...Storyboarding

Harmony's post talked about brainstorming and outlining, so I think that I'll share about storyboarding, a crucial part of my writing process (and what I happen to be doing now at 12:30 a.m.).

When some people hear "storyboarding," they think of drawings arranged in chronological order and stapled to a wall like in Shrek special features. I tell them, yes! That's storyboarding! Just not the same kind of storyboarding I do.

My storyboarding is actually very similar, except I use words as my pictures. And I play by my own rules. For example, last week I was starting to storyboard an (awesome!) idea with my friend Aud. "Now," I told her as her hands hovered over the keyboard, "this is a big step for you. You may feel the need, as you gush ideas into the word proccessing document, to use unnecessary things like punctuation and sentence structure. Ignore these impulses and we'll do just fine."

Basically, I blurt anything and everything in my mind into the document in semi-chronological order. An example? Sure. This is from the storyboard of one of my WIPs.

During free pd googles the umbrella and reads through articles to look for anything that could be helpful. (when I see cori’s name, I close the window)

Didn’t see any male victims. Is like what. And red’s obviously not on his honeymoon. Oh a whim she googles redwoods nat’l park. What? It’s in northern ca…?
goes to her job, but is a bit distracted. Leaves early w mom’s permission and goes and reads in red’s hospital room.

While she’s there a news report is on the tv in the main area. There’s a beach scene…with police officers. Tess jumps up and goes out to look. Everyone in the area is staring at it. it’s the Miami news.

[et cetera report copycat? sparrow]

tess swallows and returns to red’s room when the report is over. She stares at him then curls up in the cushy armchair until devon picks her up. (one look tells me she knows about the murder)

That makes complete sense to me. (Also makes me want to write the story. It's fourth on my list, unfortunately. And by the way, that snippet totally makes the story sound less exciting and quirky than it is. I just tried to find one without any spoilers.)

Anyway, there's your first lesson in Storyboarding a la Kieryn. Next week we'll tackle Stop Storyboarding And WRITE Gosh Darn It 101.

Kidding. No idea what next week will be. So, it's a surprise!

Kieryn
www.kierynnicolas.com
www.kierynnicolas.blogspot.com