Excel spreadsheet, that is. They will help improve your writing skills by keeping your thoughts organized and at your fingertips. I use them for several writing tasks:
Character biographies– I use these faithfully–at least for my main characters–so I am consistent with their looks personalities. The title of the spreadsheet is “(book title) characters.” Within the spreadsheet, I create a page for each main character. In the first column are questions about the character: Name, hair color, favorite hobby, best friend, etc. The second column is the answer with as much detail as you want. As your character develops in the story, add additional info. The third column is the page numbers on which the trait is mentioned. (Scroll down to see an example taken from my historical fiction character Simon Rochon in my work in progress.) I also like to insert a photo of someone who resembles the character in my mind.
Timeline – No matter your genre and no matter the time span of your book, you must keep track of the passage of time and keep events in the proper order. A story that takes place over a day or two can be broken down into hours and minutes. Historical fiction might span a century. I started the time line for my current work fifty years before the story actually starts, because those earlier events had a bearing on the story.
| Date | Location | Historical Context / Importance | Point of View | Plot Action / Event | Character Growth |
| 4/5/1650, morning | France | story begins on farm | Marie-age 11 | father drunk; she hides | takes more responsibility. |
| 4/9/50 | St. Cosme | feast day; rye crop coming in | Julien | Boys return/bailiff threats | family pride |
Change the columns to suit your story and call it a story arc tracker. For my first novel (Rim to Rim), I tracked time but also the story’s development on three levels: the physical journey, action/conflict, and the personal growth of the main character. I made sure progress was made on each of the levels in each scene or chapter.
Social Media Plan
| Date | FB Group | Word press Blog | GCWA FB | personal FB | emails | ||
| 7/14/25 | Mystery Monday | joined | What’s this | skill- Character zone | character zone | what’s this | invite |
| 7/15/25 | Time travel Tuesday | French shoes | French shoes | Hist.fiction writers? | French shoes | invite |
I’ve been told to choose two main social media outlets, so you don’t get overwhelmed. Use the others for special notices and the occasional Hello. Use versions of the same content for the various sites, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel with each post. Create content beforehand and schedule it on the proper day.
Sample Character bio: After reading Simon’s characteristics, you (and I) will know how he’ll will act in the story.
| Name | Simon Rochon | |
| Age | Born Feb, 1633, so 17 in 1650. | |
| General physical Description | Avg. height, shoulders broad, plain looking, nice eyes, dark hair | |
| Hometown | St. Cosme | |
| type of Home/neighborhood | rural farm outside village near hamlet of Mamers | |
| Relationship status | Single, will eventually marry Mathurine Buisson in about 1663 | |
| current Family | Parents and siblings | |
| Family background | Oldest boy born to a habitant, expected to take over farm | |
| Friends | other boys from church or when helping each other farm | |
| Other close relationships | especially close to Gervais | |
| Occupation | helps father farm; apprentice to mason | |
| Responsibilities | Chores, earning extra money to keep farm going | |
| Dress style | Peasant: knee pants, clogs, wool stockings, leather vest, cap | |
| Religion | Catholic | |
| Attitude toward Religion | Accepting | |
| Favorite pastimes | fishing without the bailiff catching him | |
| Favorite foods | fresh vegetables, esp carrots and onions | |
| Strongest positive personality trait | responsible, loyal, intelligent, logical , affectionate | |
| Strongest neg personality trait | afraid of father’s disapproval | |
| Sense of humor | straight man to brother | |
| Temper | even tempered | |
| Consideration for others | very considerate | |
| How other people see him | serious and dependable | |
| Opinion of himself | responsible for the family’s well-being, even if it means leaving | |
| Traits brought out in story | learns to accept father’s shortcoming and respect him for his accomplishments | |
| ambitions | to learn masonry and be the best farmer possible | |
| Philosophy of life | Hard work will solve problems | |
| Most important thing to know about this character | he grows up fast when needed and will always stand by his family. | |
| Will readers like or dislike this character? Why? | He is likable and takes a backseat to Gervais’s more animated personality | |
| when was he most happy | When he and father worked side by side building stone walls. | |
| Talker or quiet? | quiet | |
| Body language habits | clasps his hands and taps thumbs together when thinking | |
| What are his fears | that he’ll fail | |
| Most cherished possession? | His father’s carving tools and smoking pipe | |
Jeanne Meeks ~ Fiction Author 