Author Archives: Brenda

About Brenda

I am a writer, lover of sideshows and tattoos. I have kids, a partner, two dogs, a naughty parrot and a life that is full. My life is a circus and I wouldn't have it any other way. I review books, blog about life as a writer with ADHD and publish my photographs on my blog Writing While Distracted . I celebrate my passion for food and cooking on my food blog Quinby Kitchen Sideshow .You can find me on Facebook by clicking here . If Pinterest is your thing, I am there too, and you can find me by clicking here .

Outlines for the Attention Impaired- No Really!

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Outlining for the Attention Impaired – No Really!

Hanoi 2009

             
What has this picture got to do with today’s topic? The branches are blocking the view, or highlighting it, or hey, is that a bud? This is how I feel when ever I start to outline a project. Outline? I can hear some of you making bad sounds and see you rolling your eyes. This is not a debate about outlines.  Some folks write very well without them. Some people scratch a few notes to themselves on the back of a cocktail napkin and call it a day.  Others make outlines that are pages long and detailed.

Things to keep in mind before you run shrieking from the room shouting that you swore you would never outline again after Mrs. Ramrod’s sixth grade essay class.

  1. Outlines do not have to be set in stone (unless that’s how you roll). 
  2. Outlines are guidelines/maps to where you want to go with your story. 
  3. Outlines are your friend, particularly if you have attention issues. 
  4. Outlines are not straight jackets for your creativity.
  5. Outlines can be used for any multiple step project, not just writing.
Creating and using outlines serves five purposes.

  1. It guides your writing so you don’t end up wandering around trying to find the point of your story.
  2. If you get lost while writing a long piece, or have to take a break from a story because life happens (job, sick kids, snow days, etc.), you can come back to the outline and figure out why you went in a direction you did and where you wanted to go with your story. 
  3. If you have to write a synopsis, you can come back to your outline for structure. 
  4. Project outlines help in planing next steps, and allows you to plan your writing time so that you don’t miss deadlines.
  5. Outlines help you to focus, allowing you to make the best use of your writing time. 

For those of us with attention issues, the very thought of outlining makes most of us freak out, and remembering how defeated we have been by outlines before. Why? Because we do not think in straight lines.  We think in circles, tangents, and broad soaring what-ifs. We struggle with ordering things. Because all of our thoughts happen at the same time, and it all seems like the first step. This does not lend itself to writing conventional outlines, all neat and tidy with everything labeled with numbers and subheadings. So what to do if we want to take advantage of the benefits of outlines? Do I sit down with a blank piece of paper and a pen, go to town, trying to force myself into straight lines and boxes? 
Nope. In the past I would use poster size paper and a fist full of markers. Lots of fun but a bit unwieldy. Now I do the same thing but I use MindNode  or Inspriation. Both of these applications allow me to capture thoughts as they bubble up and then drag them and drop them into an order that flows logically.

MindNode (https://mindnode.com) works well on my IPad and I use it for brainstorming projects, and outlining next steps for projects in process, allowing me to break a large task into less overwhelming parts.  It allows me to drag and drop ideas using colors and lines to to link thoughts as they occur.  I can add images and links to my mind map, MindNode with will automatically order my ideas. It is available for use on tablets and Macs but I prefer using my tablet version.

   When I want to outline a story,  a novel or  create a character sketch,  I use Inspiration (http://www.inspiration.com/Inspiration). Although marketed to a K-12 audience this is the best software I have found for creating outlines. It allows you to type your ideas into bubbles and then drag them around to where you want them. You can insert images, make notes, create mind maps and presentations. I have used it to write character sketches, novel outlines, and presentation outlines.
My favorite attribute of this program is the ability to move back and forth between a diagram view and a formal outline view. being able to drag and drop while in outline mode is the best thing I have found for ordering my thoughts. It even assigns numbers and letters to your outline in a way that would make Mrs. Ramrod proud.

What apps or system do you use? If the answer is none, give one or both of these a try.  If you are a parent looking for ways to help your distracted child with their writing give these tools a try.  Many schools have access to the Inspiration software. If you are a college student struggling with writing and outlines check out your learning resource centers, many have access to these programs or you may be able to be get a student discount.  In my next post I will talk about the outlining process and review some books that made me an outline convert.

In Praise of the Spiral Notebook

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In Praise of the Spiral Notebook
Wayne County Fair  2013

Today I am on the merry-go-round.  Going around in circles, wondering when the ride will be over,
can I really reach that brass ring with out falling off? My plan for a productive morning totally blown by snow, ice, more snow, and kids home from school. The precious 2 hours and 45 minutes I usually have to work on my current writing project? So not happening.
What do I do when my writing schedule is interrupted by children and other acts of nature beyond my control?  I grab a spiral notebook, the cheaper the better, and a pen. I leave it out where I can scribble down ideas that bubble up as I play with the kids, wash dishes, and watch the snow fall.

I have tried 3X5 cards and sticky notes but the kids and the dogs chew and eat them, respectively. If the cards/notes survived the omnivorous kids and dogs, I had a really bad habit of misplacing them or washing them.
For those of us with attention issues having a place to capture your flight of ideas is essential. Using something that does not depend on an external power source, is easily replaced and inexpensive is freeing.  Writing in my spiral notebook provides these five benefits.

  •  I feel as I am really working even if I am not at my computer, hammering away at my current  work in progress.
  •  I can capture thoughts and ideas for my work in progress and new story ideas.
  •  When I face the blinking cursor I have a clue what I wanted to write.
  •  I don’t have to worry that my notes will be lost, chewed on, or otherwise become unreadable, although I do advise NOT pointing a freshly fed infant at one’s research notebook!
  • A spiral notebook feels private in a way that electronic notes do not.
So am I an unrepentant Luddite? No. I love my Mac, and Evernote is my favorite app. Do I need a private, portable, unbreakable, cheap way to keep up with thoughts, ideas, scraps of information and whims that pass though my head on any given day. Yes, and I can buy them ten for a dollar at back to school sales.  Do you have a favorite way to capture your ideas? Are you rethinking your system? Do you have a system?

Do you have any 3X5 cards?

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  Hello!
Feb 3, 2014, 9:26 PMbyBrenda Murphy
 I have issues with distraction, hyperactivity and organization. I am also an obsessive reader and researcher. Sure, there are times I can really focus and get so much written and accomplished that I feel like I am really working (NaNoWriMo anyone?) And other days… Well the other days are spent trying to figure out what, of all the great story ideas, house projects, baking projects and work projects swirling in my head I should focus on. I started this blog for everyone who struggles with focus and organization and is frustrated with themselves. I will share tools, tips, and techniques that work for me and some might work for you. As I experiment and try new things come along for the ride.