New Novel

I've begun a new novel. On the left is a photo of my storyboard. I wish it looked attractive. But it is what it is--a utilitarian workhorse. And it reminds me the beauty of the story rises or falls based on what's written those notecards.

Besides the storyboard, I have a notebook with thoughts and ideas. But what makes it onto the board are the things that are sure and true.

To start a novel, I need the two things written on these cards. One, the card on the top left, contains the background of the novel, i.e., what happens before the opening scene. Two, the card pinned in the middle, is the novel's ending. I pin it in the middle because it is the novel's vortex--everything flows toward it because the entire novel derives its momentum from the ending.


NB: I don't always use a cork board. Sometimes I use notecards and a notecard binder. Other times, I use a whiteboard.)