I’m a very visual person. I can’t call up a picture in my mind and remember it well enough to write about it, especially if it’s very complicated. My mind doesn’t work that way. (Well, sometimes my mind doesn’t work at all.) So for my story I drew what I thought the setting would look like so I would know how my characters moved around in it. I was lucky to find a real location and a real Museum (thank you Natasha) to use as the basis for my story. Using pictures and information from their website and plot lines from my story, I drew the fictitious Hillside Museum grounds complete with gardens, out buildings, parking lots, meadow and trails on a grease board. It is propped up behind my computer. Now when I write that Nate walked from the caretaker’s cottage to the museum or the sunken gardens, I walk with him on the drawing to see what he would see. It's helped me a great deal.
Here's a picture of my workspace. And my ever present helper, Bella
I love the map! Great idea. And of course, the kitty.
ReplyDeleteGotta have a kitty to write.
It certainly won't win any design awards, but it is helping me! And I finally found pictures of what I think Nate and Anna look like. They are taped to the picture above the computer.
ReplyDeleteThere is another grey kitty lurking around too.
Scene It Before--what an appropriate and clever blog title.
ReplyDeleteYou've put a lot into your novel. Your visual aids are amazing. It's great that you know what works for you and then go ahead and create it for yourself. I'm impressed with what you're done already and your methods.
It's also fun to see where you do your writing and your devoted companion, Bella.
It's all downhill from here.
Thanks Shaddy! It is downhill! I reached the 30,000 mark today. You gave me the idea to post pictures! Thanks for that. My Bella is a sweetie. She does cause a bit of a problem when she decides to rest her head on my arm.
ReplyDeleteNote kleenex box and coffee cup. In the evening the coffee cup is replace by a wine glass!
I love the stuff you have done here - great idea to map the area. I did that in my prewriting (though it's not so necessary now). And having photos of your characters is terrific! I did pull some of them, but printing them out and posting them on your wall...good idea!! Is it too late for me? :-)
ReplyDeleteBTW, a puppy works almost as good as a kitty.
Kathan
ReplyDeleteI bet a puppy would work well too. Nothing like a wet nose and a lick for encouragement!
Great idea and fine title for this post. I use a big sheet of paper (really big) just to list my characters. Drawing a scene as you did would help, also. I, however, can visualize entirely too well, which is why I sometimes have to stop and think about whether a memory is real or from a dream...
ReplyDeleteHa - Dreams are prominent in my story, so it is sometimes a mystery whether it is real or not. It is interesting to see what methods writers use to keep us in the story.
ReplyDelete