How I Research and Organize My Book Writing: a Follow-Up

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How I research and organize my book writing

A few weeks ago, I received a request to post a couple of pictures of my research “process” using a Circa notebook.

Happy to comply. 

I subscribe to the Twyla Tharp school of creative organization — every project gets its own “box" within which lies everything to do with that book, from research to notes to manuscripts and edits.

Over the years, with the advent of online storage and editing, these boxes have been getting smaller and smaller. Now, instead of tubs full of paper stacked in my closets, I’m able to use an expandable file pocket, and I consolidate my physical notes into single notebooks, whenever possible. 

 
Expandable Pockets and Book Clariefontaine
 

 

But for the CC books, I need a lot more organization. Hence, the Circa. 

If you missed how we researched THE SIXTH DAY, you can find that here. 

Once I’ve gathered up all my research, I print it out and put it in the Circa, and this is what I transport to Catherine’s for us to draw upon as we build the story. Organization helps! I separate my research by topics, as you can see. The pages inside are highlighted, too.

Each book also gets a Clairefontaine spiral bound notebook, and I use that for notes, ideas, queries, and all other manner of thinking on paper. They’re priceless to me. I actually found a whole chapter of LIE TO ME in one of the notebooks that I almost forgot to add to the manuscript, so yes, I do write by hand at times. 

 
The Clairefontaine - Plan of Attack
 

I also mentioned The Database — here is one of the bookshelves I have, full to the brim with research material. 

 
The Research Database
 

It’s amazing really, to think of all of this, when our forebears managed to write masterpiece after masterpiece like this:

 
The way it used to be done...
 

I'd love to see your process and organization!

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J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

What's on Your Mind Today?

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Open Thread Wednesday 5.9.18

It's Wednesday, y'all! Time for another edition of Open Thread Wednesday.

Sometimes we have a question to guide the discussion. But today, I just want to hear what you're thinking about, what's going on in your life, what you're up to today.

So what's on your mind? Let's talk about it in the comments.

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J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

DEAD ENDS now available in audiobook! And "Catwood" is available in ebook!

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Super fun and exciting release news today — DEAD ENDS is available in audiobook from all your favorite audio retailers! And, my story from the collection, CATWOOD, is also available in digital form. 

I’m so proud of this collection — the stories are wonderful, and to have them read aloud makes them nothing short of remarkable. Our narrator, Courtney Parker, has brought the stories and characters alive. There is something so unique about hearing your own words read to you. I know you’ll love listening to this awesome collection.

And here’s a little origin info about my story, CATWOOD.

People ask me all the time where I get my ideas. Well, CATWOOD is a totally meta story for me. 

 
the dock that inspired Catwood
 

A couple of years ago, I went on a writers retreat in the north Georgia mountains with a group of friends. The cabin was perfectly situated on a small pond, with a dock. The moment we arrived, we arrayed ourselves on that silent dock, stretching from the long car ride, then basking in the sun, staring idly at the water, chatting about our upcoming work. A story came to me right then, and I threw the bones of it together the moment I touched my laptop. The story was, of course, about a group of writers who go to a cabin in the woods with a pond and a dock, and, while there, find a body floating in the water.

I know, I know. It’s terrible of me to be thinking about dead bodies floating in ponds whilst sitting enjoying one, but that’s how my brain cooks. 

I tucked the idea away for a rainy day. And then DEAD ENDS happened, and I enjoyed the process of seeing my friends stories come to life so much that I wanted to join in. I decided to write the story about the body in the pond.

While I was thinking about it, I had this incredibly bizarro dream. I was standing in a cave with Margaret Atwood and she was screaming at the wind. Her screams were the only thing keeping us alive. And then a huge flock off birds dropped dead at her feet, and the wind ceased to blow.

Yeah. All the symbolism of that dream aside… I knew I had my tale. I stitched the dream and the pond imagery together with the photo of the house I’d given my authors, and CATWOOD was born. 

I hope you enjoy them both!

Look at this picture. Tell me what you see…

From childish demons to a mad novelist, from the Mississippi delta to the Appalachians, this collection from emerging voices and New York Times bestselling authors explores what happens when secrets that lie beneath the dust are disturbed—and our worst nightmares begin.

Amazon Audible iTunes
 

Five friends head on a weekend mountain getaway. Only four will return.

A group of writers from Nashville piles into a car and heads to the mountains of north Georgia for a work retreat—and a bit of drinking and gossip. They’ve booked a cabin in the woods with no internet and no cell service, and hopefully, no interruptions.

Near the cabin the friends discover the beautiful but decrepit Catwood manor, abandoned decades earlier. Detritus from its final lavish dinner party remains on the tables. Writer brains spin with a thousand questions, but two stand out: Why did the Catwood family abandon their mansion during a posh affair? And why did they never return?

A dark cave near the house may hold the answer. But learning the secret to the family’s disappearance will be deadly.

Kindle Kobo Google Play iBooks Nook

 

 

 

 

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, ,

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

What did you do over the weekend?

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Oh hello, Monday...

Hello, chickens, welcome to Monday. I come to you this morning, strong cup of Earl Grey in hand, refreshed and ready for another week of writing. It's amazing what a little sleep and time away from your desk can do for your peace of mind. 

I have to put a bug in your ear: big news on the blog tomorrow, so make sure you stay tuned for that!

But I want to hear this from you today: What did y'all do over the weekend?

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J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

Sunday Smatterings

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Sunday Smatterings 5.6.18

Welcome to a beautiful May Sunday, gentle readers.

Grab a hot cup of tea, and kick up your feet. Let's read some good stuff together.

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:

Advice to Writers: You've Got to Work It Over. Excellent advice from my writing hero Ernest Hemingway.

Go Medieval and Attach a Book to Your Belt. Just go read it. You'll understand...

26 Crime Writing Poets. Oh hell yeah! Did you know poetry was my first love?

Want to earn more as a book author? A male name will help. This story is starting to get old...

Do librarians read all day? Do writers write all day? 🤔

25 Foreign Words and Their Hilarious Meanings. I particularly enjoy #8...

How Fairy Tales Help Us Continue to Think Smarter and Harder. “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be very intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”  –Albert Einstein

On Analog Social Media. "The resulting analog social media tended to prove significantly more satisfying and rewarding than the addictive experiences offered through screens by the algorithmic attention economy.

And closer to home:

You need to listen to this Harlequin Audiobook Sampler. If you love audiobooks, then this will be your jam. Featuring wonderfully told tales written by Mary Kubica, Christina Dodd, Hannah Mary McKinnon, Amy Lloyd, and me! 

That's it from me! Y'all have a great week, buy some $8 grocery store flowers and put them in a Mason jar, and we'll talk again soon.

xo,
J.T.

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, , ,

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.