I'm working on my next novel--I do realize the characters are not real people and do not age :).
I've decided to try a new method for organizing what I want to include in the novel. A friend of mine suggested using a long strip of craft paper and laying out all the details on that paper. I took my butcher paper, cut off a long piece, and started placing post-it notes all over the paper in a somewhat linear fashion. I've already replaced several post-it notes and changed them around, which is what's so nice about this method. I need to see the whole story from beginning to end.
I know the ending and I know what I want to happen within the story. But, I haven't been sure how to begin it or how to move from one event to another. The story in my head is beautiful. It's emotionally moving and has such an important overall theme. Yet, I'm not sure I can translate the beauty of the story to the page. This particular story is very close to my heart and very important to me and I want to write it in such a way that it touches people.
I'm hoping that this new method will allow me to see the story in a different way and know how to get from point A to point B. Once I start writing it, I want to write the first draft all the way through without a long pause to figure things out.
My first book was a work-in-progress for years. My second book, due out later this year, is a fun, and hopefully funny, romance and I knew the story in my head so well it was easy to write. I thought I'd try this new method to see how it works for my current WIP and see if once I know the linear events, my mind will feel free enough to truly tell this story in the best way that I know how.
4 comments:
Post-It Notes have so many wonderful uses. Glad to hear that they're coming in handy for you and your WIP.
I have your site in my feed reader, and ran across this post there. Thanks for the suggestion and owning up to doing it yourself. I wondered if something like that was important. I am starting my first "work-in-progress" and I don't want it to span over years. I have in in my head and need to nail down some details to put it to paper. Maybe this will be a helper for me, too.
That's the way I work too--with the butcher paper and post-it notes. Works wonderfully!
Never had a thought long enough that I needed butcher paper and post-it notes, but I really like that idea! No ideas from me - I'm not a writer, but I'll read what you write!
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