THE SCENE CARD METHOD | solving story problems & fixing the "all is lost" 

I love the 'hydra' metaphor for trying to fix mistakes. I know I'm at the point in my current draft where I'm realizing I'm missing key scenes I wrote in my previous draft and am having to move them to my current draft but they're out of order now so I'm having to weave them in. Moving from the digital space to the physical one helps me so much at times. It's like it unlocks parts of my brain that the digital world doesn't activate. I've written chapter cards before, but not scene cards. Maybe in the future I'll break the chapters to their scenes, probably with color-coded post it notes so they're smaller so I know they're scenes and not chapters. As far as old systems I return to, I guess I just journal out my problems- physically or digitally- and see if that unblocks it. It's like venting at a friend. Sometimes I even open an audio recorder on my phone and talk at myself. But I've really only added systems to my writing routine because before, I would just write on inspiration and not worry about writing 'the end.' I've realized over the years that finishing a story is the best way to get better at writing. One of my favorite new systems I've discovered is an outlining method. I wish I remembered where I got it, but basically you have stakes for the scene, a goal for the scene, a goal for the character, and what you want the reader to take away from it. I used it for my in-work audio drama, and it helped so much. I'm notoriously bad at stakes, so seeing it so zoomed-out let me make sure they were constantly rising. I also wrote possible stakes out on index cards and made a diagonal line that went up to make sure I put them in the right order. It helped me more than any other structure I tried. Thanks for the video!

I start scenes with pen on paper, then transfer to my computer where I expand the scene.

Physical pen/paper writing and physical planning helps me conceptualize so much easier than just doing things digitally. Glad you figured it out, and unearthing those old filled in cards for that story must have been so cool and nostalgic!

I tried to use some notecards in December/January and it just wasn’t working, then when I was trying to complete my novel for bindery pitchfest at the start of March and was editing for 35 hours I literally just somehow was able to cannonball through the story and add in the scenes that were missing. To be fair I did already know what I had to write I had just been putting it off. Deadlines really are motivating!

I will be buried with my scene cards. I have 2-3 "drafts" of my scene cards before I even start drafting. Then I take that final iteration and that's what I use to draft. I make notes on them as I work my way through drafting. Then, I use them, along with notes from my notebook that I made as I was drafting. And I let those 2 things be my guide as I do my read-through and prepare to revise. Then, I make another set of scene cards as I'm revising to work off of as I make changes and move the story around. I'm so glad they helped you, they're truly 1 of my most important writing tools.

I love how you open a window to behind the scenes! :D

This happens to me so regularly that I consider it part of the process. I get stuck, I try to push through (just write on), it doesn't work, I remember I had this situation before (like, 2 weeks ago), I rediscover pen and paper, I solve the problem. I'm in the process of embracing that this is just how my mind works, so the only thing I can do is to shorten the "trying to push through" phase, as that's just wasting my time.

I love this, I'm very much a physical creator for my first draft I need to touch it and I love the idea of having a physical way to keep track and move around scenes like this. Currently I'm reworking my whole trilogy into a different age range and this could help so much, thank you!

Perfect timing as always I was just working on Project Savior lmao. 😂 I used to try scene card outlining but I also had no idea how to outline so it never really worked for me outside of act one. Though maybe I should try it again for this story since I am outlining and worldbuilding way more diligently this time around... But we'll see.

My "secret" technique has always been writing by hand in my copybook. Both for outlining and drafting. So many times I moved to the computer, and in the moment of crisis, the pen and the copybooks are always there to help. And aditionally, the sensation of writing is just marvellous and so therapeutic. Thanks for the video and good luck with the draft!!

It's so funny that you're in your plotter era because as a long time plotter myself, I've been sort of pantsing my newest novel for the first time! Love how trying out new techniques works a different part of you brain and can unlock the story you're working on :)

I'm currently doing a different version of this with my wip. I haven't used character sheets in years and there's one really in depth one that I'd found years back that I'm using. It's given me a chance to stray off the plot path and as a result it's helped me with some stuff that the plot desperately needed. None of it is extra side story but rather helped me flesh out things that I was keeping in my head because it "wasn't relevant". Just the brain dump and total satisfaction of getting it out of my head helped me find more clarity.

I used this system to write my thesis and eventually return to it when i'm writing a difficult article. Loved to see that you use it too

I’ve gone back to writing some scenes in a regular old spiral notebook with a favorite pen, and also making notes with lots of arrows and chicken scratch for new ideas- just like I did years ago! Sometimes our own individual methods, the original way, is the best.

gosh! I have been stuck on my murder mystery and seeing you with these red cards as red herings made me realize what was wrong with my own thing. such a great video! love that you talked your problem out loud and took us along in your thought process. thank you!

Kate! I'm so proud and excited that this return to an old system had such a great impact for you! Definitely feel the same way. When I was at a personal dark night of the soul for my manuscript, Katie Ann broke out her massive whiteboard and writing down all the problems and being able to erase and rearrange on that thing saved the story!

Sometimes going old school is very important. Glad it worked out for you! Might have to try it on the story I'm working on rn....

This is a great idea as I'm going into draft 2 in my story. Will have to try this out!

Yes I like using index cards and post it notes to map out beat boards etc. One system that worked for me was mapping it on a white board, the 4 acts and key points then taking a photo to upload then mapping out each of the 4 acts, taking pictures and uploading them. This helps me move and think as well as play into my very visual style of creativity; something I learned in media production and film making that I now use while doing novels x

Physical thinking ftw! I outline using one of those presentation tri-boards, marked up so I can see where 10%, 50% etc are, and color coded sticky notes. And recently I needed to shift around the distribution of information and character moments in three scenes, so I printed them out, cut them up on the paragraph breaks and literally pasted them in a new order on paper to reference while I re-type the scenes.

I agree about the visual power!! This is why I use the Kanban board feature in Notion to arrange and re-arrange scenes by color. I love that you were able to figure it out!

I definitely need physical planning! I’ve never got along with digital scene cards and whatnot. I need to be able to hold stuff in my hands and move it and scribble on it and highlight it. It just feels more real, like I literally and metaphorically have a better ‘grasp’ of the material hahaha.

I totally get the move to physical media. There are times when I need to move away from the PC and go to the notebook and fountain pen so I can feel more writerly and find my groove again. Having the space to spread everything out and take it all in can be a great help. That said, I'd like to note that you can use the Scrivener Corkboard to do some of this virtually. For timelines there's a great program called Aeon timeline which was built with writers in mind. My current WiP goes from twenty years in the past to down to the minute and Aeon is great for that. Good luck!

How did I JUST get the notification of this upload?! Definitely something to be said to do it physically. But Scrivener's bulletin board feature is a nice virtual alternative that maybe Aeon can't do.

The physicality is important for me too. I had been struggling keeping the story details and arrangement of clues for a story in my head, but a blackboard and colored post-it notes saved the day. I had the same color coding in both Plottr and Aeon Timeline but the blackboard drove it into my brain better. Go figure :)

plotting in general (at least when im first getting started and not quite sure where the story is going) is always easier for me by hand. i get out a notebook and i write it very synopsis or summarization like, so i'll have written full paragraphs for each scene and chapter by hand. it just allows my brain to think more than if im trying to come up with ideas looking at a screen.

Oh my gosh, you are so organized it makes my brain itch. 😅

sometimes I need to write out scenes by hand in my notebook and then type it up later, which I guess allows for an automatic possibility to revise. I’m definitely a edit as I go kind of writer, even though I know I’ll have to do additional edits after drafting.

I absolutely need to use physical notes when planning out stories, its the only way I can keep track of anything. If I try to use digital notes or things like Scrivener, it just doesn't work. I have yet to do physical scene cards like you just did but it's something I think would help a ton.

I definitely have to try this one day

When we lived in our Bronx apartment, before kids, I had my first book in the soap series on a hallway wall. It helped with the first book, not the second. Kim Chance with her second novel was having massive writers block and ended up doing scene card to find the issue. It could be the tactile nature of the scene cards and seeing y Story Ina different way that makes it different.

👀 the FOB shirt. I've wanted to try the flashcard storyboard. My digital outline is too hollow.

I use sticky notes to outline like Sarra Cannon. I was sticking them up on a raggedy piece of butcher paper, but I recently got a big roll of cork and nailed it to my wall. It's glorious, lol.

I've never used this technique, but maybe I need something like this to understand why nothing seems to make sense in my story anymore 😭

This is convincing me to use both Scrivener and physical scene cards.

Woo! Another upload! GO KATE! Okay, now I’m going to watch. Lol

I did return a couple months ago to my "plan three chapters ahead" method that I used over a decade ago and it did help for one project. However, it's not helping the problem I currently have with my WIP. I might have to dig out the notebooks and see if I have any other long-forgotten methods that could help me through this like my "3 chapters" rule has.

I know, I know, everytime I get stuck in a story if I change something about physically how I'm writing (switching to a different computer, a typewriter, or a notebook) I will suddenly be able to finish it and yet I will stubbornly stay at my computer staring at the document lmao. I've also found that the rubber ducky method helps alot (explaining what I''m working on to an inanimate object) usually just talking through the story in broad strokes will bring something up that I wasn't consciously thinking about

Surprisingly prior to watching this video. I had gone back to the index cards. I come from a type of project management background so planning normally isn't an issue.... but when it comes to writing a novel... oof. I feel that no program can overview the entire process like physical hand written scene cards. I tried many avenues of digital applications and other kinds of websites/digital tools. Even scene cards on Scrivener and i couldn't get the "whole picture" out in front of me. A great way to view and problem solve. But out right im not sure there is a program to see it all in front of you. Definitely a go to from here on out. And as just this last week of early March. I finished planning what i want to start writing in my story. I'm 20pages in and honestly feel sooooooo ready to push through my first zero draft of my novel o////o

I hole punch mine and put them on a binder ring. It's literally the best thing🙂

How many drafts does a person have to do before fully completing the story and sending it off to be queued for publishing (or self-publishing)? Because I do all my editing and changes and beta-reading while writing the story so technically my zero, first, second and third are all in one...

Could have been a mistake snowball, which was either gonna turn into snowcones OR....an avalanche 😁

I always use my index cards to outline before drafting because I love being able to shift things around, I could not get my stories done without them

I have a video idea for you. Try to plot a story and then take a month writing one chapter a day no matter how many words

Hi kaite

I can't wait to read A Closet Full of Calderons. When you need beta readers, please let me know (I can message you my email on discord or something)! I'm doing a 24hr writeathon tomorrow, thanks to a coin flip, and my first draft of my paranormal romance is expected to be 80k so I need to write around 2,000 words a day for me to finish it by the end of March 🎉