Real Writing in the World #7: Create a Storyboard, Vision Map, or Board Game of Your Writing Project
Show don't tell - in 3D!
While I love words (obviously), a bunch of writing on index cards, or even one word on index cards, tacked up on a wall just isn’t enough to get me in the mood or keep me motivated when I’m working on a large writing project.
I’ve used different ways to chart the path of a project that are more creative, exciting, and inspiring methods to lay out the narrative structure, themes, character arc(s), obstacles, etc. of larger projects like a novel, memoir, or short story, poetry, or essay collection, making the piece as real as possible in a fun and imaginative 3D way.
What makes this method different from a vision board, Pinterest or Instagram mood board, or average story map is that the process is less unconnected inspiration and more a visual roadmap for the elements and trajectory of your writing project in a visually and emotionally engaging way, sometimes using symbols and metaphors and sensory details.
Because it’s a visual outline that brings your piece to life, it will give you a charge, a spark, as you work with it. More so than “B. & R. argue here and break up” or “the zombies breach the barricade.” (If you don’t get a charge out of something you’ve included, it’s a sign you might need to change that something in your piece.)
Let’s get visual to explain how to get visual.
Not this:
More like this:
You see what I mean. Unfortunately, I don’t have pics of my last one—I used images from research mixed with rudimentary drawings of symbols (like fire to symbolize a passion or sex; a heart for love; an explosion for an argument, a brick wall or gate for an obstacle, water for emotion, an eye for insight/realization/internal—make up your own), and words on butcher paper on the walls of my writing space.
You can go spare or go all out or something in between. This is about you, your imagination, and a glue stick—the start of everything great!
Whether you’re a plotter (plan it all out), pantser (wing it as you write), or a plantser (a bit of both) this will work for you because you design it your way.
A visual roadmap is not just playing around (but it is also playing around; that’s the point), it’s just as valid a process as writing or typing out an outline and a lot more fun and productive.
If you go the board game route, or if you’re using images with tape, tacks, or velcro that you can move around, physically moving your characters around your board/map and being able to visually track what’s going on in the moment (including with other characters) in the context of what came before and what’s happening next because you can see it in front of you will give you a more three-dimensional sense of what the scene or chapters look and feel like in partnership with your imagination.
What we dream of, doesn’t always work on the page. For example, if you’re like me and visit places in your story, whether it’s a certain type of restaurant, a historic house, a former asylum (yep, did that), or a city or country, we’ve all had that moment of realizing: this isn’t going to work like I thought. We wouldn’t have known that unless we got out into the real world to test our ideas.
This approach allows you to enter the world too, outside of your head, and work as a team with your characters or your poems are essays (I said it. Aren’t they real to you? They should be) on a level playing field.
You can still use key words and add multicolor notes in certain places or index cards that you pin and unpin and move around. Put pics of people that resemble your characters (or poems and essays) on index cards or sticky notes and move them around like a board game as you write. When you hit a snag, if writing your way out of it isn’t working, what symbolizes the issue or what’s needed that you’re having trouble making work? Put that up or carry it with you for a day or two. Get it out of your head and make it real; see if that sparks a solution.
This is a great way to figure out how to organize a short story, poetry, or essay collection as well, creating either a strong or subtle narrative, thematic, and/or emotional arc through the book.
Ideas for the base of your board/map/game:
A newspaper from the setting of your story (or near approximation—use any newspaper and change the name).
A map of the city, state, country, your story in which the story is set.
A roll of butcher paper and run it across as many walls of your space as you need to. Or you can shape it into a pyramid, circle, spiral, wavy line—whatever structure you’re following. And here are basic drawings of famous plots in some of those structures for inspiration.
A roll of contact paper or wallpaper with different patterns for different stages of your story.
Sheet music or blank staff paper.
Got a desk zen garden? Start with that if it suits your piece. Get some action figures to stick in the sand.
Examples of vision maps.
A bedsheet you add paint to or series of poster boards in different colors for the season or weather, the protagonist’s emotional arc, the settings, or the vibe of the story. If the story takes place in one day, start with a color to represent dawn and then the colors of the sky as the day wears on, ending with a navy, purple, or black. Or if the story takes place over one year, colors for spring, summer, fall, winter. You get the picture.
Here are some examples of “narrative posters” used in teaching kids structure. I love their color and vibe.
A wall calendar with the large squares for each day, which also works well for the next suggestion.
If you choose a board game, buy one and use it as your foundation—glue on top of it the images, objects, etc. that work for your story. Or use a checkers board and glue the images of your character that you choose to some checkers and advance them around the board at once. You don’t have to follow the individual squares—group them together into larger ones if that works best for your story.
Multiple characters get multiple tracks (which works well in a board game) or strips of the paper you chose. Cut a poster board in half to save wall space and use a different color for each character to track them until they converge again, then return to one main color for the story (I suggest white so the character colors stand out clearly).
If you’d like to have the board made for you, it’s $25 bucks here. You can find game pieces on etsy and Amazon or small objects that would work at Michael’s.
If you’d like to go further, create a diorama in a box or a tray of the main setting (head to Michael’s or the arts supply store for houses, trees, etc.).
Or use a shadow box for various settings and stages of the piece (one box per poem or essay or story for a collection) - put one representative object in each square.
Depending on which approach you choose, you can create your piece online, of course, but then print it. Don’t work with it on a screen. Don’t make it one 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper. Make it multiple pieces that you tape or tack up in order, or have it printed as a poster (Staples does this).
Make your board/map/game 3D:
If simple is best for you, draw key moments and characters in stick figures. You do not need to be able to draw; you just need to “see” what’s happening.
Cut out pictures from magazines of people who look like your characters, settings, goals, or symbols/metaphors of what’s happening in the scene, including conflict. Whatever hits that note for you is perfect.
Search and print images from the Interweb (including from the location of your story).
Photographs, postcards, greeting cards, business cards—as a whole or cut out the part you need. Glue these to the butcher paper or poster board, or pin them to the wall in order.
Add drawings of your own or add symbols or geometric shapes and lines (wavy, zig zag, spiral) to indicate the path or connections. Again, you do not need to know how to draw!
Storyboard or copy and cut out panels from a graphic novel or comic you love.
Anything goes: Glitter, fabric, found objects, flowers or leaves, feathers, makeup, coins, metro cards, buttons, fake money, ticket stubs, candy wrappers, pictures of food.
Go to an art supply story or Michael’s and wander around. There are foam letters and tiny animals and flowers and other fun objects there.
Add sensory details - oils and perfumes for the different places. Your novel is set at the beach? Dab on some suntan lotion or glue some sand.
Add song lyrics, poems, or quotes from movies the characters love or that are an emotional shorthand for who your characters are, the atmosphere of the story.
Make cardboard cutouts of your protagonist, antagonist, the two leads, whichever you like (6 ft at Party City is $70). Or here’s a DIY make your own. These cut-outs could make for fun social media posts related to your project.
Make the world of your writing real.
Bring it to life in as three dimensional a physical way as you can. Choose whichever method works best for you and immerse yourself in creating the world.
Keep a notebook and pen/pencil nearby so you can jot down words, images, and ideas that come to you during this process.
This hands on experience enables you to see the dimensions of your story and tap into your intuition.
Bonuses: this method of engaging with your project will:
Make the figurative and thematic layers of your story more accessible and rich
Can be used for creating a pitch for your query letter or meetings with agents and editors
Be inspiration for figuring out your title or designing your book cover
There are lots of ideas here. Find the one that makes you feel both excited about what you’re writing and like you’re an eight year-old. HAVE FUN.
Happy mapping,
Chris