Tips & Tricks for Tracking Series Details

I love writing connected stories. Not that I always plan them that way, but once I get attached to a set of characters, I’m reluctant to let them go. Besides, certain supporting characters often beg to have their stories told. Even unplanned walk-ons develop their own personalities, so much so that they keep . . . walking back on!

Consistency within and between books can become a challenge. Who exactly is this character related to? How did I describe him or her the first time? Where did I say this business or that house was located? What were their pets’ names?


So, with the passage of time and at least four series to practice on, I’ve developed a few devices to help me keep track of the important details. Here are four that I consistently rely on:

A character name chart. I write in Scrivener, so I’ve created a table-based template in which I enter each significant character’s name alphabetically twice—by first name, last name; then by last name, first name—if necessary, adding a word or two describing roles and/or relationships. As I start the next book in the series, I copy the chart into that Scrivener project and add names as new characters appear. Before moving to Scrivener, I used an Excel spreadsheet for this purpose, or you can create a similar table in Word. Here’s a segment from my Hill Country name chart. (You should be able to click on any of the images to see them in a larger window.)

A map of the community. If you’re handy with the drawing tools in Word or another program, you can create a map on your computer. I prefer having an editable computer drawing that I can link to my book files, but if you’re more comfortable using pencil and paper, that’s fine, too. The example below shows Juniper Bluff, Texas, the setting of Her Hill Country Cowboy and the next book in the series, Hill Country Reunion (coming February 2018). As various businesses crop up in each story, I decide where they’ll be located and add them to the map.

A running list of random characters and details. If a character is just a walk-on and not central to the story, I don’t clutter up my character name chart with that  information. Instead, I use a separate text file in my Scrivener characters folder, grouping names according to their role: various businesses and their owners or employees, names of pets, etc. In my Hill Country series, for example, the Serenity Hills Guest Ranch horses are listed along with photos found online to match the horses’ descriptions.

A story calendar. I use an Excel spreadsheet to create my story calendars, referring to TimeandDate.com for any holidays that fall within the story timeframe. For a historical series, obviously, my calendar will be set up according to the exact timeframe in which my story takes place. For contemporary novels, I rarely refer to actual dates, but my calendar is usually based on the year in which (I hope) my story will be published. The TimeandDate.com website is also a great source if you need to know phases of the moon (such as when your romantic couple is gazing up at the evening sky, or they’re running through a dark forest at night to escape the bad guys).

As my story unfolds, I jot brief notes in the calendar squares about what’s happening on any given day. This keeps me honest when I need to use transitions such as “two weeks later” or “the following Thursday.” For each consecutive book in the series, I typically just add on to the original calendar so that it’s easy to refer back if mention is made of something that happened in the past. Or if the plot calls for an event yet to come, it gets noted on the calendar so I can plan and pace the events leading up to it. By the way, an accurate story calendar is handy to have as a backup when the copyeditor questions your book’s timeline.

Here’s a screenshot of a portion of my calendar from Her Hill Country Cowboy, with details blurred out to prevent any spoilers!

If you’d like to create your own character name chart or story calendar, those templates are included along with other writing helps as part of my Novel Planning Excel Workbook, available for download at my website. Be sure to follow the instructions for preserving the original templates for future use.

How about you? Writers, any other tips you’d recommend for keeping track of story details, especially for a series? Readers, what are some of your favorite organizational tools and tricks? Join the conversation today and let me know if you’d like to be entered in the drawing for WINNER’S CHOICE of any of my books in print, including my September release, Her Hill Country Cowboy.

About Myra: Award-winning author Myra Johnson writes emotionally gripping stories about love, life, and faith. Myra is a two-time finalist for the prestigious ACFW Carol Awards, winner of Christian Retailing’s Best for historical fiction, and winner in the Inspirational category of the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Awards. Originally from Texas but now residing in the beautiful Carolinas, Myra and her husband love the climate and scenery, but they miss Texas bluebonnets in the spring and may never get used to the pulled pork Carolinians call “barbecue”! The Johnsons share their home with two very pampered doggies who don’t always understand the meaning of “Mom’s trying to write.” They have also inherited the “cat with a ’tude” their daughter and family had to leave behind when they recently moved overseas.

Website

Facebook

Twitter: @MyraJohnson and @TheGrammarQueen 

Goodreads

Instagram

Pinterest

Sign up to receive Myra’s regular e-news updates here!