In an article for Writer’s Digest, C.H. Hooks shares her tips for using vignettes as stepping stones to write a novel. “Each beat of the novel is a vignette, a moment of action steeped in tension that moves the narrative forward and is part of the broader story,” he writes. “But each vignette is also an individual moment to be navigated.”
Hooks’ system relies on creating the core of a novel in a short time frame, writing pivotal scenes as they come to mind. “I find that this is doable through a series of steps,” he says.
- Make a Reasonable Goal. Evaluate your time and non-writing commitments and set a goal you can reach.
- List What You Know. Write down everything you know about your new project, such as characters, settings, scenes, and situations.
- Grab Moments. Write down thoughts as they occur to you during the day, on paper or a smart device. You might have only a few sentences by the end of the day, or you might have several paragraphs.
- Get Organized. If you work on a laptop, create a file and folder for just this project and give it a title.
- Start small. Expand on your vignettes, trying for at least one per day. “You are attempting to capture the essence of your novel,” Hooks notes. “The voices and emotions of your characters are clearest when kept fresh in your mind.”
- Track your progress. Watching your word count add up can be motivating.
- Reward yourself. Give yourself a reward when you hit an important milestone, such as after 40,000 words or 100 pages.
