A Couple of Things One Can Do with Bible Study Notes

    Note-taking is great. It can be a little rushed, sometimes, but when there's no serious pressure to catch every single bit of information, the process is fun and the result is satisfying. And when the subject of the notes is the Bible, or a sermon given by someone talking about the Bible, it's particularly special. Because the material we're taking notes on is the written word of God, and His wisdom is relevant and applicable to every aspect in life.
    But what does a person do when they've got a bunch of Bible study notes though? It seems sad to gather up so many gems of knowledge only to put it in a folder and not look at it again. Finding ways to keep the notes in mind and in constant application is a nice goal, but how to go through with it?
    Well, one thing a person can do with Bible study notes is sort the information into topics like faith, Christ's divinity, or verses about family relationships. This way, key verses and biblical concepts are easy to locate, and each piece of information has personal significance to the person who arranged it.
    Another use for study notes is to make copies and share them with others. One week there was a really popular study series going on at my church, but a family member couldn't make it, so I typed out my notes for her. She kept them, read them, and then gave it to another relative who didn't make it to the study either. The notes obviously weren't a word-for-word transcription of the study, but it got the main ideas down, and they said it was informational.
    It's also really nice to sit down every once and a while and reread notes just for the sake of revisiting the particular study. It's an opportunity to recall lessons learned, figure out the solution to unanswered questions, and memorize concepts supported by God's word. Plus, notes make very nice material for meditation.
    In addition to these things, there's a wonderful concept that creates a nice idea. Very recently, the leader of a Bible study I attend  said that when we read something in God's word that seems directed right at us, we should write it down because it's a personal lesson from Him. Having one particular document or even a book full of these special  things learned would be amazing not just because it'd help remember specific things the Lord has pointed out to us, but because it's really touching to be able to look back and point out all these moments of instruction He's given.
    So there are a couple things one can do with notes from Bible studies. Do you do any of them? Do you have any other ways that you utilize study notes?

Things I've Learnd from Preparing to Rewrite

    I've been working on preparing to rewrite a manuscript lately. Not actually revising it yet, but just preparing to by creating a guideline of notes to follow. I've found that when I just dive into revising a work, making changes one chapter at a time, overall plot problems are overlooked because I can't see the story as a whole. Editing a book involves adjusting the plot and characters and making sure everything's balanced, and it can be pretty hard to do that when one doesn't prepare beforehand.
    I haven't really revised a long writing piece like the one I'm working on now in a very long time, so I've had to play with note-taking strategies for rewriting chapters. This experience has been fun and interesting, and I've learned some very helpful concepts in the process; I hope you don't mind if I share some! :)

There's no "perfect" way to take notes,
but I find typed notes more convenient
and neat, provided that they're
eventually printed.

     Thing Number One that I realized: when one has a computer with which to take notes, they should use it! During my first attempt to take notes on the manuscript, I wrote by hand. I got the basic ideas down, but when I was finished, I noticed that I had notes in later sections that I should be able to see while working on earlier chapters, but I couldn't exactly move them there because it wouldn't all fit in the margin (plus, cluttering up the margin like that makes the paper hard to read). So I ended up copying all my written notes onto a computer document, and not only was it quicker, but I found it easier to add more ideas that came to mind.
    Thing Number Two that I learned while preparing to rewrite: prioritizing is very, very important. The notes that one takes when preparing for a revision is what they'll be paying close attention to when they start rewriting. When I start my revisions, I plan to study each section carefully, taking in everything; too much unnecessary information (like a character's physical description, when the current rewrite is only focusing on plot) will seriously slow down the revision process, and create distractions. I've had to resist the urge to write down every really awesome bit of dialogue or funny moment that I read, and just write down what I'll be needing, but now I see it's been worth it because the concise notes won't have to be sifted through later.

These are my chapter cards.

And this is the calendar; it was great for
solidifying the plot structure.

    Thing Number Three that I've learned: preparing for a rewrite should have multiple mediums. Not just notes that point out problems, but visuals that help one understand the structure of the story. For my own manuscript, I ended up making little "chapter cards," each with one or two sentences summarizing a chapter. Laying them out and using small objects to highlight chapters with certain elements (like putting strands of yarn on chapters where the antagonist appears, or placing pencils between cards that occur on different days), I could see the story as a whole, notice imbalances, and be more able to tell when chapters need to be added or removed. In addition to the cards, I also typed up a calendar, which really helped with making the timeline of the story clear.

It's so satisfying to have a finished set of notes
at the end. :)

    And finally; Thing Number Four that I've learned: keep working. Not for hours on end, attempting to write quality notes and plans for twenty chapters in a single morning, (because when that isn't impossible, it's utterly exhausting),but just making sure to keep working consistently. Like during any other stage of the writing process, when one stops thinking about a story, or takes a long break from working on it, the details and the mindset for the story fades from memory, and one loses the sort of groove they had when they were working on the manuscript every day. So even if it's just one chapter's worth of notes, I think it's worth taking the time to complete it.
    So these are a few things that came to my attention while preparing to work on Draft Number Two. What about you? What kind of things do you do to prepare for a revision?

Things I Learned from The Hunger Games

    The Hunger Games is possibly one of the most popular series in modern day; a trilogy of books, four movies, and a gigantic fandom . . . When I finally got to reading this series a while ago, one of my first reactions was, Wow; this writing is great! I learned so many writing techniques from it, including:
    Narration. Personally, I thought it was what stood out first. Katniss's voice is clear, very distinct, and she totally sounds like a sixteen year old girl. Though Katniss is hardened by a rough life and required to know a lot more than the typical teenager does, she acts her age.One of my writer fears is that as I get older, I'll write young characters who don't act or think like actual people their age do, but Suzanne Collins clearly does not have this problem.
    Pacing. Oooh, so you don't have to describe scenes moment-by-moment. This book had fantastic pacing. Rather than write every single action that happens and every place Katniss walks through, there are some parts where it's just briefly mentioned. Like saying "they went to the cafeteria" instead of "they walked out of the room, through the hall, into and down the elevator, went through another hall, and entered the cafeteria two doors down." There was no fluff in the writing. The pacing flowed smoothly, seamlessly, carrying the reader from event to dialogue to action, and so on.
    Humor. The funny moments in this book really balance out the more grisly events of the novel. Some sources of humor in this somewhat gloomy setting were Katniss's sarcasm, Haymitch Abernathy, Effie Trinket, and some scenes where Haymitch and Effie collide. The presence of these humorous characters act as sort of an alleviation in what could otherwise be a very tight, sinister setting, and Katniss's wit is just really balanced well with other parts of her personality.
    The training scenes. In the story, Katniss, Peeta, and all the other tributes have to go through extensive training. These scenes are shown in the book, but they're not boring or too long or anything. The length is reasonable enough to show that a lot of time is invested in preparation, but not enough to make it seem like time is dragging on and on. Plus, the training scenes don't just push the plot forward, but there's some foreshadowing, added conflict, and character development. The scenes are really utilized to their fullest extent without crowding them up with information.
    Killing is not justified or romanticized. This was one of the reasons I stayed away from the series until I was older. I feared that the story was beefed up with characters who kill and then justify it with "them or me" without any qualms, but that's not the way it is. Katniss does take lives in the story, but one was an accident, and one was a mercy killing. She understands that the killings in the Hunger Games are murders, she is horrified and repulsed by the death she sees, and she's haunted by it throughout the whole series. In a story like this, death would be inevitable, but I sort of admire how Collins carefully handled the subject in this first book.
    Wounds and consequences were realistic. One of the things that's fantastic about novels is that there's more room to add and go into details. In The Hunger Games, details are definitely given attention. The arena is a synthesized forest, so Katniss has to constantly hunt for food and fresh water. The authenticity of the hunting/cooking details are also impressive, going beyond mentioning only shooting arrows and cooking over a fire. There's also a part where Katniss is very, very close to a large explosion, and she suffers the consequence of partial deafness. This kind of thing isn't always touched on in TV serieses or movies, so I found the realistic consequence almost refreshing.
    So there are the major writing things I picked up while I was reading. What about you? What's your favorite writer thing about The Hunger Games?

Having a Dictionary at Hand

    Sometimes when I'm doing a Bible study, I have a dictionary at hand. And whenever I see a word that's particularly interesting, I look it up.
    Not because I don't know the definition. No, I understand what the words mean. But looking into the definition more thoroughly can further develop my idea of the word. Compromise, for example, can mean coming up with an evenly fair agreement, but it can also mean appeasement. The difference between these two definitions is major, and understanding this gives a clearer picture of the event it's used to talk about. Like, say, the response of a king to an enemy's threats.
    Atonement, propitiation, and compromise are some of the words I've looked up during Bible study. Do you ever take out a dictionary to look into words more deeply?

A Few Ways to Research

    Researching. I never really considered how important it is to do this before beginning to write a story. Sure, you've got to know a thing or two and eventually have it all laid out in that final draft. But why put off writing the amazing story idea to study? Couldn't you just skip it at first and figure out the information as you go along? Couldn't you add it while writing the first draft?
    Yes, one can do that. I tried it, but it ended up taking me over a year to finish that manuscript with the proper research, and when I eventually go back to edit it, there'll undoubtedly be a whole lot of inconsistencies.
    Not that something like this will happen to everyone who doesn't take days to research. But still, taking at least a few hours to diligently learn about subjects in the story (like technology or climate or diseases) would probably be a good idea. Here are a few of my own ideas of how to research for a story:
    Books. There's nothing like 'em! Longer than articles and dedicated solely to one subject, it's a valuable resource to read and reread. When one goes to the library in search of books, they can find numerous different books on the subject, a wider variety of useful facts. And if one actually owns a book on the subject, they can annotate it and highlight key portions, which makes finding the information again easier.
    The Internet. The Internet can be such a well of knowledge. Doctors, engineers, scientists, historians, and other experts publish articles and have blogs on which they provide priceless information. Though on the other hand, there are a bunch of things posted on the Internet that aren't true, written by people with serious misconceptions. Articles or statements that don't cite sources or mention anything that authorizes the information might not be accurate. And of course, while the Internet is a well of knowledge, it is also the home of an abundance of ways to get distracted for hours. Self-discipline might need to be exercised in order to stay on track.
    A similar novel or movie. This method of research is fun! Watching and re-watching a cool movie, reading and re-reading an awesome novel, writing and thinking about them while taking notes . . . There is a lot that a person can learn by analyzing a similar work. Dialogue in accordance to genre, sequence of events, character relationships, and lines or moments that were memorable are all useful to have in mind while writing. Of course, in this form of research, a person has to be careful to not copy the other work, or to think more about the published work than their own story. Then the similar work becomes a distraction instead of something to learn from.
    Field trip! Field trips are basically when a person plans a small excursion either to a place  or to focus on an activity. If there's a woodland setting in the story, and there's a forest-like park near where you live, you can take a walk there. It'll be a great opportunity to write a description of the setting, or even to record part of the walk for future reference. As for the other field trip method, it can be done almost anywhere as long as the necessary materials are there. If you have a character who makes or uses a paracord in the story, you can get instructions and a few ropes and learn to make one. The experience can give vital information that one wouldn't have thought about if they'd never done it themselves (like in the paracord example; usually you have to solder the ends of the rope to keep the completed cord from unraveling, and soldering isn't something anyone can do at any time).
   Find an expert and chat. This might not always be doable (particularly when the subject or research is a little out-of-the-ordinary, like daily life in the 1800s), but if you can find someone who knows a thing or two about the subject, their knowledge is pure gold. Taking notes is a must, but since a person usually can't write as fast as one can talk, recording the conversation (with permission) is ideal.
    Taking notes throughout the whole research process is important, and so is keeping them organized. Because what good are twenty pages of notes if you can't find them? It might help to have a folder to hold all of the research information, and a place to put that folder so that it won't get lost.
    So there are my thoughts. What do you think? Have you ever undertaken a period of research before diving into writing an awesome story?

A Few More Tips For Note-Taking

    Note taking: a way to learn new writing/plotting techniques, and watch an awesome series marathon-style without feeling guilty about it.
    I've written a post on things to consider while note-taking before, but it was pretty short. Here are some more ideas that I didn't mention in the last one. :)
    Special vocabulary/terms/slang. Every place in the world pretty much has their own vocabulary. Same with fiction. The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld has a whole new vocabulary and an honorific system. But it's not just science fiction or fantasy or historical fiction that can have special terms. Most cities/regions have their own nicknames for objects that outsiders have to learn.
    Subplots. Because you can't have just one plot. Things would seem flat, one-dimensional. Life is never as simple as only having issues in one aspect of life. People--real and fictional--have problems and happenings on multiple plains. Family matters, school dilemmas, inner issues (like self-doubt or a feeling of inadequacy), romantic relationships. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins has at least three subplots along with the main issue of the rebellion's war against the Capitol: Katniss's love triangle with Peeta and Gale, her attempts to protect her family, and the fact that she's battling depression, guilt, and a wheelbarrow of other traumatic scars. The main character's juggling chainsaws; there's never a dull moment in the story!
    The main goal of the characters. What is the thing that everyone is working towards? This is a nice thing to take note of because in a novel, the characters' work should build up to one large climax, not multiple small ones. An example of a sentence like this could be: "The characters are working towards stopping the antagonist from receiving and selling plans of mass destruction to other bad guys."
    The main problem that the characters have. Like the main goal, a main issue might be a good thing to identify. There can be lots of problems in a story, but it's particularly awesome when they all comprise one thematic issue. For example: "The protagonists need each other, but they can't get along!"
    Particularly powerful/awesome lines and scenes. The lines that make you laugh out loud in public. Actions that surprised you as a reader. Things the character said that you'll never forget. It's nice to write these down (or write a sentence-long summary of the scene) not only because they'd be cool to tape to a mirror, but because they can be analyzed. What made that statement so funny? What factors made that scene so powerful?
    Special information. I read a great novel where the setting was a cooking competition show, and it definitely could not have been written so well if the information was just Googled. The author clearly had experience. They knew exactly what they were talking about because they'd experienced aspects of what the characters did. Having an idea of what exact sort of information they took from their library of knowledge pertaining to their skill could be used when writing about a skill of your own.
    Writing style. Are things written in a way where every moment is described in detail, or are there a lot of summarizations of character action? Does the writer use a lot of jargon, or do they use description to explain what the character is doing? What sort of words are being used; complicated ones or words that everyone knows?
    Opinions as you read/watch. If you've ever gotten critique and the critiquing person tells you things that they thought as they read for the first time, you know how awesome it is. It gives vital information on which exact words made a person feel something most, how a description/the actions of a character portray them, and how fun it was for the reader while they were reading the story. Reviewing one's own opinions of another story can help in identifying which passages should be analyzed most.
    End thoughts of what aspects were great. At the end of the long adventure of reading/watching, not being caught up in one particular part of the book/show/movie, what are your overall thoughts? What was the best scene? The subplot that was done best? What are the best parts, and how can one use similar techniques in their own story?
    End thoughts of what aspects weren't so great, or were really bad. We learn from mistakes too--maybe even more than from successes. If you despised the story, why? Was there just one aspect that spoiled the rest of a great book? How can one avoid making the same mistake?
    Do you have any of these factors in mind when you take notes on a novel, movie, or TV show? What do you take notes in--a specific notebook, or random pages of paper?

Things I've Learned From The Selection by Kiera Cass

    Last week, I finally read The Selection. No, not the whole series. Just the first book in the series.
    Yeah, I know. How on earth could I have not read The Selection within the four years it's been published and raved about? Just didn't take the time, I guess. But last week I finally decided to check out the legendary story.
    And wow, now I understand why it's so popular! There are a bunch of things the author did fantastically, the story was interesting from the start, now I want to completely explore this setting Kiera Cass has created, and man this book is really cool!
    Plus, as a writer, I picked up a bunch of writing things as I read (hooray, constructive writer habit!). Here are a few of them:
    Setting. It's one of the things I heard was done really well in this series before I started reading. And that claim has been proven! There isn't (at least in my opinion) an information dump on a single page. Aspects and parts of America's world and its history are explained briefly when it's relevant to what's currently happening to her--like for example, the way Illea came to be is explained while America listening to a history lesson. The explanations that America gives in her narration are naturally phrased, simple, and are connected to what she's doing/where she is.
    The protagonist America is also really likeable. Her narration isn't flawlessly grabbing in the first sentence (though maybe no book has that), but her relatable, interesting personality pulls you in. America loves her family and her boyfriend. She adores singing, doesn't whine about working all the time, and she's sympathetic towards lower "castes" in her society. We can sympathize with her when she mourns the unfairness of social classes, and by the end of Chapter Three I was glad when she was happy.
    America also does the unexpected. Knowing that she can't stand the prince at first, you might figure that she would be a little cold, but would at least be silently cold. But the way she actually spoke to him on their first meeting? Jaw drop! The part where she says she says she's going to stay to enjoy the food is one of my favorite lines in the book!
    How do you make an entire trilogy about a dating competition when the guy already likes the protagonist? I'd wondered that before reading the story. Were the parents interfering? Were there some kind of weird court rules that the couple had to overcome? Was the prince just stuck up or majorly indecisive? No. I was surprised and impressed by what kept Maxon from choosing America in this first book: America herself is an obstacle. Her feelings for a former boyfriend make her hesitate from fully loving Maxon.
    And then there's the sudden plot twist about three fourths into the story! SPOILER ALERT!!! Aspen, the former boyfriend America still cares about, shows up in court and the unsuspecting Maxon posts him right outside America's room! Oh, the dramatic irony! Didn't you just want to shout: What are you doing, Maxon? That's the guy who's keeping you from your true love! America is thrown into a spin of confusion, and new problems bubble up that will last at least through the second book. It keeps the events of the story from becoming monotonous--and it was so unexpected!
    The Selection is really cool! Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
    Any Selection fans out there? What's your favorite thing about the series? :)

Bubble Diagrams!

    Making the same kind of chart to list character traits can get a little boring sometimes. Shaking things up can make it more fun, and increase the flow of creative juices!
    Everyone's had to have made a bubble diagram at least once in school. It's like a spider web with large bubbles in it, some connecting to one large bubble in the center, and/or to each other. Each bubble has something written inside of it, like for example: a bubble in the center could read BOOKS, and the smaller bubbles linked to it with lines could say stuff like FUN, INTELLECTUAL, PORTABLE ADVENTURES, and so on.
    When doing one about a character, one could put down some personality traits and link them to bubbles listing events in their life that affects their behavior. Where they live or places they go to a lot can be connected to bubbles about the character's friends, and people who influence the character can be linked to their beliefs. It can start off really small, but after a couple bubbles, linking things becomes easier. And as the web grows bigger and bigger, and the lines connecting the bubbles begin to look really cool, this diagram can become a really cool and useful reference tool later!
    What do you think? Do you use different kinds of graphs/diagrams when taking notes about your characters?

A Few Tips For Note-Taking

    Note-taking is awesome. Not only is it fun, but it can be really useful in improving writing. Plus, it's a way to watch your favorite shows for hours on end and still be productive! :D
    When taking notes, it helps to have an idea of what to take notes about. Here are a few suggestions:
  -Characters and their roles.
  -Sources of conflict.
  -The way details are given. Does a character bring it up, are there flashback scenes, or can the reader/viewer notice it themselves as the action's going on?
  -Relationships between characters. What makes them significant? Do their actions truly show their feelings?
  -Characteristics of both characters and settings.
  -Things that can be improved, and how you would improve them.
  -Things that provoke emotion, and why.
  -Methods of humor. What type does the genre use? Slapstick, corny jokes, sarcasm, irony?
    So, are these helpful?

Glean From Everything!

    Gleaning.  It basically means to collect or gather something. You would glean berries from berry bushes, glean apples from an apple tree, and glean information from a source.
    I think gleaning from everything is an awesome way to improve as a writer. You can learn from almost anything--including an addicting TV series, the way someone talks, a crummy experience, or a story you read. Jotting down notes and reminiscing certain things you noticed can give you ideas about a different design technique, another way to describe things, what makes characters likeable, what makes dialogue realistic . . . all useful things that a writer can use. It's not copying someone else or stealing their ideas, but learning from them and adapting similar skills. Like learning from a teacher.
    So what do you think? Do you have a specific note-taking/gleaning technique?