Finding What Works For You: Keeping Ideas Organized

‘Organization’ is a loose term here. I live in a constant state of chaos and my writing, outlining, and planning often times reflects this. But that’s not what this post is about.

As some of you might know, I am one of those people who have several projects in the works at any given time. This means I’m in various states of projects, with various different needs.

So, how do I stay organized with all these projects going on?

Well, for starters, I don’t go full steam ahead on all of them. That’s probably the easiest way there is to crash and burn.

Instead, I look at my projects. Right now I have technically have five different stories in the works, and that’s not including writing contests or my blog. Now, yes that is a rather intimidating number, and I’m sure some of you are questioning what’s wrong with me. I mean that’s too many stories at one time!

No. Well, yes, but also no.

I have a main project. A side project. And then three projects I’m researching for.

My main project is Trials for the Princess Ryanne and the other books in the trilogy. This means most of my time is devoted to working on them. Editing, writing, revising, and eventually beta reading. I’m the most excited about these pieces and these are the most fleshed out of all of what I’ve written so far.

So, starting with these, if I get a new idea for them or something I want to add I write it down on a specific page of a notebook. I then turn these ideas into points to fix on a checklist(check out this post if you’d like a more in-depth explanation).

I keep these ideas on separate pages so I don’t get confused and mix them up. If I don’t have my notebook with me, I put it in a designated note in my phone and then transfer it to the notebook when I get the chance so everything’s together in one place.

My side project right now is Realm of the Demon Empress, a stand-alone.

For some of you who have been following me for a long time might know that RotDE was my main at one point, and after careful consideration, I realized it needed major rewrites and it would just be easier to build it up from scratch.

I have the plot figured out, I have details fleshed out, and I’ve expanded on the setting a lot more. It’s the second most done project I’m working on. So, if I don’t feel like editing, or I’m just starting to get tired of Sloan and the others, I’ll pop on over here and work on the outline, thought dump a little more, mess around with character interactions. It helps to keep things fresh.

I feel like I should pause here and explain how I categorize main, side, and others. It’s actually really easy.

Which one is the furthest along before I can start querying it? Right now, TftPR. After that would be War for the Good King, and the third book in the trilogy(presently unnamed). Alright, so that’s my main. What’s furthest along after that? RotDE. That’s the side. Everything else takes a lower tier of priority.

Now for my researching pieces. I have three of them, and the question becomes how do I keep things separate?

I have a cute binder, coloured, hole punched paper, and a shit tone of sticky notes.

I think you know where this is going.

I give each project a colour paper, that isn’t already in use, and then I start thought dumping on sticky notes. Characters, scenes, ideas, concepts, symbols, very specific information I searched for thinking it would be useful even though I’m probably not going to directly reference it in the story, etc. Sometimes I do a lot at a time, others it’s only one or two.

For starters, I just slap the notes onto the page until a nice little mountain develops, or until I have time to actually deal with them. Then I’ll start putting them in chronological order. Things like customs, references, symbols, world slang, etc. I will keep on the first page so it’s easier for me to flip back and see them.

This makes a perfect pre outline for me. It has everything laid out in order, and all I need to do is go in and fill in how to get from A to B and make it all make sense, then I can start writing. And at any point, I can flip back to the sticky notes, or I can take them from their place on the page and stick them around my work station if there’s a continuous theme I want to explore throughout or a really difficult name I wanted to put in for some reason.

When it comes to other ideas that I haven’t gotten to yet, yes I have plenty more ideas than just what I’m working on right now, I have a designated notebook where I jot them down. These are anything from large, thought out ideas for multiple books, to weapon ideas for characters to use, to vague concepts for stories, to scenes I could use, and any and everything in between. Their what I would call seeds of a story. And anytime I’m looking for new inspiration or really want to write something new I open this book, pick one or two, maybe grab a writing prompt, and go to town.

Now, obviously, I’m a very paper and pen sort of person. I acknowledge and admit to that. I know that a lot of people prefer electronic ways of keeping track of things, and that’s fine.

It’s all about what works for you. Maybe this can spark something in you that helps you keep track of the ever-expanding world inside your head.

Did this help you? Do you think this way is outdated and confusing? Do you have a better way of keeping track of countless ideas? I’d love to hear about it if you want to drop a comment.

I hope you are having a wonderful day, and if it’s not going well I hope it gets better soon. This is all I have for you today, and I will see you next time.

-T.R. Flynn.

How I Deal With Writer’s Block

We all suffer from it. It is the bane of our existence. But what actually matters is how you go about dealing with writer’s block.

I have suffered from writer’s block at multiple times during my writing career so far, and I have watched many videos and read many articles about how to help overcome it. I have no shame in admitting to that. What I have noticed, however, is that it doesn’t matter if you have it regularly, sparingly, always have it, or what have you. What matters is what you do when you have it.

The first step is acknowledging that you have a creative block and instead of getting flustered and maybe trying to force something out, you step back from your piece and take a deep breath. There’s always something you can do, so don’t get frustrated.

1. Outline.
   Before you freak out, I fully acknowledge and understand that there are pantsers out there who are allergic to outlines. Fine, whatever, skip this one if you’re that against it, but hear me out first. An outline can be very useful in keeping you on track. I’m one of those writer’s who will wander off in all directions if I don’t have arrows pointing me in the right direction. Try writing an outline to keep you on the right track. Your writer’s block could be as simple as you’re not sure where to go next. An outline can help you with this if you find you’re struggling.
2. Work On Another Piece.
   I do not have the attention span to work on one piece from start to finish without becoming bored. Because I know this about myself I have several pieces in the works at any given time. If I cannot write one day on piece A, I work on editing piece B, or outline/thought-dumping piece C. I understand that this cannot work for everyone, but it can help if you feel like you’re just beating a piece to death. You don’t have to go working on this piece forever, but maybe just putting your main piece aside for a little while and coming back with fresh eyes is exactly what you need to get yourself through that plot hole you got yourself in.
3. Take In Some Art.
   As writers or creators, we are always giving a high output of art. We are always putting something on a page, or computer, and sometimes we forget to take in art ourselves. Your block could just be because you’re out of creativity and you need to get some more. Some of you might be thinking that you have plenty of creativity and this isn’t the root of your block. Have you ever heard of a well running dry? That could be exactly what it is. Read a couple books. Go see a movie. Catch up on your favourite t.v. show. You need to take in art at the same rate you’re pumping it out, otherwise, your well will run dry. Take in some art, you’ll be surprised.
4. Get A Change Of Scenery.
   Sometimes things get stale. If you’re constantly at your desk, maybe try going out to a coffee shop. Or maybe even just out to your kitchen table or living room. Go to the library. Sometimes just changing the wall your always staring at past your computer screen is all it takes. Keep in mind how you work while choosing your change of pace. If you prefer working in complete silence, a coffee shop might not be the best place for you. If you need some distraction then a library probably shouldn’t be your first choice. Always keep in mind how you work when considering these.
5. Use A Writing Prompt.
   I use writing prompts a lot. They are wonderful and can always spark some form of creativity in me. There are scene prompts, dialogue prompts, world prompts, kill the cliques, character banks, etc. If you are needing something to fill in something in your piece, or help with a driving force, there is a prompt out there that can help you. I encourage you to look for some if you’re struggling.
6. Reward/Treat Yourself.
   Figure out how you work. If you’re motivated by a finish line, tell yourself once you’re done your writing goal of the day you can get your favourite dinner, or go hang out with friends, or at the end of the week, you can go to a movie. If you need a little motivation to get started, settle down at your preferred location with a cup of tea/coffee/hot chocolate, and some of your favourite snacks. Have those with you while you work to keep you motivated. Your writer’s block might not be anything catastrophic but just really simple things that come from a misunderstanding of yourself and how you work.
7. Take A Break.
   This is probably going to be a controversial point here, but sometimes the best thing you can do is put down your piece and come back to it in a bit. Remember what I said about stepping back and taking a deep breath, or putting your piece away for a little bit while you worked on something else? Hear me out, every single time you don’t feel like writing you shouldn’t take a break. But if you feel like everything you’re doing is getting you nowhere and you can’t get through this block, maybe just take a break. Take in some art, maybe research something for your pieces or a new one you want to work on. When was the last time you spent a day with your friends? Take a break. Take a day to yourself. Sometimes you need that. It could very well be harmful to your mental health if you keep forcing yourself to pump things out without proper care. This is kind of a last ditch effort if everything else hasn’t worked, but it can be effective if you need it. Just don’t fall to this as a go to.

So, these are some of the things that I do when I get writer’s block, or I just plain don’t feel like writing. These are things that work for me, and if you’re struggling with it these might help. By no means is this an extensive list of what you can do. Again I would like to express this is what works for me, these might not be a perfect fit for you but it could be a good starting point.

Is there something you do for your writer’s block that I didn’t cover here? I’d love to know if you’d like to share.

I hope you are having a great day, and if it’s not great I hope it gets better. Thank you so much for reading and I will see you next time.

-T.R. Flynn.

Finding What Works For You: Editing Check List

Editing is probably the bane of all writer’s existence because whether you love it or hate it it’s necessary. You can’t skip this step, no matter who you are. Now, I’ve previously done a post about my editing process, but as I grow and try new things I discover new tricks, tips, and procedures. I’m always happy to try something new out and see if it actually works for me, so I’m constantly evolving and getting new information and ways to better myself as a writer, person, and editor.

This post was actually sparked by THIS VIDEO that I watched on editing. And I wanted to try it out.

For those of you who don’t know I’m presently elbow-deep in editing ‘Trials for the Princess Ryanne’, and I’m really trying to find other and better ways to edit for myself. Drafts are still wonderful, and I am using them but I feel like there are other things I can be doing on top of that to make the editing process easier and better.

So, in case you don’t want to click the link, basically, one lovely Vivien Reis is going over some of the things she does when editing her novels. The one I’m going to be focusing on is when she suggests writing a list about the things you need to do.

I’m all for writing and keeping lists. Crossing things off or putting little check marks next to things is very satisfying to me.

So, if you’re like me and either struggle with editing or are looking for ways to improve your editing skills, here’s what I propose.

You can do this as you’re still writing(as I’m doing right now for War for the Good King) and just write down things you want to add or change in what you’ve already written. You do not have to do this during the writing phase though.

Now, I technically started doing this while I was editing Realm of the Demon Empress. However, I didn’t start doing this well until after I was done writing Trials for the Princess Ryanne.

Before it was just writing down everything I needed to fix and hoping I could actually get things done well. I ended up spinning my wheels and getting nowhere fast.

I did this a lot better with Trials for the Princess Ryanne. I skimmed through the finished draft and wrote down, in point form, things I wanted to add, change, little extra bits of dialogue, chapters I want to smoosh together, things I wanted to expand upon, etc.

For this piece, I divided everything up into six broad categories that I then colour coded. Please note I kept all of this on paper in notebooks so I high lighted these, and had limited colours to do it in. Also, the six categories are what I found out to be reoccurring factors in my work that didn’t necessarily translate to other pieces. For instance, while I’m working on War for the Good King, some of these categories carried over, while I needed to make more for new problems or there were just too many and I had to subdivide. Find a way that works for you, either on paper, on your computer, using different colours, not using colours, with as many or few categories as you need. Whatever works for you.

• Big details-whole sections that need to be expanded upon or added to(Orange)
• Slow down this section/build up tension here(Green)
• Descriptions-more details needed(Blue)
• Add speech-additional dialogue needed(Yellow)
• Little details-paragraphs or little sections that need some expansion or other details that were missed before(Purple)
• Chapter-combine these chapters together or add a new chapter break here(Pink)

Then I put these in order of biggest to smallest on another piece of paper. Orange are the biggest things, and they need to get done first so they go on the top of the list. Green is the second biggest so that gets done second. Blue is third. Yellow is fourth. Purple is fifth. And pink is last. For some reason, it’s much easier to go about these by tackling the largest problems first and the tinier problems last. I think it’s that point that made the difference for me, it’s so much easier to get the big stuff out of the way.

The reason I’m talking about this now is that I tried this out a little while ago, and I thought I was going to get maybe halfway through if I stayed focused and worked hard. I basically finished the list. And it was about two pages long.

This might mean that I didn’t put down as much as I should have or I didn’t have as much to do as I thought, but that’s an amazing feeling. And the bubble of accomplishment you get when you check off that point on your to-do list is even better.

Now that I know how it works, as I get more ideas or as I’m editing and think about something in another scene I just write it down so I don’t have to stop what I’m doing and fix it. And I don’t have to worry about forgetting what I wanted to change. So I actually ended up making a second checklist for Trials for the Princess Ryanne for more things I need to fix as I go along.

I’m going to encourage you to try this out if you haven’t yet and put your points in order from biggest to smallest.

That’s all I have for you right now, I hope you’re having a good day and if it’s not going well I hope it gets better soon. And I will see you next time.

-T.R. Flynn.

Special thanks/shout out to Vivien Reis. It’s from her I got the idea after all. If you haven’t checked her out already, go do it!

Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmBw2VslVxiCHZHMCKWSJpQ
Twitter- https://twitter.com/VivienReis
Instagram- https://instagram.com/vivien.l.reis
Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show…
Website- http://vivienreis.com
Facebook- https://facebook.com/vivienreis
Pinterest- https://www.pinterest.com/vivienlreis/

Let’s Talk about Prologues and Epilogues

I wanted to raise this topic because I’ve seen a couple of people on Twitter ask if they should be used or not.

I want to use a disclaimer right out of the gate because I don’t want any of you thinking what I say is law. These are both opinions I have and information I have gathered by reading and listening to other people’s thoughts on Prologues and Epilogues. So take this with a grain of salt.

Some people think of Prologues and Epilogues as bookends, you need them and they are necessary to every story or novel or book or what have you.

Here’s the thing, you, as the author, need to ask yourself if your story needs them. If you feel it doesn’t but feel pressured to add one or the other, or both. Odds are you probably don’t need them. If you want to try writing them just for the sake of it, have at it. Just don’t feel like you need to keep them if you don’t like how it fits into your story.

Let’s start with your prologue.

A prologue, first and foremost, is an introduction to the story. As such, it should not be longer than your average chapter. When I say average chapter, I don’t mean all your chapters should be the same length. What I mean is, when you’re looking through your manuscript and you see that most of your chapters are about 5 pages we’ll say, your prologue should be NO longer than 5 pages. If you need to put so much detail into your prologue to set up for your story that it takes about 20 pages to tell, you don’t need a prologue. What you need is to separate your book into parts, and make part one your set up for the story. And at the end of part one, you segway into part two which is where the story takes off. If your set up takes longer than a quarter of the length of your manuscript without the ‘prologue’ in it, try writing a prequel, or a short story to act as a prequel for it. You don’t need to jam it all into one book.

Secondly, a prologue is not an info dump. Do NOT use it as such. You can expand and talk about your world in length in your actual story but showing it. It can be wonderful to have all the information about your setting’s imports, exports, government system, education system, etc, but don’t put it in the story if it doesn’t directly influence it. If you really want to show and expand upon it for people to enjoy, you have a website or a blog and if not you can easily make one, put that information there. That way the people who would actually like to spend 40 minutes reading about all the details of your world can and those who only want to read about your awesome story can just read your story.

Third, if you have an epilogue written and you don’t want to write a prologue, you don’t have to. As I said before, if you feel your story doesn’t need one, or the other, don’t put it in. Plenty of books have epilogues at the ends with no prologues at the beginning. It’s fine, they aren’t needed. So don’t feel like you have to put one if you’re putting in the other.

Let’s move on to Epilogues now.

An epilogue is basically an addition to the resolution or the resolution entirely in your storyline. The main conflict is resolved, now let’s cut to your cast of characters going home and seeing their families, celebrating their victory and mourning their dead. It can be used to tie up a romance that you didn’t have time to get to because of all the falling action. It could be a courtroom case where the murderer is finally locked up.

It doesn’t have to lead to a happy ending, but generally, in my research, epilogues allude to the idea of a better tomorrow.

We did everything we could and there’s still a lot we need to do, but the evil overlord is dead and peace has been returned to the land at least.

This is the standard formula at least, but you don’t have to follow it. In the last few paragraphs of an epilogue, you can cut to the evil overlord laying in the bottom of a swamp biding his time and replenishing his power for the perfect time to strike.

An epilogue should be about the length of an average chapter, but you tend to have a little more leeway with it as opposed to the prologue. Just don’t have it drag out. You should know where you plan to end it. Don’t stretch out the kiss scene that comes at the end, don’t go into so much detail at the party. Keep it short and sweet.

Something else I feel I should touch upon. If you are going to leave a piece on a cliffhanger do not title the last chapter ‘Epilogue’. An epilogue is literally a conclusion of a story and that is the end of its segment. If you’re going for a cliffhanger, just put the number, if you title your chapters put a title for that too that is NOT epilogue.

This goes for if you’re writing a series too. If one storyline is going to extend over the course of a couple books and your ending on a cliffhanger, don’t put epilogue. Just pick up where you left off in the next book and everything will be okay.

Lastly, I just want to reiterate something. You can have a prologue without an epilogue. You can have an epilogue without a prologue. You can have both. And you can have neither. Don’t feel the need to put one, or the other, or both if you don’t want to or feel you need to. This is your story and the only one who can tell you what to do with it is you.

Alright. That’s all I have for you today. If there’s anything you would like me to discuss please leave a comment and I’ll get to it as soon as I can. I hope you’re doing well and I will see you next time.

-T.R. Flynn.

Let’s Talk About the Creative Cycle

Yes, believe it or not, creativity is not a constant thing, it’s a cycle.

I wanted to talk about this today because I came across a post on Tumblr from Dogwrites. I’ll link to the original post by wordsnstuff here (—->>>http://wordsnstuff.tumblr.com/post/173449460078/why-burnout-is-okay-the-creativity-cycle )if any of you guys are interested in checking it out. I just feel like I should let you know where I first found it.

So, basically, this post talks about the cycle you go through when you’re being creative. Now, I don’t like the term used, ‘burnout’. I would prefer to talk about it as a lull. A burnout, to me, is when you go so hard and fast, for a very long time and end up exhausting yourself to the point of hating what you’re working on.

There are basically four sections in this cycle.

1. Active creativity
2. Passive creativity(or the lull if you will)
3. The rise of productivity
4. The fall of productivity

If you’re having trouble picturing it, here’s a visual.

*Disclaimer* Pretty much all of what I’m going to be talking about can be applied to any creative hobby or profession, however, for this, I’m going to be using examples of writing.

The active creativity is when you’re writing really hard. You’ve killed your word count goals. You’ve outlined in such depth. You’ve edited everything! Things are good. You’re loving your piece. You are super productive. Life’s good.

The fall of creative productivity is when you’re still very excited about your piece, but you aren’t hitting the same word goals as you had before. You’re slower to edit things. You’re taking more time to research and plan things out. You’re still getting things done, but not as fast as you did before.

The lull, or writer’s block, is what a lot of people fear. You just can’t seem to get anything out. Your drafts are laughable. Your editing is nonexistent.

THIS IS NOT A BAD THING!!

When you get into this part of the cycle it simply means that you need to take some time and regain ideas. Now you might be thinking, I have plenty of ideas. Why do I need to find more?

When was the last time you sat down and watched a movie to enjoy it? When was the last time you baked a cake because you wanted to? When was the last time you knocked a couple of books off your TBR? When was the last time you logged into your fanfiction account and spent the day eating cookie dough while drinking in that angst and fluff?

Unless I’m mistaken and you’re some strange creature I’ve yet to learn exists and has access to the internet, odds are you’re human. As such, you have limitations. You may have plenty of ideas, but there could be a dam blocking them from flowing.

I called this passive creativity because that’s kinda what it is. It doesn’t mean that you need to be doing nothing during this time. Passive creativity can be quiring agents, researching for a giant project you have coming up or to find a solution for that plot hole you have. The main thing about this point is you shouldn’t force yourself to put out the same amount as you did when you were in the active creativity.

But, thankfully, this lull doesn’t last forever. Eventually,  hopefully soon if you take enough care of yourself, you’ll be in the rise of creative productivity. You’re able to pick up that pen, fix that outline, get some editing done, etc.

So, if you’re going through a lull don’t feel bad and don’t beat yourself up about it. It will pass. Take the time to take care of yourself and ingest some art. You’re constantly in an output of art, you need to take some in sometimes.

I really wanted to talk about because I came across this post the other day, just as I was entering my lull. So, right now, at the time of writing this, I’m in a lull.

I love being able to do something creative every day. I love writing. I love adding to my worlds and diving into my characters. As such, it’s quite frustrating when I can’t do anything with it or can’t find the ideas to put in them. When I found this post I realized it was normal and that it wasn’t something I could force myself out of. The only thing I can do is try to keep chugging along and take in as much art as I can in the meantime.

So this is a way for me to let you guys know, don’t beat yourself up about losing motivation. It happens it’s normal. Go walk around an art gallery or something tomorrow. Go read a book. Watch a movie. This happens to everyone. Take a breath. Stop beating yourself off and go check out those cat videos you have saved. It’ll be alright.

We live in a world where high levels of productivity are praised, and low levels of productivity are sympathized with but not encouraged. We all want to get stuff done, especially when it’s important to us. But it’s not always feasible to maintain a high level of productivity, it can actually be detrimental to ourselves.

If you keep going, even when you’re in the lull, just forcing yourself to get things done that’s when you burn out. That’s when you end up hating your piece, and you just want to stop and curl up in a ball and binge Netflix. Don’t burn out. Take your lull in stride and then get back to it when you’re ready and you have all the creativity built back up.

Well, I think that’s all I wanted to talk about today. So, I hope you’re having a good one and I will see you next time.

-T.R. Flynn