Go Visual to Communicate Simply

It's easier to grasp a character
profile that's visual

I'm gradually getting converted to using more and more visual elements for communicating. Earlier, I posted about using drawings to get going on a project. But now I'm seeing the importance of going visual when one is mid-project, as a way of pulling back and getting clarity. A drawing, idea map, picture, or storyboard can help you to get back to basics, to simplify.

And so, as my collaborative novel group is ramping up on inviting people to contribute 1500-word subchapters to their outlined novel, I thought I would use some visualization to assist myself and others who wish to contribute to the novel to get a better sense of the characters they will be writing about.


Right now, the group has laid out a set of character biographies on their project wiki. This is work well done, since everyone can be on the same page about who is who. But from another angle, the very problem is that people are being taken to pages -- rather than pictures -- and so it is hard to grasp what these characters look like, or their relationships with other characters. I spent time today reading through each of those biographies carefully and then remixing / translating that information into a Prezi presentation. I know this will help me keep the characters straight when I write my segment for the novel. What do you think of the following?

Draw Upon Drawing when Developing Projects

See this crude drawing? I just grabbed an index card and a marker and drew this. It's a mockup for a scenario that could be the basis for a novel chapter. Took me 30 seconds. Now, why would I inflict my lack of art on you all? I mean, look at that man's head! Is that even a head? And the flying saucer -- looks more like a sinking speed boat. Please.

Crude though my drawing may be, you do get a very clear sense of what the dramatic tension is all about in my fictional fictional book.