10 Tricks To Organizing Your Speculative Writing After Enjoying Weed
10 Tricks To Organizing Your Speculative Writing After Enjoying Weed
For writers of speculative fiction — those who delve into horror, science fiction, or fantasy — tapping into unconventional methods of creativity can lead to truly original stories. For some, some weed can unlock imaginative worlds, strange creatures, and unique plot twists, adding a spark to an otherwise typical writing session. But for as helpful as it can be in the creative phase, cannabis can make organizing ideas challenging afterward. If you’re searching for practical ways to transform a haze of inspiration into well-structured narratives, here are ten useful tricks to keep your speculative fiction coherent and compelling.
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Jot Down Every Idea — Big or Small
Under the influence, ideas tend to come fast and furious, often taking on new and unexpected forms. Keep a notebook or use a note-taking app to capture these ideas the moment they appear. Don’t worry if they’re scattered or seem disjointed. Often, speculative fiction thrives on unusual concepts or twists, so allow yourself the freedom to capture everything, from dialogue snippets to character details, without filtering yourself.
Organize Using Mind Maps
Mind maps are an excellent way to visualize relationships between your ideas, characters, or settings. A web of interconnections can help you structure storylines, subplots, and world-building elements. For example, horror writers might use a mind map to link a haunted setting with its dark history, while fantasy writers can plot out the connections between magic systems, races, and kingdoms. Digital tools like MindMeister or simple pen-and-paper setups are ideal for mapping out the complex ideas that speculative fiction demands.
Embrace Freewriting for World-Building
After a session of creative inspiration, sit down and free-write on different aspects of your fictional world — without focusing on grammar or coherence. This unfiltered exercise can reveal hidden elements in your setting, allowing you to flesh out its rules, people, or landscapes. For science fiction, freewriting can help you brainstorm futuristic tech or alien cultures. In fantasy, it can illuminate magical systems or unique world lore. Freewriting can turn fleeting ideas into solid concepts that enrich your story.
Use a Template for Character Development
Templates provide structure when fleshing out speculative characters who may be far from ordinary. With detailed prompts for everything from physical appearance to internal conflicts, templates can guide you in building complex characters in a focused way. Think of a template as the skeleton for each character — whether they’re a cunning space commander or a haunted small-town detective. Organizing their backstory, desires, and quirks will make it easier to integrate them into the story.
Dictate Notes for Later Editing
If writing feels daunting after a creative session, try dictating your ideas as a voice memo. This approach captures the enthusiasm of the moment without worrying about precision. As speculative fiction often benefits from spontaneous creativity, recording your thoughts can keep them fresh. Later, you can transcribe or summarize the most promising ideas. Let your imagination roam freely during the dictation phase — you may stumble upon fantastic twists that can serve as key plot points.
Organize Plot Elements Using Sticky Notes
Sticky notes are invaluable for speculative fiction because they allow you to visualize and rearrange plot points, scenes, or story arcs. Use different colors to represent various themes or characters, or create a visual timeline of events. For a horror story, this approach can help you plan suspenseful reveals, while sci-fi or fantasy writers can track multiple subplots. The flexible nature of sticky notes keeps your story structure adaptable and prevents you from feeling boxed into a rigid outline.
Divide Scenes into Story Buckets
Organizing your speculative writing into “buckets” or categories can bring clarity to your story structure. Create different buckets for your main plot, subplots, world-building elements, and character development. This approach helps you compartmentalize each aspect of the narrative, making it easier to see where each piece fits. If you’re working on a fantasy epic, you might have buckets for each kingdom, magical race, and lore. In horror, you could categorize by plot events, suspenseful moments, or setting changes.
Highlight Unclear Sections for Clarity
One drawback to writing under the influence of weed is that some ideas may not be as clear later. When editing, use a highlighter to mark sentences or sections that seem muddled or need expanding. Speculative fiction relies heavily on clarity to convey otherworldly ideas in a way that readers can follow. By marking these areas, you create an actionable edit list that ensures your readers remain grounded within your extraordinary worlds.
Build a Moodboard for Inspiration
Creating a visual board or digital mood board to represent your world, characters, or themes can anchor your speculative writing process. For sci-fi writers, a mood board might contain futuristic tech designs, space images, or color palettes that reflect your universe. Fantasy writers might compile artwork featuring enchanted landscapes, mythical creatures, or medieval weaponry. A mood board not only sparks new ideas but also keeps your story’s tone and style consistent as you develop it.
Commit to Editing with a Clear Mind
After your initial draft is complete, set aside dedicated editing sessions when you’re clear-headed. Speculative fiction often juggles multiple plot threads, complex characters, and unique settings, so having a sober eye ensures the logic, pacing, and flow remain intact. Editing with fresh clarity is essential to preserving your story’s coherence and appeal.
Conclusion
Harnessing creativity from a cannabis-enhanced writing session can be a powerful tool, especially for authors of speculative fiction who are constantly pushing boundaries. With these organizational techniques, you can capture those otherworldly ideas and ground them into a structured, cohesive story.
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The Horror Tree is a resource for horror authors which was created in 2011. The main goal when starting the site was to include all of the latest horror anthologies and publishers that are taking paying submissions. A resource useful for both new and experienced publishers alike looking for an outlet for their written material!