Episode 111: Before you write (part 1, tools)

Notes:

This episode and the notes include affiliate links.

In case you’re unfamiliar with NaNoWriMo, here is some information: https://nanowrimo.org/what-is-nanowrimo

The Verbivore talked about the writing program Scrivener. This is a paid product available for macOS, Windows, & iOS. Learn more at https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview

Fable brings up the spreadsheet that J. K. Rowling used to track key story elements on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. It looks like it’s now been taken off the internet, but here is a link to a photo of her hand drawn story spreadsheet for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:

https://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/harry-potter-plot-outlined-on-a-hand-drawn-spreadsheet

The Verbivore talks about Angie Thomas’ Instagram stories (@angiethomas) that talk about writing tips and how she approached planning The Hate You Give. Here is that link:

https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17958578347251380/

Fable mentions mood boards as a way to help spark your story. Here is an article that includes some ideas for how to approach creating one:

https://thelitnerds.com/2019/10/06/how-to-spark-your-writing-with-mood-boards/

Fable brings up story bibles as a method for keeping track of the elements of your story. Here is an article that talks about some areas that could be tracked based on project needs:

https://thenovelsmithy.com/create-a-story-bible/

Fable mentions that our friend and writer Jo Mercer is hosting a NaNo prep month on Instagram @jmercerbooks under the hashtag #nanoprepandwin. It has some great story preparation prompts and questions. If you’re readying to write a new story, we’d highly recommend checking it out!

Books Mentioned:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

Music from: https://filmmusic.io
’Friendly day’ by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
Licence: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)