Despite the fact that I am a visual first kind of person I sometimes have trouble visualizing things. Here’s an example.
I am at the moment working on a short story/novella that I will add to my newsletter sign-up as a gift to new subscribers. I talked working on the writing of it here.
But while I am working on the story I tend to have a white room problem in my first draft. That means I know what is supposed to happen and who talks about what, but where that takes place is murky at best. One way I clear up the murky for myself so that I can describe it best for the reader is by making maps.
Here is the current version of the map for the story in progress:
While I am creating the map I am developing both the setting and my understanding of the setting. I gives me handholds that I can grab onto to ground the story in the fictional reality.
The above is of course not the first version of the map. My first sketch was a quick layout of the three parts of the shrine. My second sketch was a more detailed pen and ink development. The third map illustration (current version above) is a digital reworking of the pen and ink sketch.
Rough Sketch
Pen & Ink
The final that will be published with the story will be a tweaked version of the current map. What it will look like will depend on how much more time I need to spend ruminating on the story before I am happy with the setting.
As to the writing of the story itself, things have progressed and changed a lot. Where it was intended as a novella of about 25 thousand words it has been reworked as a short story that is currently 8.5 thousand words. The original novella idea grew too fast and morphed into a short novel and I had to do a complete reboot.
I am very happy with how the shorter story is progressing but I find it difficult to know how to indicate progress. A bar as if I have used before cannot fully explain the progress so let me try and put it in words:
- I have done a first draft clarifying the main actions, or the bones of the story (that was about 7 thousand words).
- I am working through a second draft clarifying the details of the story. I am currently halfway through this process and the story have grown to 8.5 thousand words.
- Next I have to make sure every part of the story adds up to the effect and theme that have developed. This might mean cutting some words, or adding some. I never know.
- Lastly would be an edit to make the story shine. This will probably mean cutting some words.
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