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How do you remember what you've written?

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MRavenell

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I almost never have this issue. I'm kind of surprised at how many people say they do.

Every once in a while I have to head back and check a detail (more like when something happened, who knew what when etc than what happened) but it's pretty rare. And one of my manuscripts is um... long. >_> Like 250,000+ words. The course of events is actually intended to be several books but it's all in one manuscript right now.

Out of curiosity, for people who say they don't recall details, do you write from outlines and notes? Or do you just set events into motion and let things grow from there? I wonder if it has to do with how the memory of the writing is made in our brains.

But I did recently have the experience of picking up a manuscript I stopped working on in August of 2009 (I remember the day, for some reason, I just lost all interest in it) and tossed it in my slushpile. I dug it out and read through it. I remembered all the major characters's names, but I couldn't remember ANYTHING that happened. Not a damn thing. Nothing. But I do remember things that happened in other manuscripts that have sat abandoned for a lot longer. So bizarre.
 

K.S. Crooks

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How I remember what has occured in my story

There are two ways I remember what has happened in my story as I am writing. In my outline first I set up the chapters and state the main occurrences that take place. The second thing I do is use tables where I have each characters name and profile, followed by major events/conversations. I highlight event with a different colour for each chapter. If a new character is introduced I also highlight which chapter this happens. This way I always know when someone has entered the story or has done something significant. My entire outline has a beautiful array of colours that makes everything I have done clear. Hope this helps
 

Putputt

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I don't. I forget stuff all the time, so there are subplots that go nowhere, which I have to prune during revisions, characters who disappear, and repetition of information ("Have I mentioned how many students there are in the class? Oh well, might as well mention it again..."). I take note of these things when I read through the MS to edit, and others fall on my long-suffering betas to tell me when the MC's car has magically changed from a Nissan to a Benz. :D
 

Spy_on_the_Inside

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I keep a Bible of all my stories. It's where I write down all the minor and not so minor details of my stories. If I have trouble remembering details of the setting or the character's life or personality, I can look it up and that helps me to analyze.

I'm incredibly anal about the details of my stories though, and this may have a lot more to do with my own piece of mind than actual need.
 

Jamesaritchie

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I don't. I forget stuff all the time, so there are subplots that go nowhere, which I have to prune during revisions, . :D

I suspect this is part of the reason I have to write nothing down. I usually have one subplot that grows naturally out of character, but never actually add a subplot. I've found that if I make the main characters human, real 3D people, their daily lives will include some kind of subplot, and one I don't have to worry about because the story itself provided the natural solution.

I never consciously add any subplot. I never even think the word when writing. This gives me a lot less to remember.
 

chompers

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Out of curiosity, for people who say they don't recall details, do you write from outlines and notes? Or do you just set events into motion and let things grow from there? I wonder if it has to do with how the memory of the writing is made in our brains.
I'm a pantser and I also write out of order. But not remembering details has more to do with my terrible memory than my method of writing. In fact, my memory seems to be better with my stories. When I think of a character or a scene, an image just pops into my head. I just document it and don't really get a say in it, unless I want to confuse myself.
 

DocMac

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I forget stuff all the time! I remember the inner debate about whether a particular bit of information should go here or not, but three chapters later I can't remember if I put it in or decided to wait. So then I have to go back and see if it is there or not. It's frustrating and time consuming. And I think it contributed to the failure of my first novel. The second has a much more extensive outline (the first had none!) to hopefully eliminate that problem.

I love all the strategies that others are using and plan to start using some of them myself.
 

blacbird

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I suspect this is part of the reason I have to write nothing down. I usually have one subplot that grows naturally out of character, but never actually add a subplot. I've found that if I make the main characters human, real 3D people, their daily lives will include some kind of subplot, and one I don't have to worry about because the story itself provided the natural solution.

I never consciously add any subplot. I never even think the word when writing. This gives me a lot less to remember.

Once again we are on the same page. This happens more often than you may think.

The most unreadable creative writing I've ever tried to read almost always results from overplanning, followed by a slavish adherence to the story scaffold. It tends to produce flaccid prose, cardboard characters, and contrived story, lacking in energy and life.

caw
 

rwm4768

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Once again we are on the same page. This happens more often than you may think.

The most unreadable creative writing I've ever tried to read almost always results from overplanning, followed by a slavish adherence to the story scaffold. It tends to produce flaccid prose, cardboard characters, and contrived story, lacking in energy and life.

caw

Just wanted to emphasize the word over. If an author does planning the right way, it achieves none of these bad results.

One could also say that complete pantsing can result in some of the most unreadable creative writing because the writing is not tight and the plot wanders.

And people should keep in mind that different approaches work for different writers.
 

chompers

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I have to agree with rwm. Although I'm a pantser, I'm sure there just as many well written stories done with thorough planning as there are by those that let the story unfold by itself.
 

sayamini

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I tend to remember because I write fast. I finished a 96k word novel in three and a half months, and when you're writing thousands of words every day it kind of stays fresh in your mind. So I guess that might be a strategy, in a way? Induce words so the story is on paper before you have the chance to forget?
 

Once!

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First things first - it's okay if you can't remember everything. Don't compare yourselves to those who say they never forget a thing. They are who they are; you are you.

Everyone's brain is wired differently. Some folks can remember details really well; others struggle. If we were in the world of business we would be quoting Myers Briggs around now, or some other such way of classifying how people think.

We also remember some details more easily than others. Someone with an ear for language will remember how their characters speak. Someone with an interest in world building will remember geographical details. My 13 year old son has an almost eidetic memory when it comes to schoolwork but can't remember to put his dirty shirts into the laundry.

We are not all the same.

The way we write is also quite different. Some people can focus on their writing 100% of the time. Others have to juggle other commitments - work, family, church etc. It's okay if you can't remember everything. Really, truly, it is okay. We work with what we've got.

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's focus on trying to be helpful and actually answer your question.

I have a lousy memory. In part that's because I am trying to juggle several different jobs at once. But that's probably just an excuse. I do have a lousy memory. So this is what I do:

I make lists.
I reread several times.
I use word search to skip through the draft and find troublesome details.
I have some very good beta readers.
I reread some more.

One trick that helps me a lot is to do non-sequential editing. As well as rereading the draft from start to finish, I will also read it by focussing on one character at a time. I use word search to skip to every scene which involves character A. Then I will read those bits back to back. Repeat for character B, and so on. I find this helps me to keep characters consistent and to help build character arcs.
 

Quinn_Inuit

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I tried Scrivener, but it wasn't for me. My memory isn't good enough to use it effectively.

Did you try the metadata function? That's what I use to tie things together. For instance, occasionally someone will reference a battle that took place a few decades before. That has its own metadata element and note section (for those unfamiliar with Scrivener, the notes live outside the novel structure). That way, I can keep all of my references organized, and if I need to know what happened or retroactively change it, I can find all of the places that I'd need to check for continuity.

It's not as useful in the drafting process, but once the serious editing begins, I suspect it will be a lifesaver.
 

Putputt

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I suspect this is part of the reason I have to write nothing down. I usually have one subplot that grows naturally out of character, but never actually add a subplot. I've found that if I make the main characters human, real 3D people, their daily lives will include some kind of subplot, and one I don't have to worry about because the story itself provided the natural solution.

I never consciously add any subplot. I never even think the word when writing. This gives me a lot less to remember.

Interesting, because I have never planned for subplots. They always grow organically as I write and get to know the characters, but as the story unfolds, sometimes the characters get left behind or evolve to become a bigger part of the story, so the subplots might get forgotten or weave themselves into the main plot. Either way, I have to go back and check for them.

Must be nice to have your stories provide natural solutions for all your subplots all the time. ;)
 

Fitch

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I use WriteWay Pro to outline and write my initial draft. I have the character window on the left monitor. Every character in the story that has a name, no matter how minor, is noted there. Flick the wrist, click 'add', type the name, then enter what's needed to describe the character, flick the wrist back and I'm back in the editor to continue writing. If I forget someone, I can find them by looking to the left.

I did a similar thing when I use Scrivener, but I had to scroll down the binder to get to the list of characters and that took longer than moving the eyeballs left.

I keep track of the story using the note cards, chapter titles, and scene titles. Between those and the note card scene synopsis, it's easy to find stuff in the story.

The research, aviation and nautical charts, city street maps, news articles being used for inspiration, etc. is on the right monitor. Again, move the eye balls, flick the wrist and I'm there. One huge feature is that I never lose my place in the composition window when visiting the character and research windows.

I do the first major edit on WriteWay. Then chapters are exported to WORD. They go both ways very easily. I maintain a complete current as edited version in WriteWay until the story is completely done.

I also use Aeon to keep the timelines straight. There are frequently bad guys and good guy plot lines going that intersect at various places. Every major event in the story including the birth of the major characters is in Aeon. That makes it easy to see bad guy activites that would leave a record that could be discovered later in time through newspaper articles, or other data mining means. It also keeps me from having sequence problems that would have required a time machine - there is no magic in my stories.

It's all way more than my 72 year old brain can remember, so I keep track of it using WriteWay, Aeon, and some other software to make diagrams.

Fitch
 

Mary_MO

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I have a rough draft and outline of my main characters that include a list of who they are and where I want them to rule.

Being a scatterbrain and forgetful on top of that, I have to write everything down as soon as I remember them. I save everything I find useful to my novel, including writing tips to help me improve on the internet and here. Same goes for every scene I take out.

I also have a beta reader who helps me keep track of where my story is going.

Good luck!
 

scifi_boy2002

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I'm always going back and double checking things. I have seven mcs in my novels and that isn't counting new characters and the villain. I can't remember it all and I doubt there are many that can. I keep notes on the way of who is where and who they are with. But, I still have to search back.
 

Apsu

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I keep a title-notes document, with chapter separations when it's a novel. At the top of each page in the document is the title of the chapter with brief notes on PoV and scenes. Below that is notes on the chapter.

I tend to clean it out after each draft. I leave things that are going to be important next draft. I fill it up again when I start a new draft and read what I wrote.
 

Underdawg47

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I make a timeline and give each character a birthdate, place of birth. On the timeline I place important events that involve all major characters and some minor ones. I have a profile of each character that gives physical stats, hobbies, strengths, weaknesses, and quirks. I used it a lot when I tried to remember small details and especially things like continuity.

I keep each chapter in a separate file and give each of them a separate name that somehow describes the chapter in two or three words.
 

Fitch

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I make a timeline and give each character a birthdate, place of birth. On the timeline I place important events that involve all major characters and some minor ones. I have a profile of each character that gives physical stats, hobbies, strengths, weaknesses, and quirks. I used it a lot when I tried to remember small details and especially things like continuity.

Yeah. I do exactly that. To keep track of chronology, I use Aeon Timeline. All the events of the story and in the major characters lives are on there. It permits them to be organized and related to each other. Since my stories are all contemporary, I can use the dates to look up weather at the location if that's useful. I run the SW on a PC but I think it's available for the Mac. It's easy to use and has a lot of capability as a story line organizational tool.

I keep each chapter in a separate file and give each of them a separate name that somehow describes the chapter in two or three words.

I do all my first draft writing in WriteWay-Pro (WWP). It has a whole section for characters. One can use the preformatted character forms or make up custom ones. Nothing is fixed. But it's all available for instant reference (move eyes to list of characters, click on one).

The chapters and scenes appear like an outline on the left side of the screen. I title them so that it's easy to track the story at a glance. I've created a set of notecards that work with Holly Lisle's scheme for plot development. They are available for each chapter and scene. I can have them visible while I'm writing. There is nothing fixed about how the SW is used - one can customize it to match about any way of working. The advantage, for me, is that everything is there, in one place. A novel is a lot to keep track of, I need all the help I can get.

WWP only runs under Windows. There are other programs (Storyist, Scrivener, and others that do similar things for the Mac users).

Fitch
 

Usher

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I make up visual scrapbooks of what the characters look like and the settings etc (I use Google images) once I have a clear idea of that I find everything else stays in my head pretty clearly.
 

dondomat

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First Confessor is a fantasy novel, which was mccardey's point. It's an acceptable word count for the SF/F genre, but not other genres.

My reading material includes thrillers and their wordcounts are vastly over 100K.

The OP writes erotic romance, no idea what the standard is there, but the big publisher thriller and horror standard does not appear to be fixated on the 80-90K wordcount, at least not what I read. I have these books.

Tom Clancy, Executive Orders--460 000 words. The Bear and the Dragon--380 000 words. Clear and Present Danger--260 000 words.

Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity--185 000 words. The Bourne Ultimatum--245 000 words. The Bourne Supremacy--230 000 words.

Frederick Forsyth, The Negotiator--160 000 words. The Fist of God--196 000 words.

Horror is very similar, with Peter Straub, James Herbert, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, John Saul...

I love shorter books too but that's neither here nor there.

Some publishers dealing with first-time authors without convincing representation put a cap of 120K or the like, but this is also different from genre standards as such. It's more of a slush filter, IMO.

All right, thank you for your attention, derail over.
 

Lhowling

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My novel is about 117k, more or less. I'm done writing out the two final chapters by the end of the week, which means it took me about 2 months to complete the first draft. Like JAR said I don't know how people can remember anything after going at it for two years. I think being able to get it done within a couple of months helps me to remember what I need to. That said, I have way more time to write so I make the most of it.

I have an outline, but the outlines help me get through some of the novel, not all of it. It's kind of useless now that I'm almost done and have changed some major parts of the story. I would say it should be helpful for memory but not so much.

Once I was about halfway completed with WIP then I began to edit the beginning. This has been the most helpful in making me memorize things like how a worldbuilding element that I've written into a scene has an impact on future chapters, or keeping a character's place of origin consistent throughout the story. Wherever I notice a detail like that, or other things that I need to remember, then I make a little note. I use Scrivener and can make notes right next to the document. Even if I want to skim through what I've written, I can quickly reference those notes. Scrivener has character and setting templates if you want to catalog those sort of details, but I find that it unnecessary right now.
 

CuddlyClementine

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I remember the majority of what I write because I can't forget it. My memory is awful, I forget peoples names and what I'm doing and why I walked into that room. But whatever I write somehow gets stored. I guess my brain knows its more important than all the other crap.

That, and I constantly think about my characters, and my story throughout the day. On the toilet, on the bus, I'm thinking about them. (Is the toilet thing weird?)

I get all my best ideas on the throne. Where there is no pen and no paper.
 

Dave.C.Robinson

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I use Scrivener, and it works for me. I keep the scene synopsis and general project notes open in the sidebar all the time, so I can remember the things I know I have to include but haven't written yet.

Remembering the parts I've already written is rarely a problem, and I can always jump to the right scene to check if I have to. But in general, the place I am now is the sum of everything I've already written (even the parts I write out of order), so I don't have to worry about memorization.

For me, it's understanding more than rote.
 
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