In school, I was taught a mechanistic method of writing. You probably learned the same method: Predict all the points you want to cover. Organize those points into a comprehensive, detailed outline. Refine the outline until you’re sure you’ve covered everything. Only then do you write the first draft.
The…
In my previous articles about using Scrum for writing, I’ve described the Scrum cycle of events. Taken as a whole, those events are a great way to monitor your progress and adapt to emergent ideas. But Scrum is more than a series of events. It originated as a way to…
Using Scrum for writing provides frequent opportunities to adapt your writing plan. That’s why I use a Product Backlog instead of an outline, plan a weekly Sprint, check in with myself every day with a Daily Scrum, and take stock of what I’ve accomplished each Sprint with a Sprint Review…
I adopted Scrum as a writing tool to manage the complexity of writing fiction. I needed a way to incorporate emergent ideas without wrecking my momentum. Using a product backlog and working in sprints helps me manage the flow of the work. …
A reader of my Sprint Planning post wanted more details about how all the Scrum pieces fit together, so I thought I’d oblige with more details.
For this example, I’ll use as an example Goldilocks and the Three Cons, a caper novel set in a fairy tale universe. …
Once you’ve planned your Sprint, what’s next? Start writing! But if you’re anything like me, the moment you begin putting words onto the page, some new idea emerges that wrecks your plan. How do you respond to new ideas without losing momentum? That’s where the Daily Scrum comes in. In…
If you’ve replaced your outline with a Product Backlog and you have refined some “ready” items, you may be wondering what to do next. How do you balance writing with adapting your Product Backlog? The answer is to use Scrum’s cycle of events, called a Sprint. …
Previously, I’ve written about replacing outlining with a Product Backlog for writing fiction. I start with a Product Goal. Everything I need to do emerges from it to create my product backlog. In this article, I’ll show you how to jump-start that emergence.
Once you have a strong product goal…
Andrew eyed the soccer goal his father had built for him near the fence. Twelve yards away. Penalty kick distance. He readied himself to take the shot. Imagined a keeper jumping up and down on the goal line and waving his arms. He drew his leg back.
“Hey, Andrew!” his…
Recently, I wrote about replacing an outline for my fiction with a Product Backlog. The Product Backlog begins with a Product Goal. The Product Goal guides the emergence of the items in the Product Backlog. What is a Product Goal, and how do you develop one?
In her book, The…
Professional Scrum Trainer and fiction writer. Connect with me on Twitter @stfalco or visit samfalco.com
