When it comes to organizing a novel, many writers swear by the index card. Those small, rectangular pieces of paper are perfect for writing a scene description and organizing them as needed. We pin them to walls or poster boards, file them in notebooks and drawers, and lose them in coffee shops.
Some writing software has caught on to this style of organization, opting to house "scenes" within their own version of the index card. NovelPad has mastered this integration with Scene Cards.
What are Scene Cards?
NovelPad’s Scene Cards are dedicated sections for each scene of your project. They can be found on almost every board in NovelPad. You can assign information to your Scene Card, such as the date, location, plot, notes, character POV, and customized labels.
How to create a Scene Card
To create a Scene Card in NovelPad, simply click "Add Scene" on the Chapter board, or hit CTRL+ENTER or CMD+ENTER in manuscript view to add a scene break in that place.
From here, you can insert a title, description, or whatever is helpful for you to recognize that scene. After you've created a scene, you can find it on the Chapter board for a flyover view of your entire project. Scenes are click-and-drag for easy rearranging!
Utilizing the Scene Card
Scene Cards allow you to track all of your relevant scene information in one place, like the point-of-view character, timeline, location, which plot or subplot it applies to, and any notes linked to that scene.
Simply click the three-dot menu on the Scene Card to access and edit all of that information.
These scene elements are one thing that makes plotting with NovelPad so easy.
After filling out your scene info, you can utilize the Insight Board to track and cross-reference aspects of your story for helpful insights.
Color labels are a great way to add that extra bit of information to your Scene Card. Some writers use color labels to indicate things like scene mood, status, or type, but the only limit is your imagination!
The third tab on your Scene Card is for notes. You can link a note for quick access to relevant information, like character sheets, outlines, or world building.
Here's a brief tutorial on Notes:
There are many other powerful uses for Scene Cards—check it out for yourself with this free, no-commitment, no-credit-card trial!