Yolanda Sfetsos on Writing Fiction

The Importance of Keeping Notes

Hi there! Firstly, I want to thank Cyrus for inviting me here today. It's great to be here.

You know, when I was thinking about writing this post, I was going to chat a little about my latest Damnation Books release, BOUNDLESS. Instead, I decided it might be a better idea to chat about something else. Something that relates to writing in general. It's also how I shape my ideas into stories.

I have to admit that I'm not much of a plotter. I've tried it, and can usually put together an outline for the first five chapters without a problem. But can't get past that point. I'm probably closer to a pantser than anything else. When I say closer, I mean that I've morphed a little during the last few years. There was a time when all I needed to know was my main characters and the basic story, before I started writing. But nowadays, I like to pick up a notebook and pen, write down all of the ideas I have for the story to make sure it all makes sense. That means a one-page outline detailing the general plot. That's usually enough to get my creativity flowing.

After that, I find myself adding to these notes all the time. Things pop out on nowhere, almost as if the story's already forming somewhere in the back of my brain and has decided to slip out one bit at a time. I love the process!

For me, taking notes is an ongoing thing. I think it's important to keep detailed notes of all of your ideas and stories. Trust me, it helps when you write more than one novella/novel set in the same world. And if you're like me, and usually forget to grab a notebook and pen to take with you when you're out walking, make sure you've at least got your phone with you.

Here's my tip for the day: If you're out and about and inspiration strikes, pull out your phone and get typing. You should never let anything slip away. I've got Quickoffice on my Nokia phone, and not only does it let me type notes up, but I can then download them straight to my computer. Technology has helped the note-taking evolve, so there should never be any excuse for you to lose anything valuable. ;)

Thanks for reading!

Alyce Kerr, Faith Healer Trilogy

Now available from Damnation Books.

Or visit my website for information about the print versions.

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Yolanda Sfetsos
http://www.yolandasfetsos.com/

Yolanda Sfetsos lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband, daughter, and cat. She loves to spend most of her days writing stories. Her muse doesn't like genre restrictions and is always happy to toe the dark edge of storytelling. When she’s not writing she spends as much time as possible with her small family. She also enjoys watching movies, TV shows and reading.