There are many stages in the creation of a novel: conception; gathering; structuring; first draft; (endless) revision; final draft. Of all of these, I find "gathering" the most pleasant.
In the gathering stage, I read and read more. Hilary Mantel said in a recent interview, and I paraphrase, "I read and read until the characters start talking." The process is similar for me. I'm reading for sparks, for connections. Scenes bloom, characters begin to take shape.
At the same time, I begin to construct a timeline and identify possible scenes. I note the areas where specific research will be needed and buy more books. I list the locations I should visit (how nice that these are in France), and experts I should contact.
Inevitably, I try to find a way to keep track of all these swirling thoughts. Inevitably, this entails stationary. My next novel (The Novel Still in Search of a Title) is now with my editor at HarperCollins Canada. Four years ago, when I was in the gathering stage for this story, I succumbed to the sanity-restoring order of pretty new hanging files and neatly printed out file labels. It was a beautiful thing to see—but in truth, once set up I never actually used it.
I've come to see that what I need is a note-taking system that is always with me. My Levenger Circa datebook is always within reach, so for the next-next novel—which is already in the gathering stage—I've decided on a Circa system. Circa notes are easy to move and reorder and I can make them on the fly.
Inevitably, too, computer software becomes tempting—something that makes writing a novel look easy. I've long used (and cursed) Microsoft Word. It's better than ever, but it can be buggy. I doubt that I will ever cut my tie to it, but instead of using Word for constructing a timeline and early drafts, I am tempted by Aeon Timeline (for Mac) and Scrivener.
Aeon Timeline is designed for creators of fantasy novels, and is thus well-suited for historical fiction. With Aeon, I can put in an event, identify the characters involved, insert tags, and link it to a story arc. (The Aeon team is working on making it so one can link to more than one arc, which would be nice.) Then, with filters, I can look at everything through the lens of one character, one arc or tag. It felt like procrastination taking on this fairly complex software, but it feels like a keeper to me. In fact, I love it.
And then, there's Scrivener, writing software that many writers I know rave about. I long ago purchased it and played with it; I even read an e-book on using it. Yet I resisted, in wise part because I was in the middle of a long project. Now, with the next-next novel moving into focus, it might be time to give it another try.
Plus, Aeon exports into Scrivener. I foresee hours of procrastination ahead . . .
Sandra Gulland is the author of the Josephine B. Trilogy, internationally best-selling novels about Napoleon's wife, now published in seventeen countries. Her most recent novel, Mistress of the Sun, also best-selling and published internationally, is set in mid-17th century France at the court of the Sun King. Next year she will be publishing another novel set in this court, and, after that, she will be writing a Young Adult novel (or two) about Josephine's daughter. She and her husband live half the year in rural Ontario, Canada, and the other half in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. For more information about Sandra and her work, go to her website: www.SandraGulland.com.
