Peek Behind the Novel – Read First Chapter.com

Writing a Novel in 8 Layers – Work Flow Demonstration

HOW TO VS. WORK FLOW DEMONSTRATION:

writing a novel work flowThere are many blog posts and videos on the internet about how to write a novel.  Much of the advice is general in nature and only broad-stroke tips.  This video seeks to go one step further and open my last book, which is still being proofread in Layer 8, and show a work-flow demonstration.

WRITING TIPS AS AN APPLIED SCIENCE:

Many of the tips that I came upon when I first started writing were great but I didn't know how to apply them.  Many techniques require a second phase of 'how to apply this advice'.  This is most times missing from the how-to blogs and videos.

THIS IS THE VIDEO I WISH I HAD WHEN I STARTED WRITING:

I am not holding myself out as an authority on writing or even writing techniques.  The purpose of this video is to show one work flow that other newbie writers can see that will hopefully help them see the theories in these how-to videos and blog posts in action.  That's my purpose here.

WRITING IN 8 LAYERS:

writing-in-layers-short-listI am in the process of finishing my 14th novel.  I started out like many of you as a self-taught author who took in unorganized, uncurricularized information and had to make sense of it all.  I devised this 8 Layer system to try to write a novel as efficiently as was possible.  I offer it to you for whatever weight you wish to give it.

 

VIDEO 1 - Layers 1 to 6

In Video 1, I go into the process of coming up with a broad-stroke storyline that you know you can use as a story spine.  Presently I use FreeMind.com software; it's free and it's easy to use.  I go into a little detail about this, but I have other blog posts and videos on my YouTube Channel where I go into more depth about how I do this.

Then I go into Scrivener for Layer 2 through Layer 6.  I demonstration what happens in each layer and I try to give beginner tips in each layer to further help the newbie.

VIDEO 2 - Layers 7 & 8 - in Microsoft Word

In the second video, I go into Microsoft Word and complete Layers 7 and 8.   I believe by seeing this behind-the-scenes look at a real novel, it will encourage newbies who may be struggling with the actual work flow of writing a novel.   I hope you enjoy it.

Be sure to join my newsletter for book promotions, free books, movie reviews from a writer's perspective and some other goodies I will share along the way.



Writing a Novel in 8 Layers – Explanation and Time-Saving Tips

LAYER 1 - Putting Together the Skeleton of the Mystery or Crime

In a mystery, crime novel, or thriller, the clues and their revelations need to be planned so the story clues can remain disjointed in the beginning, but then slowly come together like a jigsaw puzzle. This keeps the reader guessing -- which is part of the mystery readers' enjoyment.

Layer 1 requires the skill of story engineer, not so much an author. In my humble opinion, trying to write around this initial phase of story scaffolding is is one reason why novels can take authors years to finish. Scaffolding-panel.png

So the first layer is to storyboard only the crime or the mystery of your novel. This layer can look like a long list of crimes and clue elements,
or it can look like a mind map sketched in pencil on the back of a large piece of wrapping paper, or it can be done in a mind-mapping software.
But there will need to be initial planning of where the mystery begins, where it leads, and how it ends. That's what goes on in this layer.

WHAT TO FOCUS ON IN LAYER 1:

An example for a Layer 1 crime mystery would be the following:

1. Lay out the chronology of the crime.
2. Who is or are the Victims?
3. What is a list of clues that could lead to the solving of this mystery?
4. Determine what the final clue will be that reveals the true culprit and think about how you can hide this clue in plain sight. This will be the clue that solves the mystery.
5. Determine what the first three or four clues will be that will bring in multiple suspects. Give each suspect a motive for the crime and decide how and when you will reveal this motive
6. Choose an unlikely suspect and give this person a good cover story.
7. Even at this early stage, figure out how the mystery or story will end. This can be changed during the creative process, but knowing where your story will end, will give you a writing destination. This will prevent you from winding up writing yourself into a corner somewhere or writing yourself into a tangent that will have to be nixed anyway.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER GENRES?

Now, sometimes you will be writing a story that has a mystery ribboning through it but it's not as organized or as detailed as an actual crime mystery. Your outline will be shorter but will contain a skeleton of all the action. Below are two examples of writing a ghost story and writing a Gothic scary-house story.

LAYER 1 IN A GHOST STORY:

1. Who is the Ghost? Why has the Ghost arisen? Why is the Person not Resting in Peace? What is the Ghost's purpose for appearing? This is the backstory that will be dropped like breadcrumbs throughout the storyline. (Ghost-Story.png)
2. How can the Ghost first appear that will raise the question that maybe the viewer is just crazy? Or maybe the viewer is just paranoid? Give them a reason for this paranoia.
3. How will the Ghost appear and what clues will the ghost drop in order to trigger more of the mystery behind the Ghost's restlessness to play out?
4. Choose how the story will end and if the Ghost will achieve its goal and whether the ghost will now rest in peace or will the Ghost be back for another book in the series?

LAYER 1 IN A SCARY-HOUSE STORY:

1. What is it about the house that's creepy?
2. What is the House hiding? Is there a secret room? Is there a hidden person?
3. What happened in the house to make the house haunted or unsettled?
4. How will the mystery of the house play out? What is the chronology of the clues about the history of the house and why it is haunted? These are the breadcrumbs in this kind of a storyline.
5. Choose how the story will end and if the house is destroyed or if the house destroys someone, etc.

FORMAT OF LAYER 1:

Layer one can be done in a list format or with a mind-mapping software, or even with a pencil drawing your own game board or storyboard on the back of a large piece of wrapping paper. Choose whatever format helps you the most. If you're new, try each one. Finding the right tools for the right job is very helpful.

If your Level 1 looks like any of these, you get A+ Layer 1.



LAYER 2 - Break up the Story into a four-part structure or 3-act structure.

Open up a fresh manuscript document and split the clues and events into a four-part novel structure or a 3-act-story structure, whichever one you prefer.  So this layer is easy and takes about five minutes.

LAYER 3 - Writing the Scene Outlines (Scaffolding & Storyboarding)

In Layer 3, you will refer to the Skeleton of the crime outline you already created. Following the chronology of the crime and the clue drops, write an outline of each scene. This is nothing more than another list of what needs to happen in each scene. You are not the writer yet. You are still the story engineer or the storyboard creator. This is the second phase of scaffolding that is setting the story up for when the writer comes in. The list should be concise, more like a list than big paragraph chunks.

Below is a Scene Template I use. I don't worry about the Point of View in this layer because you can wait to choose it.  I wait to see who "steals the scene" when I'm actually writing.  But I include it in a Scene Template.

POV:
TIME/LOCATION:
PURPOSE/CLUES:

CHOOSE A TIME AND LOCATION:

Choose a time and location, but don't describe any locations or characters yet.  Purpose and Clues is a reminder that everything written has to have a purpose and every scene in a mystery should have some clues or a crime.

In the video on this subject matter below, I go into a few extra tips on using the scene template to help you in other ways.

LAYER 4: DOWN-AND-DIRTY FIRST DRAFT  - NOW YOU'RE THE WRITER!

In Layer 4, you are finally the writer. The scaffolding is in place and now it's time to start writing the story. The first draft is the hardest layer of writing.

It may help to think of yourself as more of a Town Crier.

Your job in this layer is to blurt out the entire story. Just get it down in paper. Don't worry about spelling, grammar, descriptions of people. Like the cops say -- Just the facts. Write out the story and don't look back. Don't re-read anything. Don't get lost in verb tenses. Write and don't look back. Only look at your scene outline to make sure you have covered everything. That's the only concern.

THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT IN THE FIRST DRAFT:
Choose a location for the scene and a time. (Nothing is written in cement)
Make sure all of the clues and anything else from your scene outline gets into the scenes.

THINGS THAT DON'T MATTER IN THE FIRST DRAFT:
Spelling, grammar, sentence structure, too many adverbs, scene or character descriptions, foreshadowing, cliffhangers, quote marks, etc.
Just write what happens in each scene with whatever dialogue comes to you.

In the video below, I go into some detail about why this is important and how it can save you time in the end.



LAYER 5: 1st Proofread (The Read-through)

I call this the first proofread but it's really the first readthrough. Run a grammar and spell check in the beginning. This will clean up some of the down and dirty mistakes.

Begin to read through the novel as a writer. This is the layer that you will put in the descriptions of your main characters and the scene descriptions. You are not line-editing in this layer.  You are reading for context and to make sure that your sentences flow one to the other and that the chapters flow from one to the other.

LAYER 5 CHECKLIST:

1. Are there any descriptions you need to add to this scene?
2. Is there any surprise in this scene? If so, can you rewrite it to make the surprise be a cliffhanger at the end of the chapter?
3. Has the POV been established?
4. Check on head-hopping.

SCRIVENER TIPS FOR LAYER 5:

Using Scrivener Find and Replace feature, set things up where you will automatically focus on your weak points.  For example: I make all "ing" endings capitalized.  I also capitalize the words BEGIN and BEGAN as well as the phrase IN ORDER TO.  This way, I can't just scan over them without noticing them. It forces me to check whether I can change the format of the verbs or the sentence structures to past tense, etc.

Then I proofread the entire novel and focus on these changes.  Here is a checklist for the scenes in this layer:

LAYER 6: The 2nd PROOFREAD

This is the layer you start polishing your prose in. Spellcheck and grammar check again before you begin. Then read through the entire novel for context and this time look at your sentence structure and verb choice.

SCRIVENER TIP: USING KEYWORDS FOR A CONTEXT CHECK:

Layer 6 is where I add the keywords in Scrivener.  By using keywords, you can isolate certain scenes and then see them isolated from the rest of the novel.  This is a great way to check on certain things in any story.  Examples:  Romantic Subplot, wedding talk, vampire events, interviews, clues dropped, etc.

 



Layer 7  - The Hardcore Proofread

Below is a list of things I do in Layer 7:
1. List Troublesome words - Just, like, adverbs. Compile a list of your favorites.  I have compiled a long list of words that trip me up and I go over them in this layer.
2. Check your chapters in Grammerly for grammar verb tense.
3. Then I compile from Scrivener to a Word .docs file and paste it into an  eBook template and save it as a Manuscript.  I file it in a folder called Pre-Publication. Then I open it in Word and run Word's spell check and grammar check on it again.
4. Then I read it as a final proofread (even though it's not the final proofread!)
5. Check all Chapter Names are in Heading 1's for the Table of Contents
6. Fill in the Other pages: Title Page, Other Books By Page, Title and Author Page, Copyright, Table of Contents, Note to Reader, Acknowledgements, About the Author, Other Books By Page)
6. Find and check all quotes to make sure your quotes are in sets.

LEVEL 8:  - FINAL PROOFREAD AND NARRATION

1. Using the read aloud feature in Microsoft Word, I read the book aloud as I read along with it. This gives you an idea of how the book will sound in the reader's mind.
2. I make any final corrections in this last proofread.
3. From here the manuscript goes to an Editor.
4. Then I forward it to myself as an ePub and while it's being edited, I read it again on my Kindle to see how it looks and feels from the reader's perspective.

VIDEO ON WRITING IN 8 LAYERS IS BELOW:



Peek Behind the Novel – Layer 8

QUICK REFRESHER OF WHAT I DID IN LAYER 7:

Just as a refresher, in Layer 7, this was a long and tedious proofread.  Using my list of troublesome words, I searched out all of them all throughout the manuscript and made corrections, deletions or additions.

This technique breaks up the proofread into different formats.  By doing this, it prevents me from just "reading over" all of my mistakes, which is too easy to do as the author.

WHAT HAPPENS IN LAYER 8:

Writing-layer-8-reading-with-microsoft-wordIn Layer 8, I do a read-back.  In Microsoft Word, I use the Read-Aloud feature that is contained on the Review Tab.  By listening to the book read aloud by someone else, it doesn't skip over mistakes like I do as the author.  By the time I'm finished with Layer 7, I've read and reread this book too many times to trust my eyes to spot every error.

The Readback:

I listen to every word during the readback.  In this layer, I not only catch whatever misuse of words escaped my view in the last layers, but I also choose to change a sentence or two based on how it sounds.  Many readers repeat every word in their heads, so if a sentence is back-to-back with one that makes it hard to say or understand, I rewrite it to correct that problem.

After Layer 7, I always feel that the book is picture perfect -- but I find at least several words or areas that I choose to change.  I read-aloud the entire book.

 



word table of contents
word table of contents

SCREEN SHOTS ARE FROM MICROSOFT WORD

SCREEN SHOTS ARE FROM MICROSOFT WORD

CREATING THE TABLE OF CONTENTS

The last thing I do is create the Table of Contents which I will explain here, but you can see done live in the video below.

While the manuscript is open in Microsoft Word, click on the References Tab.  Select Table of Contents.  Choose Custom Table of Contents.  (Picture on left above)

Once the next dialogue box opens (Picture on right above), uncheck both boxes under show page numbers.  I reduce the headings number from the default of 3 to 1.  This is because I only use Heading 1 for my Chapter Headings.

This is all you need to do before clicking OK, which will produce the Table of Contents for an eBook.

IF YOU NEED TO CHANGE OR MODIFY THE FONTS OR SPACING, ETC:

The picture above is where you change any or all of the settings.  The dialogue box in the middle comes up when you click on modify in the first dialogue box.  This is where you can change the font family and/or the font size.

This would be useful if you have a short TOC and want to fill the page; you can increase the font.  Likewise, if you have only one or two lines of the TOC that spill over to the next page and you want to fit it onto one page, you can reduce the font size or change the spacing on the third dialogue box (that opens if you click on modify in the second dialogue box).  You can alter the spaces before and after the paragraphs and this will help you add or subtract space.

IMPORTANT:  Be aware, that once you click on the first modify choice in the first dialogue box (on the left), when you click out of this, Microsoft word will -- on its own -- recheck the boxes asking for page numbers.  So if you modify anything, you will need to uncheck the page number boxes again!  This can reek havoc with beginners!   I'm talking from experience.

Once you "Okay" to close all of the dialogue boxes, the last okay will set off Word to create your Table of Contents.

THE EBOOK IS OFF TO THE EDITOR:

At this point, the eBook is now ready to go off to the line-editor.  Because I have taken the time and made the effort to give my book a thorough proofreading, the editor won't be spending time on correcting silly mistakes I should have found on my own.  She will be focused on my prose and how things look and sound.  That's what I want her focused on.

If you take the attitude that "why bother with all the proofreading, it's going off to the editor?" -- you may wind up with a book that comes back merely proofread with very little line editing.  At the end of the day, you are paying for an editor's time as well as their expertise.  So my advice to beginners is to do all of the proofreading so you get more line-editing, which is what you want.

HERE'S A VIDEO ON THIS SAME MATERIAL:

 

Peek Behind the Novel – Layer 7

WHERE WE LEFT OFF IN LAYER 6:

We compiled the novel into a Word document and named it "Manuscript from Scrivener".   That's where we now pick up with Layer 7.

This layer is another proofreading layer, but there is a little formatting we will do in this layer that I will go over below.  There is also a video at the end if you want to see me talk about it in a little more detail.

LAYER 7 - STEP ONE

  • Copy and paste the chapters into my eBook template. The purpose of this is so that I don't have to redo all of my styles. It's easier to just do a copy and paste.

LAYER 7 - STEP TWO:

  • Using the find feature, I go over all of the troublesome words in my list. I do this before I begin to proofread the story.
  • I read only the sentence with each of the words and change them if needed.

LAYER 7 -  STEP THREE:

  • Change the Heading 1 formatting,  if needed
  • I fix the normal and no-indent normal formatting throughout the entire book.
  • I add in simple page breaks between chapters


LAYER 7 - STEP FOUR:

  • I stylize any chapter headings or chapter timings.
  • Using the find and replace feature (Control H), I replace *** with ❖❖❖❖.

LAYER 7 - STEP SIX (OPTIONAL)

  • Filled in my Main Character and Minor Character Lists

LAYER 7 - STEP SEVEN:

Proofread the novel fully.  This time I focus on style and prose.  I do polishing in this layer of proofreading.

LAYER 7 - A QUICK VIDEO:

Peek Behind the Novel – Layer 6

WHAT HAPPENS IN LAYER 6?

Writing-layer-6-proofreading-oneLayer 6 is the first true proofreading.  In Layer 5, I proofread to make sure the story flowed without interruption from scene to scene.  My focus was on making sure the story flowed from scene to scene, without any big unexplained time gaps, or location mistakes, etc.

So in Layer 6, I am now reading the story for context and checking sentence structure.  I'm looking for repeated words, verb tenses, anything that pops up when I read through it.

As you will see as we go through the next two layers, I like to break up the proofreading into sections, with a focus on something else each time.  Otherwise, looking for sentence structure, verb tense, misspellings, prose style, and punctuation is too much to cover in one read through.  So I have a different focus each time I go through it.

TIP ON PROOFREADING TRICKY WORDS:

All authors have a list of tricky words or troublesome words.  I have a long list of troublesome words and other foibles.  There are words I use too much.  I have other ones I spell incorrectly -- no matter how many times I find them misspelled!

When writing in Layer 4, my head is in "presently happening mode".  Technically, I write in third person, so the story will need to be written mainly in past tense.  This often brings up the issue of needing to use past perfect tense on occasion.  Because of this, I find myself using words like began to . . ., started to . . ., etc.  These sound right when I'm writing in the moment, but are technically wrong in third person.  So in the next layer, I will focus on them and make sure I have all the verb tenses correct.

I'm posting my own list below for beginners.  You can start with this and then alter it for your own list.



COMMON WORDS THAT NEW WRITERS USE TOO MUCH:

troublesome-words

Be aware that many of these words I check in Layer 7 when I'm in Word.  I don't check all of these words in Scrivener.  But there is a tip I give in the video below about how to use the Find & Replace feature to capitalize some of these words so you can get a few of them out of the way before you start proofreading in the next layer.

ADD CHAPTERS AND SCENE ENDINGS:

In Layer 6, I also add Chapters and scene endings.  As I demonstrate in the video below, I make sure that all of my chapters are in Heading 1s.  This way, Word will recognize that setting and they will use a different style for them.  This makes them easier to find.  When the novel is compiled into Word format, it will put the Chapters in Heading 1.  They are much more easily recognizable.

In the video, I also demonstrate how to add scene endings so that you won't lose them when you compile the novel into Word.



HOW TO COMPILE THE NOVEL FROM SCRIVENER TO WORD:

from-scrivener-to-wordOnce you are finished with Layer 6, Click on File => Compile

I use the settings for default and to compile into a Microsoft docx file.  I leave all the other default settings alone.

Check to make sure all chapters you want to compile are checked in the box on the right hand side and all documents you don't want to compile -- like research, etc. -- are unchecked.

Then click on compile.  It takes only a minute or so to finish.

Word will pop up and want you to name it and choose a folder.    I always name mine BOOKNAME-ManuscriptFromScrivener so that I know this is the first word document that came directly from Scrivener.

GOING INTO LEVEL 7:

Next I'll be moving into Word and doing another layer of proofreading.  I'll report back when I'm done and explain all that goes on in Layer 7.  I'll post the video below.

Peek Behind the Novel – Level 5

WHERE WE LEFT OFF:

The last Peek Behind the Novel video may have been a tips video.  So I'll just jog everyone's memory here.  In Layer 4, that is the 'down-and-dirty' first draft.  That's where, using my scene outlines, I write the scenes.  I just keep going.  I don't check anything.

WHAT WAS UNIQUE ABOUT THIS NOVEL:

Four-story timelinesAlthough I follow a detailed outline of the story before I even start writing, each novel presents its own issues and/or problems.  In this novel, I had several timelines I had to keep straight.

There is a crime timeline.  Then there is the story timeline, where all the clues are dropped into the story.  The characters had a night-out and that had its own timeline.  Plus the subplot has a timeline.

Because I had to concentrate on keeping all of these timelines straight, I only sketched in the subplot.  That means that in Layer 5, I will also be writing my subplot into the story.  I can concentrate on the timeline for the subplot by itself.

Scrivener-Guidepost-subplot-availability

However, I did leave guideposts in Scrivener for myself to make laying in the subplot easier for myself.  As shown above, I write in a guidepost where I have free time for a scene from the subplot.  I also highlight it so it's easier to find.  Without these guideposts, I would have to pick through the whole novel looking for places to fit in the subplot scenes.

Scrivener-Guidepost-timeline-reminder

Another guidepost I left for myself is to highlight a timing that is involved in the subplot.  By keeping this highlighted, it's a constant reminder that this timing may have to change as I write the entire subplot.  This too prevents me from having to search and find or nitpick through the entire novel.



WHAT I DO IN WRITING LAYER 5:

Normally, Layer 5 is where I write in all of the descriptions; descriptions of the characters and the locations.  I fix any glaring errors that pop out at me, but I make sure I don't get lost in any type of real proofreading.

Scrivener-Screenshot-of-SynopsisThe second thing I do in Layer 5 is to fill out the Synopsis section.  This section is in the upper right-hand side of the Scrivener platform.

I use only a few words to indicate what happened in this scene, especially what clues have been dropped.  I don't use anything longer than a short sentence.  The purpose for this is so that once I am finished writing Level 5, I can look at the entire story in Outline View.  I have a snapshot of the Outline View below.

Scrivener-OutlineViewExample

Once I have all of the scenes in and I have the synopsis filled out, I can view the novel from a bird's eye view again.  This will let me know where the book is "sagging" or where I don't have enough going on.

I can see the weight of the story in this viewport.  I can see the interactions of all of the characters.

LAYING IN THE ENTIRE SUBPLOT:

couple-in-heart-sub-plotNow, because I had to kind of abandon the full subplot in Layer 4, I will be finishing the subplot while I'm doing the descriptions and the synopsis box.  Once I'm done with this layer, then I'll be back to discuss what happens in Layer 6!

Benefits of Writing Fiction in Layers:

1. Manage creative energy.
2. Keep the entire novel project manageable
3. Writing in layers leads to several layers of accomplishment
4. A story written in layers is a richer and deeper story.

Tips on Writing in Layers:

1. Name each layer and know your specific mission. This leads to a
feeling of completion and also a feeling of accomplishment several times during the entire project.
2. Learn the difference between creative energy and drudgery energy.
3.  By breaking the writing process down into layers, it is less taxing on your memory.

YOU CAN SEE A VIDEO OF THIS MATERIAL BELOW:



Eight Tips to Keep on Track During the First Draft of a Novel Manuscript

ONE:  Turn Off Smart Quotes and Sentence Case Correction.

Smart-quotes-straight-quotesTurn these Scrivener features off, especially if you plan to move your finished novel draft into Microsoft Word for final formatting.   Because I self-publish and I need to upload in ePub and PDF manuscript, I use Word for a final proofread and formatting.   I find Word is the best choice for me.  The smart quotes do not translate well between Scrivener and Word.  If you turn off the smart quotes, Scrivener will replace them with straight quotes and these translate better.

There is really no upside to using smart quotes in a novel.  This is not a feature that will prevent you from leaving out a quote.  It's really useless for an author, so its best to shut this feature off.

The sentence case correction will not allow you to add a lower case letter after a period.  This doesn't seem like it would be a problem, but at least once during a first or follow-up draft there's a time when this auto correct starts wrestling with me when I'm trying to do something.  So I shut it off now at the beginning.

If you search "auto correct" in the Scrivener help bar, you will be able to open up this feature and uncheck these two items.  You'll thank me for it later.

Also, there is a whole layer of proofreading that I'll be making a blog post about in my Peek Behind the Novel series where I will show you how I use the find feature to check on every single quote mark.  I've always had at least one or two that almost got away!  So the smart quotes are nothing but a nuisance.

TWO:  JUST KEEP WRITING - DON'T LOOK BACK:

typing-hands-gifI'm writing my fourth novel in the Jack Nolan Detective Series.  The book is still unnamed.  This is Level 4 in my Eight Levels of Writing a Novel series.  This first draft is down and dirty.  It is the hardest lift of the entire project.  At least for me, the first draft is the hardest.  The characters all seem like stick figures.  I find them unlikeable -- even if I liked them in the last book!  Any humor doesn't seem to work.  Everything just seems awkward.  I have to literally force myself to keep typing.   So this tip is to just keep writing.  Don't check on any spellings or grammar.  Don't even look back.  Just keep going until you have the crime down, the main plotline down and the subplots at least in place.  That will complete the first down-and-dirty draft.  Every other layer will be easy compared to this one.



THREE:  YOU CAN DO RESEARCH NOW ON THE FLY

do research on the fly with bardWith bard.google.com, now it's possible to do research on the fly when writing fiction.  Simply open a browser window, type in bard.google.com and start asking it questions.

Unlike ChatGPT, Bard is a Google AI product supposedly still in beta form, but it works like a charm.  Unlike ChatGPT, it can research using the internet.  ChatGPT is limited by time; the cutoff for ChatGPT the last time I checked was sometime in September of 2021 I believe.  The cut off of what it  can access is now way over a year ago.  So I find that Bard is a better option for book research so you can get the latest.

FOUR:  USE THE SCRIVENER HIGHLIGHTER AS A REMINDER:

scrivener-highlighterScrivener allows you to highlight text in any color you want.  I use this highlighter in the Level 4 Draft to make a mental note to myself to check on things.  For example:  If I say that someone is coming home from a hospital in four days, I highlight this.  This makes sure that this lines up with the plotline, or the crime line, or the subplot lines.

As an author, I will often tweak the script, especially as I'm writing.  It's too easy to forget this early reference to five days.  By highlighting it, it's a reminder that this timing needs to line up with something later on in the story.  I find this highlighter a great author tool.

FIVE:  LEAVE THE POV | TIME | LOCATION HEADERS IN THE DRAFT:

scene templateLike I mentioned earlier, I'm in the first draft of my novel and each scene begins with the same Scene Template as seen to the left.

I leave the POV, which stands for Point of View at the top of each scene during the first draft.  I don't choose the POV before I write the scene.  I write the scene and see which character claims the scene.  Then I assign that one character to the scene.

POINT OF VIEW:  By keeping the POV at the top of the scene, it's a reminder to me to make sure the entire scene is in this one point of view.  I admit that I allow myself one small head jump at the end of a scene.  I'm a self-published author, so I can indulge myself and get away with this.  I believe a reader can handle one head jump at the end of a scene for the purpose of informing them of what the other character thinks at one time.  I don't believe one head jump creates that big of a problem.

TIME AND LOCATION:  By leaving the Time and Location information at the top of each  scene, it is a reminder to make sure I describe the scene and whoever else may need a description in that scene.  In Layer 5 of my writing system, I go through all the scenes and add descriptions of the locations and people.  So this information makes that level of writing easier.



SIX:  KEEPING TRACK OF MULTIPLE TIMELINES:

I write Christian mystery romance, private investigator mysteries and police procedurals.  By leaving the timings in the header to each scene, it allows me to keep track of the story timeline.  I am always keeping track of multiple timelines in each novel.  I have the crime timeline.  Then there is the timeline of the investigation and the dropping of the clues.  And the subplots also have a timeline as each book has at least a small character arc.  This is because I write in series and the characters have one small character arc in each novel.

So that's a minimum of three timelines that I need to track.  So keeping these timelines at the top of the scenes as I go from layer to layer of writing, it makes it easier to make sure things are lining up on each timeline.

I keep these headers inside the manuscript draft until I'm ready to put the book into chapters.

SEVEN:  ADDING ADDITIONAL SCENES WHEN WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT:

There comes a time or two when I will decide to add a short scene or two.  It may just be to have a change in the point of view or to get the characters to a different location.  Whatever, it is, I use three asterisks between these two separate scenes.  I also start the second scene with my normal Scene Template.

This allows me to know this is a separate scene and it will have a point of view.  It also alerts me that I will need to insert a scene ending which I won't do until I bring the manuscript into Microsoft Word.

EIGHT:  USE SCRIVENER SYNOPSIS SECTION TO KEEP TRACK OF CLUES DROPPED:

Scrivener-Synopsis-SectionWhen writing the first draft, I use the Scrivener Synopsis section in the Inspector Pane to list the clues I have dropped in that scene.  Once I've finished the first draft, I can open the project in Outline View and this will give me a bird's eye view and chronology of the clues that have been dropped.

Personally, I often also add background information that I dropped in the scene.  I do this only because I have a tendency to forget whether I dropped that background information in the present novel or if my memory of dropping it is from the last novel I wrote!

This alone is a major reason why I love writing drafts in Scrivener.

CONCLUSION:

So these are the tips I would pass on about writing this first draft of a novel.  Knowing that it's the hardest allows me to know that once I make it through this first draft, all subsequent layers of writing will be easy peasy compared to this one.

All I need to do is to blurt out the entire story in the first draft.  All corrections, additions, deletes and polish will come in later layers.



The Top 10 Obstacles to Finishing a Novel

PEEK BEHIND THE NOVEL

I'm in the weeds!

scrivener-peek-behind-the-novelI am knee-deep in Level 4 of writing the next book in the Jack Nolan Detective Series.  I thought this would be a good time for me to take a break and reflect on what happens when I'm 'in the weeds' writing a novel.

Even though all writers have a different writing routine, I would venture a guess that most of us feel some of the same fears and face some of the same obstacles.

STARTING A NOVEL IS EASY:

DP-drawing-woman-and-computerWhen you first sit down to write a novel, everyone is filled with enthusiasm and creative energy.  It's exciting.  It's new.  But as the manuscript begins to grow, before it feels finished -- or even ready to be polished, it feels cumbersome, heavy, and overwhelming.  At least for me it does.

FEAR OF FAILURE:

Even though the story and plotline felt great at the beginning, there comes a point where a fear of failure sets in.  Am I going to be able to finish this?  Does this plotline even make sense?  What happens if this storyline is not that great?  Maybe this mystery isn't enough.  Maybe the dots are not going to all connect.

woman-fearfulIt's possible to get paralyzed by a fear of failure at any point during the writing of a novel.  It's not a one-and-done operation.  No one sits down, starts writing, finishes writing and ta-da, there's a book.   Writing a novel doesn't work that way.  It's a long process.  It's a multi-layer process.

When these fears pop up, and they will, it's important to remember that many writers feel these doubts and fears.  It's important to remember that everyone of us fails at something at some point in our lives.  The good news is any novel can be redone, re-written, revamped, added to, or massaged in any number to go from mediocre to great.  It's a work of art in progress until it's handed over to the publisher.  Knowing this is empowering.



WRITERS BLOCK:

DP-writers-block-womanWriters block is another common problem among authors.  This often sets in after that initial period of excitement about the novel wears off.  At some point the writing of the novel shifts into a project requiring some heavy lifting.  There's always a phase or two where the author has to tough it out.  We have to keep at it.

It's important to know ahead of time that writer's block may set in at any time while you're writing.  I find that deciding to just sit down and go over what I've written 'to get my place' or to 'get into the flow of it' is enough to get over any writer's block.  Just by sitting down and starting to read through it, the project recaptures me.  Even on days I feel I have nothing in me, I can suddenly be pulled into writing before I even know it's happening.  If you can commit to look at your project for fifteen minutes, this can be enough to recapture your enthusiasm.

LACK OF TIME:

Many wannabe authors have busy lives and don't have a lot of time to devote to writing.  There are certain years -- especially in a parents' lives --where raising kids is more than a full-time job.  But where there is a will, there is a way.

There are ways to steal away an hour or two in any given day.  It does, however, always require some level of planning.  Don't be afraid to plan writing time into your day and give it a higher priority than 'the back burner'.   Even if you are a parent or a caretaker, pursuing your own dreams is important.  It keeps you engaged in life.  It makes you a better parent.  It can even make you a better day worker.  Think of your writing as your own personal mission in life.

PERFECTIONISM:

Perfectionism can be another stumbling block for authors.  Everyone wants to write a masterpiece.  But at some point, you need to also know that nothing in life is perfect.  Don't let your ideas of perfect get all wired into your ideas of excellence.  They are two different things..  If you looked close enough, you could find a few imperfect brush strokes in the Mona Lisa.  If you read Harry Potter enough times, you may catch a plot hole or two.  It's important to know the difference between excellence and perfection.  One is doable and one is not doable by human beings.

FEAR OF REJECTION:

tension in story graphicWill my readers like the book?  Will the book be good enough to get a literary agent?  What happens if my book gets bad reviews?  There are any number of fears of rejection that can cause us to stop writing.  Decide ahead of time you won't allow these fears to stop you.  Like I said earlier, think of your writing as a mission God has given you.   This is your life's work, along with your other worldly responsibilities.  Your writing could be an opportunity to pass on things you have come to learn in your life.  That's a purpose.  Or maybe writing is a way for you to share the gift of storytelling that you know you were born with.  That's a God-given purpose.  Whatever the reason, it's important to not allow fear of rejection to get in the way.



SELF-DOUBT:

Self-doubt is a tool of the devil.  It's easy for any human to start thinking they aren't perfect, so maybe they aren't good enough to pull off writing a novel.  And the reason I call it a tool of the devil is because it can start with just a tiny little insignificant thought of self-doubt.  But it can snowball and get bigger and bigger and bigger.

During these times when I feel self-doubt, I think of my writing as therapeutic for myself.  It's something I'm doing for me, not for anyone else.  Any fear of rejection that occurs, thinking I'm doing it for myself, it takes away any sting self-doubt may have.  It removes any power it has over me.  It turns the tables on this.

DISTRACTIONS:

woman-multitasking-distractionsDistractions are one of the biggest obstacles to completing a novel.  One reason is because life does serve up constant small and big emergencies that have to take first priorities in our lives.  So an emergency distraction can throw a whole well-planned writing schedule up into the air in a heartbeat.

One of the weapons against distractions is get clear on what a real emergency is verses a situation that can take its place in your daily routine.  You don't always have to sacrifice your writing time just because someone else doesn't have to wait or suffer a small inconvenience.  Always ask yourself whether you have the right to protect your free time or whether you are dealing with a true emergency, a situation that requires you to replan in that moment.

Parents with kids can fall into a trap of giving up all their free time based on a constant stream of kid demands.  Giving in to every child whim is not the definition of a good parent.  Protecting your free time and expecting your child to work within your schedule is not bad parenting.  It's the sign of someone who is good at balancing their lives.

I learned a long time ago that I have to protect my free time as there are armies of people in the world who would harness me as a free resource in their lives.  They would demand and expect that I do all the things they don't want to do if I allowed it.  We're responsible to set our own boundaries with people, and that includes kids.

RESEARCH:

too-much-researchMost novels require at least some research.   The internet can be a blessing with research but it can also be a curse.  It's a blessing because the days of having to travel to a public library are over.  It can be a curse because the research can suck you in and you can use up all your valuable writing time doing too much research.

The tip I would pass on to any new writer would be to not do the research until you have already laid down your plotline.  This will avoid research for things that wind up on the editing floor, so to speak.  Subjects or issues you you think may come up in the story may get cut as you firm up a plotline to fit within the space of a novel.  There's nothing more frustrating than looking back and seeing hours and hours of wasted research time.

Too much research can also lead to another problem and that is 'information dumping'.  That means that many authors can't resist the opportunity to write into the story things they learned from their research that are not really relevant to the plotline.  This may be fascinating to us as authors but it's boring to readers if it doesn't move the story line along.

EDITING THE BOOK TO DEATH:

editing-a-novel-to-deathAnother trap to finishing a novel is to get caught up in a never-ending edit of the book.  This usually hooks in with perfectionism problem in some way.

I break up my editing into stages so that each time I go through the book, I focus on only one thing.  For example:  The first edit is to check to make sure I have put my descriptions of locations and people in.  The second time I go through it, I look at sentence structure and make sure the chapters flow without any time gaps.  The third time I pass through, I look for verb tenses.  The next level is looking for the words I like to use too much like okay and just.

By having a solo focus, it prevents you as the author from getting caught in changing everything all at once.  This prevents you from being able to focus on anything.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAP OF FINISHING THE NOVEL:

finishing-a-novelOnce you complete a novel, there is a little sadness that sets in.  This book is no longer your baby.  It's no longer your little pet project.  Once you hand it off to an editor, it becomes a shared work, so to speak.

Very often, authors who have abandonment issues or fears of depression, they don't like to end anything and that includes writing a book.  When I hear people saying they took seven or ten years to finish a book, I'm astounded at what could have taken them so long.  They kept the book as their little baby for an entire childhood.

My Peek Behind the Novel series is about writing in layers.  I feel that writing in layers is a way filled with techniques that keep me writing, keep me on track, keep me on schedule, and allow me to complete the novel, no matter how much research it requires.

These are just a few of the obstacles that we, as writers, face when undertaking the writing and completion of a novel.  If your goal is to write a novel, don't give up on your dream.  Keep writing, keep pushing yourself, and eventually you will complete your novel.



10 Best Tips on Writing a Good First Draft

 

groomed for marriage ebookWhen I wrote my first novel, I worried about grammar, spelling, sentence structure in the first draft.  I didn't even know what a draft was.  I sat down and started writing 'a manuscript'.

I kept looking back and trying to fix things as I wrote.  Big mistake!  I learned the long and hard way that first drafts are their own animal.  They are really more about getting the story down on paper.

Now that I'm writing my 12th novel, I offer some tips for other beginners:

  1. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Your first draft is not supposed to be perfect. It's only a rough draft.  You're only 'blurting out the story' on paper.  Spelling, grammar, punctuation or sentence structure don't count yet.
  2. Just keep writing. Don't stop to edit or revise in the first draft.  It's a complete waste of time.  You will make changes all throughout the draft, so polishing up writing that may be tossed is fruitless.  You can fix the draft after you know you have the story down on paper.
  3. Don't worry about deepening the plot or the depth of your characters. Just focus on getting your story down on paper. You can massage the plot in second drafts and add to your characters on your second go-round.
  4. Write in a way that feels comfortable for you. Some people like to outline their stories before they start writing. Others like to just sit down and start writing without any planning. Find what works best for you and go with it.
  5. Set aside some time each day to write. Even if it's just for 30 minutes, make sure you set aside some time each day to write. This will help you to stay on track and to make progress on your story.
  6. Leave Notes to Yourself.   Make notes to yourself wherever you stop writing in a session that will help you 'find your place' the next time you sit down.  Write down what you're thinking and where your mind is at during this last writing session.
  7. Find a quiet place to write. Unless you are one of these lucky people who can shut out all noise and action around you, you will need to find a place where you won't be interrupted so that you can focus on your writing.
  8. Take breaks. Don't try to write for hours on end. Take breaks every 20-30 minutes to get up and move around, or to do something else that will help you to clear your head.  It's even good to do some stretching exercises as sitting for long stretches can make us stiff!
  9. Don't get discouraged. If your story is a good one, there is no such thing as a bad draft.  You're not the writer during the first draft.  You are still the story crafter.  So don't get discouraged if nothing seems like a novel.  Like I said earlier, you are just blurting out the story, recording it in broad strokes onto paper.  As you begin to work with the first draft, that's when it will come to life and shape up.
  10. Have fun! Writing should be enjoyable. If you're not having fun, it will show in your writing. So relax, have fun, and let your creativity flow.

I hope these tips help you to write a great first draft!

CHECK OUT MY PEEK BEHIND THE NOVEL VIDEO SERIES

A Peek Behind the Novel Series on YouTube

 



5 Best Tips on Writing Subplots

FIRST THINGS FIRST:

First Things First To Do ListFirst there's the mystery outline of a novel.  It's important to know where the mystery begins, the names of all suspects, everyone's motivation for murder or kidnapping, theft, etc.  But once you have your crime and mystery outline, what then?

Then it's time to turn to the subplots.  Below are the five best tips to come up with subplots that fit the story.

Make sure your subplots support the main plot.

main plot should support subplotThe subplots should not detract from the main plot, but should instead enhance it. They should add depth and complexity to the story, and they should help to drive the main plot forward.  In a mystery, it's easy to mirror a main character's personality trait in a witness and create some inner dialogue.  This ties it in nicely.

character arc graphic

Give your subplots a narrative arc.

Each main character should have their own arc, even if it's a short arc for this one book in a series.  There should be an arc of growth for the main characters.  But just like the main plot, your subplots should have a beginning, middle, and end. They should have a clear goal or objective, and they should build to a satisfying resolution.



Write character-driven subplots.

The best subplots are those that are driven by the characters and the drama from their personal lives. The characters should have their own goals and motivations, and they should be actively working to achieve those goals throughout all four segments of the story.  Even in a series, there should be a distinct growth on some level from the beginning of the novel to the end.

Try a new POV.

If you're writing a first-person novel, try using a different POV for your subplots. This can help to add variety to your story and to give readers a different perspective on the events.  This is not a technique that I would suggest to beginner novelists, but for authors who are more seasoned, yes, this is a way to shake things up a bit.

 

Figure out how to connect the subplot and the main plot.

The subplots should be connected to the main plot in some way.  This could be through a character, or a job, a family connection or a neighborhood.  The connection should be clear to the reader, and it should help to make the story more cohesive, more realistic.

Ramp up the tension with a subplot.

tension in story graphicSubplots can be used to ramp up the tension in your story. It's a great way to add a little more pressure onto your main character or characters!  Not only do they have to catch the bad guy, but their landlord is threatening them, or their wife is threatening to leave them, etc.  If the main mystery plot is getting a little slow as you drip in clues, you can spice up the subplot that will add some excitement and suspense.

Use subplots to explore themes.

Subplots can be used to explore themes in your story. For example, if your main character has a goal of having her own family, you could have a  subplot about how the character is struggling to find their place in their family or with their in-laws.

Keep your subplots short and sweet.

short subplotsSubplots need to be interesting, yes, but it's easy to go overboard with them too.  So the arc needs to be short but concise.  They should be short and sweet, so to speak.   They should be short enough to keep the reader's interest, but not so short that they feel underdeveloped.

Don't be afraid to kill off characters in subplots.

And the last tip, and this is mostly to beginners, don't be afraid to kill off characters in subplots.  This can add a sense of realism to your story, and it can also help to raise the stakes for the main characters.  It can also be a shocking event that heightens the tension or adds a twist in the plot.

CHECK OUT MY PEEK BEHIND THE NOVEL VIDEO SERIES

A Peek Behind the Novel Series on YouTube