: Re: How do I stay motivated while planning a series of novels? I've been working on a fantasy series for the past few years. When I first started, I wrote my first draft (for the first book)

@Jessie137

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What you describe is a normal part of plotting and rewriting. Ideas almost always improve if you return later and spot the clichés that need to be subverted.

Just stay organized so your out-of-order inspiration sessions and random plot notes can be accessed and edited quickly.

The Snowflake Method is a process where a large narrative is constructed by first sketching-in the broad themes and then expanding them into more detailed versions, again and again until you have the novel. I use Scrivener, first as an index card board to slide the major plot points around, then flesh-out the details similar to Snowflake – I just call it the index card method (but I am not selling a book or software so there might be a cleverer name for it).

Scrivener is easy to split a file in-line, so as the outline becomes chapters and chapters become scenes the whole project can grow organically. It still has the index card metaphor where entire blocks of scenes can be re-arranged by dragging the files in the hierarchy. It's also great for adding a quick note to an earlier scene to include Chekov's gun, without interrupting the inspiration flow.

Ultimately you want to keep the organization of plotting with the spontaneity of discovery writing. That requires good editing tools that let you work on the larger structure down to the granular scene.

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