Do You Make Lists?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the crutches I have in my life. You know what I mean. The little things we cling to that keep us out of trouble—mantras we repeat so we don’t forget where we parked the car (Section 3, Row D), alliterations we create to remember the three things that we have to buy at the grocery store (meat, milk, meals for lunch), and even emails to family members (will you write me tomorrow and remind me that I have to talk with you about….). Been there?

I find I’m more and more using private-only-known-to-me tricks to keep me on track. Call it age, call it menopause, call it laziness—I have no idea. But, I do know there is a freedom that comes from letting my brain become unencumbered from some of the details while passing the responsibility over to my crutches. It is as if I have opened up mental hard drive capacity while not losing any function. Are you following me?

I’ve needed lists with my writing as well. I make lists of what must be included in my synopsis, lists of what scenes I think are so cool they really must be not overlooked, even lists of what I don’t want in there. One of my lists I use for each book is for names. Have you ever read a book where you can’t keep track of the characters? Was it Michael or Mickey or Mitchell or Matthew who was the cousin? I hate feeling as though I can’t keep track. So, one of my lists….

I have a three-column table with the alphabet down the left side. The next two columns are for first and last names. So, my name would fill in the “C” space for Cassy and the “P” space for Pickard. Doesn’t matter that they don’t line up. The point is, as I name more characters, no one else gets the “C” or the “P” spots. This includes phonetic names. So, no Chrissy, Carry, Caitlin, Kathy, or even Kevin. And, no Peterson, Philips, Potter, or Peperdine. Each character must have an auditory identity as well as a behavioral one.

The second list I create for the humble (well, that is an overstatement) beings who live with me both in my dreams and nightmares is one of their emotions and reactions. We all have those phrases and words in our writing we fall back on. You do a search in your document for “ran” and discover you’ve used it 352 times. Doesn’t work. Plus, each of our special characters has his or her own ways of doing things. So, the list of emotions and behaviors isn’t about the typical ones we all have been told to create: color of his hair, what school did she attend, what is her favorite dinner. You know the drill. No, this one is about reactions.

For example, the book I’m working on now has a gutsy but emotionally challenged woman as the protagonist. My list of emotional responses for her range from tight fists to biting words. She “owns” those. My antagonist can’t be the same. He needs his own list of how he reacts—when his jaw clenches, when he yells, when there is a tick in his left eyelid. As I write, I keep my lists close by, assuring that I don’t have too many repetitive responses and assuring that my characters don’t steal their actions from each other.

My list of lists goes on, both for writing and for living. At some other time I’ll tell you my uses for rubber bands, binder clips, and post-it notes! Share with us how you use lists or any other methods of staying on track. I can use all the help you are willing to offer.