Thursday’s Progress
I try to not overdo it and take a break when I start to get disheartened, but at the same time then feel like I’m not doing enough.
I read over a few more pages today and then looked over my notes. I don’t feel like I’m getting anywhere, the notes I made seem fruitless. There’s so many loose threads and plot points I need to write into this novel that it seems a huge undertaking.
I have to read over a few scenes that’s on Scrivener and as long as that’s it, I don’t have any hiding anywhere, I can start making sense of it all by making a plan. As always I think I should’ve started putting the scenes in order and making a rough list of scenes when I started, my notes do say what’s going on though but it doesn’t seem enough.
Plan done, I need to research too and make important decisions regarding which way the story is going and characters. It’s easy to have this huge story and world in your head but trying to commit it to paper is hard.
I’m still keeping on with it. I won’t give up. But I am not going to lie and say it’s not a struggle.
After writing this I thought to myself I haven’t done enough and read over the scenes in Scrivener. That lead to me do a mind map of one of my plot points/themes. I still wish I’d kept a list of scenes and the daunting task is that I need to do this.
TIP: WRITE A LIST OF SCENES OR PUT EACH SCENE ON A STICKING NOTE AS YOU’VE WRITTEN IT.
Tempted to keep on going today but I am torn between overdoing it and continuing.
I am going to mind map my plot ideas too. I need more scenes, more character work and a plot.
Work continues
Friday
I tried hunting for videos and podcasts to help me with the outlining stage. The creative part of my brain is not working today. I ended up writing out all my scenes, well I am concerned I missed some. I’m learning, I should’ve done this when I was reading over my work.
TIP: WRITE DOWN SCENES THEN YOU HAVE AN OUTLINE 🙂
I tried putting them on sticky notes, then I put them on the corkboard on Scrivener, then I just wrote them down on cards.
And that small job took hours as you find your notes don’t stick or you try to remember if you have indeed forgotten to add scenes. But I have an idea of what’s going on.
There’s so much to get your head around and sometimes you’re not in the right mindset to sort it. Now I don’t really know what my next step is.
I’m stopping to hunt for my lost notebook, hoping music will make that job more bearable. I moved in September but things are still a mess and in boxes.
Thanks for reading. I doing this to be accountable and just in case someone wants to know the crazy journey of finishing a novel. Finishing? Finishing?
Bookworm 
I have to write out all my scenes from my novel. I was going to do it in a notebook but I think I will use your idea and use index cards. it will make it easier to rearrange. Did you number them?
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I wrote all the beginning scenes on one card and wrote numbers next to them. But it makes more sense if you have the space to put a scene on a card. I’ve done it all 😂 trying to figure out what works
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There is so much more to writing a novel than just getting the words on the screen! I now write a brief description of the chapter as i go along, but now i’m onto book 2 i’m going to use a pin board to plot my characters stories and timeline. Good luck with yours 🙂
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Thanks. I got a lot of work ahead but it’s worth it in the end. Best of luck 😀
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Hi, Jen. Whoever said writing a novel is easy was either unusually talented or kidding themselves. It takes a lot of hard work, patience and, above all, perseverence. I don’t know if you’re open to advice so please forgive me if this is unwelcome, but I would put as much focus and energy as you can into getting the first draft written. It doesn’t matter if there are issues with it (whose first draft doesn’t have issues?) – that’s what rewriting and editing are for. But until you have that first draft, there’s nothing to improve. Very best of luck with it – don’t hesitate to drop me a line if you’d like to ask me anything about the process. Not that I’m an expert, but I may be able to help or at least point you in the right direction.
P.S. I see you’ve also written a post about pantsing and plotting – I’m off to read it now.
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Thanks 😀 and thank you for stopping by. I know I’ve got a lot of hard work ahead and I’m determined to finish it even if it’s terrible. I’ve always wanted to write and only had one competition win (short story Bridgend writers circle) something has always stopped me or got in the way. I’m putting all my focus on the novel now and leaving short stories a bit. Might do it for a break. I’m going to finish it. Good thing is I have more ideas for the novel now. This is a learning experience I should’ve finished one of the many novels I started before. But never mind. I appreciate advice especially from someone who writing I enjoy. I need to continue reading your Earth Haven series this year. Thanks again means a lot 😀
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