O is for Organization

I often wonder how people go about the business of writing their books. How do you "O" is for Organize your story before you write? If you could peer into my workspace via the computer screen you'd see sticky notes, binders, resource books, and well...just a bunch of stuff. 

I have a critique partner who writes using the SOTP style...Seat-of-The-Pants. Apparently she just sits at the keyboard and starts typing. Being utterly too type 'A' and controlling I watch in horror as she highlights and deletes chapters at a time without the slightes hesitation.  She, on the other hand, can't understand all of my outlines and lists and plot blocks.

This got me wondering about the different writing styles out there. Do the Organization types match up with genre?  Are the fantasy people total intuitive storytellers, while the romance/suspense schlumps in my corner plot and nail bite?  I decided to do some digging into styles of organization to see if I'm missing something.

My friend's style is found throughout the interweb. Sites and contests like, NaNoWriMo, and WRW, World Romance Writers, holds a Book-In-a-Week contest the third week of every month. Just email: WRW_BIAW-subscribe@yahoogroups.com  to join the group. Both of these approaches favor quantity first, then quality as the finished work is edited and pared down.  Not my cup of tea, but it seems to work the world over because it is by far the most popular style.

The next one I'll talk about is the one I use. It's called the Snowflake Method. I found it on a blog written by a guy called Randy Ingermanson. It's methodical, disciplined, and fractal in its approach, and very solid. Since I started out as an outline type of person, this method works well for me. It also helped me get my out-of-hand sticky note problem under control.

A few critique partners from my online group said they use a method called  How-to-Write-a-Novel-in-Six-Months.  This style doesn't break down the novel itself so much as the time you dedicate to each step. I thought this was interesting because it had a bit of both of the previous styles. The structure and the freedom.

What type of style do you espouse?  Is it structural, more creative and brain-stormy, or a combination?  I'd love to know. If you do comment, please include your genre.

Until next time...Go Write!

Photograph by Muffet, Uploaded December 25, 2008. Photograph by @boetter, Uploaded on October 6, 2005.