Month: April 2020

by Stephen Nelson

Some people who read novels might think, “I can do that.” I have always loved to write. I was asked at a retirement course, “What do you want to do when you retire?” My immediate reply was, “Write a novel.” Those in the class who didn’t know me, laughed, but the people who knew me well, smiled in approval. The novel(s) hasn’t/haven’t been completed, but the ideas are written down. I admire friends who are authours, published or unpublished (for now). I applaud them all.

I have been using a house as a symbol for the parts of novel. 

Foundation

I consider the foundation as the research required before or during the writing process. I research as much as possible about a subject or I try to do that, before I begin writing. If something written will affect the plot, it needs research.

Rooms

I put each character into a different room. The more characters in the novel means a bigger house. A character sketch for each character belongs in their rooms. The main characters have larger, more detailed rooms and the secondary and minor characters have smaller rooms to live in. If a secondary or minor character develops into a main character, they would move to a better room and that main character moves into a smaller room or a new room is added to accommodate the minor character which becomes a new main character. A character creating conflict can result in permanent or temporary expulsion from the house to live in the proverbial doghouse or move away. Characters that are killed off or die of natural causes leave the house. 

Windows

Novels are written with one or multiple points of view. The windows allow the reader to see or listen to a character describing what is happening in the plot. Authours usually write chapters from a character(s)’ point of view.

Everyone, no matter how perfect they consider themselves to be have character flaws. I like to use that as a cracked window. The larger the crack in the window or even if it is a broken window, the more severe is the character flaw. 

Landscaping

In the broad sense of the word, I think world building, whether it’s detailed or sparse can be represented by landscaping. The world as the characters know it needs explanation if the novel is set in an historical period, present, or in the future.

Garden

A flower or vegetable garden has many stages before a flower or vegetable is ready to be picked.

I use it to express what tense is used to write the novel.

A sprouting or flowering garden represents the present tense.

Neglected dead flowers and rotting or spoiled vegetables can represent the past tense.

The future tense is garden soil as the garden waits to be planted and the growth of plants and vegetables. 

Chimney

The smoke coming out of the chimney is the authour’s creativity which includes the novel’s concept, research, writing, revising and editing and promotion of the finished product. 

Sidewalk

The sidewalk to the house is the invitation to the reader to pick up the book, buy it and read it based on the book cover, title, author’s name, genre and blurb.

Conclusion

This analogy works for me. I hope it helps others.

© Stephen Nelson 2020

For all you writers, aspiring or experienced, below is a link to a great story continuity check list from National Novel Writing Month to refer to. Thanks to Stephen Nelson for suggesting and providing it.

Camp NaNoWriMo Tip

Continuity Check

How often have you read a book or watched a television show or movie and noticed something wrong?

I don’t mean errors in spelling or misnaming a character.

It could be a character’s physical appearance has changed like having a mustache in one scene and not enough time passed since the previous scene to grow a full moustache.

Does a character wear different clothes in the same scene or chapter without an explanation?

I find a “cheat sheet” helpful when I’m writing. I use a Word document with the essential details of each character.

I was surprised at the number of times that I referred to it when I write. It saves time when editing as well. 

The headings and descriptions I use are as follows:

Heading	Description
Character’s Full Name  (Maiden Name) if applicable	This could include adopted name or name legally changed.
Age	Birthdate, age at the start of the novel or when certain characters meet.
Place of Birth	Useful when it explains customs and traditions a character has. Maybe the character immigrated and when to what region
Married	Name of Spouse and maybe the wedding date
Occupation(s)	Past (if applicable) and current occupation
Eye Colour	Obvious
Hair Colour and Facial Hair	Hair colour: Blonde, brunette, black, salt and pepper, grey, natural colour, dyed what colour, full head of hair, bald, thinning, beard, goatee, mutton chops, mustache
Body type	Tall, short, weight etc
Markings and Location	Tattoos, moles, liver spots, scars
Fears	Give the fear and why they might have it.
Hobbies	What are they and how they were introduced to them. Did a family friend or family member get them interested in them?
Wish	Something they would put on a bucket list to do or are unable to do.
Sense of fashion	Depends on the era they live in and what their income might be.  Are they influenced be others?

© Stephen Nelson 2020