Index card plotting

[cypher_lee]

Do you guys ever use this technique, and to what extent?

Whenever i try to plot out my stories this way, my plot always ends up sounding very basic and often silly and sparse. How much detail do you put into these little index card scenes? A lot, or just a faint idea that you run with when you sit down at your keyboard?

[scfirenice]

I have an idea and run with it. If I want to make sure I don't miss a plot idea, I have a notebook where I write them down..

[Mistook]

I have a plot, but it's in my head. I just keep it in mind as I write. Occasionally things get tangled, and I'll do a rough outline of what's left of the plot just to clear it up in my own head, but then it's back to writing.

[inexperiencedinker]

i wrote another thread about this called Storyboarding (http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17262). I really like it, and I included a link to some advice when using this outline method, and what it was best for. I am a big proponet of it, at least for me.

[Anatole Ghio]

I have been using this idea for a couple of months now. I got it from the author Nabokov, who wrote his novels this way.

I cannot stress how much this has helped my writing.

One twist on the technique I have been using, has been to write an alternate version for each index card. Since each card typically has no more than a few lines, and usually I am still in the process of working out the plot anyway, this has not really added much in the way of added time to my writing.

When I first did this, I thought it would be inefficient and I would at most only get a few odd lines here and there to replace the original writing with.

On the contrary, it tends to change about 1/3 of the writing. I find a lot of the first writing can be clumsy, with poor grammer, or awkward language. This second version often cleans that up.

If I find I can find no other way to describe the first version, I will try to write the exact opposite of what I wrote before. If the first version had a spider being saved, I will change it into a butterfly being killed. Often, this produces the novel idea or twist I would not have otherwise thought of.

The main use of these cards, for me, has been in having a bare bones skeleton of the story available to me for when I sit down to write the actual first draft. Often, many of the cards will go unused... but they were invaluable as stalling insurance.

I love this technique, and it is now part of my permanent toolbox.