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What's Pink and White and Covers My Bedroom Wall?


I thought I’d  share my outline of SAH.  Yup, it’s a pink and white wall of index cards. The pink represent one POV and timeline, and the white are the other timeline and main POV. This method felt right for this project because the events in the pink POV had to happen on specific dates (aka from 1314 to modern times).I knew I could slap those cards up on the board quickly and that they wouldn't change. Then, I added in the white cards starting with set points for the main POV.

The best part for me has been that the board is right next to my desk. When a brainstorm for a scene comes to me, I grab an index card, dash down a few notes, then pin it to a place on the board that feels right.

Just because a scene or idea is up there, it doesn’t mean I use it. What it does give me is a way to track the flow between the two timelines and POVs, and it allows me to check set points and scene ideas when I go blank. It also allows me to quickly get distracting brainstorms out of my head and filed where I can easily find them if need be.

The X marks where I'm at right now. 45,700 words of appx. 65,000.
 

So, how’s everyone’s writing going?



Posted on Oct. 11th, 2009 at 04:04 pm | | Leave a comment | 9 comments | Add to Memories | Share

Comments


[info]justinhowe

This is cool and insightful. Thanks!
Posted on Oct. 11th, 2009 09:38 pm (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

[info]patesden

It's actually my version of Holly Lisle's technique. http://hollylisle.com/ I first tried using index cards for revising and I found it work well, so I tried for plotting.

Thanks for stopping by. I enjoy your blog--and should stop lurking and post.
Posted on Oct. 11th, 2009 09:58 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]justinhowe

I enjoy your blog

Thank you. I sort of don't know what to do with it at times...
Posted on Oct. 12th, 2009 03:58 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]wyld_dandelyon

I gave my old push-pin board to my daughter because I hadn't used it in years. Now I find I want one again. Figures!
Posted on Oct. 12th, 2009 05:56 am (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

[info]patesden

I used to bring the old boards home from work, but this time I splurged and bought one that actually was the right size and had cork that wasn't totally distroyed :)
Posted on Oct. 12th, 2009 11:05 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]bec_fitzpatrick

Haha! I have a corkboard in my study that looks a lot like this :)
Posted on Oct. 12th, 2009 03:56 pm (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

[info]patesden

Should we give each other darts for Christmas? It seems like they'd come in handy at times.
Posted on Oct. 12th, 2009 04:44 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]aliettedb

That is awesome. I want one of those... (I don't have a board, and as we're renting our place I don't think we could put one up).
Posted on Oct. 12th, 2009 09:35 pm (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

[info]patesden

A while ago Pam Bachorz http://www.pambachorz.com/ blogged about how she used clothesline and shower curtain hooks (I could be wrong about the kind of hooks). I thought about doing that, but the only thing I could tie the clothes line onto was my four-poster bed. I wasn't sure I wanted hinky looking ropes and hooks hanging around me while I slept.
Posted on Oct. 12th, 2009 11:28 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply