I’m really, really behind now. In fact the 8 week course has officially finished and I’m only half way through. I should be able to complete it in the next couple of weeks though, all being good. Christmas and the run up to it, with the release of Shallow Waters, wasn’t a good time to be productive on other things and this went by the wayside.
Week 4 wasn’t a difficult week to complete. The heading was; Building up your story.
The emphasis was on using the notebook we had been encouraged to use at the start. The notebook we were supposed to be making regular notes in about people and places we see. Snippets that could spark a character or story.
It skimmed over research and how it wasn’t just something to be used in the writing of historical novels, but also contemporary ones, for professions and locations and such like, but went on to say, too much research was a sidestep away from imagination. It’s something to be filtered in gently so the reader is unaware you are doing so.
We then moved onto what story was. And the use of the What if? question. Using it to develop plot from your characters. The very characters we have been scribbling away in our notebooks about. I had a couple of paragraphs written about a girl called Emma so I played what if? with her for a while. I’m not quite sure what I have there or if I’ll go back to her seriously. I have more solid ideas needling away at me.
The last part of the week’s course focused on our own lives and fears and how we can draw on this to drive our writing. We were asked to write a list of our fears as a basis for potential story idea’s.
I’m not sure I took anything away from the course this week, which is why I was able to whiz through it so quickly.
I do believe in the notebook though. Up until now, I have been using a notebook app on my phone for this very thing. If an idea, thought, or image comes to me, no matter where I am, I have been able to note it down.
Has anyone else signed up for any of the other 8 week Future Learn courses?
Alex J. Cavanaugh says
I’ve done the ‘what if’ part before. Not sure I’d be up to writing down my own fears though.
Rebecca Bradley says
No, that one I baulked at as well Alex.
Margot Kinberg says
It sounds as though this course is covering a lot of useful things, Rebecca! I’m glad you’re having a good experience with it. I do like the ‘what if?’ factor too…
Rebecca Bradley says
I think What if? Can set off a whole host of events and lead you into many unknown places and adventures. You just have to be a little careful with it sometimes.
Jacqui Murray says
What notebook app do you use? Evernote? I like Notability for its simplicity and ease of using lots of media to take notes.
Rebecca Bradley says
I do have Evernote, but I also have use the basic notebook app that comes with the iphone. I have started using Evernote more because it syncs though. I haven’t heard of Notability. I’ll look at it. Though having too many could confuse me!
Jacqui Murray says
I started on Notify because Evernote was confusing–not immediately obvious how to get from here to there. Once I figured it out, I rarely use Notability anymore. Plus it’s fee-based. $2.99 I think.