Writing Checklist

[miriam_e]

I thought this up ages ago and have tried to use it each time I write something. Generally, I've failed dismally. This NaNoWriMo attempt I'm trying to find ways to force myself to use it.

things to mention in a story

settings:

• time
• color
• bright/dark
• size
• temperature
• humidity
• texture
• wet/dry/sticky
• soft/hard
• shiny/dull
• smell -- mainline to emotions
• sounds
• echoic/dead ambience
• loud/quiet ambience
• height
• angle (incline/lean/point of view)
• activity/peacefulness
• relaxed/tension

people:
People have different traits, mental capabilities, blind spots, and failings... annoying & pleasant attributes & quirks

• clothes
• hair
• color
• style
• length
• shiny/dull
• eyes
• iris
• pupils
• lashes
• eye shape
• eyebrow
• height
• build
• mouth
• fingernails
• earrings, other piercings
• ornaments:
• necklace
• brooch
• rings
• anklets
• bracelets
• watch
• belt
• footwear & gloves
• mood
• personality
• quickness of mind
• irascibility/calmness
• perceptiveness
• observant
• judgemental/tolerant
• needing approval/confident
• quiet/loud
• fast/slow talker
• graceful movements/clumsy
• suave/awkward
• centered-calm/flighty-excitable
• nervous/self-assured/defensive
• open to new things/entrenched
• mannerisms (voluntary & involuntary)
• habits of speech (common phrases)
• flexible/obstinate
• optimist/pessimist
• sense of humor/serious
• verbal skills
• trusting/suspicious
• care of physical appearance
• physique (endo/meso/ectomorph)

Characters make mistakes:

• misinterpret what others mean
• go the wrong way
• look in wrong direction
• pick up wrong thing
• jump to wrong conclusion

Characters say/do unexpected things

Characters look before they leap and question before they do

Make use of characters' lack of knowledge to ask questions in order to make expository lumps more digestible (e.g. "What was the name of that thing that 'death' carries?" "A scythe?" "Yes, he cut the weeds with a scythe.")

use unexpected things -- they are refreshing

Useful to punctuate the story with comedy as relief from the drama and expository bits.

Wall-to-wall dialogue can be a problem. It helps to have significant quiet spaces.

Comments

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

:) I'm glad. Hope it's useful to you.

I'm finding it helpful for me. I've altered the people parts of the list slightly, joining them into one and I've been filling out copies of it for each of the characters. It has the effect of bringing them clearly into my mind's eye. My head is very foggy from this damn medication so I kinda need tools like this at the moment I think. (I'll be so glad when I'm back to normal in February.)

Actually, I'll re-edit the list above to be the same as what I'm using.

[(Anonymous)]

I plan on using it as a tool during the edit phase of "Throwaway Lives". It'll help me beef up the details etc.