Plotting on...little cards

Despite insomnia (slightly better but the nightmares can [insert expletive] off), the words and scenes are steadily coming. I set myself a minimum of 10k a week, and they are assembling themselves into scenes and chapters. It's uphill work, I'm suffering from a real dip in motivation (for everything, really) but 10k is a good pace for me. The thing that slows me down in having enough thinking time to write, keeping ahead of the plot. Once I finish this draft, which hopefully will have all the main components in, I can go back and see what I have, plot it out, decide where everything needs to go. I tend to write short first drafts, then write more stuff to sort out the continuity slip ups, loose ends and naff scenes, then finally start trimming down the bits I don't need to concentrate the story down. I have a lot of plot to wrangle, and I still wish I could really plot. Especially as book 1-3 have a certain through flow, and need planning beyond each individual book. I almost feel a spreadsheet coming on...no, it's OK, it's still me, I can't plot on a spreadsheet. I can't plot on anything.
 
Today I'm expecting my copy of: Scrivener for Dummies.

A few months ago, I bought a copy of the Scrivener programme and wrestled with it. As a Word user, I just haven't got my head around it, and the workload didn't allow much time to work on it. I'm back to the very comprehensive tutorial, but when I get stuck I need a paper 'idiot's guide'. This would enable me to replace my inefficient, if colourful, method of putting everything on little coloured cards and moving them around.

It's based on - little virtual cards that you - yes, move around. The difference is, your scenes and chapters move with them. No white knuckle ride of cutting (eek!) and pasting. And you have an evolving overview of the whole book.

So, I've decided to reorganise my writing a bit. Words first, in case I don't do them. Half an hour of Scrivener training next. Then, the rewriting, attempts at plotting and other bits I do afterwards. Not today,  obviously, because I don't have the book yet and I blogged first! 

No word on the book deal, I'm supposed to be keeping it under wraps until it's all signed and officially announced. Still very exciting, and I'm looking forward to doing the edits for Secrets.