What methods do you employ to keep your characters, scenes and events straight in your novels? How do you make sure when you give her green eyes in chapter 24 that you didn’t give her blue eyes in chapter 3, or that you don’t have your villain driving a ’98 Ford Explorer in one scene and a ‘96 Chevy Blazer in another?
We all have our methods of tracking the details. What is yours?
Here is how I did it in one instance, and how I do it today.
The second novel I finished was just over 200,000 words. I know, I know; too long for a new novelist, but there it was. Anyway I had numerous characters in two different times (it’s a time travel), 44 years apart. Some appeared in both times, plus I had back-story that stretched another 30 years. The whole thing spanned from 1914 to 1987. There came a point when I kept losing track of when my characters did things. Lets see, when did Nate first meet Hitler and then saved his life? 1922? As I write this I cannot remember. All I would have to do now, though, is go into the closet, behind the winter coats and the old suits that I know I’ll be able to fit into one day, and my dress Navy whites which I know will come in handy eventually (it’s only been 24 years), push aside three pairs of shoes of a different century, the bowling ball (Wonder where the nearest bowling alley is? Pull it out of the bag to see if my fingers are any fatter; it’s only been 28 years), poke aside the two dead spiders and kill the live one, and then lay my hand on the rolled up and squished, dented and coffee stained time line diagram I created somewhere around 2002.
Since the couple of dollars here and the couple of dollars there that I receive on my three published novels barely keep my wife and me in fast food once a month I have to have a day job. That job happens to be as a graphic designer and desktop publisher. At the time that I was working on novel that had Nate and Hitler, Before Anne After, I was in charge of the wide format (poster) printer for my employer. Since I had the skills and the equipment, I built a time line, printed it out on the wide format and tacked it to the wall over my desk at home. It was three and a half feet tall and five feet long. I left enough blank space that I could pencil in new characters. To do this last part I would spread it out on the floor, thus the reason for the coffee stains, or was that wine? Not important.
Anyway, that only solved part of my problem. I added to that my Glossary of characters at the end of my working word file. I work in MS Word and use styles and the document map (like an index) to layout my novel. Each of my chapter numbers is listed in the document map. If I want to return to chapter 12 for some reason all I have to do is click on it. One of the very last listings in the document map is “Characters.” Here I list my characters and their attributes. If one of my characters suddenly reveals to the protagonist that he hasn’t gotten over his son dying five years before, I add the son to my list of characters along with a description of his death, and then add the details to his father’s attributes, the character sharing the story. When did Nate meet Hitler and save his life? It was . . . you’ll have to read the book . . . Before Anne After.
Other listings (these are virtual chapters in my working novel) are “research” (web links where I’ve done research) and “ideas” (where I quickly write a line or paragraph with a scene idea that I might use later). In the novel I’m currently working on I’ve got a chapter titled, “Irish sayings” because I have an Irish character who likes to quote Proverbs. I have nearly 40 proverbs stored there in case he should suddenly need one. I also have a British character so I’ve got a chapter titled, “British slang.”
I hear it already. “I’m not a desktop publisher and figuring out Word is a nightmare.”
That’s why I asked for input from other writers. I do admit that the huge time-line was probably a bit of over kill, but at the time it did what I needed it to do. I have since better organized my virtual chapters and am meticulous, almost, at keeping it kept up to date.
Again, what is your method of tracking the details? Comment to this post and I’ll share it with all.
James
Novels
Desert Bookshelf