| I was involved in a message board discussion the | | | | breakdowns. I think I'll talk more about these in |
| other day about how I set up a series bible. For | | | | my next essay. |
| those who aren't familiar with the term, a series | | | | - The Timeline section contains my spreadsheet |
| bible is a summary of all the information you need | | | | mapping out exactly when things happen in the |
| to write multiple books (or television shows or | | | | storyline. If I need to keep track of more detailed |
| films or what-have-you) in the same setting/story | | | | events I'll also draw up one page sheets that |
| world. Since I do the same thing for my stand | | | | outline these as well. |
| alone novels as I do for series work, I thought I'd | | | | - The Research section contains not only my |
| share that process with you all. | | | | original list of research topics, but also the |
| The first thing I do is assemble all of my | | | | research itself. It I usually start with a list of |
| organizational materials into a three ring binder. I | | | | topics I need to research and then let it grow as |
| use tabbed dividers so that I can find things easily | | | | I fill in the missing pieces. Do whatever feels right |
| once the project has begun. I usually use the | | | | to you but remember, you shouldn't be spending |
| same set of tags on every project - Characters, | | | | so much time researching that you never get |
| Setting, Plot, Timeline, Research, Unanswered | | | | around to actually writing! |
| Questions, and Reminders. | | | | - The Unanswered Questions is, appropriately |
| - The Characters section contains all of my | | | | enough, full of unanswered questions. These can |
| character summaries, my back-story notes, and a | | | | be specific research issues (also filed in the |
| physical description sheet that allows me to easily | | | | Research section) or they can be character and |
| reference things like eye color, height, weight, etc. | | | | or plot issues that I haven't yet worked out. |
| I also make a habit of cutting pictures out of | | | | Putting them in their own section and making a |
| magazines or off the web to remind me of what | | | | point to review it every few days keeps me |
| certain characters might look like and I keep | | | | from forgetting to answer them in the |
| these with my notes for visual cues when it | | | | manuscript. |
| comes time to develop descriptive passages. | | | | - The Reminders section is particularly important. |
| - The Setting section contains all of my setting | | | | The last thing I want to do is stifle my creativity |
| sketches (one page summaries of everything I | | | | and forward momentum by constantly going back |
| know about a particular place or setting) as well | | | | and fixing things in my first draft. Instead, I keep |
| as any miscellaneous notes I might have lying | | | | notes of anything I need to fix, add, delete or |
| around discussing how those setting relate to | | | | otherwise adjust on a legal pad while I write each |
| each other. As with my characters, if I have any | | | | day and then transfer those pages into my binder |
| images that I've saved, I put these in the binder | | | | when I'm finished each session. That way I know |
| as well. | | | | I won't forget to come back and do them, which |
| - The Plot section contains my one paragraph, my | | | | in turn allows my creative side to just get on with |
| four paragraph, and my four page plot | | | | finishing the rough draft. |
| summaries, as well as my individual scene | | | | |