A curse that has caused me to never simply get my hair trimmed. So boring, so much the same. Every time I get my hair cut, I can't stand the idea of just getting it colored the same as before or just getting it trimmed. Which is why every time, without fail, my hair gets completely transformed, whether that be by length or color.
You may be wondering why I'm bringing this up. No, I did not just change my hair. It's been about a month since I changed it. I bring up my addiction to change because I have recently made another kind of change.
Since I started my journey into fantastical world of the writer, I've always had the same methods of writing. No longer! As of a few days ago, I began a new method of writing. Which is the purpose of this post. Not to discuss my addiction, but to discuss a new method of prewriting. This is how it goes:
- Research.
- Create characters.
- Make a web.
- Outline on note cards.
These are my four planning steps, as of a few days ago. Actually, the first three are essentially the same. Researching consists of pinning articles and pictures onto a secret board dedicated to the project I'm researching. Character profiles (which I will discuss at a later date) come next. I fill pages full of information on these characters. Making webs have always been a part of my writing process but I would never dare delete them from the process. Again, those will be something discussed on another day.
Today I would like to focus on number four of this process. In the past, I've outlined on lined paper, writing a list of events for each chapter in a very formatted page. The note card method I'm doing for this project is quite different.
For those writers reading this and would like to try this outlining method, here's what you will need:
- Note cards
- Something to write with
Use one note card for each scene in the project. On each card, write the following information:
Setting: Where does this scene take place?
Characters: Who is involved in this scene?
- Bullet points of everything that happens in that scene.
Goal: What is the purpose of this scene?
This method is something I pulled from a book called 90 Days to Your Novel: A Day-by-Day Plan for Outlining and Writing Your Book by Sarah Domet. It's a fantastic resource and I would suggest it to any budding writer.
Here's how my first note card turned out, for those of you who learn by example:
Setting: Irina's apartment
Characters: Irina
- Spends time meditating
- Stops when memories get too intense
- Starts sparring by herself, eyes closed
Goal: Shows Irina's emotional scars
Okay, so, that's it! I did that for every scene (which ended up using up a lot of note cards by the way) and it turned out to be a great method for me.
Thanks for reading guys! Post your comments below about how this worked for you!
Until next time!
