Project Pea word count: 13,063

I hardly ever have more than one tab open.

I’d call myself a fairly disorganised person most of the time, and yet when it comes to certain things like internet tabs, I can’t stand keeping more than one thing open at a time. I just about explode every time my mom hands me her phone and I have to scroll through one hundred tabs (no, really) just to find the one I want. I look something up, find it, maybe save it as a bookmark to refer to later, and then close it. End of story.

But I’ve found myself breaking all sorts of rules while writing my WIP, including my very own “one tab” rule.

Ever since this last time I restarted Project Pea (and what I’m still claiming over and over will be the final time I’ll restart it), I’ve had exactly three tabs open on my phone. Maybe it irks me just a tiny bit whenever I open up Safari, but it’s worth it to have these three essential writing resources on hand at all times.

1. The Five Commandments of Storytelling

Y’all, if you haven’t gotten the hint by now, go look at Story Grid’s stuff. This single page is short, to the point, and contains lots of examples. It’ll blow your mind a tiny bit when you read it. Story Grid breaks apart stories in a way that I’ve never seen before, but to me, it just makes total sense.

I refer back to this resource to make sure that my scenes contain these five elements and remind myself which element I’m working toward next in the overall story. I’m serious, this has changed the way I think about stories!

2. How to Write a Scene Outline You Can Use

Once again, I know you’ve heard me talk about K.M. Weiland before. While her outlining method is waaaay too in depth for my poor pantser brain, this blog post does help me remember the essential elements I need within each scene of my story. In an odd way, I’m sort of planning as I go. I guess that’s all that pantsing really is!

3. Save the Cat Beat Sheet: A Blockbuster Guide

Reedsy coming in clutch again! I love the simple way they explain things, and they always provide tons of examples. In this case, I find their Save the Cat beat sheet and diagram to be one of the easiest to refer to. Even though I do have a filled-out beat sheet that I’m following for Project Pea, it helps me to look back to this page for more detailed explanations on each beat. Their example movie helps, too.

So whether you’re starting a new WIP or in the thick of one, check out these three simple resources. Soon enough, you’ll be keeping three tabs open, too.

Happy writing!
-E.J.

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