You know, last time this happened seemed SO SIMILAR... I don't know if it is weekends, or guest authors, or months with 30 days... but whatever the case I think I've finally got it straightened out. Any of you lose days or steal days or anything like that? Is this evidence of descending into author madness?
The main plot of the Cozy is outlined. Now you REAL outliners would look at what passes for me as an outline and call me a poser—it isn't super detailed, more of a TIMELINE really... In fact... TIMELINE is just what I outa call it. Then I won't feel nearly so much like a rule-follower. So the timeline is done for the MAIN PLOT (which in a murder mystery would be the murder investigation *cough*). But I need to overlay two additional timelines... there is the action they are SUPPOSED to be doing (photography and interviews for a magazine feature) and the timeline of relationship tensions (because I can't let everybody be HAPPY while they solve this, can I? BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)
I am going to try something new on this book. Terry Odell wrote one recently where she created a storyboard with post it notes for things she WAS going to stick in and things she might... clues, red herrings... all that stuff. I think the nice thing about it, is it makes it so easy to rearrange things a little big—just move the post-it, easy peasy. I should note that I have no plans to DRAW anything... It might be amusing, but I'd never be able to re-decipher what it was I meant... I don't have any visual art skills to speak of.
So I've got a poster board and a couple colors of post it notes and think I'm going to give it a shot...
BuNoWriMo progress
So if anybody is wondering, it is June 14th--my cousin's birthday, now that I put that in writing... *note to self: tell Chris Happy Birthday* Have a great week! (last week of school for my childings...)
25 comments:
For a moment I thought you had drawn all that. Or have you?
like your storyboard. cool. back to work. see ya later.
Could your missing day be a delayed long-weekend reaction?
I think yout sticky-note idea ts fabulous! I've heard of people diong something similar with recipe cards.
Nope--that is just a google image storyboard (not my drawings)... I am much more a words gal... in fact my PLAN is to run the three timelines, one over the other and use the post-its--then I can shuffle things so they all fall together into logical scenes...
Will--totally agree on the brilliace of post its. If I had index card they would be EVERYWHERE until they got permanently stuck, so if you are doing there, might as well just make a hard copy list... (then again, I like lists)
Good luck with the storyboard! Great idea.
Yes, I get all messed up. I stood up an author not long ago...totally by accident. I have nightmares about that kind of thing!
I have a copy of my ms full of comments like "does this conversation work?" and "should she go here first?" I live in fear that I'll accidentally send the copy out, but I can't find it in me to delete it.
Cool storyboard! I'm jealous!
I lose track of days/ dates... even years. Scary!
Elizabeth-I forget appointments and such, too--in particular a monthly conference call *rolls eyes* I've missed it as often as I've made it.
Erica-I never delete those either... moving it to an 'old' folder though, can't hurt! (though when you then decide you WANT the old version and go in there, finding the RIGHT one can be a nightmare [/voiceofexperience]
Talli-years! Exactly! not at all sure what happened between 1990 and 1996 except I came out of it with a husband and a child!
Thank you!
I say go for it with the storyboard! I haven't tried it yet so let us know how it goes!
I love your storyboard idea! Can't wait to read your book! I love a good cozy mystery.
I love story boards, its my half visual-half outlined approach. It skates by as being "official" in my mind. The middle must be hard to write cause I was getting a high word count each day and that word count is dropping dropping dropping. Then again life hit hard last week and put a few of us in a tailspin. Go with the storyboard :)
I've not done the storyboard with post-it notes, but it sounds like a very good idea. Just don't take so long, the notes lose their sticky.
I will definitely keep you all posted as to how the storyboard thing goes. Me, being me, it will probably not be how other people do things--I just like the flexibility of it.
And Erica-yes--middles are SO HARD! I've got a post or two about them. The very hardest part of a book for me is abou 50%-75%--then end then starts rolling again, and usually the VERY end sneaks up on me.
Helen-my PLAN is to have my first draft done by mid-August--I know my writing style and revising style and HAVE to plan at least as much for edits as the first draft--and I have a couple rounds of readers built in...
I just have to say, those llama things creep me out.
And sounds like you are doing great with your writing challenge. Keep with it. :)
I'm not sure if you saw my BuNo update I posted Saturday, but my word count is out the window. I'm definitely focusing on the "write every day" goal, although I haven't written every day. But I am continuing my NaNo novel! I hated that it was unfinished, and I am feeling the story again, so it's working out (albeit slowly).
You had asked why people were permalinking on my blog. You were right; it's for a photography editing thing. If you click on my Color Splash Sunday link in the right sidebar, that explains all of it. :)
Oh, and I love the llama pic. It makes me giggle.
Happy birthday to your cousin!
I happen to LOVE these llamas, partially because they look a bit insane *teehee*
Thanks, Megan!
Amy-any writing you weren't doing before is good progress--so glad you are feeling the novel again! It makes a huge difference to be in the zone and it sounds like you are there!
Argh, yes, the second act blues, I call it. For both fiction writing and screenplays, it's the same thing -- keeping the momentum going while revealing the meat, still getting in some juicy points, creating character development, but still, what was that? oh, yeah -- keeping the momentum going!!!
Argh. But I'm sure you're doing wonders! B
HA! I have a diagnosis! That's fabulous! Oh, I know it doesn't make it BETTER, but it sure makes me feel better about HAVING IT! Not everybody gets it, oddly... but I suppose that's like anything... one person will get hypertension, another will have a bad back... and a person who abuses themself too badly will end up with both, and diabetes to boot... wait...I've lost my metaphor...
Never mind. It DOES help to have a name! Thank you, Barbara!
I love your comic book looking storyboard/timeline. I've never tried to do a storyboard...it's a little bit more organized than my lazy butt tends to be willing to do. But this looks kinda fun. :)
Go you!
ROFL!! You're so cute. I love to invent words to suit my needs, too. It should be that way, don't you think?? I like the word discombobulated, it's a real word, too!!! ;)
See... the way I figure it, Lola, is this isn't much more work than a plain old timeline (which I have to do for a complicated plot) but THIS I can MOVE stuff on! So it may in fact BE the lazy way!
Elizabeth--my writer's group keeps talking about writing our own dictionary. This is actually TARA's word, but it is appropriate. Yesterday's word, Procrastinakeding... that is BrioNI's and she's not even an official Burrower, though she's friends with most of us... if we weren't all procrastinakeding, we could get it all down--THEN we'd be in business, as I'm sure there is a market for imaginary words...
Confuzzlegasted – what a great word!
I see I’m not the only person who confuses days. For me the days generally whiz by, but not quite as fast as I think they do, so I’m always thinking it’s later in the month than it is.
The post-it note storyboard seems like a great idea.
You sound like a girl after my own heart (barking mad!), can't wait until I'm on your blog July 6th... or 7th... or...
:D
Hello! I love your outline - I have just been staring at it with wonder (and slight envy) thinking my own novel-to-be plans need a lovely layout like that! :)
Jane-that is the way I do it too, I swear I am behind so I over compensate... I'm sure there is a penis joke in there, but I probably shouldn't look for it!
Louise-YAY! An author who is HAPPY to be here! I'm excited to have you!
Jayne, I should confess that MY storyboard isn't nearly that detailed at this point, and certainly has no drawings... But I have a PLAN! A plan counts for something, right!?
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