This is part of the Claim Your AUTHORity series.
At one point while writing Chasing Sylvia Beach, I deleted 15,000 words of interior monologue. The book was a mess, and cutting this much was just the beginning of making order from chaos.
It was like I’d been driving with a mud-caked windshield and now it had been wiped clean. I could see the book’s plot and had clarity on how to drive forward.
Now, I advocate the freewheeling free writing method, where you riff on the story or the material in your non-fiction book. This is a good way to write past your inner critic and to just get your ideas down on paper.
But it can also lead to a mess that has you questioning your sanity.
Even outlining can make your material seem unwieldy and chaotic. You start writing about one thing and then realize you could also add this, and that and the other thing. Soon your book is a multi-tentacled monster that you have no control over.
How to sort through the chaos
First, it helps to know that at some point with every project your material will be a mess. Messiness is part of the creative process, not a sign that you’re inept and hopeless.
Organizing your work is essential. You’ll know what’s right for you when you find it. Here are some practices to try. These apply to both non-fiction (how-to, memoir) and fiction (novels or short story collections).
Break into pieces
If you’re writing on the computer, consider a series of documents (individual chapters or sections) instead of one long document. It can be very difficult to scroll through a whole book in one document while writing and editing.
When I look at the first draft of my novel from 1999, I see a handful of documents. I was hacking away at scenes as I built my way to a cohesive narrative.
See it
Tactile, visual approaches can help sort material. Seeing your work in form can help:
- Scenes or concepts on index cards
- Story outlined in a linear timeline
- Mindmap of content or characters
There are many other ways to see your material. Check out this article about using index cards to manage your book’s material.
Stay calm
Here’s the scoop: your book will change and morph and grow. It will end up different than what you thought it would look like. But if you know your original impulse for the book and are aligned with your ultimate purpose for the book, you’ll sort it out.
Be sure to check out an earlier article about how to structure your book for more tips on sorting out your material.
What questions do you have about how to manage the mess that is a manuscript in process? What helps you sort out the mess of a draft?
Download a .pdf of this article.
Thanks for the great tips Cynthia! I really like the “see it” advice. I’ve never used index cards, but it definitely seems like a good way to visualize what’s going on in the MS.
Oh my goodness! I’ve just pinned you! I’ve been writing in a insulated bubble and your words resonated and reflected my trials and tribulations…. At one point my story was a complete, utter mess. I told my self I was writing the Native American way, in a circle, and that all would be revealed. Fortunately, I also discovered Scrivener software that helped me organize just like you say here. A ‘binder’ on one side with all my chapters… and the ‘index cards’ on the other side.
I’m just so glad I found your blog. I don’t feel so alone now.
Thanks so much, Chris
Thank you so much, Chris, for this sweet comment.
It can be very confusing to sort out all the material in a book. And often it is a mess! I wrote this to help hold the hands of people writing books – to hang in there through the chaos and to leave breadcrumbs to help lead their way out.
I like the idea of the Native American way to write – in a circle. You may be on target with that. Don’t let that go; just be sure your book is leading the reader somewhere.
I love your art. Especially Life is simple…it’s just not easy.
Thanks for taking the time to comment! Good luck with your book!