I think we all have times in our life where we go down a road and then forget why we did so. This happens to me all the time when I’m talking. I’ll be talking about something and while doing so I end up explain something that came up and by the time I’m done with this new thing I’ve completely forgotten what I was talking about to begin with. My train of thought can get derailed so easily.
Maybe our minds do this for a reason we can’t understand. Or maybe we just have a great forgetter as my grandpa would say. When I was growing up he would always tells me that if my head wasn’t attached I’d forget that to.
So what about writing. Do we sometimes forget where we are going with it? Do we need to sometimes stop and try to think about where it’s going.
I know some people use 3×5 cards or posts its to help plot out their stories or some type of storyboard. For me I use an in-depth outline. It’s almost like a mini first draft of your story. I’m what fellow writers would call a plotter, or as my friend would say, a plotter on steroids. For me to really understand my story I have to do characters sketches, ask what if questions, figure out what the main plot is as well as any subplots. And all these little things that will make the novel what it is. If I don’t do this, I come to a stand still. It’s like I’m stuck. It wouldn’t matter how I tried to move forward as I wouldn’t get very far without my story plotted out.
It took me a while to figure this out, but once I did I was off like a herd of cattle (also another saying from Grandpa 🙂 ). So to help me not to forget how to write, I plot. So how about you. What do you need to do to help yourself not to forget how to write or move forward with your story? Or maybe just something in your life in general?
