I don't have any really special techniques but I'd add that it's okay to take your time, figuring out your own process can take a while (years). And everything is a trick you can try once and keep or discard. There aren't really rules.

@MeredithPhillipsWrites

9 ай бұрын

Oh for sure! I’ve tried all kinds of things over the years and it took all that time to figure out what works for me now. And it’ll probably change even more in the years to come!

(Answering the call to imagine a good message for your screen saver - I have 2) 1. You could have the points you are going over so instead of putting text, don't he screen, we can see it behind you on the screen. 2. Leave it like you have it. It's great. Or you could do something another meta like you've done, something like "This is not here."

So glad to know I'm not the only one who does the or in the middle of a brain dump! I'm a huge fan of writing my "finalized" outline on index cards, using different colors for the different acts. Each card symbolizes a scene and has one or two sentences about the scene. I usually end up adding character cards in there with all the basic info on them and have some additional cards on any world building elements since I primarily write fantasy.

@MeredithPhillipsWrites

9 ай бұрын

Soooo many "or"s in there, haha! Or lots of capitals when I'm really excited about something 😂

I always love seeing how other people plan and prepare for NaNo. I do the calendar sometimes because it can be useful just to see it all plotted out. Will do a school timetable as well on occasion!

@MeredithPhillipsWrites

9 ай бұрын

I'd be so lost without the calendars 😅

Ive been at this writing and outlining thing for years and NEVER thought of using a literal calendar to plan events out! Thanks for the tip, will definitely use it!

@MeredithPhillipsWrites

9 ай бұрын

It saves me sooo many times while outlining and drafting!

Love that I'm not the only one who bounces all over the place with all the "steps" 😅 Enjoyed the video!

@MeredithPhillipsWrites

9 ай бұрын

Thank you! And yeah, the steps all sort of meld together at some point, haha!

Loved this, very helpful! I had no intention of writing a book right now but my characters have decided that I won’t be sleeping until I start paying attention to them so… here we are 😅 New to this whole thing so looking for some ideas for how to even begin to work out what my process might be!

@MeredithPhillipsWrites

9 ай бұрын

haha I know that feeling all too well! I'm glad the video was helpful and I hope you have the BEST time working on your book. Honestly, one of my favorite books to write was my very first one because I was just _so excited_ about it, even though I had no idea what I was doing 😅

I love your inspiring videos and how you focus on writing and content of a book ❤ Thank you

@MeredithPhillipsWrites

9 ай бұрын

Ahhh thank you! 😊

I love the questions you ask about the characters!

@MeredithPhillipsWrites

9 ай бұрын

Right?! They really help me narrow my focus and get those basic details in place.

Amazing video as usual Mery!

@MeredithPhillipsWrites

9 ай бұрын

You're the best, ZK 🥰

Love the idea of problem and strategy for the author. Haven’t heard of that before

@MeredithPhillipsWrites

9 ай бұрын

It's helped me a lot! Sometimes it's made very clear that the scene is unnecessary or lacks direction.

5:11 I love your screensaver 😂

@MeredithPhillipsWrites

9 ай бұрын

hahaha gotta remind myself not to take things too seriously 😅

I only realized that myself recently, that there are scenes in between beats.

@MeredithPhillipsWrites

9 ай бұрын

Isn't that the best realization? Maybe I should have figured that out sooner, but it was such a relief once I did!

Hi Meredith: Great video! Questions: What does the Intro H1/H2 stand for in the scene sheet? Does Phase 1 mean Act 1? Thanks!

@MeredithPhillipsWrites

9 ай бұрын

Thank you! "H" stands for 'hero' and/or 'heroine' in Romancing the Beat. So those are the scenes in which you're introducing the two main love interests. And yes, she uses 'phase' instead of 'act.'

@lauramyers2276

9 ай бұрын

@@MeredithPhillipsWrites Thanks! ☺️💜