I haven't tried the story board although it seems to be popular with many authors. I do make an outline but don't always stick with it. I do a lot of scribbling in note form. I keep promising myself I'll get more organized.
Share your methods and other tips with us, please.
I used to start with the title! But I've learned the ways some kind of working synopsis or outline can be helpful in keeping me on track. If I do brief character sketches, at least I don't have to keep filtering through what I've written to recall a character's eye color.
I write primarily women's fiction, but recently completed a contemporary romance novel. And I'm working on a murder mystery. We'll see how that goes.
I think each author has to find his or her own way of organizing their plot and characters as they write. I'm a pantser, but I have plotter friends who put a lot of work into setting up the groundwork for their story.
Linda
Thanks for the "character sketch" idea. I have done 2 books using a title first. On one of the books I'm working on now I have changed the title after getting further along in the story because I checked and there was already a book with the title I had:" Within the Castle Walls."
I have a fascination with titles and keep a file in the computer with lots of titles I have thought of, although I will never be able to write all those books. I do use some of the titles as chapter headings and that has worked out great so far. In my book about my adventures to beat the rail record I used several of my old made-up titles as chapter headings: Trouble in Berlin, Over the Irish Sea, The Last Hurrah and At Journey's End. I may be able to use other titles as chapter headings in my life story manuscript.
I do a lot of brain storming and writing on pieces of paper. I also have a pocket sized recorder. From that I assemble the pieces, disasemble the pieces so at times I have lots of paper with one or two words on it and lots of broken sentencs on the recorder...
I write adult erotica, urban romance, and what I call "makes sense to me" poetry.
All 3 hit the shelves in January!
I record notes too, sometimes but I hate replaying them if anyone in the family is around.
Urban Romance? Is that like "Sex and the City?" Just kidding!
Sure it is but a little more graphic! (wink)
Gloria, I have written a couple of sex scenes into my spy novel but they are mild compared to what I have seen in films and read in romance novels. I'm still wondering if I should use a pen name. I have a couple of friends reading them right now and I will be interested to know if they were embarrassed by the scenes.
