I prefer the 1.5″x 2″ sticky-notes in bright colors, but there are many sizes and tints to choose.

Any paper will do. I prefer pastels, with which I can differentiate the different acts of the book. (Say: four sheets of marigold paper for the chapters of Act I, five sheet of lilac for Act II, etc.) In a series, you could also use a different color paper for each book.

Punch holes in the paper, stick the paper in a three ring binder and use one sheet per chapter (or per scene) and label your sticky-notes with the beats.

Voila!

In the Unfinished Song, I use one color paper per book; I have the whole series in a single three ring binder. This way I can flip back and forth between previous (already published books), my current Work In Progress, and future books. The future books may be a little more sparsely populated by sticky notes at this point, if I haven’t done the Scene by Scene outline yet, so to indicate that I sometimes use all canary yellow sticky notes to show those scenes. That way I remember they are still uncertain. When I reach that WIP, I switch out the yellow stickies for the colored stickies that represent my PoV scenes.

I also have to remember to go back to earlier books and make sure the Sticky Note Outline reflects the final version. An outline should never been a corset that constricts the breath of the novel. The stays should be loosened as required to let the story dance.  However, it’s important that I go back and update my Sticky Note Outline after the fact, because I continue to refer to it to remind me what has gone before in the series.

For those of you on the Gonzo NaNoWriMo, here’s Day Three.

Day Three: Outline Your Novel. 

Example:

Plot Point: The guidance counselor, Mr. Cambiel, asks Clare if she will accept the role of September Knight.

Character Introduction: Jinx (fairy god-sister); Clare’s reaction — resentment, feels Jinx is there to spy on her)
Character Introduction: Zola (ghost friend); Clare’s reaction — curiosity, envies Zola’s joy and freedom

Character Introduction: Mysterious Hot Guy #1; Clare’s reaction — too shy to act on her attraction, kicks herself
Character Introduction:  Mysterious Hot Guy #2; Clare’s reaction  — too shy to act on her attraction, kicks herself

I’m also using a couple of sneaky tricks. I have a Love Triangle and also a Friendship Triangle. Clare will have to choose between two hot guys, but that won’t be completely resolved here. More importantly, she has to chose between two friends, Zola and Jinx. Although these are not a sexual or romantic relationships, the principle is exactly the same, plot wise, as a love triangle. Both friends must offer something that is attractive to Clare, making her decision difficult.

I’ll be using the Rule of Three to help out in Act Two. (She tries out for Theater, Cheerleading and Soccer), which will help me structure the second and third act.Once I have the major characters and initiating events in motion, the events for the final act will flow into a climax and conclusion. Especially since I already know the ending, thanks to the beat sheet.

Tip #15: Write Your Scene By Scene Outline

Tip #16: Track Your Progress

Tip #17: Learn to Think In Word Count

Tip #18: How Long Should Your Novel Be

Tip #19: Seven Signs Your Novel is the Wrong Length…and How to Fix It

Shiny idea is trying to hook you! Don’t bite! (Or at least don’t get reeled in…)

These are my personal tips for NaNoWriMo. You know the drill. Take only what works.

As you write, no matter how detailed your outline, new ideas will occur to you. This is a good thing. The new ideas are often an improvement or refinement, and you should go with your gut.

Mostly.

Sometimes, you need to reign in that impulse and keep on track. So how do you know? Look for these danger signs:

You find yourself off on a tangent, chasing a new idea that radically changes the direction of the book… not because your original premise was worse, but because the new thing is Shiny. It’s distracted you, like a will-o-the-wisp leading you to your doom in a forest of never finished manuscripts.

One of your characters, often armed with a subplot, has monopolized your interest, to the peril of the main character and main plot. You need to kick that usurper back to the curb. Or cut a backroom deal by promising him his very own book if he’ll just back off for now.

If you wrote an outline, you know your ending. But maybe you ignored my advice to know your ending first. Or maybe the ending you planned now strikes you as wrong. Or maybe you still know how the story will end and what you need to do to get there, but the chapters you thought would 2000 words each are turning out to be 7000 words each, so although you’ve won NaNoWriMo already / reached 50,000 words, you’re only Chapter 7 out of 30 chapters.

Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!

If any of these warning signs are occurring, step back and assess how you want to move forward. Ask yourself if you really want to pursue the Shiny, include the subplot, change your main character, write a totally different novel, or expand your novel’s length to 210,000 words.

Choose wisely.