Thread by @theames

I was asked if I'd do a thread on how to use Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to write/revise novels, so, yes, I will! My dayjob works almost entirely in spreadsheets so it's the way my brain sorts information easily, which is one reason this works best for me.

So because I write romcoms (or books containing romcoms), I often structure my books at least lightly around Billy Mernit's romantic comedy structure. So I might list those major points in one column and then have the freedom to use as many rows listing things that happen.

I like this because the first column can either track or SUGGEST which page number things things should be happening by. This keeps me knowing "where" in the book I am and where I'm going to. Obviously I write the specifics in column C in my actual outline.

I like being able to see the info next to each other and what it represents. I love being able to add rows as I think of more events that happen and not have it disturb Column B's listing of what these events are actually functioning as.

I use Column D as a place to type all my scattered thoughts about the scenes. This is where I might note I still need to edit a scene or research something, or just warning myself I'm nervous about writing something so I can gear up for it.

When I get further in, I might color code too - often shading my finished sections one color and filling the unfinished ones as I do them. Or shading in what needs to be edited and then no-filling-them when finished. Etc.

I usually make a new spreadsheet if my edit letter requires any reordering or changing things that impact giant sections of the book.

I had to do A LOT of moving things in Kissing Ted Callahan around BUT I had to make sure some things didn't move, so I used a spreadsheet to keep track of what happened and then I added some notes. SPOILER ALERT I GUESS FOR A FOUR-YEAR-OLD BOOK.

Anyway this is just how MY MIND WORKS and being able to use something visual in columns helps me a lot. The cool thing about writing is WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN WAYS OF DOING STUFF and YOUR WAY IS YOUR OWN RIGHT WAY.