If someone could photograph the workings of my brain, this is what it would look like. My thoughts are like the concentric paths of each ring. If I don't concentrate my efforts, force organization into my methods, the effect is the same as letting your eyes drift to the side of this image. My rings start spinning independent of the others and before I realize what's happened, I've lost two productive hours of my day.
In support of my natural and near-nonexistent left-brain talents, I'm devising a writing schedule for my WIP. I work best with looming deadlines, so here's my plan of action:
I have until I leave for France to complete and print out the Snowflake Method outline for Overcome. I leave on June 18, so:
By April 3: Step Six -- One week to expand one page story synopsis into a four-page synopsis.
By April 10: Step Seven -- One week to expand character synopsis into detailed character charts.
By May 1: Step Eight -- From four-page story synopsis, create scenes. [Plot scenes on spreadsheet and decide chapter breaks...(*right side of brain begins weeping*)]
By May 29: Step Nine -- Back to word processor, sketch each chapter by expanding each spreadsheet line into multi-paragraph description of that scene. Decide essential conflict of each chapter.
By June 5 (leaving me a week to pack): Revisions and chapter drafts. Each chapter draft/sketch will go on new page(s). I'll print them out and put them in a three-ring binder where I can resort chapter order and make revisions. This is the hardcopy I'll take to France.
There are several motivators built into this plan. For example, my in-laws don't have a computer or Internet connection. Any work I do on the project will have to be handwritten. I'll be on vacation so clearly writing won't be my first priority; however, taking into consideration the ten-hour roundtrip plane rides and la sieste -- two hour "quiet time" strictly observed in France between the noon-day meal and late afternoon -- I'll have opportunities to write.
Disclaimer: I know in my heart that I won't need this kind of strict planning for future novels. I may never sell this one. My objective is to get it written, to learn the process so next time my organizational skills can truly support my creative voice.
Do writing schedules work for you? How important are deadlines for your productivity?
25 comments:
I keep a word count notebook beside my computer and that seems to help. I shoot for a chapter a week. I try to always have attainable goals. Your plan sounds great! Good luck!
I love the way your blog looks! The top especially looks GREAT! :) I wish we observed a la sieste here...it sounds so nice! Good luck in the weeks ahead. I know it's nice to have a plan to work with.
I think deadlines are great. They've certainly helped me in the past. I finished 51,000 words in 24 days for '09 Nano by strictly writing from 10-2 every day, at least 2k a day.
Good luck with your goals--you may even accomplish them sooner than you think! :-)
How great that you've mapped everything out! I have a certain number of words I need to write each day - I need targets to aim for!
Good luck!
Sounds like a great plan to me! As far as deadlines, I've found that I only set mini-deadlines for myself, such as, "Today I'm going to finish at least two chapters." But overall, I have no idea when I'll finish the project. I do take guesses, and often surprise myself with how quickly I can get it done. Hope this works for you! :)
The best part of your scheme is the part where you go to France!
I kept a daily log as I wrote of how many words I'd written plus the running total, knowing that I was shooting for roughly 100,000 words. (The actual first draft came in at 78,000.) Especially towards the end, as I was really on the downslope, it helped to keep my morale and energy up.
Bon voyage!
I'm with you. My right brain creative side dies a little when I attempt these sorts of things. I'm interested in seeing how the process works for you though. Best of luck with it.
Writing schedules + me = OH HELL NO!
They've never worked for me and I only did them to fulfill assignments in high school and college. I work well under pressure but I don't need a deadline to do the work.
I admire people who can make a schedule and actually stick to it. Good luck with yours! :o)
I image in your post is awesome and freaky in the way it rotate when you’re not looking at it. I have loose schedules and try to stick to them.
Nicole, your blog looks AWESOME! Love the new layout and all the colors :) That picture is mad trippy. It makes me kind of dizzy but it's so cool. There's nothing like a self-imposed deadline to motivate you! Yours sound great, good for you! I need to create some deadlines for myself because my lack of productivity is getting to be a pretty big problem. Have a wonderful time in France, I'm planning on a post about my own trip to France.
I love the new layout! I find that setting deadlines is imperative to my creative process if there is to be any hope of ever completing anything I set out to do. I try to keep a consistent and achievable schedule for this reason. If I stray from the plan I don't try to make up for lost time by cramming more work into a single session, or extend any session to fit it all in; I accept that I slipped up, and continue on as normal. Any other way would initiate a waterfall effect of unneeded stress, and noticeably rushed bad work. While the rhythm of a story has an ebb and flow similar to an orchestrated piece of music, I find the most accommodating rhythm when writing is more akin to breathing.
Great picture!
Writing schedules don't work for me. I end up not following them and then just beat myself up for it. But I hope it works for you! : )
My dearest Nicole, are you crazy??? I know you're not, I'm just reading your schedule and thinking, man, she's crazy. If you work best with deadlines then this is good. If you miss your deadlines however, don't give up. That's the thing. See, I would have given up already because I can't do deadlines.
Promise me you will share your pictures of France...I so want to smuggle into your luggage.
First, love the new blog ensemble. Tres chic! Kudos to you for figuring out how to do it. You're a better woman than I.
With regard to today's post, I'm guessing you need and enjoy being organized, so I greatly admire your planning and organizing. Mad props.
That said, I could never write like that.
A time limit, yes. I work well under pressure. (I did over 75,000 in Nov. for nano...and it was mostly usable, surprisingly) But my pea brain does not comprehend writing all those outlines and charts and spreadsheets. It makes my head explode even thinking about it.
My husband has a masters and is a computer scientist...he charts and grafts everything.
It makes him happy and he feels organized and less stress. I would die of boredom planning and charting everything...and it stresses me out, shackles me just thinking about it like that.
Very different approaches.
Anyway, when I write, I just let the story flow out of me. The characters reveal themselves to me, and we get to know each other very well during the entire first draft.
I am done when I have a beginning, a middle, and an end I am happy with.
Of course, then there's the second draft...and that requires plenty of tidying and making it pretty.
I would feel handcuffed and beyond stressed to write the way you propose.
But, I do admire you for it. I really, really do.
I admire the uber organized.
Happy Humpday,
Lola
Oh, and that graphic is freaking me out too!
*Staring hypnotized at the screen*
Where am I? What was I doing? Oh yeah...comment. :)
I've been revising/editing for so long I've forgotten what it's like to actually write! UGH. Anyway. I personally don't need schedules or deadlines when I am writing because I lose myself so deeply in the process that my wife has to make sure I eat properly.
But If structure works for you, then I'm all for it!
Hi there's an award for you at mine :o)
Good luck with the schedule. I hope it works for you. I'm a big fan of schedules and lists, but lately it's all kind of falling down around me. So I'll have to give it another shot. :)
Deadlines for my writing haven't worked so far. They just keep moving with every new excuse that comes along. It won't happen, I know until I make it a priority. I'm glad you have a good plan though. Stick to it:)
Enjoyed your words today.
Wow, I admire your organization!
I do try to stick to a schedule when writing, though the finished product often bears little resemblance to the book I set out to write. I'm hoping that's not a serious problem for my editor, who just bought the third book in my contract based on a three-paragraph blurb that probably has very little in common with what the finished product will turn out to be.
Good luck to you!
Tawna
I have no system whatsoever. I get an idea, usually a plot device. I think of what sort of person would be the most entertaining to solve the problem. I mull it over in my head for a few days or a week, writing down random dialogue that strikes me. I start chapter one. I'm incredibly haphazard and unprofessional in my methods.
I don't schedule at all when it comes to my writing. Life is just so crazy and chaotic around here - it would create enough stress that I'm pretty sure I'd miss out on the little sleep I have. :)
Good luck - I envy people who can schedule!
I heart deadlines. We have them for every book. Long-term, short-term. They totally help.
I love the idea of schedules, but I just never know how long something's going to take. If I say I want to have chapter 12 revised by Friday, but chapter 12 ends up needing way more work than I thought, then I can't just leave it and move on. So usually I get off schedule right away and then feel bad about it. I hope it will work better for you!
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