Writer Help: Storyboarding - A Map of Your Novel
So this was originally posted on a blog a bunch of fellow Inkies and I made called 'Inked'. Since I'm doing writer help on Wednesdays now, I figured I can post this here too. As I mentioned in my last edition of THE VAULT, you don't have to do it this way. I do it this way because it works for me. If it doesn't work for you, go about it in a different way. For purposes regarding this post (seeing as it was originally written in December of last year on Inked) the example I will be quoting most often is my novel Cerulean because, at the time, it was the latest novel I did this with.
Before I begin, I'd like to express to those reading that this is not mandatory to start your novel. I do it this way because
There's a step I take before I start plotting but that will be for another post. For now, let's get out our note cards--or whatever you plan on writing the plot of your novel on. I normally cut up my cards into two by three inch (about five by seven and a half centimeter) rectangles. One four by six note card will make about four with some left overs (that I use as bookmarks xD). Now, you can use anything for this-- paper, cards, etc. I have tried using a sheet of paper to write everything down but it didn't work out well, which I will discuss later.
As for size, there are two reasons why I have them so small. First, I have really big hand writing and it helps me to write smaller. The smaller I write the events on the cards, the more I can fit onto the card. Second, I have a pretty big bulletin board (right). The smaller the card, the more of the story I can put onto the board and the easier it is for me to transport it.
Now that you've got a few cards. Let's start! The first two cards I fill out are the beginning of the novel and the end. Why? It's simple really: where the novel will start and where the novel will end. This way, you know a head of time where the novel will finish. For the sake of consistency, I'll use Cerulean again (note: for anti-spoiler, I've removed names):
From there, stick to the important things. BIG plot items: introducing a new character, deaths, battles, travels, twists, etc. Keep it big and keep it vague. Hold onto the little, more precise stuff for when you're writing. If you want something to happen a certain way and it isn't big, write it down elsewhere and save it for later. Maybe you'll have inspiration in another direction and your original plan will change.
For example: Two of my major characters have been wrongfully sent to prison and they need to be broken out of said prison. I had something really big planned--and plotted on the cards--as to how they would get out that would involve a few characters and introduce a major player from the original draft. Sadly, that plan I had never ended up happening. I spent a lot of time and space trying to figure out how they were going to escape only to write down that they escaped a different way. The major player shows herself a few times within the chapter and another character proved they needed a slightly bigger role.
A few things to keep in mind, if multiple ideas spread over a lot of cards, keep them together by marking somewhere that they go with card(s) X, Y and Z. For example, I usually put an 'advised chapter' on the back and mark in the lower right hand corner 'card X of Y.'
On the topic of keeping things together, the 'advised chapter' is more of a rough idea. A few paragraphs ago, I mentioned why writing everything out on a sheet of paper hasn't worked all that well for me: it's not set in stone. If you think some of your cards could work as one chapter or a card that can work split into two chapters even though their not marked as such, write down somewhere that they're combined. I have a card that I use as a 'table of contents' that has chapter titles and what advised chapters they work with:
To summarise:
Before I begin, I'd like to express to those reading that this is not mandatory to start your novel. I do it this way because
- it helps me figure out where I'd like to go and
- gives me a skeleton to possibly rehash later in a rewrite.
Now let's begin shall we?
 |
| Guardian Heir first draft |
As for size, there are two reasons why I have them so small. First, I have really big hand writing and it helps me to write smaller. The smaller I write the events on the cards, the more I can fit onto the card. Second, I have a pretty big bulletin board (right). The smaller the card, the more of the story I can put onto the board and the easier it is for me to transport it.
Now that you've got a few cards. Let's start! The first two cards I fill out are the beginning of the novel and the end. Why? It's simple really: where the novel will start and where the novel will end. This way, you know a head of time where the novel will finish. For the sake of consistency, I'll use Cerulean again (note: for anti-spoiler, I've removed names):
Card One:
- Villain attacks monastery
- Valerio and Monks escape
- Villain captures Xue/Shalin
Card 'End:'Like the summary above, this should be short and simple. I write names just to help me know who the major players are. And, if I don't have names for a certain character, I use a key word. For example, Rom, the villain, didn't have a set in stone name until after I started writing the first draft of the Guardian Heir (where he was originally named 'Gernask' before changing to Rom about two or three chapters into Cerulean) and I referred to him as villain in the first few cards--also I didn't have the story completely plotted out before I started writing.
- X resumes rule, marries Y
- Z and A recreate monastery
- B and C start new order
- D --> New King's guard
From there, stick to the important things. BIG plot items: introducing a new character, deaths, battles, travels, twists, etc. Keep it big and keep it vague. Hold onto the little, more precise stuff for when you're writing. If you want something to happen a certain way and it isn't big, write it down elsewhere and save it for later. Maybe you'll have inspiration in another direction and your original plan will change.
For example: Two of my major characters have been wrongfully sent to prison and they need to be broken out of said prison. I had something really big planned--and plotted on the cards--as to how they would get out that would involve a few characters and introduce a major player from the original draft. Sadly, that plan I had never ended up happening. I spent a lot of time and space trying to figure out how they were going to escape only to write down that they escaped a different way. The major player shows herself a few times within the chapter and another character proved they needed a slightly bigger role.
A few things to keep in mind, if multiple ideas spread over a lot of cards, keep them together by marking somewhere that they go with card(s) X, Y and Z. For example, I usually put an 'advised chapter' on the back and mark in the lower right hand corner 'card X of Y.'
On the topic of keeping things together, the 'advised chapter' is more of a rough idea. A few paragraphs ago, I mentioned why writing everything out on a sheet of paper hasn't worked all that well for me: it's not set in stone. If you think some of your cards could work as one chapter or a card that can work split into two chapters even though their not marked as such, write down somewhere that they're combined. I have a card that I use as a 'table of contents' that has chapter titles and what advised chapters they work with:
0. ProlougeIf you haven't already guessed, the parentheses are the 'advised chapters.' I combined a lot of them and, due to the combining, I had to tie almost all of the 'confirmed chapters' to 'advised chapters.' At chapters fifteen and sixteen, I marked '24.1' and '24.2.' That was an indication where I split the advised chapter twenty-four.
1. Chance Meetings
2. Nemudx (2&3)
...
14. Nemudx Broken (21&22)
15. A King's Funeral (23&24.1)
16. Final Battle (24.2&25)
17. Epilogue
To summarise:
- Start at the beginning and end
- Keep it short, vague and stick to the big stuff
- Save the small stuff for when you write
- Use markings to keep certain cards together
- Have a (loose) table of contents to use for notes
I hope this helps anyone out there! Happy writing!
Love always,
Ali
P.S. If you want to read Cerulean, the first few chapters are available to read here.
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