Structure or Chaos?

By Nanette Littlestone

Is your story falling apart?

Writing should be flowing. One scene should follow the next and each scene should build on the previous one. Scenes flow into chapters. Chapters become a book. When the flowing is good, the finished product—book—is a compilation of strong characters, movement, and conflict.

Or is it?

JoAnne called about her latest book and described her frustration. She knew it needed work and contained a fair amount of repetition. But she had no idea how to find those places and make the necessary corrections. I gave her two suggestions.

Create a Spreadsheet
If you’re computer savvy, Excel offers a wonderful format for keeping track of your book. You can track scenes and/or chapters and make a quick summary of what’s going on in each. (It’s easier if you do this as you write, but it can be done after the fact.)

In the sample from The Sacred Flame, I used chapters and wrote the main characters’ names across the top. (My chapters are short, just a few pages. If you write long chapters, summarize your scenes.) Not only do I know what’s going on in each chapter, I can also follow the interaction between the characters and see how often each character appears in the story. You want to find that balance between not enough character time and too much.

You may also want columns for word count, statements or pieces of dialogue that may have  impact at a later date, or number of pages. If you’re doing a children’s book with illustrations, you’ll want to note which illustration goes with what content.

Index Cards
Index cards are a great way to go if you’d rather avoid your computer. They’re cheap and they move easily.

Write the Scene/Chapter numbers on the card and a brief summary (just as you did on your spreadsheet). Use colored highlighters or markers to note the different characters. Include the word count and any other specific information you like. Then lay the cards on a table, on the floor, or pin them to a bulletin board in order starting with Scene/Chapter 1. You’ve just created a written story board.

This “story board” gives you an outline of the action and character development. The highlighters show which characters are in the scene. As you read through your book, you can move cards to create a better flow; determine what’s missing; and see where you have repetition or where you need more action, development, or conflict.

Which method do you use? What are your pros and cons?