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I was wondering what other authors use to help themselves write their longer stories. Do they write notes on paper? Do they keep notes in a file? Do they use any software? If so, what programs do they use?
I keep notes at the bottom of the file in an outline format by chapter. Since the notes are at the bottom, I'm always reminded of the next scene I want to write. After I write the scene, I delete the notes relating to that scene. Then I have notes for the next scene to take their place.
I also write notes on paper when I'm away from my computer so I don't forget them. I save the notes and place them around my computer desk. My computer, desk and floor are littered with notes right now. :)
Anyway, my system has worked well for shorter stories but I'm writing a novel now. It's been difficult to keep track of everything in my story. I have quite a few characters and lots of plot elements to keep straight. If anyone has a better system, I'd love to hear it.
It's nice to share. :)
- Terry
Roughdraft 3.0
Taking the recommendation of someone from this board (sorry I can't remember whom deserves the credit), I use an editor called Roughdraft 3.0. It has a feature where there is a notepad attached to the story in the main edit window. This pad saves as a text file in the same directory as the story's .rtf and automatically opens with the story.
I find the ability to have another scroll window valuable when working on one of my longer stories.
Heh, similar...
I just don't use an application that does it for me. I write using OpenOffice.org 2.0 -- well, actually, I pretty much do everything with OpenOffice
But because I've always got ideas assaulting my brains, I keep a Notepad open, too. Just to jot down ideas
If I'm not writing seat-of-the-pants style -- which is a rare thing -- then I do general drift. That is, I come up with where I wanna go eventually, and make a very vague outline. Then I just let my imagination go. If I have any ideas on other things while getting there, I have my Notepad :)
Outlining
I have a 22 inch LCD, so when I embark on a long story, I begin with a basic outline. I use MS Word, and I have the outline open whenever I write, next to my actual text.
Most often this begins with a very basic idea and a protagonist, and maybe a few additional characters. The protagonist is generally very detailed, but additional characters may be less 'fleshed out'. As the story progresses, I add to this outline - new plot twists, more detail and characters and such. As I do research, I add notes regarding whatever I have learned. Having the outline beside my writing allows me to refer back without having to scroll through many pages of writing.
Scott
Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of--but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards.
Lazarus Long - Robert A. Heinlein's 'Time Enough for Love'
Bree
The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.
-- Tom Clancy
http://genomorph.tglibrary.com/ (Currently broken)
http://bree-ramsey314.livejournal.com/
Twitter: @genomorph
Writing Aids
I find that the longer the story the more detail you need.
I use a combination of RoughDraft and OpenOffice.
I use a method adapted from a writing book by a prolific author of juvenile novels, Phillis Whitney. She used a large table with all her data spread out on it, biographies, chapter outlines, timelines -- everything. IIRC, she mainly used 3" x 5" cards. There, she could move it all around, make adjustments and get a really good picture of the entire story, and then she would write it. If she wanted to alter her story after that, she would adjust the data on the table into the new arrangement, making sure things worked with the change. If you don't have a table or a big board where you can pin up your story information, then the trick is to imitate that holistic effect on a computer. The ideal, at least to set things up and get everything "right," is a lot of open documents on a big screen with decent resolution, or use a second screen. One can, of course, achieve that table effect by opening a lot of notepads with your information in them, and just shuffle them around until it makes sense. Writing programs are also out there that have a lot of windows that you can minimize and open at leisure.
A second best is to have a whole lot of documents instantly and easily available. This is where RoughDraft comes in. You can write a novel, screenplay, or whatever on RoughDraft alone because it's main screen has spellcheck and links to a dictionary/thesaurus, but I use it like a big filing cabinet.
Roughdraft looks a lot like WordPad with tabs, a few nice features that authors might find useful, and a directory tree added. I use it this way: I create a directory somewhere using the name of my story. Under that, I create other directories with "Bio," "Chapter Outlines," "Chapters," and whatever I find useful, and create .rtf files to go in them using either Roughdraft, Word, or OpenOffice. Double clicking a file in the directory tree in Roughdraft will open it in the main Roughdraft screen and create a tab. If you double click a dozen files (or a hundred), it creates a tab for each. I use OpenOffice to write in and keep Roughdraft open at the same time, flicking back and forth instantly from file to file as needed by clicking on its tab in Roughdraft. I find it a neat and efficient way of keeping track of what's going on and where I'm at.
This is most useful when writing long stories. I have a real respect for efficiency, having wasted so much time on dead ends, false sub-plots and so forth. It definitely pays off to be organized on the longer stuff.
Aardvark
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
Mahatma Gandhi
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
Mahatma Gandhi
Writing Aides
I don't use anything to help me when writing longer stories as opposed to shorter ones. My story I'm currently writing on here, 'Echoes', had a very loosely planned out rough draft when I started, but as I write I tend to redevelop story plot and add new scenes depending on the way the characters develop. One of my biggest problems is that I don't develop my characters a lot before I begin writing, but rather let their personalities develop as I write them, which makes planning future events in a long work hard when you can't tell what the next page is going to say.
On the other hand, when writing fantasy I'm the type to make maps of continents/cities/townships, then spend a good seven or eight weeks prior to writing the story writing detailed histories, snippets of important religious or mystical works, and music and such. I personally find background and location far more important to a story than preplanning events, since knowing what's happened before affects what happens from now on. Then again, this is just another example of me being completely backwards from the rest of the world :P
Writing Aids
I do much the same as you do, except that since I use Word and or wordperfect, I sometimes will create a link to the specific note. This happens a lot as I'm reading through stories for consistency, and I'll get to a place and think - "maybe I should do thus and such".
I will type in [bookmark# 1] and then link that to the note I will add at the end of the page.
I use the brackets so I can put them in the 'find' command when I'm trying to pick up where I left off. Believe it or not, sometimes the word 'bookmark' ends up in a story without being a, well, a bookmark.
In some cases, I will build a timeline in a separate document, and connect that using links to the story. Numbering the bookmarks in that way also helps to ensure that things stay in correct chronological order. I mean, if bookmark #2 was after #14, that might indicate a problem, right?
Trust me - it did.
warm furries
Tiggs
scattered thoughts
That sort of describes my editorial style, certainly my commenting style and partially my writing style. Assuming of course I have one or all of those.
I have an old laptop that I wiped and upgraded to XP, so of course it's still out of date. I use word and well... my head. So far I manage to hold a plotline and develop characters without too much fussing about with outlines and histories or external programs or whatever. I read and reread and tweak... and then ...enough...out you go. Every so often I might have a few other eyes wander across things, but mostly it 's just me.
Yes it shows you may say, .. fair enough. If... a big If, I started on an epic of sorts, something like Aardvarks current tale, I might have to expand my system. Or if I took it as seriously as some do. It is serious and meaningful and thoughtful and helpful, but it aint life and death... well mostly. There are always exceptions. The whys and wherefores will vary. My reasons and motivations will not be the same as others. There will of course be commonalities and overlaps, but there will also always be differences. Learning, experience, attitudes, politics, personal history, turn ons and offs. Subleties and sledgehammers. Dreams and fears.... all these and a multitude of others will find there way directly or indirectly into what is written. How you get there is as personal as why. Then...maybe someone will read it.
Um.. see, scattered.. train of thought stuff. Sad aint it, but basically whatever you need and works for you is what is best. Change and learn and grow as needed or necessitated. Huh...that's life.. might even learn something.
Kristina
Outline, what's that?
I've never used an outline or kept notes when writing. What I do is just pound out the story, sometimes haphazardly by jumping from one part of the story to another, but all with little assistance except for spell check, my imagination, a bottle of tylenol for headaches, and frequent google searches in order to do research.
After the story is pounded out, I do revisions and get help. Usually Steve Zink, but John and Maggie Finson for my latest. Steve does edits, or fixes. Ohters read in order to give me input. Suggestions from John or Maggie made me add several key scenes to my last story. A few scenes were cut because they either sounded awkward or I couldn't get them to work.
Danielle(Using her laptop before going to bed)
Daniel, author of maid, whore, bimbo, and sissy free TG fiction since 2000
What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.- Oscar Levant
Not that I'm biased or anything...
However, blowing my own horn, I wrote a tool called "Fiction Sketch" a while ago for this very purpose. It's based, generally, on some forms designed to help authors organize a whole variety of their story. Anyways, it seems to be relatively popular, based on the number of downloads, and some mentions on the Baen Books website by actual professionals.
Unfortunately, it is Windows based and requires .NET 1.1 (I need to put a 2.0 version up at some point). You can get the details here (with screen shots):
http://www.joannegrrl.com/main.php?section=8&article=95
As an aside, tools like this are useful, but even moreso if you have a widescreen or a dual screen display. That allows you to keep your notes on one screen while working in the other. I find that very handy!
Writing Like Reading "Slaughterhouse Five"
When I write a story I write it in sections. Those sections could be in any part of the story: begining, middle or end. If there is a gap that I need to write I leave several blank lines. If I have an idea of what I want to write there I write a sentence or two to remind me what I want. When I fill in that section I close the gap and delete the sentence. There have been times when I open a gap and write the whole section or a sentence, or close the gap because it won't work.
Another thing I do is write the story down and change sections to conversation later.
Only short stories where I know exactly what to write do I not use an outline.
Also, I let the story stew for a while. A story is like wine, it usually improves with age.