Naked in Ten Photos - Writing Software?
a play by play of my writing process as I embark on a new novel
Image description: an almost bare tree with golden leaves on the grass in front of a wrought iron fence under a blue sky.
I’ve already begun researching and writing the opening chapter of “Naked in Ten Photos,” but I’m wondering about writing software. For previous efforts, I just used a an Excel spreadsheet to try to keep track of characters, places, novel structure and plot elements, but it wasn’t easy. So I’ve been looking into novel-writing software.
Someone named Dave Chesson in Kindlepreneur offers this summary of various programs. None of them sound exactly what I’m looking for. I would like to be able to put in info about my characters and somehow make sure that the info is consistent throughout the novel. I would like to be able to do an outline, and probably other things i haven’t thought about.
But I can’t afford to pay a dime. So I’m likely just going to have to go the old-fashioned route. I can afford a set of index cards.
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I love watching your pre-process for the novel you’re about to write. I went to a day long writing conference for the Tennessee Williams Writers Fest (virtually, online) and it was fascinating to see the authors and their processes for outlining and ideas and keeping on tracks. One author had a giant wall of note cards all tidy and in a row, another one had taped bits and pieces of papers above their writing desk in labeled columns and rows.
My novel is plot into strange sections and has an obituary at the beginning of each chapter that influences the following chapter.
I’d love to have coffee and talk about process and form and your novel. I’m so excited to be writing in parallel with you.
I'm.in that state where I just want to write but keep falling down planning and research rabbit holes. I'm excited to hear about the structure of your novel. I'd love to have coffee with you and discuss our novels.