I was visiting a friend of mine who happens to be a best-selling paranormal author today and we got to discussing the best ways to track complicated worlds and series. You see, unfortunately, I am simply NOT capable of keeping the various information in my mind. Part of that may be because I’m writing in more than a single world but part of it is just that it’s a big job. As a reader, I hate it when authors violate their own world rules and I really don’t want it to happen to me.
I am also a neurotic planner. I storyboard, I write out character sheets for my main characters, I have world notes, etc. This is good UNTIL I need to look up something and I can’t remember which file its in or on which computer. Then I can quickly drive myself to insanity. Okay – MORE insanity. This is even more true right now when my primary writing laptop is awaiting a hardware repair and files are backed up but not in their usual places.
My friend showed me the story binder she keeps for her complex paranormal world and a light went on for me. This is what I need to do.
The binder is divided into a few primary sections:
- Primary Characters
- Secondary Characters
- Villains
- Locations
- World Notes
- Reference and Research Material
She updates the binder when she writes each book. She happens to be a pantser (shhh—she hates that term) so she does it after each book is out of edits.
To me, at least, it makes perfect sense. Here is a home for all the various info I create or collect before I start to write the story. I bet I can even get in the storyboard (or a photo or transcription thereof).
So, since I have three worlds created that need to be tracked, I stopped at the office supply store on the way home and bought a couple of binders and dividers and one of my goals for the times when it’s too busy/noisy for me to concentrate on writing is to set up the binders for my worlds. It’s a great way to keep track of the information and world rules and have it handy to leaf through without hunting through the electronic files for them.
November 26th, 2008 at 1:38 am
Great post Maura
I couldn’t agree more. There is nothing worse than reading a book that has inconsistencies in the world that is the setting.
I have a whole folder with info on the world I am setting one of my wips in. Political system, religions, laws, technology….plus specific cultural norms. It’s never ending! I could never remember them all unless I had my “bible”.
One place that is a very good resource for this is the Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors website. Here is a link to questions to ask yourself when you are preparing a world…
http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm
And our own Cynny has a very good workshop she does on world building too
Maggie
November 26th, 2008 at 8:24 am
What a great idea!
Thanks for sharing that!
November 26th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Maggie – thanks! I actually cut my teeth on SF/F and I’m pretty confident in my world creation abilities, I was just looking for a way to organize all that info in one place that I could easily reference. Digging through files on the computer was a drag – this was just a neat way to organize all the info so I had it right at hand.
Michelle – No problem. It was one of those “aha” moments!
November 26th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Yep..having it all in the one place it the best way to do it for sure. There’s a girl in my writers group who also picks out photos from magazines that fit her characters and adds those…also perfume samples, CD cover graphics of music they like…that sort of thing. Sort of like the collages that Jenny Crusie does, only in a folder, not a poster.
November 26th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
And I know you don’t need any help with world building Maura
That link was for anyone else who was interested. It has a list of questions to answer to help build an alternate world. AND I was hoping to lure Cyn into doing her workshop for our readers and aspiring writers 
November 26th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Maybe we can bribe her somehow…… Cause Cyn does do a great workshop…..
No worries, Maggie
— I’m on a high here and typing faster than my brain is going. I think there’s always something to learn and was just trying to explain what my need was …
November 27th, 2008 at 1:26 am
So tell us about your high! I hear you had some good news today!
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:31 am
That’s an awesome idea! *makes notes to stop by store on way home today*