Category: Organization & Process

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Story Idea Organization

Story Idea Organization

Posted on by R.M. Archer

As we hit the season of big writing challenges and you may be trying to decide what to write next or endeavoring not to be distracted by plot bunnies, it seemed like a good time to refresh an old (messy) post about my process for capturing, organizing, and prioritizing story ideas.

(P.S. Interested in participating in a fall writing challenge but not sure where to start? This post offers some alternatives to NaNoWriMo.)

Idea Receptacles

Inspiration can strike anywhere, so I have notebooks and Continue reading “Story Idea Organization” →

How to Choose Your Next Project

How to Choose Your Next Project

Posted on by R.M. Archer

If you’re trying to decide what project to work on next, whether for a writing challenge this fall or simply because you’ve finished one project and you’re ready for something new, this post is all about how to simplify that process–both now and in the future. I’ve written on this topic before, but I wanted to put together an updated and expanded guide that better serves you. Note that these tips can also help if you’re choosing what project to work toward publishing or querying, though I recommend also checking out this video from Bethany Meyer if that’s the season you’re in.

Without further ado, let’s get into some tips for developing an effective story prioritization system!

Understand Your Rhythms

As you begin to develop a system for project prioritization, it’s key to know how you work best. This will help Continue reading “How to Choose Your Next Project” →

Using Timelines in the Writing Process

Using Timelines in the Writing Process

Posted on by R.M. Archer

This is a topic I’ve written about briefly in the past, but I want to cover it in more depth now with more experience behind me and the added context of my recent posts on building fictional calendars, birthday traditions, etc. I want to talk about how to give your story a sense of time and how to keep that timing consistent and believable within your story through the use of timelines. Let’s dive into some areas in which timelines can help your story!

Maintaining Character Ages and Birthdays

One of my biggest pet peeves with the writers of the Flash TV show for the first few seasons was the inconsistency of Barry Allen’s age. I don’t remember the exact numbers now, but they would make a big deal about how old he was when his mother died (11 or so, I think) and how that had been x many years ago, yet the age they communicated he was in the present day didn’t properly add up; he was a few years too young, according to the numbers that had been given (and reinforced) to the audience.

Don’t be like the Flash writers. Keep a timeline. (Especially if you’re going to Continue reading “Using Timelines in the Writing Process” →

Why You Should Choose to Love Your Project

Why You Should Choose to Love Your Project

Posted on by R.M. Archer

If you’ve started a project, chances are you love at least one thing about that project; otherwise, why invest time in it? But do you know why you love it? Do you know how to keep that spark burning once you hit the murky middle, you’re struggling to wrap up all your plot threads surrounding the climax, or you’re fighting through edits?

Today I want to talk about why you should choose something to Continue reading “Why You Should Choose to Love Your Project” →

Cross-Section of a Story Playlist

Cross-Section of a Story Playlist

Posted on by R.M. Archer

Today we have a just-for-fun sort of post. A lot of music-loving authors, like myself, create playlists to accompany their books–whether for the sake of the reader experience, for their own writing process, or both–and I thought that it would be fun to look at what sorts of songs might get onto these playlists, as well as give you a look into Lightning‘s playlist as we go!

A Prologue on Structure

Before we get into Continue reading “Cross-Section of a Story Playlist” →