A friend offered me a quote:

“The greatest artist has no conception which a single block of marble does not potentially contain within its mass, but only a hand obedient to the mind can penetrate to this image.” – Michelangelo

Novel writing is like this. The first pass is a sketch, an outline of what’s to come. Generally, I rearrange the sketch as I go along, blocking out major scenes and focusing on the primary plot and character arcs. Next, I make another pass at the manuscript, taking a chisel to the marble, watching the narrative arc take shape, the characters come to life. I take care at this stage to let the characters develop organically, concerning myself with smoothing out the rough edges later.

That’s when the chisel becomes a hand drill, the hand drill becomes pair of tweezers, the tweezers become a magnifying glass, a dental pick, a toothbrush. Which of course give way to a polishing cloth and a keen eye.

One thing keeping me on track with all these minute revisions and edits is Microsoft OneNote. Regardless of what you use to organize, it’s immensely helpful to keep a manuscript to-do list nearby. Even if that to-do list is a five foot long train of neon Post-Its.

I might be working on a scene in Chapter 20, only to realize the manuscript would benefit from redacting something I’d written in Chapter 12. I have an entire page in OneNote devoted to miscellaneous revisions I want to make sure I take care of during these late stage sweeps, as well as character details, scene blocking, research, chapter division and more. Early in the process, this is also where I keep my free-floating scenes or snippits of dialogue that later make their way into the manuscript.

What do you do to keep yourself organized during the revision and editing stages of your work?

November is National Novel Writing Month, and the sea of writers on Twitter undulates with word counts, character development, plot musings and mutual encouragement. Although I’m not participating in NaNoWriMo this year, it’s easy to derive inspiration from the writing frenzy.

The theme of NaNoWriMo? Just write. Get the words out. 50,000 in one month. It’s an exercise in forced creativity and writing endurance; for many writers, it will prime the literary pump for months to come. Thinking about all the NaNo participants out there, I thought I’d share the ways in which I inspire myself to write every day, regardless of how I’m feeling, regardless of environmental distractions, regardless of whether Fringe is airing that night.

Manuscript Playlists

For every manuscript, I put together playlists that feel relevant to the plot, character arcs, themes, mood– you name it. Admittedly, I’ve even compiled actual soundtracks using film scores. Update my iPod Touch, head outside, walk around, and voilà. In the span of about an hour I can usually come up with new scenes, refine those already floating around in my head, craft sentences and raise the stakes.

If you’re interested in checking out some of my playlists, I’ve arranged them on last.fm. Click here, and feel free to add me if you have an account.

(This is where I shamelessly plug my music player of choice, Songbird.)

Exercise

Move the body, move the mind. Unless weather or illness prevents it, I take nightly walks around a twelve acre park near my condo. Midnight in Colorado is hushed; it affords me the mental space and solitude I need to reorganize my thoughts. I’ll usually stay out for an hour or two and then come home and write with a vengeance.

Oh, and I’ll be the first to admit that I talk to my dog when I take her with me, explaining my ideas to her while untangling plot threads and rearranging them into something resembling a cohesive story. I’m sure she’s far more interested in the foxes who come out to play at night, but she’s a good listener.

What are your favorite methods for inspiring creativity under a deadline? Music? Exercise? Meditation? Enlisting the help of a literary drill sergeant?