Working

Here is a look at the novel I am working on. 

In the binder is the first draft, pounded out during a nanowrimo exercise a few years back.  I failed by one day, hitting 50K words in 31 days, not 30.  On each page I keep track of what happens in every paragraph, what point of view (POV) each chapter is in, and what major plot points occur during the section.  I also look for type-os, leaps in logic or continuity, and anything else wrong in the rough draft.

The index cards on the left are character sheets, notes concerning everything I reveal about each player during the story's unfolding.  This helps me see their arcs without all the story distracting me from their paths.

The long cards above the binder are notes and questions I ask myself while reading the draft.  Sometimes there are things I need to add or subtract, and this is where those thoughts wind up.

The short cards on the top right are outlines.  Each chapter gets its own card, and on that card is a map of how the section unfolds.  By using these cards, I can move around the chapters if something needs to happen sooner or later; if I need to add a chapter, there is no problem--just fill out the info on a card and insert wherever it needs to go. 

I work with a revolving system.  I will pound something out from an outline and then put it away for a while, let it simmer while I cook something else up.  When the time is right, I return to the work and begin this editing process.  The simmering time is different for each project.  CONVERSION PARTY took ten years of edits, cutting, adding, and recycling before I decided it was time to publish. 

If a story comes to mind while I am in serious writing mode on something else, I will make a detailed outline, and put it in the idea book.  CRYPTID ( a Bigfoot/Skunk Ape story, wink, wink), is something that is outlined but put up comes to mind.

What are some ways you write or create your art?