After careful consideration, I’ve decided to scrap the draft of Shades of Evil that I’ve been working on. I made the same mistake that I did with Prosperity by crowding the plot with too many characters. There are also some inconsistencies that I felt needed attention before I can continue.
Yesterday, I spent the better part of an hour mapping out my outline. I’ve discovered a new tool (for me) called mind maps. I’m a very visual person and find that the ideas flow much easier when I use this method.
Now I’m reworking the first chapter in order to portray the main characters as a team. I’ve written down how the book is going to end. The hard part will be writing the middle, where I often stray.
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I’ve become a fan of rewriting lately too. I’d love to hear more about how you mindmap.
.-= Benjamin Solah´s last blog ..Writing Update: Outlining Zombie Novella =-.
Okay.
I’ll write a post about that soon!
We are seem to be editing and/or rewriting our manuscripts, and I’m always interested in learning how other people do things as it usually helps me too.
Good luck with the rewrite, Deborah.
Thanks, Karen. I’m just about finished with the rewrite of the first chapter. I also enjoy reading about other people’s progress with their manuscripts. It especially helps when I’m feeling frustrated with my own process.
Hi Deborah.
… crowding the plot with too many characters? … inconsistencies?
For this I highly recommend the software called Dramatica Pro,
“A Place for Novelists, Screenwriters, and Fiction Writers of all kinds…”
at
http://www.dramatica.com/ and
http://www.screenplay.com/p-13-dramatica-pro.aspx
(No, I don’t win a commission or microwave oven if you buy it
Mike
Hey, Mike! Good to see you here.
I’ve tried using Dramatica Pro, but then I get inundated with ideas to the point where I veer off course.
Hi Deborah,
I first bought Dramatica Pro about 10 years ago.
Since I had always written high-tech documentation, I had no experience with developing plots, mystery, characters, through-lines, flash-backs, etc.
I couldn’t get to first base with Dramatica Pro.
Then, during my 4-year travel/study sabbatical, I went to Tinsel-Town to take the Dramatica Pro course. Wow, that course answered my questions and really opened my eyes to the power of Dramatica Pro – and why all the award-winners use it.
Dramatica Pro is awesome, but it’s much more exotic than a word processor or spreadsheet… it’s more like Photoshop – with a steep learning curve that requires knowledge of the model plus study and practice.
Faithfully in Freedom,
Mike
I hit that same problem, getting to first base. I’d love to take a class on Dramatica Pro sometime. Have you written any novels or screenplays? If so, what genre?