Monday 21 June 2010

Storyboarding - The Short Version

I'm always so envious when I see other writers going to elaborate lengths to plot, picture, graph and colour their way into their stories. To be honest, it makes me feel slightly sick - in the "good grief, why can't I do that before I start my stories/is this why my stories are so crap?" kind of way. Feelings of gross inadequacy have overwhelmed me when confronted by such scenes resulting in massive consumption of wine and/or chocolate.

But if there's one thing I've learnt in my (mostly) sober writing journey, it's this - Everyone does things differently. For me, it's:



Hero
&
Heroine










Castle




In case the excruciatingly short storyboard didn't give you a clue, this is how it works:

"get an idea=>play the 'what if' game=> find hero=> find heroine=>find location=>start writing".

Right or wrong, that is the way I've been most comfortable writing. I think it's the "unknown" that makes it a thrill to write, although sometimes I wish that unknown wouldn't involve forgetting my hero's eye colour or wondering whether the heroine was a blonde or redhead in chapter four ;). But, alas, after wasted time "exploring" storyboards, it's time to own up - I'm Maya and I have no idea how to storyboard.

I know there are writers out there who will make me feel even sicker with envy than I do right now, but it's okay, you can still share...xx

Maya

16 comments:

  1. I love your formula, chica! Do what works.

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  2. Maya, I confess, I don't always storyboard either. I rarely cast my heroiines, and I typically don't cast my heroes, but I did last time and I have some real life inspiration for my Russian, as you saw.. Pasha... *pants*

    I did storyboard my Russian and his Jewelry model because I have this freaking fun little app for my iPad called corkulous that makes it too fun to resist!

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  3. Thanks, Piper. Yeah, figured I'd go with the easiest option, chicken that I am :)

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  4. Ooooh, maybe I can use that excuse to get myself one of those iPads? Nnnnaaah, don't think that'll quite fly with the purse-keeper! See, there you go making me all green again ;)

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  5. Maya, I don't storyboard at all. Sometimes I might scan a few images to get an idea of a place but that's it. Real people put me off. :-) The only thing I do beforehand (nowadays) is do brief character bios so I have an idea of conflict and background.
    Still, wants iPad...

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  6. Jackie, I lol'd at the "real people put me off". Aren't your characters real? Mine move into my house and put their feet up on my sofa until I've told their story. Nah, I know what you mean ;). Tried the character bio thing, and realised I never look at it anyway, so that was of no use! *Sigh*

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  7. Have never storyboarded either, Maya.
    And am always totally swamped by a feeling of inadequacy when I see one.

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  8. Well, pull up a chair at my "pantser" table, Sri, it's great to know I have company ;)

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  9. What's a storyboard? I'll admit I tend to spend a lot of time before starting a new story doing 'research', googling locations and landscapes, but the most 'plotting' I now do, is a synopsis that outlines the conflict, then I sit down and write. Or I plan to sit down and write.

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  10. P.S. That's an amazing castle. Where is it?

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  11. Storyboarding is plotting your story on an actual board, complete with pictures, colour cards for H/h, conflict, black moment, different scenes, etc! Michelle Styles had a picture of hers on the eharl once. Frightened the life out of me, lol.

    Castle's in Switzerland on the shores of Lake Geneva. Stunning, isn't it?

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  12. LOVE that castle. Want to live there - now.

    XX

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  13. Sure, no problem Sue, you can have the East Wing!

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  14. Maya, I don't storyboard either. I get a couple of pics of hero/heroine to help me out at the beginning, but usually discard them after about chapter 3, when I see the characters in my head and the pics just get in the way. I do a chapter grid on a flip chart for turning points etc, and if I'm virtuous, put the whole thing into mindmap, with each chapter detailed, but I do that after I've written the chapter, not before.
    Pantster at heart!

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  15. sally, I'd say you're a pantser with structure, lol. Flip chart? Oy! Is this an online one or an actual flip chart?

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