Writing Hack

So, I'm putting this up on my Youtube channel, but I think it's worth it put down here.

Anything you write down. DON'T DELETE IT. Even if it's a small plot device, you can save it for another franchise or another book! I promise you, you will regret it!

Here are some things you can do to keep the plot device, scene, or chapter.

1) Save it on a whole other document. It might be a pain, but it will keep your mind at ease, knowing that you still have it.

2) Email the piece to youself. And then flag it. It can't be deleted, and if you need a quick reference, just change the tab to 'Flagged' and your peice will be right there!

3) Save it on a flashdrive! I personally have 4 flashdrives, one is for all the short stories that I have ever written, and one is for all the plot devices that I had to remove from the document. I also have my very first draft of my book in that same flash drive. If I ever need anything, then I can just refer to my first draft, just in case.

Sometimes it is more than just a plot device. It can even be a whole 800-word scene that you need to get rid of. But hey, guess what?

DON'T DELETE IT!

Just don't! You might need it for another scene later in the same book.

Save it all! No matter how useless it feels, save it.

Or, even if you feel like you need to redo a whole scene, save it anyways.

I had to redo a WHOLE chapter because there were way too many ideas. So, what I did is I copied and pasted it onto a whole other document on my flash drive (the same one that has my first draft of my first book), started to rework the chapter. I took out at least 3 ideas, (it's still a little crowded but as I said, I'm still working on it) and rewrote the chapter. It still felt like I needed those ideas in the chapter, but that doesn't mean I can't put them in another chapter or another book. I still have the chapter saved on my flash drive, waiting to be perfected and to be a part of the main story.

Another helpful tip is to have a notebook handy just in case! So, when you happen to have a random idea, just write it down and you can work out the details in the outline. Like what if this new plot device is a better fit in your book than your current one? But that doesn't mean you still can't use the one you already have.

Guess what?

DON'T DELETE IT!

Whenever you get a new plot device that can fully replace your current idea, save the old one. It might still be important in the series you are trying to write!

Not only that, but your writing will improve for the better because of it. I am much more vicious and I love it! My writing is a lot better!

Remember this;

No matter how small the plot device is, even if it's just one line, don't delete it. You are going to regret it.

Because once you delete it and you don't have it saved anywhere, you are never going to get it back. Once it's gone, you may as well set up a funeral, because you will never see that thought again.

If you want more of my content, and you like what you've read, go subscribe to my youtube channel.

J.M.A. Grenier

I upload new videos every Tuesday, and I'm more than happy to help!