Forum: Author Hangout

Today's paper contains a photo of Matt Hancock, former UK Health Secretary, sitting on an Australian beach, relaxing, after coming third in this year's "I'm a Celebrity" or whatever.

He's a shorts Tory ;-)

AJ

all a novel or as you put it 'long work' is, is a whole bunch of short stories that happen to have a common theme and recurring characters.

Not quite. Maybe it's because my memory is so poor, but it's keeping things straight throughout. Character names, descriptions, relationships, etc. And then there are plot errors I make in later chapters that hopefully I catch when I re-read the draft. With a short story, that's not an issue for me.

And then there's my perfectionism. I edit chapters as I go and then re-read the entire work multiple times looking for consistency errors and ways to say it better. Because I'm a slow reader, doing that for my 193,000-word novel that I just finished took months. Of course being a slow reader helps me catch most errors (I read words not sentences or paragraphs or like they tried to teach me in the Evelyn Wood Speed Reading class, a page at a time).

And then there's the satisfaction you get when you finish. You get that much quicker after completing a short story simply because you did it quicker. When you begin a short story you know the end will come soon.

Maybe it's because my memory is so poor, but it's keeping things straight throughout. Character names, descriptions, relationships, etc.

I have a file with the timeline from each chapter that contains a short (!) synopsis of what happens in each chapter. I also have multiple cast files, with just that information in it. Hell, I even have a spreadsheet with pregnancy and due dates on it. There's no way you can keep all that stuff in your mind.

Just for an example, here's the timeline synopsis from Book One, Chapter 30:

Chapter 30 – Saturday, Oct 27 – test out of MCAT & LSAT, tour of Stanford, Eve is athletic / Sunday, Oct 28 – fly to Burbank, go to one of Marcia's houses, meet Leonard, the attorney, go to the other house, find out how wealthy Marcia already was, meet several stars / Monday, Oct 29 – get presents for Elroy, redo necklaces, fly home to Kansas, give presents out, Jennifer wants to become Cal's woman, reveal truth to Roberto and Esmeralda

you know the end will come soon.

- but that's premature ejaculation, right?

I have a file with the timeline from each chapter that contains a short (!) synopsis of what happens in each chapter. I also have multiple cast files, with just that information in it.

I have those too. The chapter summary helps me find what chapter something is in that I need to go back and change. The character descriptions help keep the characters consistent. But it's not like I'm constantly looking at them.

I'm constantly looking at them.

I do, but that's what I consider a major advantage of running a dual monitor set-up. I have my main screen for typing, then my other screen where I can quickly pull up whatever reference file I need, without any minimizing.

a major advantage of running a dual monitor set-up.

Totally agree. That would be great.

What I'm stuck doing is I have the two Word files open at the same time and do the "command ~" to flip back and forth.

Maybe it's because my memory is so poor, but it's keeping things straight throughout. Character names, descriptions, relationships, etc. And then there are plot errors I make in later chapters that hopefully I catch when I re-read the draft. With a short story, that's not an issue for me.

I too have similar memory issues, due to multiple TBIs. I have learned to create a "bible" a document with the names of All of the characters as well as important locations, vehicles, aircraft, etc.

I also have a Timeline that may be a separate document.

Main Characters often have multiple paragraphs describing them, their appearance, education, military service, and any relevant family. Firearms, vehicles, or special skills, phobias, quirks, etc.

Reoccurring Secondary Characters get a paragraph.

Then there's
SSG Dixon the Regimental Clerk
Bob the Barber
Mrs. Davis the nosy neighbor
Captain Lewis the pilot

Mostly so I keep those names consistent, although I might have a brief description such as 50's bald, obnoxious.

Little of my descriptions goes directly into the story. It does keep Characters consistent.

For example: I have an 8 person medical team covertly parachute into Northern Mexico. All the members are fluent in Spanish. Several were born in Mexico, or lived there, or grew up in Mexican immigrant communities in the USA, and speak like native Mexicans. 1, a Doctor, is Cuban, but since a significant number of Mexican doctors go to medical school in Cuba, and some Cubans emigrate to Mexico, that is no problem. 1 other soldier, is fluent in Spanish, but speaks with an obvious USA accent, must keep quiet or just one word or very short answers.

Other times I just need to know which, if any Characters can drive a standard transmission truck. Or whatever, for story purposes.

As I said, I maintain those also. But I don't always go back to them while writing. Only when I stop typing and think, "What color was her hair?" or "What was her mother's name?" or "What weapon does he use?" that I go back to check.

And then there are inconsistencies I don't have when the story is short. I don't have them in a short story because the entire story is fresh in my mind.

I was in a stage in the novel I just finished that I couldn't step away from to write a Halloween story for this year's contest. Last year, I happened to have just finished my previous novel so I had the time. I can't tell you how much fun it was to write that short story after laboring over the novel for a year.

I wasn't totally kidding when I said maybe I'll write a Halloween short story for next year's contest. But I decided to read the beginning of the novel I started and put aside to write my most current one. It's a thriller in my Lincoln Steele series and now I'm in the mood to write it. My favorite genre is thrillers and my last two novels weren't.