Productivity in fits and starts.
If you've hung around my LJ for long enough, you've noticed that I'm a big (huge, enormous) fan of lists. Some even call my anal retentive nature adorable. *G* I don't mind this. I get a simple, mind numbing pleasure out of lists. They're fun for me to make.
Part of this is because I freeze when there's too much work to do, but if I can break it down into tiny and discreet tasks, small and manageable steps, I can move on. The problem is that I'm also lazy and if I'm not careful and a project spins too far out and I haven't kept up and I have no idea how to break it down (either I've already frozen or it's something I haven't been able to disassemble in my head) I just-- I become Ami!Ostrich. "It's too much! BURIES HEAD IN SAND*" and it takes a looming deadline and some last minute scuffles to get it done on time. This can get really bad if I have several projects up in the air at the same time-- then it starts to resemble a 10 car pile up. After I finally get SOMETHING done, sometimes I remember how to break it down next time I do something similar, sometimes I don't as the project is too complex and large (this usually happens when I'm not the sole person in control and it's huge and immense and there are a lot of variables that depend not on research but other people's responses).
So I freeze. And I fuck up. *sigh*
I sort of feel like this applies to outlining a story. Because what outlining is, to me, is breaking down a story into tiny tidbits so I can take care of them, digest them, and move on, coming back to the work later when needed (you're never done with piece of an outline, you're only done for now). The problem is that there is no set pattern, no confirmed break down for outlining a story. There's only a general principle which you have to reform each time you start a new project. Because sometimes the characters come to without effort and sometimes you know exactly how your universe works and sometimes you have no idea how to get from point A to point F but you know you really really want to get there, and also you'd love if you could work in Points J, P and R.
Sometimes you don't need to do the entire process, breaking it down into (and this is one of my steps, depending) Objective, Thwarting Objective, Reactions, New Objective doesn't help at all because it's all in your head in scenes. Only you still have to work in your misc notes and oh crap, but there's a theme you want to work in as well. So you have to start over and recreate your process one again.
To be honest, I don't outline everything (every job, every story), I don't need to. By now I can setup a reinstalled computer in a day and be pretty sure I've got 95% of what I need fixed. I can open up word and write fanfic and short original stories from sentence one and just go go go and 25,000 words later have something that's a pretty darn good first draft. Sometimes though, I can't. It just doesn't work that way for my head.
Sometimes, this is frustrating. *throws rocks*
So. My suggestion for me, and others who have similar issues, is to find what universally can work. Most of the time.
1. I like notebooks and paper and pencils. Not to freehand write, but to jot down notes and plot points and ideas as they come. I have each story or project have its own space. Though it's not always the same type of space. I have to tell you, the plastic, erasable dividers for binders are my new favorite toy though. That and the restickable tabs. God.
2. I like printing out between major updates. So if I'm working on an outline and I've just added 2000 words to it and tweaked every scene, I'll print it out. I'll hole punch it and I'll add it to my project binder (oh ask me about those. *G*) and that night while I'm winding down I'll put scrubs on in the background and get out my mechanical pencil and big ass eraser and comment all over it. (This is why one day I think I'm getting a tablet.) For some reason, scrolling back and forth to make notes and double check facts just makes me dizzy and I lose my place.
3. I like list making. So I make lists.
*G*
Part of this is because I freeze when there's too much work to do, but if I can break it down into tiny and discreet tasks, small and manageable steps, I can move on. The problem is that I'm also lazy and if I'm not careful and a project spins too far out and I haven't kept up and I have no idea how to break it down (either I've already frozen or it's something I haven't been able to disassemble in my head) I just-- I become Ami!Ostrich. "It's too much! BURIES HEAD IN SAND*" and it takes a looming deadline and some last minute scuffles to get it done on time. This can get really bad if I have several projects up in the air at the same time-- then it starts to resemble a 10 car pile up. After I finally get SOMETHING done, sometimes I remember how to break it down next time I do something similar, sometimes I don't as the project is too complex and large (this usually happens when I'm not the sole person in control and it's huge and immense and there are a lot of variables that depend not on research but other people's responses).
So I freeze. And I fuck up. *sigh*
I sort of feel like this applies to outlining a story. Because what outlining is, to me, is breaking down a story into tiny tidbits so I can take care of them, digest them, and move on, coming back to the work later when needed (you're never done with piece of an outline, you're only done for now). The problem is that there is no set pattern, no confirmed break down for outlining a story. There's only a general principle which you have to reform each time you start a new project. Because sometimes the characters come to without effort and sometimes you know exactly how your universe works and sometimes you have no idea how to get from point A to point F but you know you really really want to get there, and also you'd love if you could work in Points J, P and R.
Sometimes you don't need to do the entire process, breaking it down into (and this is one of my steps, depending) Objective, Thwarting Objective, Reactions, New Objective doesn't help at all because it's all in your head in scenes. Only you still have to work in your misc notes and oh crap, but there's a theme you want to work in as well. So you have to start over and recreate your process one again.
To be honest, I don't outline everything (every job, every story), I don't need to. By now I can setup a reinstalled computer in a day and be pretty sure I've got 95% of what I need fixed. I can open up word and write fanfic and short original stories from sentence one and just go go go and 25,000 words later have something that's a pretty darn good first draft. Sometimes though, I can't. It just doesn't work that way for my head.
Sometimes, this is frustrating. *throws rocks*
So. My suggestion for me, and others who have similar issues, is to find what universally can work. Most of the time.
1. I like notebooks and paper and pencils. Not to freehand write, but to jot down notes and plot points and ideas as they come. I have each story or project have its own space. Though it's not always the same type of space. I have to tell you, the plastic, erasable dividers for binders are my new favorite toy though. That and the restickable tabs. God.
2. I like printing out between major updates. So if I'm working on an outline and I've just added 2000 words to it and tweaked every scene, I'll print it out. I'll hole punch it and I'll add it to my project binder (oh ask me about those. *G*) and that night while I'm winding down I'll put scrubs on in the background and get out my mechanical pencil and big ass eraser and comment all over it. (This is why one day I think I'm getting a tablet.) For some reason, scrolling back and forth to make notes and double check facts just makes me dizzy and I lose my place.
3. I like list making. So I make lists.
*G*