting tool and I'll often refer to my board if I'm struggling for momentum. I'm a particularly visual writer and I feel that it helps me immensely.
M. Ray Holloway Jr. wrote: "Gippy wrote: "Hank wrote: "I write all my books, fiction and non-fiction, in Scrivener. It's a program that stores EVERYTHING about the book in a single file: scenes, chapters, character sketches, ...Thank you so much, M. Ray! That would be so helpful as I use both computers as well. That will save so much time.
Dean wrote: "I have recently started using Pinterest more and more to collect images of people, places, colours, objects, clothing and fashions - anything that I think will have an influence on my story. It h..."
Hi Dean, I signed up for Pinterest, selected my topics, and they send me emails every day. Do you have more than that? Do you have your own page on Pinterest? Thank you, Sue
@Sue you probably have a Pinterest profile if you've signed up, but in order to get followers you have to start 'pinning' things--you can start creating boards and pinning pics and articles to them. You can even make boards for your characters and novels, or just random inspiration--it's pretty fun, and very relaxed advertising :)
Grace, Thank you very much for this helpful information. I like to paint so I enjoy watching the videos I receive in my daily Pinterest email. : )
The #1 tip I use to avoid writers block 100% of the time and get basic editing done is this:When I sit down to write (Scrivener junkie here--use it every day), I start with reading through the work I did the day before. As I do, I make simple edits focusing on flow as a reader...
By the time I get to the end of the editing, I'm back into the story, I know where I left off and I'm roaring to write more =)
Jaime, I do the same thing! (Another scrivener junkie here)
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Books mentioned in this topic
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Volume 1 of 2 (other topics)The Silkworm (other topics)
The Cuckoo's Calling (other topics)
As had been said here already, the bottom line is that what works for us may not work for you and there is no "right" or "wrong" method to putting a story together. Just whatever gets your ideas recorded, in whatever order occurs to you. Missy's advice is a great way to capture the basic ideas so they aren't lost without worrying about exactly what someone says, or precisely how things happen. Just putting down a sketch and moving on can save time and frustration.
In case, it's useful in some way, our "method" (using the term loosely) is often something like this: first, there's a scene that is the reason we're writing the story. For us, it encapsulates what the story is about. We write that first. We typically have little or no idea where goes in the story, but that doesn't matter.Then we write the end, so we know where we're going. Then we write whatever occurs to us, in whatever order. (We don't bother with outlines.)
Once we're close to done with all that, we write the beginning. At that point, we know the whole story, so the question is: "How do we introduce this? Where does this story actually begin?" We find it much easier to write a first chapter that will engage readers (we hope) once the story is laid out than trying to start with the first chapter without yet knowing where we going with the whole thing.
We don't always do things this way, but the general idea works for us: write the key scenes that define the arc the story first, including the end, which is the anchor. Then write all the parts that stitch the keys scenes together. Then figure out the best way to introduce it.
All the best with your story!