If you’re writing a book that spans a significant period of
time, or one that packs a lot of action into a few weeks, keeping
track of what happens when is very important. Not just while you’re writing, but when you come to editing your manuscript and
decide you want to switch things around a little. You don’t want to get your dates muddled up. Continuity is important. Readers pick up on it, so it’s important to stay on top of this.
A lot of my projects end up spanning at least a year. Don’t ask me why. My debut novel, Soulmates Saga #1, is one example. When I started it, I didn’t intend for it to
cover such a long period of time, but I kept a record of all
the events that took place from the very beginning. Spreadsheets were such a big part of my day at work, I set one up for my story without really thinking about it. Turned out to be one of the best things I did.
I created a
Calendar for the novel on Microsoft Excel for the time period covered in the
story.
So, for a book that starts in January and ends in December of the year, create 7 x 5 tables for each calendar month, with Monday-Sunday in the 7 cells across the row. Use the clock on the computer to fill in the dates (according to the actual year). Then, shade in/highlight the days/dates where all the action takes place. Add a comment (using the Add Comment/New Comment feature under the Insert/Review section of Excel) to the relevant day/date with information such as:
So, for a book that starts in January and ends in December of the year, create 7 x 5 tables for each calendar month, with Monday-Sunday in the 7 cells across the row. Use the clock on the computer to fill in the dates (according to the actual year). Then, shade in/highlight the days/dates where all the action takes place. Add a comment (using the Add Comment/New Comment feature under the Insert/Review section of Excel) to the relevant day/date with information such as:
- Chapter number/title
- Event (e.g. main characters first meet)
- Birthdays/anniversaries/important milestones
Leave notes for events not covered in the story but have
taken place during the time (e.g. for back-stories, events referred to only
briefly etc.). The aim is to map out the whole novel on the event-level, and you can do this before, during, and after you've written the first draft. I recommend doing it from the start; it’s more efficient that way.
If you need to chop and change or re-jig the order of events later, you can update the spreadsheet and refer back to it when you’re writing and editing. This way, you don't confuse yourself or the reader.
If you need to chop and change or re-jig the order of events later, you can update the spreadsheet and refer back to it when you’re writing and editing. This way, you don't confuse yourself or the reader.
There might be some clever software out there that create
calendars like these, so you can experiment with those if you like, but I’m comfortable
with Excel and I’ve never looked back.
Thank you for reading this post. If you're interested in my debut novel, click the image below to learn more about it:
Book Details
Thank you for reading this post. If you're interested in my debut novel, click the image below to learn more about it:
Book Details
Length: 110,000 words
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Clean Romance / Diverse
Romance / Interracial Romance / Romantic Drama / Women’s Fiction
Mood: Inspirational / Feel Good / Coming of Age / Dark
Content: Sexy but No explicit sex scenes / No erotica
Audience: New Adult & College / Adult / Female Readers
Recommended for: Readers that enjoy romance novels with
serious issues and characters with depth. This is a story about life, love,
friendship, family, music, art, destiny and soul mates.
