It's a long story.
Workflowy posted a screen cast I made showcasing how I use their tool to outline fiction. Check out the post below, as well as the original article I wrote on The Writing Cooperative.
Here’s the original article on The Writing Cooperative.
Also, you can grab all the outlines mentioned in this post directly from my Workflowy account.
I once worked for a small record label. Believe me when I say you’ve never heard of it. My role had little to do with music, and my influence was minimal. But that didn’t stop my friends from pitching their material.
“Hey, man. I wrote this song,” they’d say. “Love to get your thoughts.”
There’s this thing called the “Nashville No.” Basically, it’s when someone says, “Okay. I’ll listen to it and get back to you.” Then they don’t. It’s pretty effective. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have a name.
That doesn’t work so well with friends. You see them too much, care for them too much. Assuming their work is (like most pitches) more passion than potential, you eventually have to find an honest but helpful way to give them — perspective.
Read the full article at The Writing Cooperative.
I’d rather sort socks than manage my content. Once I finish a story, I’m ready to move on to the next idea. In my wake I leave behind folders of disjointed documents labeled “v2” or “v3-b” and emails to different publishers with varying summaries of the same story.
Then I might read about some contest and think, “I’ve got the perfect story.” But which file is the latest? And what was that word count again? Wait. I don’t think I heard back from that last contest. And, would you look at that? My socks don’t match.
You’re judging me right now, aren’t you?
What I need is a database of all my work, including metadata like genre, word count, and work status. Beyond that, I want a way to answer these questions . . .
Read the full article at The Writing Cooperative.
I’m not a linear thinker. My brain is more like a grocery cart with a wobbly wheel. It goes where it wants. So, when I write I use different tools to help collect my thoughts. Sometimes I use Airtable to organize all those abstract elements in my stories.
But sometimes, I need to see the big picture all at once. I need to think in up-and-down lines that collapse and expand. I want structure and organization. Enter Workflowy. I’m using it right now to keep myself from wasting your time while my shopping cart meanders toward the ice cream aisle. (As if that’s the cart’s fault.)
There are two basic ways I use Workflowy for creative writing.
Read the full article at The Writing Cooperative.
I love to read literature, but I don’t always understand it. How many times have I sat down with a dusty classic and a hot cup of optimism only for the cup to grow cold by chapter three? Sure, I get it at some level. Characters, plot, symbolism. Even a blind squirrel finds a metaphorical nut from time to time. But if you catch me reading Faulkner or Dostoyevsky, expect to see a copy of SparkNotes nearby.
I also love to write literature. Call me cynical, but that seems problematic. If I can’t understand it, how on earth can I expect to write it? Maybe that’s why so many accomplished writers insist on a habit of constant reading. Could it be that before I learn how to write a book I should learn how to read a book?
Read the full article at The Writing Cooperative.
Airtable is a fully-featured online, relational database. See how I use it to plot fiction, build characters, and view elements visually as I write.
Hi. I’m Brandon, and I’m an app addict. (“Hi, Brandon.”)
I spend far more time finding, installing, and tweaking writing tools than I do writing with them. I’ve tried them all, from Scrivener to Word, ApolloPad to Novlr. I’ve HiveWorded and Snowflaked my way through so many cool tools that now, before I sign up for a new one, I have to make sure I don’t already have an account.
Of course, no tool stands alone. I regularly employ a suite of solutions to fit my environment, my task, or my mood. I write with Scrivener. I brain dump and spin “what if” webs with Workflowy. I even use Voice Notes on my phone to talk out scenes while I’m in the car. What I needed was a tool that allowed me to organize and build a story no matter how it came to me.
See screenshots and read the full article at The Writing Cooperative.