Wednesday, January 15, 2020

The Whiteboard in my Writing Toolbox


By Debby Giusti

Happy New Year, Seekerville!

My January posts usually focus on motivation and goal setting for the year ahead, but a different topic started pestering me a few weeks ago. Like a character demanding attention in one of my books, the idea wouldn’t let up. Finally, I gave in, which is the reason today’s post features a seemingly insignificant item in my toolbox—a whiteboard.

The Whiteboard


I purchased my whiteboard to use during a workshop I presented at Georgia Romance Writers’ Moonlight & Magnolias Conference in 2015. During the session, I led the roomful of attendees through an interactive brainstorming session. Working together, we fleshed out a hero and heroine’s GMC and backstory as well as important plot points—the inciting incident, escalating conflict, black moment, climax and resolution. Finally, we discussed how to weave the elements together seamlessly to keep the readers turning the page.  By the end of the hour, we had an overview of a story outlined on my whiteboard that could easily be transferred into a written synopsis format and eventually expanded into book form.

The Dreaded Synopsis


Ask any writer about the most difficult part of the submission process, and I dare say most folks will admit their greatest challenge is creating the dreaded synopsis. The task can seem so daunting that writers sometimes complete their manuscripts before they write their synopses.



For me, the synopsis plays an important role in my story creation. Written prior to the manuscript, it helps me ensure all the elements of my WIP are in place and flow together to create a satisfying read.

The Whiteboard Technique to Build a Story


A few years ago, I was mulling over a new story and stymied as to how the plot would unfold. On a whim, I grabbed the whiteboard I had used at the M&M Conference. Although working alone, I plowed through the brainstorming process just as I had done in the GRW session and jotted down my ideas on the whiteboard. Within a few hours, I had formatted my story.

Whether published or unpublished, we all rely on various tools to facilitate our writing. Using a whiteboard helps me develop my story and home in on the significant aspects of the plot and characters.


Advantages


I’m a visual learner, which might be the reason the whiteboard triggers my creative process. Changes can be made with a whisk of a dry eraser as I switch names or rearrange escalating danger and attacks against my hero and heroine. The use of different colored dry-markers for my protagonist and love interest provides a distinctive way to ensure each character has his or her own story arc and a satisfying resolution to any internal or external conflict. Noting the various plot points in one contained space allows me to view the entire story at a glance so I can quickly identify holes in my story. 

From Whiteboard to Manuscript


Once the story is outlined, I refer to the whiteboard while I write the synopsis and often keep it close at hand as I pen the story. If a problem develops, I check my whiteboard—my storyboard—to ensure I’m on the right path. Furthermore, I can add or delete items as the plot shifts or deepens. The finished manuscript may vary somewhat from that initial whiteboard overview, but throughout the process, the outline provides a guide to keep me on track.



If you have trouble brainstorming a story or writing a synopsis, try my whiteboard technique. Perhaps, like me, you'll find the whiteboard is a valuable addition to your writing toolbox.

What tools help you create your stories? Can you suggest other uses for a whiteboard that facilitate your writing process? Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for a copy of HER FORGOTTEN AMISH PAST.

Happy writing!

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti


HER FORGOTTEN AMISH PAST

She can’t remember who she’s running from.

Is she safe with the Amish?

Someone wants Becca Troyer dead, but who or why is a mystery to her. Seeking refuge at the home of Amish farmer Zeke Hochstetler is her only hope to stay one step ahead of the killer. With every clue she finds about her past leading to more confusion, Becca and Zeke must untangle the truth before her pursuer discovers where she’s been hiding.

Order now at Amazon.

50 comments:

  1. Hi Debby:

    I like to use the corkboard in Scrivener to plot the novel. The white board is fine for plotters. However, pantsers don't want to work out a plot because that kills spontaneity. As Tony Hillerman once wrote, "If I don't know what is going to happen next, the reader sure isn't going to know either." Of course, Tony had a dresser full of half finished pantsered novels in which he had painted himself in a corner and could not finish. He was notoriously slow as a result. In fact, a cottage industry cropped up to fill in the gaps between Hillerman's books with stories like Tony wrote.

    The synopsis is dreaded because the writer has to come up, in advance, with a strong plot. Weaknesses stand out in an honest synopsis.


    A whiteboard is a useful tool for those who would use it to plot their WIP. The question is: how do you get those who would most benefit from this tool to actually use it?

    Please include me in the Amish drawing.

    May you enjoy a joyous new year all year long.

    Vince

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good morning, my friend!

      So much of what you say is true. I've learned that my initial series and/or book synopsis is fluid and usually my editors are okay with that because I'm not sure of every twist and angle. Sometimes the timing seems emotionally correct for a major side-swipe because life does that to us, but I may not have seen that 50,000 words ago...

      But thank heavens for wonderful editors who look beyond the page and see the thread of story within.

      And I'm working on a series and book synopsis/overview this week, so Debby's advice is timely. I have to buy poster boards for the farm and it looks like a white board for me!

      Delete
    2. Good morning, Vince!
      As you know, each writer has his or her own process. The whiteboard helps me see the story as a whole, which is good when writing suspense. Also, I can mull over a plot for weeks, yet once I pull out my trusty whiteboard, the story starts to gel. I'm happy for any gadget that helps me move forward. No, it's not for everyone, but we do pick up tips from one another and I wanted to share what works for me.

      I loved Tony Hillerman. Haven't read him in a while. El Paso was our first home after marriage. We lived there for three years. Later in life, my hubby was stationed at the National Training Center in the Mojave Desert for two years so Hillerman's stories always took me back to those Southwest and desert days.

      You're in the drawing!

      Delete
    3. Vince, I use the corkboard in Scrivener to plot scene--usually a chapter at a time. But I love the idea of seeing the big picture on a whiteboard--which is one of the hardest things for me. I have a really hard time seeing the whole picture.

      Delete
    4. Hi Debby:

      Did you know Tony Hillerman's daughter, Anne, has written five books in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series? My wife has read three of them and really likes her. I wonder if she is a plotter or a pantser. If anyone knows, please post it here.

      Vince

      Delete
    5. Anne Hillerman? I'll look for her books. A new author to read. At least, new to me. Thanks, Vince!

      Delete
    6. Hi Missy:

      I have to agree that having a "God's Eye View", as some have called being able to see a whole novel at a single glance, is a great advantage. Such a satori seems to come to some writers.

      I've read that this happened to Gore Vidal when he wrote the "Best Man" in one weekend -- locking himself in a hotel room unit it was finished! The same thing, to some extent, seemed to have happened to Verdi when he wrote "La Traviata" in a flurry as he briefly interrupted writing his "Il Trovatore" which he considered a major work. I think he saw his "La Traviata" as a 'little fruit' in Ruth's terms.

      You know, if you are going to play God as an author, it would seem ideal to first have a "God's Eye View" of what you are about to do.

      Indeed, God has so many plans for each of us that I have to believe that He is a plotter.

      Vince

      Delete
    7. Hi Ruth:
      I had to smile at your comment: "…usually my editors are okay with that because I'm not sure of every twist and angle."

      At this point, I think you are like Aaron Rogers, quarterback at Green Bay, someone they trust to call audibles and change plays at the line of scrimmage.

      You don't need to change. Just don't run out of gas. Running on Empty is for fiction. :()

      Vince

      Delete
  2. Debby, this is such a great and useful tool for gathering thoughts together. And the color-coding is a wonderful addition. I may have to get a white board and play with it, just to keep the visual close by. I've always scribbled my ideas, thoughts, twists, turns onto a word doc that grows as the book/series grows, but I can see how visually helpful this would be during those early weeks of figuring out why you need to tell this story so that editors can see our vision.

    Thank you for this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your poster board idea would work as well, Ruthy. Except the whiteboard can be wiped clean and then new ideas inserted. I don't brainstorm as well on the computer. Vince mentioned a board on Scrivener that might be similar to what I'm doing.

      Delete
  3. Debby, I am so sad that I have to run off to school right now. I'm just at the plotting point of a new story, so this is perfect timing for me. Can't wait to read and study it. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish we lived close to brainstorm together, Cate! Hmmm? Perhaps we could Skype! :)

      Delete
    2. Cate, what time do you have to be at school? I have noticed how early you are commenting before leaving for school.

      Delete
    3. Classes start at 8, Sandy, but it takes me an hour to get there.


      Delete
    4. Skype plotting - that sounds like a fun idea, Debby.

      Delete
  4. Debby, your workshop sounds awesome! I don't use a whiteboard but I do plot with notebook and pen. For my mysteries, I did create a worksheet that lists suspects and various pieces of information about them--how they are related to the victim, the plot, and my MC, that kind of thing, plus clues.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liz, your worksheet sounds interesting and something for me to consider making. Thanks for the tip! Mystery/suspense stories require a bit more planning, IMHO. Or at least, for me. I need to play with those clues and red herrings before I start to write. :)

      Delete
    2. Liz, I agree that the workshop sounds awesome!

      Delete
  5. I'm just at the outlining stage of a new WIP. I've always just used notebooks and pens, but I can see how a whiteboard would work too. This is a really hard stage for me. I don't like planning things out, but I know if I don't have a plan I won't ever get it done, so I need to just buckle down and write the synopsis, even if it changes as we go. This is a great post, Debby. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glynis, I hope The Whiteboard Technique helps you as it does me. I had started working on my next project and had a bit of backstory jotted on my whiteboard. Then life interfered, and I haven't been able to complete my overview. I started fearing the ideas I had started with wouldn't work. This morning, I went back to that partial outline on my whiteboard and realized it was all there. Yes, I need to keep adding, but my initial concept works. Now to continue the process...

      Delete
  6. Great idea Debby. One I might start doing if I can find room for the physical board. I don't do mystery or suspense (yet), but my current WIP, the third in the "Western Dreams" series, is a little more complex than the first two books, with star-crossed lovers wandering all over the known world from the Eastern Plains to Taos to San Antonio to New Orleans, and meeting real historical characters along the way. It's an epic, a saga, and intimidating. I need to know where the hero and heroine are at different times, so it's tricky. Why don't I take the easy way out? If any of this is "easy."
    I use a variety of "helps" when I plot, including Three-Act, Five-Act, Lies They Believe and the "W," taught to me by my former crit partner Peggy Rychwa, also a Pelican author. For this book I'm also using "Hero's Journey," for obvious reasons. I use tons of worksheets, see the above. But something bigger and more physical would definitely be a plus for this book.
    Not feeling well this week, a touch of the flu, but am keeping up my regular schedule and collapsing between appointments, assignments and chores. Hey it all gets done...
    Talk to you later,
    Kathy Bailey
    Writing her first saga in New Hampshire

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you feel better asap, Kathy!

      Delete
    2. Feel better soon, Kathy. Your third book sounds quite interesting!

      Delete
  7. KB, I'm sorry you're sick. This Christmas season has been hard on folks in Georgia. Lots of flu and respiratory problems. Take care of yourself! Sending prayers your way!

    What is the "W"? It sounds familiar, as if I've heard of it at some point but can't remember how it works. Is it the three acts from a different perspective? Starting up, then going down to the bottom of the W, then up a bit, down and finally up with the climax and resolution? There's nothing new, is there? Just new ways of looking at the writing process and new terms to define old concepts. Some resonate; some we discard. I love studying story as a whole, seeing the gaps, upping the conflict, etc. It's fun but still a struggle to tug those ideas into shape.

    You're writing a saga! Good for you! My One Word, which is actually two, for 2020 is Stay Strong! So stay strong, dear friend, as you write your next story!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Debby, I first learned the "W" method at GRW when I first joined. It has to do with rising and falling action. I'm sure I have notes stored away somewhere! :)

      Delete
  8. Debby, what a great method! I used a tri-fold poster board years ago to do with (putting sticky notes on it). It was the back of one of my kid's science fair project! haha But it worked great. I should try that again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. typo alert. Was supposed to say: I used a tri-fold poster board years ago to do THIS.

      Delete
    2. I use a tri-fold board and sticky notes that I actually won from Erica at a conference in Omaha when she was presenting a workshop on how to use it. I found it helpful. I might have to try the whiteboard, too.

      Delete
    3. How fun that you've tried that, too, Sandy!

      Delete
    4. A tri-fold board would work perfectly. Sticky notes are great because you can move them around! Love the idea!

      Delete
  9. Thanks, Debby! Your whiteboard method is just what I need as I start to rework an old partial manuscript. As a plotter, I see the value in working on the synopsis before starting to write. I’ve used notebooks and index cards, but get confused with all the changes I make. Erasing a whiteboard sounds much easier. Happy New Year blessings to you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sherida, I used to use colored index cards. I found some recently for one of my earliest books! It was so fun to stumble upon those. I had written ideas on them for scenes, and then put them in order to make the best character arcs. I may have to try that again!

      Delete
    2. Sherida, I've used index cards in the past, but I do better when I can see the outline or overview at one glance. I was always mixing up the index cards and probably confusing myself more than writing a story. That was in my pre-pubbed days. I've tried many techniques over the years. Seems the simpler ones work best for me. :)

      Delete
  10. I've used a white board before, but my go-to is post its on a blank wall. :) Color coded, easy to move around, easy to visualize. It works for my brain. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Erica, I bought a white board to use for planning/scheduling (like I learned about in a Kanban workshop at M&M), and plan to use sticky notes on that. :)

      Delete
    2. Erica, are you posting the sticky notes on your wall? That works! Screenwriting consultant Michael Hauge uses a door in his house/office. He covers the door with sticky notes, one for each scene or important element in the story. Then he moves them around until he finds the right order in which to tell the story.

      I was looking at the door to my closet today and thinking what if...

      Delete
    3. I first learned about using Post Its at Seekerville YEARS ago! I used to use the plot board, but now I use any hand blank wall or tabletop. :)

      https://seekervillearchives.blogspot.com/2008/09/portable-plotting-board.html

      Delete
  11. Love to hear what works for writers. I haven't been able to use a white board the smell of the markers makes me really sick. BUT I'm going to combine your suggestion with Erica's. Sticky notes on the white board :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jamie, I'm sorry the markers make you sick. I did a Google search on whiteboards before writing this blog and learned they were introduced into schools because the chalk dust from blackboards was bothering children with allergies. School officials also worried the chalk dust would harm the schools' computers. Personally, I love chalk boards and always wondered why they quickly phased out of use, at least in education.

    Yes, sticky notes on a whiteboard would work. Or check out my comment above about using a closet door. Erica uses a wall. Lots of options!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Debby!

    I used to use a white board. Loved it. But it was cumbersome to use in my old office (no wall space) and the boards were left behind in our move. A hard decision - they had been with me since my homeschooling days!

    But I shifted to paper and colored pens. Not as large as the white board, but I find myself brainstorming more. I use a mind map method and will plot out a few chapters at a time this way.

    But now that I read Erica's comment about using her wall, I'm eyeing a blank wall near my desk. Hmmm...

    ReplyDelete
  14. If I'm traveling, I use card stock and markers, Jan. So sorry you had to leave your boards behind...but the wall will work well with sticky notes!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Debby! I'm going to get a white board and try this...markers and sticky notes! I've tried a storyboard, and the cork board on Scrivener, but I think using something I can physically touch and see and move...I'm a tactile visual learner. Haha...you didn't guess that right? This might be just the trick to inspire some new thinking into an old manuscript! LOL

    So lovely to hear from you! Please enter me in the drawing! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathryn, I hope the whiteboard becomes a trusted tool for you. I'm visual, as I mentioned in the blog. Wonder if auditory learners would find the board as effective.

      You're in the drawing!

      Delete
  16. Sticky notes are my go to and charts. I use Romance Beats to make sure I've got all those plot points included and I've just started using the Story Equation and have made charts/worksheets to help me through. I like paper to spread across my workspace rather than flipping through various screens. I also use the index cards and synopsis menu on Scrivener to keep track of everything (when I remember to update it or enter info in the meta data!). The white board idea is something I probably could use. :) Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lee-Ann, I just looked up Romance Beats. Thanks! I downloaded a sheet from Jami Gold's site. (www.jamigold.com/romance) I also want to get the Story Equation book. Rachel Hauck was on Seekerville a year or so ago and presented a bit of the SE technique and I liked it. Sounds as if you've developed your own technique by combining a number of different formulas. Good for you. I like Michael Hauge and use him a lot. Also just read Writing From the Middle, by James Scott Bell, and got a lot out of that as well.

      Delete
  17. Great idea, Debby! I used to use a white board, then got away from that--but I may try it again. Thanks for the reminder! I also like using newsprint pads to map things out--a bit easier to tote around than the board--but of course you can't easily erase and re-do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glynna, I always think of you and your newsprint pads. I do a bit of brainstorming on unlined paper, but the whiteboard is a better tool for me.

      Delete
  18. Debby, thank you so much for your thoughts on whiteboards. I love hearing of new ways to plot and new ideas. Conferences are great places to pick up ideas, and I've attended some very good workshops on plotting at M&M. Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy New Year to you, Tanya! I like attending conferences and picking up tips and techniques that help my writing! Love how we share info for the good of all!

      Delete
  19. Yes can someone let me know if my comments are showing up please and thank you

    ReplyDelete

If you have trouble leaving a comment, please "clear your internet cache" and try again. You can find this in your browser settings under "clear history."