How to write that novel you were planning to write someday.

Kenny! This one's for you! :D

The neat and organised people at LifeClever have a blogpost up about how to get your "someday project" done, which can be adapted to your novel-in-progress.

It's easy, you triangulate. But what does that even mean, "triangulate"? Divide the novel into triangles?

No, you do it one step at a time, muchacho. (Sorry, I've been reading Duma Key).

Here's what the fine folks at LifeClever have to say about that:

Stephen King once wrote, and I’m paraphrasing, that creative ideas are there in your mind but buried, and it’s your job to dig them out of the sand. Think of Michelangelo chipping David out of the marble. He didn’t sculpt an arm, then another arm, then a torso, and so on, finally cobbling it all together. Instead, he chipped away at a complete shape, gradually honing in on it from different angles.

So, first of all, think of your idea as complete and whole, ready to be unearthed. Now, you just need to find it. Just as triangulation can determine the source of a signal, creative triangulation can find your idea by zeroing in on it from different angles.

1. Shut out all external distractions: quit Outlook, close the door, shut off your cellphone, etc.
2. Set out 3 index cards (or shorties).
3. Set your trusty timer for 5 minutes.
4. Make 3 choices about your project.

It’ll take a lot less than 5 minutes, but the timer’s to keep you from dithering around and staring into space.

There's lots more nifty advice worth checking out, so head there if you need that extra boost getting into your novel-in-progress.

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Ted Mahsun

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