timmygyu

Hello,


I am currently editing my first novel. The novel is science fiction/alternate history. Due to this fact, and a larger potential story arc I may or may not explore in further books, I am trying to develop the universe more fully than was required to write the novel. I've already written a great deal, in both computer typed notes, and hand written sheets. I would like to compile this all in a sensible, organized, and easily referenced structure or database that I can expand as needed. Trouble is, I'm not quite sure how to do it. I've purchased Dramatica Pro, but it seems more for organizing the story itself, instead of the universe. Still, if anyone can point me to a good tutorial or web-page on using Dramatica to organize a universe, it would be greatly appreciated. Also, any suggestions of other programs--preferably free or cheap--or simply a system that can be implemented through plain text, would be appreciated as well.


Thanks in advance,
Tim.

Malone

Buy a bulletin board. Mount it over your desk. Post sticky notes and your written sheets on it so you can look up and see whatever you need to see as you develop your universe.
Don't over complicate it.

__________________
There Is A Policeman Inside All Our Heads: He Must Be Destroyed

ProudlyAnonymous

Get a history textbook and organize your history notes in a similar manner.
Same with science notes, language notes, etc.

__________________
"You see, that’s it. Weapons are not the most powerful things in history, bullets can kill only men and animals, bombs can only destroy cities. But that’s all insignificant. The most powerful things in all of human history are words. Words and Ideas, words and ideas.” -James Matthew Capella XI.

Rumrunner

I struggled with that for a while, too. I have one sort of "back-burner" project that I work on from time to time when I'm not feeling inspired on any of my other projects that has an enormously detailed setting and history. Since there are often long breaks between writing spurts on it, I found it difficult to keep track of everything, and tried a few different approaches.

Now, basically, I use Word. I have a couple of files - one for major characters, one for minor, reccuring, and cameo characters, and a general one for technology, places, historical events, local terminology, etc - which comprise brief alphabetized entries like an encyclopaedia. Whenever one entry references another entry, I create a hyperlink to connect them. And every time I write in a new character, place, or significant event, I make a new entry. Seems to work pretty well; when I need to know something I just look it up. And it doesn't need any additional software.

__________________
"But as he gazed on truth his aching eyes grew dim...."
-- Byron, from Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto the First

Rumrunner

Oops, double post....

__________________
"But as he gazed on truth his aching eyes grew dim...."
-- Byron, from Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto the First

ClancyBoy

My only suggestion is to not structure too much. Worlds designed with structure in mind really feel structured, if you know what I mean. (All the orcs up here, all the fighters in this town, all the English wizards in once school, etc.)
When you overstructure like that the world you've created seems smaller than your story, which probably isn't what you want. You want your story to take place inside the larger world you've created, and for that I think you want a sense of complexity and sometimes randomness. The real world isn't structured, after all. It's a damn mess.

__________________
"Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons wait for you down there. Little pets they are, little little little pets. Cute little things, they say. Don't you believe it. No man ever saw them and walked away alive. You won't either. That's the final dash, flash. That's the utter clobber, cobber." --Cordwainer Smith, Norstrillia.

ClancyBoy

My only suggestion is to not structure too much. Worlds designed with structure in mind really feel structured, if you know what I mean. (All the orcs up here, all the fighters in this town, all the English wizards in once school, etc.)
When you overstructure like that the world you've created seems smaller than your story, which probably isn't what you want. You want your story to take place inside the larger world you've created, and for that I think you want a sense of complexity and sometimes randomness. The real world isn't structured, after all. It's a damn mess.

__________________
"Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons wait for you down there. Little pets they are, little little little pets. Cute little things, they say. Don't you believe it. No man ever saw them and walked away alive. You won't either. That's the final dash, flash. That's the utter clobber, cobber." --Cordwainer Smith, Norstrillia.

ClancyBoy

ftw

__________________
"Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons wait for you down there. Little pets they are, little little little pets. Cute little things, they say. Don't you believe it. No man ever saw them and walked away alive. You won't either. That's the final dash, flash. That's the utter clobber, cobber." --Cordwainer Smith, Norstrillia.