On The Chain Gang #8 – Novel Notes
My LINK in the Blog Chain
THE BLOG CHAIN is comprised of a group of fiction writers from Query Tracker and RallyStorm. This round we decided to do a Jingle Bells Chain. We will post on different topics and link to people in the chain that we normally don’t get the chance to link. So get in the holiday spirit, and jingle around the chain with me!
Keep your eyes on Heather’s blog and Kate’s blog where the Jingle Bells Chain will be jingling before the end of the year!
The Blog Chain Gang is listed in the sidebar to the right.
My previous Link in the Blog Chain was on the topic of Wish Fulfillment.
My Jingle Bells Topic is:
Novel Notes:
Staying Connected With Your Writing
I ran across a post today on Melissa Marsh’s blog, Grosvenor Square about Staying In Touch. It got me thinking about the how I stay connected with my novel when I am unable to write.
The holidays are upon us, and that often finds writers scurrying for time and leaving their novels behind. But there are other times throughout the year when for one reason or another we are unable to write.
Writing THE GATEKEEPERS’ CHARGE I realized that I needed to have some way to retain my focus. I write from the hip, not an outline, so my train of thought is important. I found by leaving bullet points and general thoughts of where my writing is heading and things I plan to cover helped me tremendously in jumping back into writing. I also have a shoebox full of notes and ideas. As I got further into the story, I decided to get a Mead Journal to organize things like characters and locations.
For my cozy mystery, TIME’S UP FOR FATHER TIME, I started with a Mead Journal for my notes. But I found myself daydreaming about the town and surrounding areas. I have several drawings of the town layout, different building locations, and even the floor plan for the Inn (which has gone through many renovations in my doodling). The Inn is a crucial piece to the plot, so the drawings helped to form the story.
Just ten days ago, another story popped into my head. I couldn’t wait to get to the store and grab a Mead Journal. The new idea doesn’t even have a working title yet, and I’m not exactly sure into what genre it is going to fall. It does involve salt and the ocean. Hmmm, the ideas are churning…
So I guess the answer to my thought about how I stay connected with my novel would be that it differs from novel to novel.
Do you do anything special to keep in touch when you can’t write?
The Blog Chain will return next year in its usual format, and it’s my turn to choose the topic. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them!
Leave me a COMMENT. 
Don’t forget to jangle your way through the Jingle Bells Chain by stopping by Heather’s blog and Kate’s blog .
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excellent post! 🙂 You know, I really should start carrying around a notebook or something, because when I can’t write, I always have a million ideas and conversations, etc, going through my head…and for the most part, they are lost because, well, I don’t have time to write them down 🙂 But writing or not, I am always thinking about my storylines and what is going on in my worlds. I just need to start keeping track of those thoughts more, I guess 🙂 Merry Christmas!!
Good topic! When I can’t write, I try to think about my novel. I often get good ideas when I can’t write anything down, so I have to remember them for later.
Happy Holidays!
Um… this post is BEGGING for you to include some of these drawings. I’ll wait here while you add them. 😉
If I don’t jot down a good idea the minute I have it, it’s lost completely. I also carry a digital recorder with me because when I drive I get into this zone where my characters run away with my thoughts. The recorder makes it helpful in those situations.
Great post today!
I have two notebooks in my purse. I was searching for a name for one of my characters and the check-out guy at the grocery store was wearing a nametag…yup, that’s my MC’s name! No joke. I wrote it down. I write in the car while driving, sometimes my son write while I dictate. It’s just little notes like, “Do this here” or “Make Jon seem angrier here” or whatever. I buy the 6-inch by 9-inch notebooks in bulk so I don’t have to go to the store if inspiration hits!
I’ve also been known to just start typing my notes. Totally rambling, nothing makes sense, things don’t flow, but it’s faster than writing my notes.
And yeah, post some doodles, girl!
Usually when I am away from my novel I just let the ideas kind of rest at the back of my mind, where I can occasionally visit them. I do have a big fat notebook where I will sometimes jot ideas down too.