Get lost?

Don't go back.

It's rare that a book ends up where you expected it to. When you reach "The End," then you can read the whole thing and adjust the front end.

This is what I do for keeping track of what I have written, whether it is a complex plot line or if I have put the manuscript down for a period and gone back to it, instead of writing short (look at again, don't make sense) notes.

When I complete a chapter, I write the 'chapter-by-chapter outline (synopsis)' for that chapter.

It's so much easier to do it while the entire chapter is totally fresh in my mind, instead of doing the chapter-by-chapter after I have completed the entire novel.

It's also a quick and ready reference if you need to go back and check a plot line, some detail like -- who said what to who. The chapter-by-chapter also refreshes my mind as to what chapter to look in to find that information if I need to deeper research instead of searching through every page of the manuscript.

I'm writing this on my first cup of tea this morning, so forgive me if I'm writing in circles!

PS. I also use my Chapter-by-Chapter to write the novel Synopsis when my manuscript is complete. All the information -- plot lines, etc. are readily available.

It's easier to tweak after you're done than it is to reread it and limit your story to what you might've forgotten. You can always add or omit things at the beginning later on to make the ending fit.

Of course, I learned this the hard way of rewriting my stories before finishing because I took a hiatus in writing. Took forever to finish. Now I know better.

I keep notes at the bottom of my story, I learned my lesson when I started forgetting both minor and major character names if I had been away from the writing for a while.

I need a timeline table which includes the date of action in the book, the chapter, and dot points of the action. Otherwise my poor characters would live through weeks which went Mon, Tues, Tues, Fri. I get over enthusiastic, and confused. I also find a timeline (even if the timespan of events is far broader than day by day) is useful in prompting ideas. For instance, if it's Sunday does the character sleep in, go to Church or go to work? If four months have passed, then it can't be Summer any more. I need help to keep control of stuff like that and a simple Word table works for me.

Monet said:

This is what I do for keeping track of what I have written, whether it is a complex plot line or if I have put the manuscript down for a period and gone back to it, instead of writing short (look at again, don't make sense) notes.

When I complete a chapter, I write the 'chapter-by-chapter outline (synopsis)' for that chapter.

It's so much easier to do it while the entire chapter is totally fresh in my mind, instead of doing the chapter-by-chapter after I have completed the entire novel.

It's also a quick and ready reference if you need to go back and check a plot line, some detail like -- who said what to who. The chapter-by-chapter also refreshes my mind as to what chapter to look in to find that information if I need to deeper research instead of searching through every page of the manuscript.

I'm writing this on my first cup of tea this morning, so forgive me if I'm writing in circles!

PS. I also use my Chapter-by-Chapter to write the novel Synopsis when my manuscript is complete. All the information -- plot lines, etc. are readily available.

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What a great idea!!! I'm always having to go back and read over past chapters because i get so carried away with the story, i forget what's happened in the past. Thanks Monet. It's so simple, but it's going to be so helpful.

stace001 said:

What a great idea!!! I'm always having to go back and read over past chapters because i get so carried away with the story, i forget what's happened in the past. Thanks Monet. It's so simple, but it's going to be so helpful.

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You are very welcome.

Late, but thought I'd add my bit.

Whether chapter or section, I usually start with a quick list of things:

POV Chr: xxx
Location: xxx
Weather: xxx
Season: xxx (this doesn't always match with the weather in my work, hence listing it)
Goal: xxx (e.g., "escape from oubliette"; "MC & villain get into vicious, eye-gouging fight"; etc.)

Ocassionally, I'll add the following:

Players: xxx, yyy, zzz (e.g., MC, villain, sidekick, luckless bystander, irritating MI5 agent, etc.)
Refs: xxx (e.g., ref: page 12, scene about MC being a right scatterbrain in front of pseudo-villain)

Then the rest of the details I commit to memory, or have a handy index or contents page somewhere.

I had this same exact thing happen to me. It is not easy to keep track of things! My story was hand written then transferred to Word. Man, it was painful, but my laptop died and I didn't have a choice. I had to go back and read what the hell I wrote a lot and made a few charts in order to keep things straight (what names I used, who did what, who was related to who, what their mom's name was etc.). I made a Visio family tree, an excel spreadsheet of names and have pics of my characters (actors and such).
I think keeping a log helps and Snitch has a good idea too.
Good luck!
I think the next time you write a novel, it will be easier. I know mine is much more organized (now that I have a computer again!!!).

Jenny said:

I need a timeline table which includes the date of action in the book, the chapter, and dot points of the action. Otherwise my poor characters would live through weeks which went Mon, Tues, Tues, Fri. I get over enthusiastic, and confused. I also find a timeline (even if the timespan of events is far broader than day by day) is useful in prompting ideas. For instance, if it's Sunday does the character sleep in, go to Church or go to work? If four months have passed, then it can't be Summer any more. I need help to keep control of stuff like that and a simple Word table works for me.

Click to expand...

The idea of a timeline *table* interests me. I think I need the same system, for the same reasons you stated. I've been using a blank calendar and jotting down important stuff in the appropriate dates to keep my timeline straight, but the boxes are too darn small for all the details I want to record!

So what, exactly, do you mean by 'simple Word table'? Lots of people suggest Excel, but I have a mental no-can-do block when it comes to spreadsheets (that's for Numbers People, not writers ). Is there something different that's available and user-friendly on Word?

Do share.

Please.

Let's see....

My book stalled for a year or more when I got to (then) chapter 9 and realized my characters were walking in circles, literally. Everytime I wrote about where they were going...it was "left".

I'm a fantasy author so this may be more than others need.

I started a card file...main characters, subs, locations, items, magic system, flora, fauna, maps, history, timeline.

Very unportable and clunky...plus I tended to run out of room.

Then I went to a 3 ring binder.. a small one. a little clunky, more portable...tended to fall apart with flipping.

I started using a program called keynote...tabs, notes can either be treepad style or just an rtf doc. Works great...file small enough to fit on a thumbdrive....program won't run from thumb drive. Crap.

At the same time I discovered the First draft in 30 days (misnomer) way of outlining a novel. Using that and ywriter I can have all my notes together with the actually writing. And it's all on my thumb drive...so now I just needed a way to keep track of my world. (can't have maggie may fly with running out of power right?)

On one of my domains I've installed phpprojekt. I did this so I can put my manuscript in a safe place for my betas...and then they can comment on it. I've been playing with putting my notes in there for the world as a rundundant copy...besides the printed one I keep in a file drawer.

I'm obsesive I know. but keeping track of the rules of my fantasy world and how I break it is important to me.

Now the writing just flows...it's much nicer to be prepared and I can adjust the outline and record the info easily when surprises cropped up (like when the whole town insisted on being in on the castles business)

Lost

Well, honestly I don't get lost this way, possibly because I don't plan anything out, and each thing I do automatically leads to the next thing I do. Where I've been doesn't matter, and where I am determines where I'm going. The only thing I have trouble remembering is what color hair each character has, so I've learned to write this down.

But speed is probably part of it, too. Only once has it taken me six months to write a complete novel, and I suspect the faster you write the novel, the fresher everything stays in your mind, should you need to remember something.

I don't know whether going back now is a good idea or not. I guess it depends on how much work you want the second draft to be, and on how close to the end you are. If you're close to the end, I'd say don't go back. If you're still a fair piece from the end, I'd say go back so the rest of the novel is more in line with what you want to do.

Get the first half and the second half too far apart, and the second draft will be like writing the novel from scratch. Not something I'd want to do.

I am on my first draft and wrote a brief outline, chapter by chapter, before I began. As I continued further into the story, the plot line grew. I continue to revise my outline as I go along (just a few lines per chapter that tells me who's there and what's happening).

I also use character profiles to keep track of names, history and details and this too gets revised as I go along.

All this helps me when I need to go back to a particular chapter.

In general my plot outline doubles from the time I start and when I finish my first draft. I don't have a timeline yet but it's also a good idea to keep track of what is happening when with who.