Plotting Using a Calendar

This is a detail from the calendar I used when I wrote A RUSH OF LIGHT. I started off being neat and typing in the scenes. Then, as I built up momentum, I started scribbling in the details and using initials, because sometimes I write by the seat of my pants. :-) For me, using a calendar to sketch in scenes is essential. I cannot write without a calendar. It keeps me organized.

I make up my own calendars in Word using ordinary 8 1/2 x 11 size paper. I still have plenty of scribbling room if I write small. Here's the one I made for my current WIP, reduced in size to fit nicely into this post.

Of course, I could use two sheets of paper and make a bigger calendar, or use bigger paper, but this works for me. When the book is finished, I have a very basic outline of what happened and when. It is useful when writing a synopsis. 

I cannot guarantee this method would work for every writer, because nearly every writer seems to have a different approach. In the end, it's not about how a writer got the job done. All that matters is a finished manuscript and a good story. 

You can watch the book video for A RUSH OF LIGHT below.