5 Ways to Keep the Details Straight

Erica here. Happy fall, y'all! It's COLD in Minnesota, and we've already had our first (albeit skimpy) snow. 

I'm deep in editing mode on my 2023 release, Children of the Shadows, which is book three in the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery series but is, in fact, book seven in the "Haverly Universe" as I call it. Seven Regency stories that all take place in the same story world with cross-over characters galore.

Over the six books and one novella, we're talking about 630,000 words! Dozens of characters and locations and hundreds, if not thousands, of details.

The question has arisen, "How do you keep it all straight?"

I have a few tips I'd love to share with you.

1. Character photographs. 

I try to find a photograph of each major character, especially my heroes and heroines, so I can fix in my mind exactly what they look like. I find it much easier to describe a person I've seen than one I've just heard about. (I would share some of these photos with you, but for copyright laws regarding pictures on blogs. However, I can give you a link to one of my Pinterest boards full of handsome heroes. ...You're welcome.)

2. A Style Sheet

I keep a style sheet for each book I write, with characters, descriptions, locations, photographs, preferred spellings (curtsy vs. curtsey, etc.) and more. I turn this in with each book to aid in the editing process. I blogged here on Seekerville some time ago about how to create a Style Sheet, and you can read that post HERE. 

3. A Series Master Document

My Virtual Assistant, (though since she's my daughter and I see her regularly, it's hardly virtual, is it?) Heather Drexler of Mossflower Digital Services, and I are in the process of creating a Master Document for the entire series. A spreadsheet on google docs to which we both have access that contains all the style sheet information from each book, plus anything I've forgotten along the way. Of particular import is, character descriptions and ages at the start of each story. Locations of important scenes. Where is the Haverly mansion located in London? Where did they find the first murder victim in Millstone of Doubt? How many servants work at the Whitelock estate? 

*Sometimes this document is called a series bible, but I don't like that term. As far as I am concerned, there is only one Bible, the very Word of God, hence I call mine a Master Document. 

4. Reuse locations and characters.

By having the above document, it is easy not to have to reinvent something I've already created? Do I need a shopkeeper in London? Why not use one I created in The Lost Lieutenant (book 1) as a character in The Debutante's Code (Book 5)? Rather than branch out all over London, set scenes in familiar locations like Mayfair or Bow Street. This doesn't mean you never bring in something new, but if you can reuse a setting or a character, it will keep the story world tighter and easier to manage.

5. Appreciate how much readers love "Easter Eggs" in stories.

An "Easter Egg" is a term from the video-gaming world that refers to something special and hidden that is discovered by true aficionados of the game. In reading, it's a reward for a dedicated reader. You can bring back something small, or someone that a new reader won't know comes from a previous story, but a dedicated reader will recognize right away. It is work, but it's worth it. Work to weave in those little prizes into your story. Readers LOVE feeling smart and 'in the know' while reading, and rewarding a dedicate reader just strengthens the reader's bond with the author and with the story. It makes the story world seem rounder, richer, and more complex. It also helps retain readers when the next book comes out!

Question for you: If you are an author, do you keep a Style Sheet for each book? If you are a reader, do you enjoy cross-over series stories?

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Regency London's detective duo is back on a new case--and this one is going to be a killer

Caught in the explosion of the Hammersmith Mill in London, Bow Street Runner Daniel Swann rushes to help any survivors only to find the mill's owner dead of an apparent gunshot.

Even though the owner's daughter, Agatha Montgomery, mourns his death, it seems there are more than a few people with motive for murder. But Daniel can't take this investigation slow and steady. Instead, he must dig through all the suspects as quickly as he can, because the clock is ticking until his mysterious patronage--and his job as a runner--comes to an abrupt and painful end. It seems to Daniel that, like his earthly father, his heavenly Father has abandoned him to the fates.

Lady Juliette Thorndike is Agatha's bosom friend and has the inside knowledge of the wealthy London ton to be invaluable to Daniel. She should be in a perfect position to help with the case. Still, her instructor in the art of spy craft orders her to stay out of the investigation. But circumstances intervene, dropping her into the middle of the deadly pursuit.

When a dreadful accident ends in another death on the mill floor, Daniel discovers a connection to his murder case--and to his own secret past. Now he and Juliette are in a race to find the killer before his time runs out.

Best-selling, award-winning author, Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can learn about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/groups/inspirationalregencyreaders where she spends way too much time!

Style Sheet Redux!

Today we're recycling a post from a couple years ago, due to an unexpected illness befalling the scheduled blogger. This post first aired June 23, 2016.

You've Got Style!

with Erica Vetsch.

 In the not too distant past of this year’s Speedbo, Tina and I were in the #1k1hr Facebook group writing away toward our Speedbo goals, and when I mentioned that I was working on a Style Sheet for my editor, Tina’s cute little ears perked up. A Style Sheet? Seekerville folks would love to hear more about that topic! She promptly invited me to guest post at Seekerville about the ins and outs of Style Sheets for authors, and I gladly accepted!

So, what is a Style Sheet?

A Style Sheet is a list, really. A list of people, places, and details of which you must keep track while writing a novel. If you’ve ever tried to write a novel, you know there are hundreds, if not thousands of details and decisions to oversee, and it’s easy to forget or change some fact between chapter one and chapter twenty. But you can bet your readers will notice and call it to your attention. And while you can’t guarantee that a manuscript is error free, you can sure minimize those mistakes with a handy little Style Sheet. (Some houses call this document a Story Bible, but I don’t like that term, so I don’t use it, but if you come across it, it means Style Sheet.)

For some writers, their Style Sheet is simple. Character’s name, age, hair color, eye color. Bam, done.

For some writers, their Style Sheet includes back-story, timelines, setting descriptions, character photographs, story synopsis, story turning points, and more! 

I suppose, much like the plotting/pantsing debate, the depth and breadth of your Style Sheet reflects your process and preferences as a writer. There’s no wrong way to do it.

For me, my Style Sheet varies based on the project I’m currently working on. The briefest Style Sheet I’ve done is two pages, a list of names and descriptions and a handful of small photographs to illustrate the main characters in the story. This was for my novella The Trail Boss’s Bride. When my editor saw it, she was super happy, and she said she might start asking all her authors to keep and turn in a Style Sheet with their stories. 

The largest, most complex Style Sheet I’ve ever done stands currently at a whopping 33 pages and counting! This particular Style Sheet is for a novella collection I’m coordinating. Seven Brides for Seven Texans is a set of novellas that all take place within one calendar year, written by seven different authors, about seven brothers who must marry in 1874 or lose their inheritance. With so many authors needing to coordinate stories so tightly interwoven and overlapping, keeping track of details is a MUST, which is where a Style Sheet comes in. 

For the Seven Brides collection, the Style Sheet includes:

1.    The order the stories appear in the collection, along with author, title, and contact info for each author.

2.    A brief overview of the collection (something like back-cover copy.)

3.    A back story timeline of the Hart family leading up to the collection prologue.

4.    A timeline of 1874, the setting of the story, and where each novella fits, along with dates of important events like marriages, cattle drives, community events, etc.

5.    A quick-reference chart of main characters along with birth order, age, hair color, eye color, physical traits, personality traits, etc.

6.    A calendar of 1874.

7.    Character sketches from each of the authors (a couple paragraphs at most) of the heroes, along with photographs of hero and heroine for each novella.

8.    A 1-2 page story synopsis of each novella.

9.    A list of extra characters with a brief description. From the town lawyer to the undertaker to the gossipy dressmaker, these characters make appearances in most all the novellas, so they must remain consistent from one to another. (The list currently stands at 46 different characters.)

10.    A list of businesses and buildings used in the story. Hotels, restaurants, mercantiles, etc.

11.    Photographs of the main ranch house, and the main rooms of the house, so that descriptions can be consistent from one story to the next, as well as a floor plan of the house.

12.    A map of the town.

13.    A map of the ranch with each son’s portion labeled.

As you can see, a Style Sheet/Master Document is essential when writing a continuity series where characters overlap so heavily, but you don’t need to be working on something of this scope to utilize and benefit from a Style Sheet.

How do I make one?

•    Use the method that works for you.

There are lots of ways to create a Style Sheet. Some authors use a spreadsheet. Columns and rows make their organized little hearts sing. Other authors use a word document, writing in paragraphs and lists. Some authors start with the Style Sheet first, and others fill it out after they write the story. You choose the method that makes the most sense to you.

•    Include pertinent details

At the very least, character descriptions should be included, but you feel free to get as detailed as you need to in order to keep track of information throughout your story. Include a list of places used in the story. If your story involves a great deal of research, be sure to include your sources. You never know when your editor might query whether your heroine should be using a sewing machine in 1850 or if your hero really would own a blue pickup truck in 1917. Photographs are helpful, too! 

•    I recommend updating as you go rather than waiting until the end

Creating a Style Sheet is much easier if you do some of the work up front and then add as you go. When plotting a story, I start with a Style Sheet, listing my hero and heroine and the setting, as many details as I know in the beginning.  As I write, sub-characters pop up all the time, a shopkeeper, a deputy, a neighbor, and it is easiest to add them to the Style Sheet at that time. Also, character quirks tend to develop as I write, and halfway through the book I discover that my hero is allergic to strawberries or my heroine is afraid of dogs. Stick those kinds of details into the Style Sheet so you can refer to them later.

What do I do with it when it’s complete?

When you’ve gotten your Style Sheet created and you’ve completed your first draft, print out a copy of the Style Sheet and have it by you as you revise. Use it to make sure that your blue-eyed hero doesn’t have brown eyes by chapter six, or that your heroine who is orphaned in chapter three doesn’t mail a letter off to her mama in Poughkeepsie by chapter ten. 

Once you’ve edited, revised, and cleaned up your manuscript, ready for submission, make sure you’re Style Sheet is all spit-shined, too, as up to date as possible.

And when you turn in that beautiful novel, include a copy of your Style Sheet. This bit of story-shorthand will be invaluable to your content and copy editors! They might even fall upon your with kisses and chocolate! Your editors, who won’t be as familiar with the story as you are, can keep track of unfamiliar details and edit for consistency and continuity without having to scroll back or riffle through screeds of pages to check on a detail. 

They will thank you! 

Have you created a style sheet before? Did you find it helpful?

Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. She’s a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she married her total opposite and soul mate! When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can learn about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time!