Juiced On Writing

Now that I have completed my initial Mindmaps and outline using Scenes within the Writer’s Block software, I have today returned to working with MindMaps and setting up more in readiness for the novel writing to commence. Here is some of my work of today, with some description. I have created several new mindmaps, including a master mindmap to operate as a general project base for my NaNoWriMo effort.

MindMaps for Documenting Some Writing Notes

1. Character Notes and Relationships

Although there are excellent facilities within Liquid Story Binder (my writing base) for character dossiers, for more minor characters I often don’t bother to document these as I create them. And then two weeks later, I go to use the same character briefly, and either have forgotten his name, or the fact that he speaks with an odd accent, or likes tigers or something.

The Character Notes and Relationships Mindmap is a working document. Within the one page I can quickly add a new topic onto the correct linked character, add the character’s name and important notes which I may want to remember for later. I’ve started off my MindMap already, with the Main Character (oh yes – she’s still nameless) and some others I know I will need to use. The names may well change, as I write, as will some of the details. But by having this mindmap available to me all the time, as I write – well, it’s easy to update at the time (or during a caffiene fix).

The split-story-arch Main Character in this one is linked to another mindmap. This other map is the Main Character mindmap which I created earlier on, and which can be seen in Part I of this three part series. It may well change as she develops into a real person also. I’ve so far stuck in the images I gathered for her yesterday. Aside from that there are no changes as yet.

2. Structure and Themes

This is my second MindMap developed as a work in progress. I started off nutting out the basic story structure – which had already been developed partially with the Scenes Cards within Writer’s Blocks. It’s a very basic structure – beginning, middle and end, with the climax set obviously at the end. But as the story moves from past diary entries to the present, it has a multitude of possible themes which can also run through the story-arc.

I’ve put some of the basic action points and some of the major diary themes in a timeline across the story structure (the chapters and dates of the diary entries). Below this are also some bigger possible themes which I want to include within the story. Whether I use all of these – well, probably not. But by putting them across here in a mindmap, I at least have a full record of them.

With Mindjet MindManager Pro 7, I can simply go into the topic information on each and check it off as completed if I do develop the theme within the story writing. Or I could just delete them. Or work more in linking some together.

3. Location or Setting

This is an obvious mindmap if ever there was one. I didn’t want to bother with over-planning settings at all. In fact, at this point most of these will be barely mentioned. However I realised that a lot of the action would be based in one particular location and I would work better if I could initially visualise it. I spent about five minutes looking for images off the internet, and have plugged them into here. The same images will go into my Image Gallery within my writing application also.

4. The Master MindMap

Finally, with all these mindmaps, and other documents and programs lying around on my hard-drive, I developed a very simple Master mindmap to act as my first base every writing day. Here it is -

On the right you will see my main story elements – some are not expanded in this view. All of my individual mindmaps – the Themes / Structure one, the Main Character one, the Character Notes mindmap and the Locations mindmap can be opened with one click on the MindMap html link found on the Master as an icon.

On the left is my Master toolbox, using the linking functions of Mindjet MindManager Pro 7. There are links here to my two important directory folders – click on these and the folders will open for access. There are links here to my Liquid Story Binder writing space also – clicking on the exe icon will open it, ready to write. Links to open the Scenes Cards in the Writer’s Blocks software, and to two excel spreadsheets also – my statistics and research notes.

From this central or master mindmap I can open and access all the files or applications I need. This is a true project-central mindmap. I’ve even included a URL link to my NaNoWriMo profile for updating my wordcount each day.

Setup for Writing in my Writing Tools

Aside from the MindMaps, as previously discussed, my actual writing will be done in two systems (three, if you count the wordcount excel spreadsheet I use also).

1. Liquid Story Binder Writing Workspace

I previously showed you the start of this workspace, with the character dossiers and image gallery. That has been saved as one workspace in my book project. This is the actual writing environment, saved as a working workspace.

At the top left there are two smaller modules open – under the main writing module. I have the Image Gallery itself, in case I want to look quickly at an image – for inspiration. And my Ideas Builder, used as a simple notepad, or for development of ideas or research notes if need-be.

Overtop of this is my main writing module – I use a builder module – this one is entitled Chapter 1 – in readiness, with the first scene blank and ready to go. I’ve input the writing goal of 2000 words into the scene item also.

To the right you will see my normal file listing underneath (this shows all files created in the book itself, so is often handy to have available). Over this sits my created Writing Listing, showing my methodology in manuscript creation. The builders (there will be one for each chapter) will sit here. And once the three scenes are created for each chapter I will build these into a real chapter module which will sit in the list for chapters. Once all chapters are completed, I can create a Planner, import in those chapters, and from there build a full manuscript. However that’s far away…

Below these file listings sits a simple Note element where I’ve quickly jotted some word count notes. I use this to add up the wordcounts – although LSB has a global statistics function anyway. But it’s a nice way to see the whole thing progress, and as the days go by, seeing the words ramp up provides some inspiration.

2. Scenes in Writer’s Blocks Workspace

In my entry of yesterday I showed you my Writer’s Block scene cards. These will be played with, added to, possibly deleted, but certainly updated on a daily basis as I go. The scene cards work as both a planner and outliner.

3. Statistics and Research in an Excel Spreadsheet

Statistics Spreadsheet

Finally, at the end of a writing day, I found using this excel spreadsheet the most inspirational of all. Given that NaNoWriMo has it’s own wordcount facility and all the widgets to gloat with, perhaps using a spreadsheet like this one isn’t really needed. However inserting in the number of words you’ve written during the day – with the time, and your morale and comments helps me, anyway.

The above Writing Marathon worksheet is available for download from Zohutou.co.uk, and was based originally on Eric Benson’s NaNoWriMo excel report card.

Research Spreadsheet

I also have a large spreadsheet containing my timelines research. A spreadsheet was the best tool to use for this – years across the top, and notes for categories across as rows. I have various categories of interest, from music hits for that year, to important world history and country events, and others. If I had time I would put this into a proper timeline – perhaps with some images. But I don’t, and the spreadsheet is enough to work from, certainly for the NaNoWriMo effort about to commence in one day’s time.

Next Up…

Actually, I’m READY-TO-GO, with one day to spare. Which is a good thing, as I’m scheduled to go and see High School Musical 3 with my daughter tomorrow, as it’s the last day of mid-term school holiday breaks here in the U.K. So I will be celebrating my preparedness for NaNoWriMo by screaming at a cinema screen along with hundreds of other young girls.

I possibly need to go into LSB and use the new character name generator to find a name for my main character, but maybe I will save that for another day. On November 1st I intend spending a few hours coming up with that first 2000 words and first scene and joining in with the many thousands of other NaNoWriMo official participants. Good luck to all of you!

Links from this Article:

• Me at NaNoWriMo (please buddy me)
• Liquid Story Binder (affiliate link)
• Mindjet MindManager Pro 7 software – for PC Windows users. Also available for Mac.
• Writer’s Blocks software
• Part 1 : MindMapping to Prepare for a Novel
• Part 2 : Stage 2 of Preparing for a Novel
• NaNoWriMo marathon report spreadsheet at Zohutou

These posts may also be of interest:

1. LSB Next Version – Moving Builder Items for Scene Writers For those interested in using (or currently use) Liquid Story...