How to Write a Book/ Finish a Project Part 2: Brainstorming

Hi everyone! We're moving right along while I'm doing some minor procrastinating homework as I don't really want to read anything about coding right now (Side note: how does coding = graphic design?— I get the website design part, but I'm totally not in the mood to code). Moving on.

Oh... the wealth of ideas! At least, I have too many. So many, in fact, that I don't think I will ever finish them all... for those unfortunate enough to want to do something, but don't know what to make. There is a lovely tool called brainstorming! I have to do this occasionally when I hit a roadblock in a project usually how to go from point A to point B.

For an example, I am slowly working on a project called A Pixie Fairytale that is a short story. I want to publish it in the spring of next year if everything goes according to plan and my emotions stay fairly stable. I have two main characters and they eventually fall for each other and live happily ever after because I am a terrible sap and a sucker for love stories and I realize I haven't written one yet. I think this would be a wonderful project to get into before I torture Drake and Marie in Dragon's Lament. But! Getting my very hard-headed characters fall for each other is hell. For this particular story I know what happens in chapter 1, 2, 4, and 5. There's only five chapters and chapter 3 is where I need them to fall for each other. I've got one very determined single minded female who is concerned for her father and caretaker. Then I have this ambitions, big brother type who is totally crushing on my main character, but he is totally clueless. It reminds me of Fruits Basket with Kyo and Tohru which I totally love, but I want to strangle them both!

This is where brainstorming comes in. Basically I write down point A and point B. Then, I write in between every possibility that could get these two characters from point A to point B. Sometimes this works for the story, but sometimes you have to do some maneuvering in later chapters. This is why I have an outline and I write in independent scenes. Things are easily fixed if you just need to add a moment or two in later.

Outlines and charts are your best friends. Also, if you struggle with figuring something out– just start asking questions. There are a few different programs that work for this. You can use Google Doc, Word, Scrivener, or any other software that works for you. I have found OneNote to be my lifeline in both work and projects.

Here's how my outlines work:

Here's a good example of a brainstorming question:

There are other methods of brainstorming as well. Below is a snip of Dragon's Lament II: Desolation. What I love about this story is the always amusing interactions between Marie and Drake. If you have read any part of Dragon's Lament I: The Alliance, then you can tell that I am a lot further along in part 2 than I am in part 1 and it's just because part 2 is far more fun to write.

I find writing just a paragraph per chapter and then fleshing everything out scene by scene is much easier than writing from nothing.

Hopefully this helps. Anytime I need help with brainstorming, I find the resources I downloaded from Writer's Digest helps, so hopefully that helps as well.

Part 3 will about just the writing process and how to push through it. It should be out soon (but not today— got to do some homework)!