Guest Blogger Deborah Raney: Doing Time

A writer friend mentioned recently that she was having trouble keeping track of the timeline for her novel. I've struggled with that, too, and it got me thinking about all the different ways I've tracked time in my novels.

Eighteen years ago when I wrote my first novel––a family saga spanning ten years––I taped eight sheets of paper together, drew horizontal lines in various colors to represent each character, and made hashmarks along the line for significant events in each character's life. That sounds so clever and wise until I tell you that I only created this timeline after an editor discovered, just before the book went to press, that I had some characters in college for most of the ten years––and they were still working on their bachelor's degrees. Oops. I quickly cobbled together the timeline and sorted things out in the nick of time.

In my next book, all the action took place in one year's time, so my timeline for that was a simple list down the lines of a legal pad. Easy.

I've never been good with anything number-related, but another writing friend's husband had put together an Excel spreadsheet that calculated all kinds of data about a novel, including timeline, page count, percentage left to write, and I-don't-remember-what-else. I used it for several books, then somehow hit a button that messed up the algorithm that calculated the numerics (I just made that algorithm thing up, but I pushed something wrong and that was the end of that).
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My next book had a mystery thread running through it and I needed to do a bit more plotting than my usual seat-of-the-pants method to set up some red herrings, so I tried the index card method. Blue cards for my hero, pink for my heroine, and each card containing the date the scene took place and a sentence about the action. It actually worked pretty well, but like any plotting method I've ever tried, it took all the fun out of writing for me because I hate knowing the ending before I get there––whether reading or writing.

So with my next book––my tried and true women's fiction––I tried simply labeling each chapter and scene with a date. My intention was that those notations would be for my eyes only and I would delete them before the book was published, but I found those datelines caused me to "cheat" and not write decent set-ups for each new scene. I ended up having to go back through the entire book and weave in timeline cues for the reader. I love rewrite and editing, but that was not fun and I was terrified the book would be full of continuity glitches.
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Christmas of that year we received several freebie calendars from local businesses. Since I keep all my calendar events on my computer and iPhone and only use one paper calendar, I didn't need any of the giveaway calendars, but as I was getting ready to toss them in the trash, I noticed that one of them had nice big sqares for each day. A light went on and I knew I'd discovered my perfect timeline tool.
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For the last dozen or so books, I've kept my timeline on a discarded calendar. I never tell the reader the actual year of the calendar I'm referencing, but using a calendar this way has helped me avoid the pitfall of having a character go to church on Sunday morning and three days later gripe about how much he hates Monday mornings. (Yes, that's happened––but thanks to my sharp-eyed editors I don't think a timeline gaffe like that ever made it into a published book.)
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Since I don't plot ahead, after I write a scene, I simply jot on the correct day's square something like: 5 p.m. –– Mitch and Shelley argue at the post office. Seeing those squares lined up Sunday-Saturday helps me organize my characters' lives the way I organize my own.
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I did use the dateline-at-the-beginning-of-scene method in my newest series––with the dates in the actual book––and I think it worked well since those novels each had a thread of suspense, but I had to remind myself not to forget to use "markers" for the reader for time of day, day of week, season of year, weather, etc.
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I've used the Scrivener software for several years now, and love the idea board, notecards, research options, and other features of the program, but I haven't really found it helpful for keeping timelines. My go-to method for keeping track of time continues to be the paper calendar method and I eagerly look forward to those hometown giveaway calendars every year.
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How about you? Have you found a creative way to keep track of your novel's timeline?
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Here are a few links you might find useful in creating the timeline that works best for you:

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Using Microsoft Excel:
http://www.microsoft.com/education/en-us/teachers/how-to/Pages/timeline.aspx
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Using Microsoft Word:
http://www.microsoft.com/education/en-us/teachers/how-to/Pages/creating-timeline.aspx
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Creating Your Own Calendar:
http://timeanddate.com/calendar/custommenu.html
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Using Three-act Story Structure:
http://www.filmscriptwriting.com/thethreeactstructure.html
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Scrivener Software Purchase:
http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php
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LifeTrack App for iPad:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lifetrack/id343166527?mt=8
(Haven't tried this one, but it looks promising!)

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If you'd like to be entered in a drawing for Deb's trio of "Hanover Falls," please mention it in the comments section, then watch our Weekend Edition for the winner!

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Deborah Raney dreamed of writing a book since the summer she read Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books and discovered that a Kansas farm girl could, indeed, grow up to be a writer. After a happy twenty-year detour as a stay-at-home mom, Deb penned her first novel, A Vow to Cherish, which won a Silver Angel Award and inspired the acclaimed World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Since then, her books have won the RITA Award, HOLT Medallion, ACFW Carol Award, National Readers' Choice Award, as well as twice being finalists for the Christy Award. Deb teaches at writers' conferences across the country. She and her husband, Ken Raney, love small-town life in their native Kansas––the setting for many of Deb's novels. They have four children and four precious grandchildren who all live much too far away. Visit Deb on the Web at http://www.deborahraney.com/.

Spit-polishing Your Manuscript!

Hi ... Julie here. It's my pleasure to welcome Deb Raney back to Seekerville to share more of those golden nuggets she's gleaned from a truly impressive career as an author.

Currently at work on her eighteenth novel, Deborah Raney has won the RITA Award, the HOLT Medallion, National Readers' Choice Award and Silver Angel from Excellence in Media. Deb's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title and won a Silver Angel, a bronze Omni Award and a Gold Special Jury Award at the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival. It is now available on video and on DVD in seven languages. Her newest books are the Clayburn Novels from Howard Books/Simon & Schuster, including Remember to Forget, a 2008 Christy Award finalist. Deb serves on the advisory board of American Christian Fiction Writers. She and her husband, Ken Raney, have four children and enjoy small-town life in Kansas.

Deb will be popping in throughout the day, so feel free to ask her any questions you have about the path to publication. Without further ado, I give you Deb Raney ...


When I teach at writers conferences, one of my favorite workshops to present is on rewriting. A few years ago, I turned in a first draft that was written in the midst of several out-of-town trips and moving to a new home. Unfortunately, I simply did not have time to do a proper rewrite of the book before my deadline hit. Granted, my method of writing—starting each day by rereading and editing what I wrote the day before—means I am automatically in second or third draft by the time I write “the end.” But with this manuscript, even those edits were “quick and dirty.”

One of the handouts from my rewriting workshop offered just the ticket to “spit polish” my manuscript before I turned it in. In this workshop, I highlight five quick fixes I’ve discovered—things that can all be done in a few short hours, but that make a real difference in the quality of the manuscript you turn in. My spit-and-polish job was a success and I didn’t have to do nearly as much rewrite as I expected. Here are the five quick fixes I employed:

1. Search and destroy speaker attributions. Replace with action beats where necessary to make it clear who the speaker is and to paint a more vivid visual image. Avoid most speaker attributions meant to replace “said” (such as retorted, exclaimed, asked, inquired, etc.) But don’t kill all attributions! It’s better to have too many, than for the reader to be confused about who’s speaking.

2. Search for pet words and phrases and “lazy” words. Every writer has personal pet phrases they overuse. I usually have a different set of overused phrases for each book. Discover what your particular pets are and do a manuscript search. Delete or use the thesaurus and alter a few for variety. Words like really, just, even, that, and superlatives, very, most, -est words, etc. often signify lazy writing. Search and delete or replace with fresher, more precise word choices.

3. Check first and last paragraphs. The first paragraph of each chapter should set the scene and establish the point-of-view character so the reader has an immediate frame of reference. The last paragraph of each chapter should be a “hook”—a story question or plot twist that will keep the reader turning pages.

4. Sprinkle in the six senses. Most manuscripts could benefit from a bit more sensory info to bring the scenes to life. Quickly scan the book, looking for places to judiciously add in a few more of the unique images, sounds, tastes, smells, and tactile feel of each scene. Don’t forget that “sixth sense”—perception, intuition, spiritual awareness, etc.

5. Allocate white space. Go over each page with an eye to the graphic, visual look of it. Plenty of “white space” makes a book more reader-friendly. Are there paragraphs or series of paragraphs that are too long, making for an intimidating “block” of type? If so, can you break the scene into shorter paragraphs or add a bit of dialogue to incorporate some white space on the page? (Often in a novel, a lack of dialogue for several pages means you are telling not showing—a good way to risk losing your reader. If this is the case, rewrite to put the telling parts “onstage.”)

I much prefer having time to go over my manuscript a dozen times with a fine-tooth comb before I turn in that “first” draft to my editor, but in a pinch, a spit-and-polish is just the ticket!

The Power of Just the Right Word

Hi, Julie here. Deb Raney has got to be one of the nicest (and most talented) writers I know, and it is a privilege to welcome her to Seekerville today. But I have to admit, when I first attended a seminar she gave at one of the first ACFW Conferences, well to be honest, the woman kind of ticked me off.

You see, the first novel she ever wrote, A VOW TO CHERISH, was not only fought over by three publishers, but it was made into a television movie that aired in 200 major markets in September 1999 and again in December 2004. Now Deb claimed at the time that this is the exception rather than the rule (uh, yeah), but it simply underscores what a gifted writer this lady is. And honestly, if she wasn't so darn nice, I would still be ticked off. But instead, I am proud to be both her friend and a fan.
Deb is currently at work on her eighteenth novel. Her books have won the RITA Award, the HOLT Medallion, National Readers' Choice Award and Silver Angel from Excellence in Media. Deborah's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title and won a Silver Angel, a bronze Omni Award and a Gold Special Jury Award at the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival. It is now available on video and on DVD in seven languages. Her newest books are the Clayburn Novels from Howard Books/Simon & Schuster, including Remember to Forget, a 2008 Christy Award finalist. Deb serves on the advisory board of American Christian Fiction Writers. She and her husband, Ken Raney, have four children and enjoy small-town life in Kansas.
Without further ado, I give you Deb Raney ...
Words are amazing things. With a unique combination of a hundred or so characters arranged into words, I can build a set as surely as a Broadway stage crew. A string of carefully chosen words can say so much more than what is actually there on the paper. Consider this sentence:

Charles James Stanford IV brushed a freshly manicured hand over the sleek mahogany desktop and depressed the blinking intercom button.
With twenty words, I’ve not only shown you the obvious—well-manicured hand, nice desk, intercom—but I’ve also implied everything those images symbolize—a man wealthy enough and vain enough to afford and desire manicures; a ritzy office; a secretary on the other end of the intercom. Ol’ CJ’s multiple names and numeral tell us that he is someone important—or at least would like us to think he is.

By extrapolating, we could deduce more: that the office is located in a large city, probably in an upscale section of town, that his office is large (doesn’t a mahogany desk just sound imposing? And there’s that intercom system.) We could assume that Mr. Stanford is a tad extravagant since he’s sprung for a fancy desk…and maybe a bit self-absorbed, since he takes time for manicures.

But there’s even more. Our man isn’t jabbing or punching the buttons on the intercom, but merely depressing them. He’s a cool, calm, collected character. We can feel fairly certain that when he picks up that phone, he’ll handle with aplomb whatever news is waiting on the other end.

Now, consider an almost identical scene—man at desk—that sets an entirely different stage with the exact same number of words:

Shorty Stanford shoved aside a jumble of coffee-stained newspapers, raked his palm over the splintered desktop and grabbed the phone.
First, the obvious: we’ve got a messy, splintered desk and a man who has to answer his own telephone. A man named Shorty isn’t usually putting on airs. And we might wonder about his workload, since he obviously has time to drink coffee over the newspaper. But our Shorty is anything but calm. He’s shoving and raking and grabbing. We can almost see the sweat beading on his forehead.

A few simple words can create a vivid backdrop for each scene in your novel. Think of your novel as a play. Have you forced your readers to sit in the back row of the theater watching an early rehearsal? The stage is empty, the lights dim. Backcloths and scrims are rolled up. The actors wear no costumes or makeup, and their hands and eyes are restrained by the scripts. We may get the gist of the story, and even be enthralled with the dialogue if it’s well delivered. But something’s missing.

Oh, what a difference if instead, we invite our readers to front row seats on opening night. Backdrops are beautifully painted and props are in place, our actors are in full costume and makeup, with their hands and eyes free to clarify and embellish the dialogue. The sound and lighting have been carefully orchestrated to set the mood and to spotlight the players’ best assets. Now we’re not just hearing the story, we are experiencing it.

Using this metaphor of novel as play, you can improve your manuscript exponentially by simply reworking the first paragraph or two of every chapter to set the stage as vividly in the reader’s mind as if he were watching a scene from a smash hit on Broadway.

Choose your words with care—especially those first words that will serve as a backdrop for your scene. If you make every syllable significant the payoff will be great. Because once you’ve set the stage properly, without changing another word, every paragraph that follows will be more vibrant, more emotional, more real, because the reader carries those first impressions with him throughout the scene.

Here’s to writing a novel that will bring down the house!