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Category: Writing in Scrivener

Writing in Layers – Layer 5 – Peek at Author’s workflow

This blog post will be a peek behind the author workflow in Layer 5 of my Novel Writing in Layers Series.  I am writing Book 6, Majestic Landings, in my police procedural series, Jack Nolan Detective Series.

Let me set the table, so to speak, about where I am in the book right now.  I just finished Layer 4 which is the Down and Dirty First Draft, which I believe is the hardest layer to write.

BEGINNING LAYER 5

Above is a snapshot of the book as it now exists in Scrivener, which is the program I write Layers 1 to 6 in.  I have gone ahead and filled in a few of the scenes so that I can explain to you what I do in Layer 5.

ON THE LEFT SIDE IS THE BINDER:  The top folder is called draft, which is a default in Scrivener.  Each sub-document is one scene in the novel.  I also add in a few blank documents between Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4, so I can see how the story action is balancing inside the plot structure.

IN THE CENTER PANEL:  This is where I write the scenes.

ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS THE INSPECTOR WINDOW:  This section allows you to add a scene synopsis on another tab, but above, I have captured what it looks like on the Metadata Section.

WHAT HAPPENS IN LAYER 5?

This is my first layer of proofreading.  I only focus on the following things in this layer of writing.

1.  Making sure the scenes line up and flow smoothing and fill in the Synopsis box if I forgot to do it in Layer 4.  I have a snapshot of the Synopsis box to the right or below.  This allows me to look at my work in the Outline Mode where I can see the novel from a bird's eye view.

Since it's in the photograph here, I will also mention that I copy my scene outlines and paste them into the Notes section in case I want to review them.

2.  I enter all of the character descriptions and location descriptions in this layer too.

3.  I also check on the crime and investigation timeline as well as the novel timeline.

3A:  The crime timeline I track with the metadata, which I will mention again below.  I also use the Scrivener Highlighter to set off anything that references the crime timeline.  This way, towards the end of this layer, if I decided to tighten up the timeline or find out I need a little extra time, it is very easy to quickly scroll through the novel and find any references to the timeline easily.

scene template3B:  All novels have a timeline too.  A crime novel is usually a day to several weeks; whereas Gone with the Wind cover years and years.   In each scene, I start with a little template referencing the point of view, the time/location and the clues/purpose.

As stated above, I read through the scenes, making sure that the last scene flows into the next scene.  For example:   If my detectives 'get into the car to return to the station,' I make sure I'm not referencing where they were before they got into the car, and stating again that they are entering the car.

I also watch my novel timeline to make sure the timing in the day is lining up with what's possible for human beings.  In my humble opinion, authors have a lot of leeway to stretch the day, if needed, but if we go overboard, at some point, it pulls the reader's mind out of the book when they realize there's too much activity for one day as humans.  By keeping an eye on the novel timeline, this prevents me from stretching a little too much.

THE METADATA - HOW AND WHY TO ADD CUSTOM META DATA.

Some authors probably don't use the metadata section and that's fine.  But I like to look at the novel in the Outline Mode and this is where the custom metadata comes into play.

Every novel is different, so I am focusing on different things in each one.  In this novel, there are multiple suspects, all of whom have shaky alibis, so the crime timeline and some other things are very important.  So in this novel, I created metadata sections as follows:

  • Major Event - What happens in the scene
  • Technical information - Names, addresses, where body was found, first witness, etc.
  • Clues dropped - Chronological list of clues that drop
  • Time Line of the Crime - Time of death, time body was found, etc.
  • Relationships - Romantic Subplot and Character Arcs

WHAT'S NEXT IN LAYER 5?

Once I proofread all the way through, add in the descriptions, and my meta data, then I want to look at certain things to check on myself.  I can set up the Outline Mode so I can see the Synopsis, the Clues, and the Crime Timeline side by side.  I will post a picture below.

I can then look closely to make sure I don't mention a lab report that hasn't been delivered.  Or one of the suspects is mentioned before anyone points them out, things like this.

I can see the chronology of the clues that have dropped to make sure that they are chronologically correct.  I'm sure you get the drift.

My color scheme in Scrivener may make some of these things hard to see, so I have posted the Custom Metadata diagram below so you can see where things go and what the icons look like.

After looking at the various meta data in this bird's eye view setup, I'm ready to enter Layer 6, which is another round of proofreading; and again, I only focus on a few things.

I have done a short video about this in case you want to see me go over it inside Scrivener.  There is a bit more information here for beginners, but it's good to watch it live too.

Be sure to check back to see another Live Peek Behind Layer 6!  Be aware that I am not proclaiming myself as an expert novelist or the knower of all things.  However, I used to search all the time for authors' workflow, but nothing ever showed up.  I believe I could have advanced a lot faster if I had tips from more season's authors and that's my purpose here.

By seeing how one author does things, you may only take away one tip that will help you in the system you already use.  I hope this blog post helps!

Ready for a Vampire Series

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Mallardi Private Investigations Series

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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:



Scrivener – Creating a Theme, Downloading a Theme and Importing a Theme

HOW TO CHANGE SCRIVENER'S DEFAULT THEME:

The first thing you need to do is click on File => Options.  It's down at the bottom of the options list under the File Tab.  There is a picture to the right.

Scrivener-File-Options

This will open a dialogue box.  Choose the Appearances Tab.  You can see it in the second picture above.

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.



Peek Behind the Novel – Layer 3 – Writing Scene Outlines

WHERE WE ARE BEGINNING IN THIS BLOG POST:

I left off writing about how I divide the crime skeleton, after adding in the subplots, into the Four-Part Structure.  I am now entering the third layer of writing.  This blog post and video below are about sketching in the plot outlines.

WHERE WE ARE GOING:

Most new writers want to get to the writing already.  But in this layer of writing, all plot holes or inconsistencies will show up.  Any clues that won't work when adding more suspects and motivations will show up in this layer.

So this layer is like an insurance policy that you won't be writing for the trash can.

USING THE SHORT TEMPLATE:

My template is short but it keeps me on track.  I'll break it down below.  This small template I use keeps my writing on point and tight.  It prevents me from meandering, dawdling, going off on an irrelevant tangent or writing myself into a corner.

POINT OF VIEW

n order to prevent head-hopping, which is very common among new writers, you need to be constantly reminded that each scene is in one perspective.  Some writers write in first person and that's easy.

However, I write in third person - one persons perspective.  This prevents the reader hopping from head to head.  It's too confusing for a reader to do that.

However, I don't choose my point of view this early on in the process.  I wait until I am actually writing the scene before I choose.  In my experience, as you write the scene, the first draft, one character will sort of 'claim the scene as their own'.  That's when I choose the point of view and then make sure the entire scene is in that persons perspective.

Now, I must confess, since I write in third person narrator style, I do allow myself one tiny head-hop at the end of a scene if I think it serves the plot well.  I think any reader can handle one tiny head hop.

I'm a self-published author at this time, and one of the benefits of self-publishing is you can do what you want.  The professional publishers may be horrified by allowing one head hop at the end of a scene, but as a self-publisher, I can do what I want.  (Hee hee)

KEEPING TRACK OF TIME

I don't know whether I am an author who is obsessed with time, or whether I use time as an element to put pressure to solve on my characters, but I have always tracked time.  I find this helps me balance the story and make the story more realistic.

What I mean by that is often times there is so much that is happening in a book on one particular day, that it becomes unrealistic that all of this could happen in one day.  Maybe it's just me.

Keeping track of time allows me to also know when the workday is over and the subplots can enter the scene as most subplots happen at least in part in a character's off time.

CHOOSING A SCENE LOCATION:

Location is important for two reasons.  One reason is casts the scene in cement.  You have chosen a stage for the scene to take place.  I don't write any scene or location descriptions in this layer of writing.  But I can write the action of the scene in context of a location.

Secondly, adding the location in this layer allow me to go off and find photographs that I can use in the layers down the road where I will add descriptions into the story.

PURPOSE - MOVING THE STORY ALONG

Every experienced author who I listened to when I was first writing fiction said the same thing:  Everything in the manuscript is there to move the story along.  If it doesn't move the story, it doesn't belong there.    So this Purpose in my template helps me keep my writing tight and on point.



CLUES - KEEP TRACK OF CLUES

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This one is self-evident.  A crime novel, murder mystery or police procedural is about solving a crime or mystery.  So uncovering clues, following them to the next clue is the vehicle for the story.  So it's important to keep track of clues.

In the first stage of writing, it's easy to remember if you put clues into the story.  In the first draft, it's easy to rely on your memory.  But after you've read through the story a bit and begin to add more to it, you won't be able to remember whether you saw that clue in the last chapter or the last time you read through the entire layer.

So it's important to keep track of clues.

DIVIDING AND CONQUERING THE MANUSCRIPT:

By dividing the story into four parts, and then writing scene outlines, you can divide a huge manuscript down into bite-size pieces.  It is less overwhelming and easier to organize, write and keep track of.

HOW SCENE OUTLINING WORKS IN SCRIVENER:

You can watch the video below for a full explanation, but each scene begins with the template.  I leave the POV blank for now.  I choose the time and location.  And then under Purpose/Clues, I add everything I want to happen in this scene.  I am thinking about the main plot, the dripping of background info, the dripping of clues, and the subplots.

I use numbers but using bullet points would probably be best as I have to change the numbers a lot.  Although when I show you the rest of my technique, you will see that the number themselves don't matter.

ABOUT THE VIDEO:

In this video, I talk about and lay out how to use a simple template and write the individual scene outlines. By sketching in the individual novel scenes, I can be sure that the clues and mystery scenarios will all work before I waste any time writing any scenes. I go into my strategy and work flow in this video and the benefits of outlining the scenes first. Once you have a scene outline, the actual writing of the scenes becomes only creative and fun.

Time Stamps of this video:
00:01 - Laying out the plotline into scenes
00:58 - The benefits of writing scene outlines
02:46 - The scene template
03:03 - Summary of the process up to this point. Showing a scrolling outline.
04:22 - The template in action - an example of how the template works 04:45 - Point of View
05:26 - Keeping track of time in the manuscript
06:26 - The importance of Locations
07:10 - Purpose - Moving the story along
08:20 - Keeping track of clues
09:20 - Dividing and conquering the manuscript
10:05 - Live in Scrivener with present novel - How the scene outlines work. 11:45 - Sneak Peek of the Synopsis
12:05 - Looking at Scrivener Binders a new one vs. a fully written book
13:13 - Knowing the story through the outline



Peek Behind the Novel – Writing the First Draft – Layer 4

LAYER 4 - WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT

PBN-SM-Layer4-Scivener

  • Use the Scene outlines to write the individual scenes.
  • Split Scrivener Binder into Four Parts representing the Four Part Structure.
  • I copy each scene outline into one document under the Part it belongs in.
  • I set up all of my scene documents in the proper sections.  I don't worry if certain parts are 'heavy'.  The clues are recorded but the rest of the drama of the story is not.

THE MIND IS ALWAYS WORKING:

  • This process will give you a bird's eye view of the scenes.
  • I usually decide to move a scene or two closer to the mid-section of the story.   Because it's only an outline, it's easy-peasy.
  • By seeing the scenes with the timings and a one to three word prompt, I start to see the story from above.

I DON'T FORGET MY LANDMARKS - PART 1

  • The Hook (Which we haven't talked about yet)
  • The crime scene or the acknowledgement of the mystery
  • The Inciting Incident - When the detectives start off to solve the crime.
  • By the end of Part 1, I want there to be at least 2 suspects or even 3.
  • By the end of Part 1, more than one person looks guilty.

LANDMARKS OF PART 2:

  • Interviews begin - they point to different people
  • Clues begin to trickle in - they may seem to clear one or another
  • One of two secrets are exposed in Part 2.
  • The end of Part 2 is the midway point.  There could be a big surprise or shock

LANDMARKS OF PART 3:

  • More interviews
  • More clues
  • Even the rise of another suspect, an unusual suspect.
  • This rise of an unusual suspect can twist the story into another direction.
  • This midway point could also be a Dark Night of the Soul where it may seem that the culprit may get away with it or it won't be solved or solved in time.

LANDMARKS OF PART 4:

  • The first part of this section will be a big reveal.
  • The crime will be solved between the start of Part 4 up to 2/3 of the part.
  • There needs to be time to wrap up the crime and show how it affects everyone involved.
  • The last part of the story is for the 'wrap up' where you tie up all the loose ends.

ABOUT WRITING THE WRAP UP:

  • Reveal the guilty party and solve the mystery.
  • Reveal why the red herring couldn't be guilty.
  • Do a quick review of the whole crime to confirm for the readers
  • Show a 'new normal' for the main characters, showing their character arcs completing.
  • In a series, you need to drop a clue that this crime is finished but their story continues.


TIPS ON WRITING A FIRST DRAFT:

  • Write forward only.  Don't look back.
  • Don't worry about spelling, grammar, verb tense, too many over-used words.
  • The goal of the first draft is to get it down on paper and make sure you put everything into the story from your scene outlines.
  • Think of it as 'blurting out the story'.

I'LL BE BUSY OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WRITING:

  • I've reached Layer 4 in my present novel.  This layer takes time to get it all down on paper.
  • By not worrying about prose or grammar, I'm free to just be creative about the story and whatever dialogue pops into my head.
  • The first draft will be just that -- a first draft.
  • Rest assured that the first draft is important, but by the time I get all the way to Layer 8, it will be polished and not look anything like it looks in the first draft.

I HOPE THIS SPURS SHARING

  • I hope my revelations of my writing techniques will prompt other authors to reveal their process.
  • I love to learn new techniques and when I was brand new, learning from experienced authors was so very helpful.
  • Be sure to sign up at ReadFirstChapter.com to get on my mailing list.  I send book promotions once a week and notices of new books and notices of when my books go "free" on Amazon.

Here is the YouTube video that goes along with this blog post.  I have the timestamps below in case you want to watch a certain part over or just skip to the relevant part.

00:01 - How I set up Scrivener into the Four Part Story Structure 01:15 - This process gives you a bird's eye view of the entire story
02:00 - Showing in Scrivener how I set up the Binder, the documents, the Title and Synopsis sections and how I can use the Outline view to see a bird's eye view of the entire manuscript as it comes together.
03:00 - Tracking case time and personal time in order to weave in the subplots
03:36 - How I use the screen outlines, moving the scene outline into the Notes section to keep it safe
04:25 - The Corkboard vs. Outline View 06:10 - Keeping the writing landmarks of Part 1 in mind: The hook, inciting incident, etc.
07:15 - Landmarks of Part 2, how the evidence trickles in - middle of the book
08:20 - Landmarks of Part 3 - Names the suspects and a dark night of the soul.
09:20 - First half of Part 4 - The big reveal and the wrap up of the mystery. 11:03 - Tying up all loose ends and the subplots. Showing the new normal. Ending the character arcs for this story.
12:00 - Writing series and letting the reader know the crime has been solved but their personal lives continue.
12:37 - Five tips to Beginner Writers 13:30 - The story crafter vs. the story author.



Peek Behind the Novel – Layer 1 – Organizing the Crime Tips

This is the second step in writing a new fiction novel.  In the first step, I start out with writing four potential storylines in FreeMind, which is a mind mapping software.  You can see that video here.

Once I finish four potential plotlines, one of them usually pops out and wants to be written.  I feel myself getting excited to write it.  This process, although it's hard to think of four different storylines, gives me confidence right from the beginning that I am writing the best book for me right now.  This whole process fills me with excitement to write.

OPEN SCRIVENER AND BEGIN:

I take my new plotline and open scrivener.  I open one document and plan the crime itself.  I'm presently writing a police procedural at this time, but even if you are writing a generic mystery, this technique will work.  Most great fiction has some level of mystery or suspense in it, so it would even work for generic fiction.

I make a chronological list of the crime as it happens.  When it happens, who it happens to, who the first witnesses will be, if any.  I also isolate in my mind an actual scene of the crime.  I put in all the evidence the cops or detectives will find at the scene.  This will begin the investigation.  In a mystery or crime novel, this is the inciting incident.

I also add to the list other suspects and what their motivation will be for the crime or mystery.  As you begin to add different suspects into the mix, you will most likely have to change your original plotline idea to accommodate these new suspects.

I go through this whole process adding, subtracting and changing up the suspects and plotline in this abbreviated format.  It should look like directions from Google maps or a long list of very short paragraphs.

A SECTION CALLED THE ENDING:

I have a section at the end called "How it will end".  My books never end the way I indicate in this section.  However, by having a solid idea of how I want it to end at this time, it gives me a direction and a destination.  Then during the creative process, when I get new and better ideas, I simple go down my list and/or scene outlines (we'll cover these in another installment) and change up the outline.  It's easy-peasy.

I do this for the entire storyline.  At the end, you will have a good idea what the story is about, but there won't be any nuance, or personality in the story yet, so if it seems dry, don't worry about it.  It is very dry at this point.  You are knitting together a skeleton and bones are dry.  You will breathe live into this as you get to the point of actual writing.

THE BENEFITS OF WRITING THIS OUTLINE:

writing for the trashcanMost new writers want to start writing scenes and dialogue.  They want to just get on with it.  But the dark side of working this way is that when you find out your clues won't work when you need to add a new suspect, you will have written two chapters already.  My process will save you from writing for the trashcan.

By going through this short one-liner outline in chronological order, anything in the story that won't work, it comes out in this layer of writing.  This saves you from throwing away already written work.

There is a video I made for YouTube below.  I go over some of these points but others tips and tricks as well.  For your convenience, I have time stamps below in case you want to just jump to the section you want to look at:

01:27 - Open Scrivener and open one document
01:45 - Other suspects, their motivation, red herring, etc.
02:15 - How it will End section
03:20 - Determining the framework of the script which will prevent writing for the trash can.
05:30 - Review of the layer elements
05:43 - Sneak peek into the next videos

 

Writing a Novel in Layers

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Have a peek behind a real novel.

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A Peek Behind the Novel Series – Writing in Layers – Chronology of a Crime

WHERE WE LEFT OFF:

In the first installment of the Peek Behind the Novel Series, I wrote about working four different plotlines before choosing one.  By working on four of them, it helps me 'improve' on some storylines and when I have four to choose from, I am able to go into the project knowing that I have chosen the best one.  It's a technique that I use to build my author confidence.

THE FIRST LAYER OF WRITING A NOVEL - THE CHRONOLOGY OF A CRIME

In the first layer of writing, I focus only on the crime or mystery.  I make a list of the chronology of the crime.  How it happens, who it happens to, how the detectives are assigned to the case.  I focus only on the crime.  I don't think of subplots, or dialogue or even the outcome.  Only on the crime itself, almost like a Forensic Files show.

This layer of writing is only a chronological list of the crime or mystery and how it plays out.  Mine looks like a list with small paragraphs and one line clues.  It could even look like a printout from Google maps!

DIVIDE AND CONQUER:

Once I have the chronology of the crime, I begin to break the chronology into four parts.  Nothing fancy; just Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4.  By breaking the crime up into four sections, I'm preparing it to be plugged into the 'four-act play' format.  I never took to the three-act play because the center section is too unstructured and it's twice as long as the other sections.  It's called one part, but it's really two parts in one.  It was too asymmetrical for me.   So rather than using a three act structure, I break Act 2 into two separate parts.

PART 1 - Introduction to the Detectives and Normal Life:

In Part 1, the detectives hear about the crime or mystery and are somehow assigned to it.  That assignment is different in each case.  I start in their normal working lives and have them pulled into the crime.

This part also entails the scene of the crime and whatever clues may or may not be present.  One or maybe two suspects will arise at the scene or shortly thereafter.



Part 1 - The Inciting Incident:

In a police procedural, being assigned to the case is the inciting incident.  They are called into this crime investigation whether they want to be or not.  Part 1 will end with the inciting incident.  They have seen the scene of the crime and have gathered their first clue or clues.  They are now off on a quest to solve the crime.

Part 2 - The Investigation Begins:

murder-in-the-sanctuary-book-coverThe Jack Nolan Detective Series is about two detectives, Jack and Fiona, who have personal lives that are also in flux.  Part 2 introduces the subplots about the detectives and the early investigations they go off on.

The facts as well as clues begin to trickle into the storyline so that the reader can start trying to10 guess who committed the mystery or crime.

The end of Part 2 is the midpoint of the story, so I try to have a twist or a revelation that changes the direction of the investigation in some way.

Part 3 - The Truth Begins to Seep Out:

Early in Part 3, the last suspect will appear and the detectives will be trying to figure out who has the greater motivation.  Or which of the suspects had the time and opportunity to commit the crime.  Also in part 3, the masks on the suspects begin to fall and their secrets are exposed and a couple even are caught in a lie or two.

The end of Part 3 is the equivalent of a Dark Night of the Soul.  This is a place where maybe the detectives can't figure out who did it, or they know but can't find proof, or there is a chance the bag guy or girl will get away with it for one reason or another.  It is a low point.  This could also coincide with a low point in one of the detective's personal lives.

Part 3 ends on this darker moment.  I want the reader to be worried that the detectives won't solve it in time, or the bad guy will get away with something.

PART 4 - The Big Reveal

The beginning of Part 4 is the big reveal.  There is one clue or one revelation that confirms the guilt of whatever the real bad guy is.  This sets up a situation where the bad guy is going to get away, or the detectives have to trap him or her -- however you choose to 'solve' the case.

The second part of Part 4 is where I as the author, very quickly, wrap up the whole crime.  I like to do this in case my readers are reading with one eye open.  People are busy today and often they may miss something.  So I like to spell it out very quickly -- because I don't want to bore the readers who were paying attention -- how the crime occurred and how the evidence was there all along.

Next you wrap up the subplots and resolve and reveal anything that is hanging in the air, like the red herring, or how other suspects couldn't have done it.  You also want to wrap up the subplots on a satisfying note.

IF YOU ARE WRITING A SERIES:

My series are four or more books, so the personal lives are written a bit like a soap opera.  The characters do have a full character arc in each novel.  They learn something in that book that I reflect on in the end, but I also drop a clue at the end of the mystery/crime that the story will continue in the next book.

I DON'T WANT TO GET AHEAD OF MYSELF:

I've just given you a bird's eye view of how the book will proceed when marrying all four parts of it together.  But this first layer is only the chronology of the crime.

I also end this layer with a section I call "How it will end".  It never ends the way I think it will, but committing to an end this early at least gives me a direction and a destination.  It's easy enough to change the chronology when the story takes a natural turn or changes within the creative process.