Plot Puzzle Planning And Pontificating
Storycrafting Frustrations And Successes
This morning, in between teaching my youngins vital things like how to deal with multiple fractional factors and how to craft a proper thesis statement for an argumentative essay, I spent some time working on organizing the plot of my under construction novel. As I am an inductive thinker, I can see the entire project as a whole, but the orderly steps of how to get to the end of my book are an agonizing view through a shattered potential prose spy glass. ARGH!
Granted, like most parents, I don't have the opportunity to just sit down in a quiet office and work uninterrupted on my project. Instead this morning I have done animal chores, baked peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chip muffins, taught a plethora of school subjects, paid bills, all to the soundtrack of constant interruptions and coffee pot gurgling. Mind you, I am not complaining, but when it comes to needing to focus on a massive project like crafting a seamless novel plot, I am finding my brain is wandering more than an average person's Facebook feed.
It's like I am under the influence of a case of: Fractured Focus
And I am back. Anyway, it occurred to me while I was organizing my plot points and chapters in an order that would be pleasing to a reader's thought palette, that I have this incredible knowledge field to derive wisdom from, the many writers on Steemit! I would so love to hear from some of the writers on this platform on how they develop their tales. I have finally come to believe that I am a pretty okay writer, but being able to craft words in a pleasing order is something far different indeed from being able to organize and compile a cohesive and gripping tale of thousands of words.
In reality, anyone who has conceptualized and brought to completion a big project is a hero in my book. My current method of novel crafting involves using Scrivener for organizing my chapters, along with a character sketching worksheet table that I crafted in Word and a chapter order table that I drafted in Word. There's also a pile of random handwritten notes that I keep in a one subject notebook. The notes are scribbled bursts of creative inspiration. Sometimes I will be in the middle of doing something completely mundane, like picking manure out of an animal's hoof, when I will suddenly spout:
The animals love it!
There is however, a glaring fact that I have been trying to shield my gaze from: If I am going to finish my book in the manner that I wish to finish it, I am going to have to focus on the project more. By more I mean that I am going to have to carve out creating time. It is so incredibly hard for me to prioritize myself. Instead of Treat Yo-self my motto is more like Deplete Yo-self. That said, I am making an effort to trim the excess in my life. I actually even told someone no today when they asked if I could do something, and I didn't even feel guilty about doing so. GASP!
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Wow. Today's blog post is a big rambling pile of musings, but if you have followed me for awhile you'll have happened upon a rumination post before. I mainly throw them out there on occasion because I love the input that follows. All of your thoughts and techniques that get shared as comments or posts are super duper valuable and appreciated by moi, and I love having a group of cool folk to toss my random thoughts of (hopefully) cognitive juice inspiring glitter on and such.
So my fellow content crafters, what are some strategies that you employ to help you organize and bring your projects to fruition?
Want to read more @Generikat posts?
Hellow my joyously rambleiferous friend from the East. (We both know
how much that is a positive adjective in use [X] up there, at 313 degrees azimuth from the X.)
I applaud you going forth in the novel realm of things. I've never considered myself a true writer, but I'll throw my ten cents in here anyway. I fear my process is more of a 'throw handfuls of cranial pea gravel at the guppies in the rain barrel of potential ' approach, rather than any organized thing of fashion. Which is diametrically the opposite of what you actually need. To be truly helpful, I might stop right here. But we know how likely THAT is ( :
Like your spiral books of interest, I have notebooks of ideas all over the place, more than I can get to in a lifetime, but they are often random and of individual point, rather than a continual story. I've often THOUGHT about a one book approach, or a long, novel-ish write, but all I've done to date is continuing the story about 'the boys' I did for @dreemit's comet adventure, on into Halloween this next week. Sadly, that does not compare to a novella or novel. That sounds like a bold and fun undertaking for sure. Particularly with all your interesting, daily distractions that surround. Your novel would no doubt be a joy to read. And if you're hiding carrots by the muffler in bags, something I really MUST read.
As for any actual help beyond D.babble here, seems to me there could be a couple of things. One would be time set aside to really work. I know I like long periods of just typing, as I create more just from the keyboard than on pre-paper, and you seem to be of similar nature. Not sure how much time you could actually get in big chunks for that, but we can always dream. And work towards it. "It's Moms quiet 2 hours kids, you're on your own". Yes, easier said than done.
Your character development Word sheets sound like a grand idea. Seems to me keeping track of your characters, story ideas, timelines and such, as well as continuity, would be greatly helped by this. You can always add in your 'carrot bag' notes that you take on a daily basis as you go about life, to fill it out with exciting, humorous Gkat details. Never want to lose those. I know some people put lots of sticky notes on walls for this kind of thing. I seem to do most of this stuff in my head. Maybe that's why everything is all so short...on to the next adventure we go. Though Steemit has helped GREATLY in one regard, I actually FINISH something. I have oodles of unfinished 'works', and the 'get it done' model here has been very important for me. It forces one to finish up an idea, at least to some point. That makes a novel so much harder, as it can go on forever, as there is only one final 'moment'...when you decide it's done. Which can be put off until the cows come home. Having a deadline seems ultra important. If you can do it. At least chapter by chapter. Then you could fill in more lateron as the notes come forth.
As for the writing process in general, I love to write full speed, as the 'stuff' just flows forth, and there are days it flows like warm tree sap, others it hits a winter freeze. But getting it down, then going over it later, filling in the details, is much more enjoyable, and helps put a lot more body to the final product. That's one thing I don't like about the Steemit model, things often only get one write, then put out. And that is not ideal for me. I call it fleshing out, but often it just stays bare bones. That is one great thing about a longer story. You can keep adding interest or detail over time as you ruminate over it. Just have to know when to quit. (Ever see one of my favorite movies: Wonder Boys)?
WOW, I wrote another tome here. Too bad they don't give out SP for vociferality. I guess all I can say beyond all that above, is firstly, try to carve out time for yourself. You give a lot to everyone, try to give a bit to yourself. I know it's very hard, just by your nature. And as for writing, just be you. It's what makes you special. I know I write differently in my comments than in story, and that is hard to capture, I've tried. You seem to be able to just be yourself in all your stories. It's one of many things that make your writings successful and so much fun to read. A daily adventure. Well, enough about all this, you just missed 48 pages of writing time READING all of this ( :
Cheerio(s) my friend, and keep on typing and story'n.
-la poêle
PS. Your pupper's about melted my heart-nothing looks at you quite like a dog.
PPS. One last word of advice...make sure you put me in your story, you can just call me Billy. Then I'll know O :
Ah, dd, if my like for you could be quantified, they would need a gajillion Olympic sized swimming pools to hold it all:)
You are one of the greatest, most creative writers I have ever beheld, and let me tell you, I have read a lot of written words, especially the back of cereal boxes!
It sounds like your approach to creative written word is marvelous. I immediately imagined a Svalbard Seed Vault-like depository of thousands of notebooks full of all of your whimsical ddisms in their natural habitat.
I used to love to sit for long periods of time and churn out words. The problem I run into now is interruption, and I feel like I have gone through such a period of working while working on multiple things at once that something in me is broken. Right now as I try to reply to your most wonderous of replies, I am also helping my girl with multiplying fractions and trying to keep my boy on task with his math test. My attention tentacles are constantly being pulled in multiple directions without pause. I kind of feel like that is my greatest challenge to finishing anything, for this phenomenon makes me feel like 1. My ability to create is not where it could be, so 2. I am hesitant to complete anything because I feel like it isn't my best.
Ugh, I went all sorta whingy there. Not Kat-like at all. Your idea of fleshing it out seems to be an ideal solution to try in my current attention fractured state. Just keep painting layers of words all Bob Ross style until some happy trees emerge or something, ha ha!
Your last paragraph slayed me right in the feels, in a most awesome way. They need to disperse SP out to folk based on their amazingness:) I have loads more to say in reply to your tome but alas I have a couple of math tests to correct, it never ends, lol! That said, thank you so, so much for all your encouragement, you are most definitely going in my story, and on the acknowledgements page:)
Keep on pannin on le skillet domestique!
Also, the puppers are killing a sock right now, and as one is tiny and one is large, the scene is quite heart melting in a laughing til you expire of hypoxia sort of way!!
Ah, I shall not keep you, correctable tests be a'waitin. Though many thanks for taking the time. I know it's precious. Just wanted to say a muy gooey thanks for all the very nice thoughts there. I blush vermilion cheek-ed. Very nice and heartfelt from this end as well. I do want to say one more thing though. I truly don't think you're broken, just very diverted for now. Though I know it FEELS like fracturization.
You're world is now centered around your family, and getting the smaller ones to where they need to be in the world. And from the sounds of it, that is what you are doing very very well. So that is your focus, for the next several years. And it is probably the most important thing you will do in your life. If only more folks thought that way, the world would be full of people doing the right things for the right reasons more often. So maybe that is your task for now, and you write when you can.
I SO know the feeling of not wanting to 'just put stuff out'. But the layering works well, particularly on longer things. It's actually ideal for quality. I LOVE the Bob Ross thought ( : But just get it down when you can, then add to it as you can with G'K wit and whim. It WILL come out in the end. Just might take a bit longer. All I have is four legged kids, so my world is very different indeed. And makes it easy to give advice. Keep up your marvy works, both on the page and in life chores. They are all worthwhile endeavors x 10. Take care, my friend, Your Flatness in Cast Iron
(Amazing, that 'short little reply' was "not keeping you". Ha haa, gotta love it).
I am not working on a lengthy novel, but I will share one tip I use a lot. I being of such an advanced age, have become forgetful, especially when brainstorming inadvertently on the fly. An idea will pop in my brain for the next blog , then just as quickly it vanishes. I love Google Notes. Can be written with finger, stylus, or fingertips.
Ooh, OGP wisdom is received by a most grateful Kat. I like that idea.
I have used my notes on my phone for things, but like everything else in my life, there is no cohesion in my note taking, rather they are a haphazard collection of digital and paper mind bursts. I know they laugh at me at the library, for during the work day I amass a collection of scrap paper full of random notes and bursts of inspiration on all manner of topics. Perhaps if I condense just my novel notes into one place of notage, like Google notes, I will spend less time looking for things and more time creating! Thanks OGP!!!
Voice notes in your phone?
Postit note pads in your pocket?
A child transcriptionist shadowing you?
I have a nearly completed novel that has been sitting for years. my process was to puke it all out as fast as as I could with zero formatting and then to go back and cut it all up into cohesive sections. This is NOT the way to go about it, but it worked for me then. I lost motivation to complete the thing though and am having a supremely difficult time getting back into it. So I applaud YOU for keeping on keeping on with yours, even if slow it is still faster than me!
Ha ha ha! The transcriptionist sounds like the most fun, although I don't think the resulting note taking would be very cohesive, lol!
Our novel crafting stories are very similar. I sat down a few years ago and cranked out about 30,000 words of the first draft in days, then I tinkered with it over the next few years, trying to give it some cohesion. My biggest problem is not lack of creativity or imagination, it's confidence to finish. Ugh. Here lately I have been trying to kick my own butt into gear and just write. Trying not to let stuff derail me from that goal is a pretty big undertaking, but I'm trying:)
Your novel will be there when you are ready to dive back in, it's not like you aren't busy or anything either!
I don't have kids.
You do have cats though! ;)
And other household occupants who are experienced and skilled in interruptions.
Friend, how are you? read your post is nourished by wisdom, advice and have a good time, your writing catches the reader
Ah, I am doing well! Hopefully you are having a lovely day down in your part of the world, I sure hope so:)
As always a pleasure to say hello to you, totally trapped in your writing, besides a good theme, you include your family, your pets, your work and everything becomes very interesting.
A big hug from Venezuela
Ooh, I strive to be interesting, which is helpful I hope because my motto is that everything is interesting!
Big North Idaho hugs in return, I do so hope that you are having a fantastic day!!!
You could just do rough note taking and plot construction between chores and then write it up properly when you get enough time. It's a very difficult job balancing, especially as you want some relaxation
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Ahhh, relaxation, a word whose definition I am completely unfamiliar with;)
Thank you kindly for your input! And I must say that I adore your user name. I followed your blog and I am so very looking forward to enjoying your posts!
Yeah relaxation is important though! Thanks very much, I will be keeping track of yours as well, I really like your writing style.