Great ideas which move you to the core don't come every day. They are as precious as the finest jewels. When you do get them, now what? Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your ideas? This question plagues writers a great deal. You write a few lines, only to lose steam. Motivation fades like the setting sun and your project goes into mothballs.
So, how can you avoid this kind of mistake? The writing process can be daunting, but there are some things you can do to get started. This question involves a great deal of soul searching. You have already established a firm reason you are writing. You may have a million ideas which are floating around inside your mind, clogging your ability to think. Then, when you sit down and write, they flee from you.
We will examine the next steps and the tools needed to begin writing. They are:
- Brainstorming: Organizing your thoughts
- Deciding what tools, you will use
- The note pad and pencil
- The computer
- Word processors
- One Note
- Excel
What is the brainstorming process?
This is the part where you will want to know what is coming from your mind. It’s like a faucet, which will not shut off in the most inconvenient places, and then refuses to yield but a single drop of inspirational prose when you are ready at your desk. It’s a conundrum even experienced writers face. No worries, there are things you can do to get them flowing like Niagara Falls again.
Brainstorming is collecting inspiration, as if it were like catching raindrops from the sky. The trick is to catch as much as you can by keeping it flowing and being ready when it comes. This can be tricky, especially when you are not in control of it.
The first thing is to write a question, then jot down ideas. Don’t stop, even if what you get may seem absurd. You are not editing, this comes later. The trick is to gather as many raw ideas as you can.
Once your inspiration runs dry, take a walk, or do another activity which doesn’t involve your story. Ideas don’t stop once you are away from your desk. This is fine. Write them down too while you are doing this activity by keeping a notepad with you.
When do you have your best inspiration? It’s as slippery as soap. It can leave as fast as it came to you. If you wait to write it down, you may forget important things. This tells your mind to keep going. Repeat the process over many days or even weeks. This can go on indefinitely, but don’t stop because you feel you have all your inspiration or think it is stupid. This impedes your thought process. Instead, let the thoughts flow like they were water falling from a waterfall.
Your best inspiration often comes days or months after you are writing. It is like a clogged pipe only needing to be unclogged. This happens when you are thinking about other things which provide you with the solution you’ve been waiting for, unplugging it as it flows freely. When this happens, don’t be afraid to shift gears and go another direction, especially if it solves many other problems you are facing. Even if you are halfway through your first draft, you cannot be afraid to begin again. Believe me, you will regret it if you hesitate because of the extra work it will create.
Some may find the computer difficult and hard to grasp, but there are many ways it can help. For one thing, it is much easier than writing your manuscript out on a notepad. They allow you to save your work neatly, edit your mistakes, find what you need, organize your notes and much more.
Consider what writing tools you will use. There are many word processors like Word and WordPerfect. Some other writing programs offer useful features such as automatic editing and easier formatting of your book. Word is what I use, but you can consider other platforms too. There are no wrong answers, you choose what works for you. However, for now, we will consider Word to use in this example.
How will I organize my notes?
So, now you will have plenty of ideas swarming your notebook. This can be a frustrating step, but necessary when you are searching for important details while you are writing. There are many ways to do this. While keeping them in One Note, is preferable, opening a Word file and placing your notes there can be just as advantageous. It is searchable with keywords and makes things easy to find by hitting control + f. This allows you to find what you need quickly.
The disadvantage to this is they can become scattered. Remember to keep groups of files together, like attributes to your characters, places, and events. This is why I like One Note for this. It allows you to keep everything in groups and still edit, change, and add to your notes easily.
What can a Timeline do for me?
How do you keep this much inspiration in perspective, with a timeline which is constantly changing? I remember in my book series, A Song of the Swan, covering several generations and over 150 years of family history. You can purchase my books by clicking here. I soon became overwhelmed by my massive amounts of data I had collected over this period of time. It became harder than ever to remember important related events in my story. I have provided a template which can be easily downloaded into Excel by clicking here.
I found this difficult to keep track of from a notebook, so I opened a spreadsheet in Excel. — I swear, I am not working or getting paid from Microsoft. — It makes things easy to add to, change, and delete events as your story takes form. It can be a lifesaver if you take on a large project like I did, keeping informed about where the characters were in my story in relation to their ages and events.
In conclusion
When I first started writing, I remember the sheer amount of work overwhelmed me to organize the details. I began with an outline of my story in a paper notebook, but it changed so often, I became frustrated when I had to start over again several times. I was afraid to ruin what I wrote, as if it were written in stone. So, I refused to accept any changes. It resulted in poor reader reviews. Has this happened to you?
It’s up to you to navigate this minefield. Remember the most important rule, always seek the joy and satisfaction which comes with shaping your story, bringing happiness to your readers. Ask yourself in the end, was it worth it? I promise you will not be disappointed.