In my last blog post, I talked about Tip # 1, Customer styles and themes in Microsoft Word. In this post, I’m sharing Tip #2: A Custom Chapter-by-Chapter template for outlining both what I plan to write in future chapters/scenes … and what I’ve actually written.
I don’t know how it goes with you, but my plans always sound terrific. And some of them actually turn out that way. But quite often, I change plans in the middle of a story because I stumble over a flaw in my plot, I note an inconsistency in the character’s personality, or I dream up a much better idea. None of these things are a big deal if the change occurs in the present or future, but it’s a big PIA if I need to backtrack.
I use a Microsoft Word document that includes a separate table for each chapter. The table is divided into two columns that contain the following information:
Left Column
The date and day of the week. I also keep a separate calendar document into which I insert each chapter and scene number to make the process of backtracking easier if and when I have to do it.
Bullet points for each of the goals I want to accomplish in the chapter (e.g., reveal more of the POV character’s background through subplot, show what drives her, show her personal stake in the outcome of her relationship with Character B, introduce new obstacle).
Right Column
Separate rows for each scene that contain my plans for the content each scene: if I don’t have plans yet, I keep the row blank.
I use shading to indicate what POV character the scene will be told from (i.e., green for the POV character, blue for Character B, and no shading if I’m not sure).
The image appearing below is an example of what the table looks like.
I save the document and then turn on Track Changes. This allows me to enter revisions to the outline right in the document, and to add details of scenes I write that I hadn’t planned beforehand, and see both the original plan and the finished product all in one document. Track Changes allows you to see a simplified version of the revised document (with marks only appearing in the margins) or all changes made.
The image appearing below is what the table looks like after being revised in Track Changes:
Here are two links to online instructions about using Track Changes:
Microsoft online instructions for Track Changes in Word: https://bit.ly/2tiWrtk
Online article in PCWorld: https://bit.ly/2yG3e6v
I hope this helps you stay on track. Let me know if Tips #1 and/or #2 work for you.
I look forward to seeing you in a few days for Tip #3: Creating Multiple Notebooks in OneNote.