Comments on: Small Mind Hobgoblins http://www.sfnovelists.com/2007/10/29/small-mind-hobgoblins/ A mutual support group for SF/F Novelists Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:26:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: S.C. Butler http://www.sfnovelists.com/2007/10/29/small-mind-hobgoblins/#comment-905 S.C. Butler Wed, 31 Oct 2007 02:33:53 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2007/10/29/small-mind-hobgoblins/#comment-905 Only one person noticed the inconsistency? I must be out of my mind. I sweat that small stuff big time when I write, or (more correctly) when I proofread. What drives me crazy is proofing all the made up words, place names, and proper names. I think, for my last book, the copyeditor gave me a ten page list. Only one person noticed the inconsistency? I must be out of my mind. I sweat that small stuff big time when I write, or (more correctly) when I proofread.

What drives me crazy is proofing all the made up words, place names, and proper names. I think, for my last book, the copyeditor gave me a ten page list.

]]> By: Karen Wester Newton http://www.sfnovelists.com/2007/10/29/small-mind-hobgoblins/#comment-901 Karen Wester Newton Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:13:37 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2007/10/29/small-mind-hobgoblins/#comment-901 I find it helpful to always create a file called Timeline at the start of a new book. I write "Day 1,", "Day 2" etc. in consecutive paragraphs (with jumps when necessary) and record what happened on that day. It helps most when you have two or more separate action tracks that you need to keep in sync, but it's also useful when a character wants to say something like "I've only known you x number of days." I don't have to guess or reread the whole m.s. to figure out what x should be. Also, I can update it when I'm ready to quite writing for the day, and it doesn't slow down the creative flow. I always say I work without an outline, but it's not completely true. I just create the outline after the fact.. I find it helpful to always create a file called Timeline at the start of a new book. I write “Day 1,”, “Day 2″ etc. in consecutive paragraphs (with jumps when necessary) and record what happened on that day. It helps most when you have two or more separate action tracks that you need to keep in sync, but it’s also useful when a character wants to say something like “I’ve only known you x number of days.” I don’t have to guess or reread the whole m.s. to figure out what x should be. Also, I can update it when I’m ready to quite writing for the day, and it doesn’t slow down the creative flow.

I always say I work without an outline, but it’s not completely true. I just create the outline after the fact..

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