In today’s video, I pull back the curtain on the secret sauce behind successful storytelling: meticulous detail management.
Whether you’re navigating the maze of plot twists or capturing the essence of your characters, I’ve got actionable tips and tricks for you.
I’ll walk you through my go-to strategies, from a “plot threads” checklist that keeps your narrative on track, to a simple yet powerful Word document table for tracking character specifics.
These aren’t just tips; they’re proven methods that have shaped my own Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries series.
Hello, Jane Cleland here.
The question is, “How do I keep track of details within my story and then within a series?” I have a couple of suggestions.
If what you’re really asking is about plot elements, I like to keep something I call plot threads at the end of my working copy of my manuscript, and it’s just a numbered list. In my Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries, if I have Josie ask Wes — her reporter helper person — to check someone’s finances because Wes knows everybody and can access any information, then I will put down in my plot thread list:
“Josie asked Wes. Chapter four. So and so’s finances.”
This is because I can’t just address it right then and there. He has to have some time; he might have trouble getting the information, or he might get part of the information. So it has to be at least a few chapters later that he’s going to come back. Periodically, I go through my plot threads and say, “Oh yeah, I gotta have Wes come back.” Once he does that and the scene is written, I can go ahead and delete that plot thread.
If, on the other hand, what you’re talking about is tracking details like whether someone’s eyes are hazel, green, or blue, and you want to keep track of that kind of minutiae, I would probably use a spreadsheet. However, when I’m tracking things like ages or what year someone graduated college, I just use a Word document. I create a table with columns such as:
“Josie”
“Year Born”
“Year Graduated College”
Year or month (depending on the level of detail needed) for major events like when she started her job at Frisco’s in New York City or when she moved to New Hampshire.
I do this for all the major characters. If I need to track physical descriptions, I’d add columns for that as well. A little old-school approach works for me—I bet it will work for you too.
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Thanks so much!
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