Making Notes

In the last post I talked about giving readers context in our writing, but we need to give ourselves context as well.

Like most writers I always have a notebook with me for writing down ideas, snippets of conversation, or descriptions of things I see. At the time the scene is clear and I think I will always remember it, but unfortunately it doesn't always work that way. 

On my last two visits to the UK, and London in particular, I made copious notes for Lives Interrupted. The first trip occurred as I was planning the book, and the second while I was editing, so my notes were very specific to that book. In addition I wrote down other things I found interesting, but with no real idea of when, or if, they would come in useful. For these types of musings you need to note down clearly the important points, and the date and place could also be useful. A cryptic note will not be of much use four or five years down the track, I know because I've spent hours trying to recall what some of my own more cryptic comments meant. 

In contrast I also have some lovely descriptions and dialogue that act like a photograph in reminding me of the happenings of a day, or a person that I've seen, but never met.

I recently used a notebook entry in a short story. The original note was made about six years ago, so make the notes clear, and don't worry if it takes time before you find a use for them.

Context is King

I live halfway up (or down) a hill, it's a little like a bowl with houses on the far side. Stick with me for a moment, as I promise you this is relevant.

One evening about a year ago I was on the phone talking to a friend while looking out of the window. It was winter and dark so I couldn’t see much other than house lights. Suddenly flames shot up from a house on the far side of the hill.

My words were along the lines of, 'Oh my goodness it's a fire.' You can see how restrained I was! My friend, at the other end of the phone, had no idea of the context of my words. Did I have a kitchen fire? Was my house suddenly a raging inferno?

Context is everything when we write. We don't live in a void and neither do our characters. Non-fiction writing also needs context. A prospective reader will want to know why they should buy this particular book. In learning and development terms this is generally referred to as WIIFM - What's in it for me? If I'm going to invest my money, and more importantly my time, then there has to be a good reason.

In my last post I mentioned the shoot-out at the beginning of the film. I didn't know any of the characters, or the reasons behind the gunfight so I didn't really care about the outcome.

We need to care about characters to invest emotion in them, and we need context as where something is happening and why.

It doesn't need to be pages of description; often a few words or a sentence is enough for readers to paint the picture themselves.

Context is most important in our beginnings - obviously the start of a book, and the start of sections or chapters to orient the reader, especially if we've moved the setting, time has elapsed, or we are now with different characters or a different POV.

We may be able to see the scene clearly in our minds, but if we haven't taken the reader with us, they'll be stumbling around in the fog wondering where they are.