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Scapple novels5/21/2023 It wasn’t until I mapped the outline this way that I really saw the shape of the overall story for the first time. If you look closely, you can see our main character in the center, one image for each of the three main plot threads, and lots of little bubbles: pink for characters, tan for plot points, and representative quotes in green. Here’s a story map I created for one of our collaborations, MIDDLE SCHOOL: JUST MY ROTTEN LUCK. Almost always, I’ll adapt that outline into a visual spread with Scapple, to help me get to know-and to literally envision-the story as I move toward the drafting process. When I work with James Patterson, I start with a written outline from him. I love it, and use it in more ways than any other software on my computer. Speaking of Scrivener, the same company has a lesser-known product, Scapple, which is basically an electronic bulletin board. The applications here are, of course, whatever you want them to be. Then shrink the whole file down to 25% or whatever size will give you a snapshot of the whole thing.ĭepending on where you’ve focused your highlighting, you can see right away (for example) if one of your characters has disappeared from the story for too long or if you’re under-utilizing a given setting or if your action-to-narration ratio is off. Use the highlighter function to visually score whatever you’d like. If you don’t have the room to spread out, another (electronic) approach is the shrunken manuscript technique. One way of doing that is to print and spread out my pages, then mark them up with different highlighters to indicate whatever I might want to track in the story: scene length, characters, internal monologue, etc. Sometimes, when I’m in the middle of a story, or just after I’ve finished a first draft, I like to stop and take stock of what I have. Although, to play devil’s advocate, I also like the tactile approach of a real bulletin board, and am always happy for a reason to get my eyes off the computer screen for a while.Īnother aspect to outlining-and this wasn’t intuitive to me at first-is that it can be useful at several different phases of the writing process. It’s easier than working with real cards and thumbtacks, and it integrates well with the manuscript in Scrivener. I have become a true fan of Scrivener (software for novelists), and one of my favorite features is their corkboard function. It’s also possible to tackle this method electronically. Like the story itself, outlines can always be works in progress. Ideas that I haven’t yet placed into the story are on the right, and the already-woven parts of the narrative are on the left. The story takes place in two different locations, indicated with yellow or blue, with pink cards for interstitials and other material. I use one card per chapter, scene, or story beat, and also color-code to indicate POV, story thread, setting, or whatever else suits my purposes. So it makes sense that I’d think about my outlines visually, as well.įor starters, I’m a fan of the old school note-cards-and-corkboard method. Whenever I’m starting work on a scene, one of the questions I’ll ask myself is where the camera might go in the story’s moviequivalent (and yes, I just made up that word). I’m also someone who thinks visually, story-wise. I like to get an overview of my story before I jump into the writing. I’ve always been more of a plotter than a plunger. One of those techniques, which I’ve found quite helpful in my own work, has been visual outlining. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all topic, and I’m hoping to share as many tools, tips, and techniques as possible. I’ve been taking stock of my writer’s toolbox.
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