Today is FOR PETE'S SAKE DAY. Who is this 'Pete' guy, anyway, and why do we go around doing things for his sake?

the bible according to nikki
One of the first things I do when engaged in any kind of serial writing project is to create a series bible. Also called a correspondence, a series bible is a constantly updated file which contains all the information relevant to the series, including characters, setting, premise, overall plot, references, and-- when I'm being smart and disciplined-- log lines. (Log lines are episode-by-episode plot breakdowns, written in as few sentences as humanly possible.)


The purpose of this file is pretty self-evident: it's mostly so that, in the course of an extended storyline, I don't go around contradicting myself or forgetting to seed plot elements that are supposed to crop up later in the storyline. The log lines are especially useful because they help me pace the story as I go along-- and they save me from having to rack my brain to figure out what happens next as the deadlines loom. However, in cases where the project is a collaboration (like, say, anything requiring a visual element, since I'm artistically-retarded), the log line isn't just for my benefit; it's disseminated to everyone involved in the project so that we all understand what's going on, what has gone before, and where we're attempting to take the story.


So it really surprises me to find out that a lot of people don't make series bibles, or don't even know that such an animal exists. Because it just makes serial writing geometrically easier, and it simply makes sense. If anyone would like to know how, just write me and I will try to explain how I do it. Then we can all spread the Good Word...

TRIVIA QUIZ
Who or what is the 'destroying angel'?


answer to Monday's question
Curling is a sport played on ice, in which heavy stones with handles (known as curling stones) are slid towards a target. It was established in Canada by Scottish soldiers in the mid-18th century.


Congratulations to Ariel and Alex for being right on target!