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Post by Athaia on Sept 3, 2017 19:42:54 GMT
I have a file that's named "running notes," which is a running commentary-slash-writer's journal, where I basically talk myself through sticky plot points and muse about my characters, my story world, and everything else that comes to mind. There are real gems hidden in there, I'm sure - but it's already over 600 pages (no I didn't print them out, I'm not that rich or insane) strong and frankly, it doesn't help to use ctrl-F if you don't know what you're even looking for!
So I'm wondering about other ways to organize this mess. I do have files dedicated to worldbuilding, character creation, and other stuff - I just can't brainstorm on a previously specified topic. I open Galen's character file and freeze up. I ramble in my "running notes" and find myself in the middle of a character interview. I may be a pantser when it comes to prewriting (not the plotting part, though - I'm a hardcore planner when it comes to plot)...
Has anyone ever created their own wiki? How did that work out for you - how does it work at all? Could it be a solution to my problem? Any other solutions you can think of? How do you organize yourselves? I'm dying to know.
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Post by naynish on Sept 4, 2017 15:06:58 GMT
I have one big document will all my notes for Starchaser. I also did this for Tales from the Prospects, my futuristic monster war story, and I found it insanely helpful if I wrote it up kind like I was writing it for someone else. I.E. if I was to release this someday to the public, what format would make it most helpful? What I find works best in my case is making it a Word document where I can use headings and subheadings. So in my Prospects encyclopedia, I have: Character Profiles, Bestiary, The Groups of the Prospects, the Map of the Prospects. Then I break them down into sub-categories of MCs, supporting cast, villains; five different races of monsters; sanctioned/unsanctioned gangs; and landmarks divided by boroughs. I don't know if that kind of system would work for you, especially with 600 pages, but if you had each one delineated by book, at least, and then maybe broke it down from there, with each book having its own subheadings...that might help? In Starchaser, I have something similar, but in addition I have book outlines/excerpts in there, too. I also have a top slot in the document for "brainstorming notes" which is my random free-thought stuff. Then I date it (my latest one is, I think 8/29?) so that I know where to look for my ideas. Then I organize them into the outline as time goes on So tl;dr, what might work is having a free-thought spot and then organizing it down the road?
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Post by Athaia on Sept 4, 2017 15:35:07 GMT
I guess if I'd transfer all my brainstormings into the appropriate file immediately afterwards...
*looks at 600 pages already written*
*faints*
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Post by naynish on Sept 6, 2017 11:07:01 GMT
You could do 100 pages a week of organization for six weeks, that's only 14 or so pages a day, and I bet some pages will be easier than others!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2017 6:34:19 GMT
*does thread necromancy*
Maybe this might not be applicable anymore. I've run across the same problem.
I've tried making a personal wiki, but to be honest, maintaining it is a HUGE PAIN. You have to do all the links in between, and just FORGET IT if something changes, you end up brainstorming and going off on a tangent, and suddenly you have to change the entire structure. Ugh. No.
I could NEVER use a Word document or anything that requires a hierarchical structure, because when I brainstorm, things are just too nebulous to go in one place in particular, and I wouldn't even know how to begin choosing the right categories.
That said, I use Evernote. It's free to use on up to two devices, and it's really great about syncing. I can create different notebooks if I know the categories I want, and I can group notebooks in a stack if I really need that. (I haven't needed it so far.) Otherwise, I can create a bunch of different notes under a notebook, with a separate note for each little brainstorm. I can also tag notes, so I use character names, places, etc.
Right now I have separate notes for cast of characters, list of things to flesh out, places, festivals, etc. If a note gets too big and I can see categories starting to emerge, it's pretty easy to create multiple new notes immediately.
It's really helped me when it comes to not losing that one scene that I wrote the one time about the person who did the thing that is suddenly critical to the plot if only I could remember what it was.
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Post by Athaia on Dec 10, 2017 7:42:34 GMT
Hi, J.A., welcome to the forum! Using Evernote sounds like a great idea, from your description. It has been floating around at the edge of my awareness for a time now, and since you've mentioned it again, it's maybe time to give it a closer look. Especially since I'm SURE these 600 pages will multiply even more...
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Jamie
Inkslinger
Posts: 40
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Post by Jamie on Jan 21, 2018 23:26:45 GMT
....I've been really bad about not writing my notes and just hoping I remember.... Bad girl bad. Butttt when I do do notes, it's on my phone and on the notes thingy. I do want to get a notebook (already have a million >>) and start doing it that way though. Just because there's something about writing things down 'the old fashioned way' that I love. Like I've been writing my zombie apocalypse one on paper since I started (my sophomore year of high school? so four years ago? And it's still not halfway done >>)
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