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Cómo una planificación sencilla mantendrá tu novela en el buen camino

agosto 17, 2017 | 6 lectura mínima


La publicación invitada de hoy es de Zara Altair ( @ZaraAltair ), escritora de Los misterios de Argólico, ambientada en la antigua Italia. Zara también asesora a escritores en ciernes para crear historias exitosas como El Guardaespaldas de la Historia desde su casa cerca de Portland, Oregón.



Planificación de sus obras novedosas

Cuando la mayoría de los escritores tienen una idea para una nueva historia, quieren lanzarse de lleno y ponerse en marcha. Si no planificas, es probable que tu novela tenga baches, desvíos y callejones sin salida. Es probable que pierdas horas de tiempo que podrías ahorrar si planificas primero. Planificar puede ayudarte a evitar errores que te quitan tiempo, reescrituras, personajes que se apoderan del texto y desvían la fluidez, y a llegar al final rápidamente.

Los novelistas pueden optimizar la escritura de historias con una planificación creativa. Primero, generen ideas sobre las escenas y luego organícenlas para crear la estructura de una historia.

La lluvia de ideas de la historia

Planificar una historia puede ser creativo. No tienes que construir un esquema rígido como los que entregabas para la escuela. Una planificación correcta es tan creativa como escribir, pero de una manera diferente. Haz una lluvia de ideas con tantas ideas como puedas: escenas, fragmentos de diálogo, secuencias de acción, el McGuffin , lo que confunde a tu protagonista. Cualquier idea sobre la historia. No es necesario que las ideas estén en orden lógico ni secuencial. En este punto, estás recopilando todos los fragmentos que quieres para tu historia.

Algunos escritores usan fichas de 7,6 x 12,7 cm . Otros usan una hoja de cálculo. Otros usan programas de escritura como Scrivener. O simplemente las anotan en un documento de texto. La clave está en generar ideas para la historia y las escenas.

Los escritores buscan una historia única. Generar ideas para tus escenas es una forma creativa de capturar la esencia de tu historia. Las ideas fluyen directamente de tu cabeza a las escenas de la historia. Sigue añadiendo escenas hasta que tengas todas las escenas de tu historia.

Puedes moverlas a medida que añades escenas, pero no te centres demasiado en esto. La idea es escribir tantas escenas como puedas que formen parte de tu historia.

La clave de este proceso es que se trata de una lluvia de ideas. Sin juicios. Si se te ocurre una escena, añádela a la lista. Las organizarás después.

Organiza los fragmentos en una estructura de historia

Una vez que hayas recopilado los fragmentos de tu historia, puedes reorganizarlos para crear una secuencia. Aquí es donde las fichas o el software con componentes móviles pueden ser invaluables. Puedes mover tus ideas hasta que sientas que has creado el orden de tu historia.

No importa si usas El Viaje del Héroe, los ritmos de Salva al Gato o cualquier otro recurso para la estructura narrativa. Cada estructura funciona mejor para cada escritor.

Obtén los puntos básicos de la trama. Aquí está la lista básica de la novelista Kristen Kieffer .

  • Exposición. Los detalles necesarios sobre los personajes, el entorno y el contexto que los lectores necesitan para comprender el contexto de la novela. (Nota: la exposición * no* es el comienzo de una novela, aunque suele revelarse durante los primeros capítulos para preparar el escenario).
  • Llamada a la acción. El momento en que el héroe es llamado a abandonar el mundo ordinario para embarcarse en una aventura sobrenatural. Suele encontrarse en novelas de fantasía y ciencia ficción.
  • Acción ascendente. La serie de eventos que conducen al clímax de la historia.
  • Crisis. Picos de tensión o conflicto que ocurren a lo largo de la acción ascendente de la novela.
  • Clímax. La crisis más intensa de la narrativa, aunque no necesariamente la crisis final.
  • Acción descendente. La serie de eventos posteriores al clímax de la historia, donde se responden preguntas y se resuelven las crisis restantes .
  • Resolución. Los momentos finales de una novela donde se resuelven los hilos de tensión restantes y se establece una nueva realidad .

Ahora puedes ordenar tus escenas según la estructura argumental elegida. Usa un tablero de corcho, un programa o un documento para ordenarlas. Algunos escritores disfrutan de la sensación táctil de mover las tarjetas, mientras que otros prefieren la comodidad del programa o incluso de los documentos de texto, que eliminan la necesidad de convertir notas manuscritas en texto mecanografiado.

No importa qué herramientas uses. Es el proceso lo que te ayudará con tu novela.

Estructura de la historia: el contenedor de tus escenas

En esta etapa pueden suceder dos cosas:

  • Descubres que faltan escenas para completar la estructura completa de la historia.
  • Las escenas de tu lista no parecen encajar en la estructura de la historia.

Ahora es momento de refinar la estructura. Si faltan escenas importantes, puedes añadirlas para completar el ciclo de la trama. Esta parte del proceso te ayuda a asegurarte de que toda la trama esté completa.

Echa un vistazo a las escenas que no encajan en la estructura de la historia. Si no encuentras un lugar para que avancen, es hora de dejarlas ir . Puedes guardarlas para otra historia si son demasiado valiosas para desecharlas.

Recompensas de la lluvia de ideas y la estructura

Con las escenas acorde a la estructura, llega el momento de escribir.

La enorme ventaja de hacer una lluvia de ideas sobre las escenas es que ya sabes qué sucede. No tienes que perder el tiempo pensando en qué sigue. Ya has visualizado la escena. Y ya has visualizado la historia de principio a fin.

Una vez que haya completado la lluvia de ideas y la estructura, encontrará muchos beneficios en tomarse el tiempo para planificar su novela.

Escribe más rápido

Mientras escribes, no te preguntarás qué sigue. Usarás tu creatividad y tus habilidades de escritura para crear la mejor escena que impulse la historia. Tus escenas fluirán porque ya conoces no solo los elementos básicos, sino también su lugar en la historia. Puedes incorporar presagios sin ser demasiado pretencioso.

Ahorra tiempo

Debido a que escribes más rápido y sabes hacia dónde vas con la historia, tu novela fluirá sin preguntarte qué viene después o cómo continuar una escena más adelante.

Eliminar reescrituras

Si has pensado bien en los elementos y la estructura de la historia, no descartarás escenas ni capítulos enteros porque la historia haya cambiado mientras la escribías. El tiempo que dediques al principio a crear y organizar tus escenas te ayudará a mantenerte enfocado en la historia.

No te arrincones por escribir

Sin un plan, muchos escritores principiantes descubren que los personajes toman el control y llevan la historia por un camino imprevisto. Luego, al desviarse, no pueden retomar el control y se encuentran en un callejón sin salida. El proceso de lluvia de ideas y organización impide que la historia divague.

Permanece en el flujo de la historia

Como conoces la historia general, siempre te diriges hacia el final mientras escribes. Ya has probado cada escena para ver cómo encaja en el plan general. Tu única tarea al escribir es darle vida a la escena.

Escenas como bloques de construcción

Cada escena es un pilar fundamental de tu novela. El proceso de lluvia de ideas y estructuración elimina las escenas innecesarias antes de dedicarle tiempo a escribirlas . Ya has calculado qué escenas encajan en la estructura de la historia y cómo la construyen dentro de la secuencia.

La planificación es la clave para que la historia sea fácil

Una planificación sencilla elimina muchas frustraciones al escribir novelas. Quienes utilizan esta sencilla técnica se dan cuenta de que están más cerca de su historia desde el momento en que empiezan a escribir . Detectan lagunas en la trama y completan la estructura narrativa antes de escribir. Ahorran tiempo al eliminar escenas innecesarias, evitan desviaciones de personajes y evitan reescrituras desalentadoras antes de escribir.

Este sencillo proceso de planificación fomenta tu creatividad para crear historias. Todas las historias ya se han contado. Planificar te ayuda a crear la historia que realmente te pertenece.

Los escritores que utilizan una planificación sencilla descubren que sus historias fluyen a medida que escriben escenas. Llegan a una conclusión satisfactoria y terminan la novela.

¿Cómo planificas tu escritura? ¡Cuéntanoslo en los comentarios!


Zara Altair

Zara Altair ( @ZaraAltair ) escribe Los Misterios de Argólico, ambientados en la antigua Italia, con el patricio Argólico y su tutor de toda la vida, Nikolaos: La Virgen Usada , La Viuda del Melocotón y El Heredero Romano . Escribe para la web como redactora semántica y está trabajando en un libro para escritores: SEO para Autores. Zara también asesora a escritores en ciernes para crear historias exitosas como El Guardaespaldas de la Historia desde su casa cerca de Portland, Oregón.

noviembre 29, 2025 4 lectura mínima

The Great Freewrite Séance: A Ghost'ly Charity Auction Full Terms & Conditions

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern participation in The Great Freewrite Séance: A Ghost'ly Charity Auction (“Auction”), organized by Freewrite (“Organizer,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). By registering for, bidding in, or otherwise participating in the Auction, you (“Participant,” “Bidder,” or “Winner”) agree to be bound by these Terms.

1. Auction Overview

1.1. The Auction offers for sale a limited number of Freewrite Traveler Ghost Edition units (“Items” or “Ghost Traveler units”), each personally signed and drawn on by a featured author.

1.2. All proceeds, net of explicitly disclosed administrative costs, will be donated to the charity or charitable initiative (“Charity”) identified on each auction item’s page, as chosen by the respective author.

2. Eligibility

2.1. Participants must be at least 18 years old or the age of majority in their jurisdiction, whichever is higher.

2.2. Employees of Freewrite, the participating authors, or any affiliates directly involved in the Auction are not eligible to bid.

2.3. By participating, you represent that you are legally permitted to take part in online auctions and to pay for any bids you win.

3. Auction Registration

3.1. Participants must create an account on the auction platform or otherwise register using accurate, current, and complete information.

3.2. Freewrite reserves the right to verify identity and to disqualify any Participant who provides false or misleading information.

4. Bidding Rules

4.1. All bids are binding, final, and non-retractable.

4.2. Bidders are responsible for monitoring their bids; Freewrite is not liable for missed notifications or technical issues on the auction platform or the Participant’s device.

4.3. Freewrite reserves the right to:

  • set minimum bids or bid increments;
  • reject bids deemed in bad faith or intended to disrupt the Auction;
  • extend, pause, or cancel the Auction in case of technical difficulties, fraud, or events beyond reasonable control.

5. Winning Bids and Payment

5.1. The highest valid bid at the close of the Auction is the Winning Bid, and the corresponding Participant becomes the Winner.

5.2. Winners will receive payment instructions and must complete payment within 48 hours of the auction’s close unless otherwise stated.

5.3. Failure to complete payment on time may result in forfeiture, and Freewrite may offer the Item to the next highest bidder.

5.4. Accepted payment methods will be listed on the Auction platform. All payments must be made in the currency specified.

6. Item Description and Condition

6.1. Each Ghost Traveler unit is authentic, and the signatures, doodles, and messages are original works created by the participating author. These are authors, not artists. By bidding on the Item, you acknowledge that you are receiving a one-of-a-kind unit marked with unique art and messages and you agree to these terms and conditions.

6.2. Because Items are customized and signed by hand, variations, imperfections, or unique marks are to be expected. These are considered part of the Item’s character and not defects.

6.3. Items are provided “as-is” and “as-available.” Freewrite makes no warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

7. Shipping & Delivery

7.1. Shipping costs, import duties, and taxes may apply unless explicitly stated otherwise.

7.2. Freewrite will make reasonable efforts to ship Items within the estimated timeline but cannot guarantee delivery dates.

7.3. Title and risk of loss transfer to the Winner upon delivery to the carrier.

7.4. Freewrite is not responsible for delays, damage, or loss caused by the courier or customs agencies.

8. Charity Donation

8.1. Net proceeds from the Auction will be donated to the Charity designated on each Item page.

8.2. Donation amounts and recipients may be disclosed publicly unless prohibited by law.

8.3. Winners acknowledge that they are purchasing Items, not making a tax-deductible donation to Freewrite; therefore, Winners will not receive charitable tax receipts unless Freewrite explicitly states otherwise in compliance with applicable laws.

9. Intellectual Property

9.1. All trademarks, brand names, product names, and creative materials associated with Freewrite and the Ghost Traveler remain the exclusive property of Freewrite or their respective rights holders.

9.2. Participants may not reproduce, distribute, or publicly display the authors’ doodles without permission where such rights are applicable, except as allowed by law (e.g., resale of the physical Item).

10. Privacy

10.1. By participating, you consent to Freewrite’s collection, use, and storage of your personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

10.2. Freewrite may publicly announce auction results, including Winner’s first name, last initial, city, state/country, and winning bid amount unless prohibited by law or unless you formally request anonymity when possible.

11. Prohibited Conduct

Participants may not:

  • engage in bid manipulation, fraud, or collusive bidding;
  • use automated systems (bots, scripts, scrapers) to place or monitor bids;
  • interfere with the Auction, platform, or other participants

Freewrite may ban or disqualify any Participant violating these rules.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law:

12.1. Freewrite is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from the Auction or purchase of Items.

12.2. Freewrite’s total liability in connection with these Terms shall not exceed the amount of the Winning Bid actually paid by the Participant.

12.3. Freewrite is not responsible for technical malfunctions, internet outages, system failures, or other issues beyond its control.

13. Cancellation and Force Majeure

Freewrite may cancel, postpone, or modify the Auction due to unforeseen circumstances, including but not limited to natural disasters, system failures, strikes, or events affecting participating authors or the Charity.

14. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

14.1. These Terms are governed by the laws of Michigan, without regard to conflict-of-law rules.

14.2. Any disputes arising under these Terms will be resolved through binding arbitration or the courts of the specified jurisdiction, as applicable.

14.3. Participants waive any right to participate in class-action lawsuits relating to the Auction.

15. Amendments

Freewrite may update these Terms at any time. Continued participation in the Auction after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

16. Contact Information

For questions or concerns regarding the Auction or these Terms, contact: hello@getfreewrite.com.

noviembre 25, 2025 1 lectura mínima

This is a great gratitude writing exercise to be done alone or in a group, with people of any age.

How to Play

    1. Designate someone to read out each prompt below. (Feel free to add your own prompts.)
    2. After each prompt is read, set a timer for one minute. (With younger kids, this can be shortened. For older folks who want to freewrite meaningfully, more time can be added.)
    3. Each person freewrites by finishing the sentence and elaborating until the timer goes off. (For little kids, this can be done verbally with an adult recording their answers. Hilarity will ensue.)
    4. Remeber that freewriting — allowing yourself to write with abandon — enables you to let go, tapping into your subconscious to explore your thoughts more deeply.
    5. When everyone is done with all the prompts, take turns going through some your answers. Some people may be eager to share. Others may not want to. Respect their decision.

The Prompts

  • I'm grateful for... [After you've finished this prompt, repeat it five times. Challenge yourself and others not to repeat a singe word with each new answer.]
  • The silliest thing I'm grateful for is...
  • The littlest thing I'm grateful for is...
  • The biggest thing I'm grateful for is...
  • The grossest thing I'm grateful for is...
  • One thing I love about myself is...
  • My favorite thing that happened this year was...
  • My hope for next year is...

This writing exercise has resulted in some sweet answers — and many hilarious ones, too. If you try it out, do let us know.

Write on.

noviembre 21, 2025 4 lectura mínima

For the release of Sailfish, our new firmware update for Smart Typewriter Gen3 and Traveler, we created a brand-new boot-up animation to surprise and delight our writers.

We worked with talented Danish animator Mathias Lynge to bring our experience of the writer's journey to life.

We had a blast visualizing the writer's journey in this new way. Our engineers also had a blast (or something less than a blast) figuring out how to adjust this fun, playful animation to E Ink's very tricky specifications. Hello, refresh rate woes! But we think the result is pretty fun.

"The little animation made my day when I noticed. I love a good flourish."

- Freewrite user

The process of creating this animation was long and full of Zoom calls where we deeply discussed the writing process. We were struck through those conversations by how much overlap there is in creative processes of all disciplines.

So we sat down to chat with Mathias about his creative process and what it's like being a full-time animator.

ANNIE COSBY: Let's start with the basics. What kind of art do you make?

MATHIAS LYNGE: I'm a 2D animator and motion designer working freelance with a wide range of clients. The style varies depending on the project, but it’s usually either a hand-drawn look animated frame-by-frame on a drawing tablet, or a more digital, vectorized look made in After Effects.

While much of what I do is commercial work, I try to keep up with my own passion projects as well. That could be a 10-second Instagram loop of a nature scene, or an interesting character design I’ve sketched down with a pencil. It’s there that I get to sharpen my skills and try out new techniques, which often find their way into later client projects.

AC: You often share educational content on social media for other artists. Are you formally trained, or did you teach yourself?

ML: I’m mostly self-taught. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until I went to university that I realized drawing could become a career.

When I first heard terms like “motion design” and “The 12 Principles of Animation” I was on a student exchange program at UCSB in California, where I had chosen a class called "Introduction to Animation." It was a big eye-opener for me, and from that point I was hooked.

But it’s mainly been online YouTube tutorials and my existing drawing experience that have taught me what I know.

Now, I have a big presence on social media, where I share my art as well as educational content centered around animation in Adobe After Effects, so I guess you could say that I'm also an animation influencer!

I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until I went to university that I realized drawing could become a career.

AC: That's actually how I first found your work. Do you have any specific artists who inspire you?

ML:In the world of 2D animation, I have a list of personal heroes that inspire me with their unique style: Reece Parker, Ariel Costa a.k.a. BlinkMyBrain, and Tony Babel, to name a few.

I also find a lot of inspiration from illustrators and painters I discover online, on platforms such as Pinterest. Last year I made a sparkling water animation that was heavily inspired by Cornwall-based artist Gordon Hunt. He makes these beautiful nature-inspired pointillist paintings that capture how light hits the ocean using colorful dots of paint. I tried to recreate that effect using After Effects to bring it to life, and it led me to a whole new way of animating within the program.

AC: Where else do you draw inspiration to create your work?

ML: I’m heavily inspired by the nature and cityscapes around me in Copenhagen, and I find that taking long walks through parks or down the streets of my neighborhood really sparks my imagination.

I’ll often carry around a sketchbook to quickly scribble down an idea or a loose sketch of something I find interesting, such as seeing how the light from a lamppost hits the surrounding leaves, or how the wind moves the tree in a certain way.

Then I’ll think to myself, “I wonder if I can recreate that motion using a specific technique in After Effects?”

I’m heavily inspired by the nature and cityscapes around me in Copenhagen...

AC: What does your daily routine look like as a full-time artist?

ML: It varies a lot, but I’m usually either working hard on a client project or tinkering away with a new animation tutorial for my social media channels.

I love being able to switch between the two, and when I’m going through a client dry spell, I find that staying creative and posting animation-related content helps keep me inspired while also putting things out into the world that may lead to my next client down the road.

AC: What's your #1 piece of advice for animators new to the industry?

ML: Keep experimenting and trying out new techniques. There’s no such thing as running out of creativity, and even though many of the things you try don’t necessarily go anywhere, it’s all experience that adds up and expands your toolbox. It’s a muscle that needs to be worked out regularly.

Plus, you’ll have more awesome animation to choose from when you’re putting together your next showreel or portfolio!

There’s no such thing as running out of creativity...

AC: What's one fun fact about you completely unrelated to animation?

ML:I’m a big sucker for history podcasts, especially if they are about ancient civilizations, such as The History of Rome by Mike Duncan.

I find it fascinating to hear how mankind was able to build such great empires without ever knowing what electricity, cars, or the internet are.

--

Follow along on Mathias's creative journey and find his free educational content on Instagram.

To learn more about working together, find him on LinkedIn or visit his website at www.mathiaslynge.com.

Learn more about Sailfish here.