I’ve always had trouble with chapter breaks. Once upon a time, I assigned chapters based on word count. Later, I decided two scene changes would be equal to one chapter. But scenes vary widely in length and content, making my two scene rule more trouble than it was worth.
This is What I Did doesn’t use proper chapter breaks, but rather journal breaks. Scenes change the way movie scenes might, flowing one to the next without any additional exposition. While using the exercise below, I realized Ann Dee’s take on chaptering is akin to storyboarding.
Consider Friday’s scenes from This is What I Did:
That was Wednesday after Scouts–my first time back because Dr. Benson said I should go and my parents agreed.
When I came home I tried not to tell Dad.
I didn’t want to say: Dad, I got kicked in the balls at Scouts and then they all made a circle around me.
Bruce: Watch the crapstock bawl, guys.
All of them: Wah Wah Wah Wah Wah!
So I went straight to my room. I was late because I was supposed to walk straight home from the church after Scouts.
And I did walk home, but not until they had all left and I was lying there on the gym floor.
* * *
Me: I’m fine, Dad.
That’s what I said because since I was late; he was knocking on my door.
Me: I’m fine, Dad.
But he wouldn’t let it go. He never lets it go.
Me: Okay, you can come in.
Dad: What’s wrong, Logan?
He was trying not to look all worried. I could tell.
Me: Nothing’s wrong.
Nothing’s wrong.
He sat on my bed and I was sitting on the floor going through my comic books–just like normal. Nothing’s wrong.
Dad: Tell me. Was it those boys again? Tell me right now. Was it Jack?
Me: There’s nothing nothing WRONG WRONG WRONG, DAD!
It came out a lot louder than I thought it would, but not as loud as it was in my head.
I never knew what to say or how to control anything anymore.
I didn’t want him to know.
Dad: You can tell me anything…anything. I won’t get mad or try to fix it: I promise.
And he says how we can’t let things go as long as they did before.
Dad: Logan, you have to tell me. You have to.
Me: I know Dad, I know. I will. If anything is wrong, I’ll tell you. I’m fine.
See how they’re tightly focused and script-like? There’s no extra material, just what’s needed. The first flows into the next, too, using the information about Scouts and the gym as a starting point for the revealing dialogue between Logan and his dad.
Storyboarding
I also use storyboarding for planning out my WIP. Though I always do an outline before writing non-fiction–copy, analysis, even memoir–I’m not much for fiction planning. Instead, I storyboard those sections of the story I find most difficult.
What exactly is storyboarding?
Simply put, it’s sketching out a sequence of story to visualize it better. It’s commonly used in film and advertising; some playwrights have also admitted to storyboarding. Can’t sketch? Not a problem. I use comic like speech balloons and stick figures to mark out important conversations, and line-draw in important objects/settings. (If it helps, you can also use photographs or magazine pictures.)
Why do I storyboard?
A couple of reasons. First, it helps me plan–I get a better sense of my story’s arc, and the board helps me get a handle on where I’m going and how without subsuming my (very limited) writing time. Second, I can pin a storyboard up near my workspace for easy reference, and easily make notes as needed. Third, I’m a visual learner, and find that looking at a board helps me see the natural breaks in a story.
Exercise
Grab a couple of your favorite books–YA or adult.
Pick a chapter somewhere near the beginning, one near the middle, and one near the end. (Stuck for time? Try using the above scenes to start.)
Note down the salient points in each chapter.
Read the chapters after, and look at how they flow. Try to see how each ensuing chapter builds on reader knowledge.
Use index cards or a storyboard template (if you’re a Mac user, Pages has one under miscellaneous templates) to visualize the chapters and the changes from one to another. Download a printable storyboard template here.
How do you handle chapter breaks? Are they obvious to you? Do you have a go-to rule?
And that’s it for my series, This is What I Learned. All feedback is welcome and appreciated. Have an idea for a post? Let me know in the comments, or email me.
[Miss the other posts in the series? See them here & here.]
Any particular reason you storyboard instead of outline? Do you do both?
@Livia – most of the time, I only storyboard. When I outline, I usually become too obsessed with detail, and with making the story fit the outline, rather than letting it evolve naturally. Storyboarding lets me see the big picture–the things I need to include to get the story where it’s going–while keeping the story fluid, so the characters etc. can grow naturally. On rare occasions–really only if the story is a bit convuluted–I outline, but I try to keep it to only the pertinent details.
When I’m writing non-fiction, though–copy, news articles, or memoir–I plan everything. I think this is because the work is much more linear.
How do you work, Livia?
I do a scene list, and then add or subtract scenes as the story develops. I usually start writing a few key scenes from the middle, and then the storyline will usually change as I write.
I like the idea of starting in the middle–helps you get the action etc. going. I’m not sure I could do it, though. I jump around a bit when I’m writing, but usually only after I’ve written a few chapters, starting at the beginning. I think it’s just my way of working out where the story is going.
How much do your storylines change once you’ve started? Are the changes usually small, or decidedly plot-changing?