I don’t write from beginning to end. I write sections of my story that come to me, that seem vivid and alive in my mind, and then overtime bring them together and find an order to their chaos.
This method worked for me when I wrote my memoir Back on the Court, and it is how I’ve been writing my YA novel. However, when I was writing my memoir, I knew my story and characters intimately.
Writing a novel is a little different. I’m enjoying getting to know my characters and I’ve got scenes that I know approximately where they belong in the story, but recently I decided that I needed to make a timeline. My main character takes a journey, and what better way to document her journey than on a map. I could place scenes along the path of my main characters journey and hopeful gain a better understanding of her time spent over the traveled landscape and a better understanding of her story.
The process got me to look at my story a little differently, and I even discovered a few new ideas along the way.
Try a timeline for your memoir or novel and get inspired by the creative process. It could mean pulling out some paper and pens and simply writing dates and events, placed in order, along a line, my daughter is thinking about making a three-dimensional project, or for me it meant printing out a map and mini photos of the landscape and characters, and then glueing them into place along my characters journey.
Give a try to whatever moves you. Have fun and write on!
WRITING PROMPT #1: Make a timeline for your novel or memoir.
WRITING PROMPT #2: Jonathan drew a timeline for everything he did, he even made a timeline for…
