Talking about multiple POVs, I don't do a spreadsheet as complex as yours but I keep track of "when" each POV appears to create a certain "beat" to the story. Like main POV for 3 chapters, then POV2 for 1 section, back to main POV for 2, then POV3, back to main POV, etc... it creates a certain music for the reader without being too apparent, and maybe a flashback in the middle.
Hi Alma - I’m Andrew from Singapore. Loved The Hunger. I’ve a craft question. Do you outline with your spreadsheet first ? Then once u feel comfortable with whole structure- then you proceed with writing ?
Great question! For novels these days, I have to submit an outline for most contracts, so I always work up an outline though once writing begins, I often stray from it in ways big and small.
The research done prior to starting the outline definitely informs the story. I also do a lot of spot research as I'm writing to fill in blanks for a particular scene (what was a typical breakfast of the period, that sort of thing.)
But I don't always write from an outline. Short stories, for instance. The 25K word stories yes, I typically outline first. Anything shorter I let grow organically.
thank you for answering! I really love these answers from working writers. I would guess the short stories you wrote for Amazon, were outlined first? Also, do you have a collection of short stories out?
Yes, all three stories for AOS were outlined first. Funny you should ask about a collection; I don't write many short stories but they're almost enough to think about a collection
Great question! It depends on where you are in the process. In the research world, we always start with a key question and then design the research around answering that question. The key questions help you scope your research, so you're not boiling the ocean.
If you need to boil the ocean--understand the entire problem before you decide what your key question will be--you need to conduct a literature review. Identifying the acknowledged experts in a field and seeing what source materials they recommend is a great way to start. Basically, by the end of the literature review, you should feel like you have a good, basic understanding of the subject, know the key issues within in, and have a sense of the materials that best explain/capture the scope of each of those issues.
I'd definitely use spreadsheets to take notes and organize the research, and keep it organized in such a way that it helps me see the forest for the trees.
Now I have yet one more reason to learn how to use Excel Spreadsheets! I occasionally come across them in my work and have been told that they would help with my small business but I have resisted thus far. Alas...
Haha, yeah it's a little funny at first. I wish I could access some of the more complicated ones I did for earlier books but they are stranded in an old laptop
Fascinating...I do exactly the same things, but I use Word's table function, which allows me to keep the information in the same file with the actual full text.
Talking about multiple POVs, I don't do a spreadsheet as complex as yours but I keep track of "when" each POV appears to create a certain "beat" to the story. Like main POV for 3 chapters, then POV2 for 1 section, back to main POV for 2, then POV3, back to main POV, etc... it creates a certain music for the reader without being too apparent, and maybe a flashback in the middle.
Yes! That's a good rhythm. Part of the challenge for the writer, right, figuring out the right flow.
Hi Alma - I’m Andrew from Singapore. Loved The Hunger. I’ve a craft question. Do you outline with your spreadsheet first ? Then once u feel comfortable with whole structure- then you proceed with writing ?
Great question! For novels these days, I have to submit an outline for most contracts, so I always work up an outline though once writing begins, I often stray from it in ways big and small.
The research done prior to starting the outline definitely informs the story. I also do a lot of spot research as I'm writing to fill in blanks for a particular scene (what was a typical breakfast of the period, that sort of thing.)
But I don't always write from an outline. Short stories, for instance. The 25K word stories yes, I typically outline first. Anything shorter I let grow organically.
thank you for answering! I really love these answers from working writers. I would guess the short stories you wrote for Amazon, were outlined first? Also, do you have a collection of short stories out?
Yes, all three stories for AOS were outlined first. Funny you should ask about a collection; I don't write many short stories but they're almost enough to think about a collection
Thank you for sharing this Alma. It's so practical, efficient, and flexible! I'm going to incorporate it into my workflow immediately.
I hope it works for you.
This is great! I'm currently working on a non-fiction book with tons of research! I'm going to try and adapt this to non-fiction. Any advice?
Great question! It depends on where you are in the process. In the research world, we always start with a key question and then design the research around answering that question. The key questions help you scope your research, so you're not boiling the ocean.
If you need to boil the ocean--understand the entire problem before you decide what your key question will be--you need to conduct a literature review. Identifying the acknowledged experts in a field and seeing what source materials they recommend is a great way to start. Basically, by the end of the literature review, you should feel like you have a good, basic understanding of the subject, know the key issues within in, and have a sense of the materials that best explain/capture the scope of each of those issues.
I'd definitely use spreadsheets to take notes and organize the research, and keep it organized in such a way that it helps me see the forest for the trees.
Hope this helps!
Now I have yet one more reason to learn how to use Excel Spreadsheets! I occasionally come across them in my work and have been told that they would help with my small business but I have resisted thus far. Alas...
I hated them at first, too
This is so great, Alma! When you told me you did spreadsheets as outlines I couldn’t picture it exactly. Very cool.
Haha, yeah it's a little funny at first. I wish I could access some of the more complicated ones I did for earlier books but they are stranded in an old laptop
Fascinating...I do exactly the same things, but I use Word's table function, which allows me to keep the information in the same file with the actual full text.
See, I think that would mess me up, or more correctly, I would mess up my Word document. Luckily, we all find the right tool for us!