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I’ve seen a lot of posts recently about people having ideas but not knowing how to make a story, being unsure about how to organize their stories, or struggling to be inspired to write so I thought I’d share a method I’ve used since I was a kid.

I found this book back when I was in middle school, and while I can’t speak for the actual manga creation aspect of it, this book taught me one of the most simplest writing techniques I’ve ever learned.

The 5W1H method.

The example they give is pretty easy to understand, but I like to take it a step further. I write everything out on 3x5 index cards. They’re cheap, easy to get, and very portable at this size.

I've rearranged the pieces a little to fit how my brain works better, but it is essentially the same. Who, Does What, Where, When, Why, How did it go.

3x5 cards allow enough space to get a general idea without you being able to write anything too significant, which is important with this part. These are just ideas, brainstorming, in this case you want quantity and vibe more than quality.

I've included some quick and dirty examples below.

You don’t have to fill every section out, maybe you don’t know where the scene takes place or who’s in it, maybe you just know who’s there and why, maybe you don’t really know how things go in the end but you know you want the lead-up. That’s all valid. If you’ve got enough to fill a line, you can put it on a card.

As ideas get more complicated, I like to have a card dedicated to characters, reoccurring locations, themes, etc., to keep track of things that pop up most often, and eventually color code them. This enables you to look at the cards from a distance and see how often certain characters show up or if your themes are present.

The big benefit to the cards is that they are able to float around. I personally like to use a pin board to organize them, but you can just as easily lay them out on a table and store them in order in a card box or wrap them in a rubber band or a hair tie and tuck them away when you don't want to mess with them.

The cards can easily be arranged and rearranged as you work through your ideas and by looking at them this way, you can actually develop a plot-line or several smaller arcs.

Scenes that you don’t have a place for you can just remove and save for the future, you never know when you’re going to need them!

#writing techniques #writing advice #5W1H #Lore Vents Their Spleen #The book is from 2001 so it's a weeeeeee bit dated #but I use this stupid little trick every time I start a big project

Taylor Swift and Who, What, Where, When, Why, How (by album)

These are not all occurrences of the above words, but only when they appear at the beginning of a question.

'Taylor Swift'

A Place In This World: Could you tell me, what more do I need?

The Outside: So how can I ever try to be better?

Should've Said No: I shouldn't be asking myself, "Why?"

A Perfectly Good Heart: Why would you wanna break a perfectly good heart?

A Perfectly Good Heart: Why would you wanna take our love and tear it all apart, now?

A Perfectly Good Heart: Why would you wanna make the very first scar?

A Perfectly Good Heart: Why would you wanna break a perfectly good heart?

A Perfectly Good Heart: How do I get it back the way it was before?

'Fearless (Taylor's Version)'

Hey Stephen: Hey Stephen, why are people always leaving?

Hey Stephen: You're perfect for me, why aren't you here tonight?

You Belong With Me: So why can't you see you belong with me?

You Belong With Me: Hey, what you doing with a girl like that?

You Belong With Me: All this time, how could you not know, baby?

Tell Me Why: Why do you have to make me feel small so you can feel whole inside?

Tell Me Why: Why do you have to put down my dreams so you're the only thing on my mind?

Forever And Always: Baby, what happened? Please tell me

Forever And Always: Where is this going? Thought I knew for a minute but I don't anymore

Mr. Perfectly Fine: How's your heart after breaking mine?

That's When: And I said, "When can I come back?"

That's When: And you said, "When can I come back?"

Don't You: You don't know how much I feel I love you still so why don't you, don't you?

'Speak Now'

Back To December: How's life? Tell me, how's your family?

Mean: Why you gotta be so mean?

The Story Of Us: How'd we end up this way?

The Story Of Us: Why are we pretending this is nothing?

Enchanted: The lingering question kept me up, 2 AM, who do you love?

Last Kiss: You told me you loved me so why did you go away?

Superman: And you smile and say, "How are you?" I'll say, "Just fine"

I Can See You: But what would you do if I went to touch you now?

I Can See You: What would you do if they never found us out?

I Can See You: What would you do if we never made a sound?

I Can See You: And what would you do, baby, if you only knew that I can see you?

I Can See You: And what would you do if I went to touch you now?

I Can See You: And what would you do, baby, if you only knew, oh oh

I Can See You: What would you do, baby, if you only knew

Foolish One: Now I’m sliding down the wall with my head in my hands saying, “How could I not see the signs?”

'Red (Taylor's Version)'

22: Who's Taylor Swift anyway? ew

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together: 'Cause like, we hadn't seen each other in a month when you said you needed space, what?

The Last Time: This is the last time I'm asking you, "Why?"

The Moment I Knew: What do you say when tears are streaming down your face in front of everyone you know?

The Moment I Knew: And what do you do when the one who means the most to you is the one who didn't show?

Ronan: I remember the drive home when the blind hope turned to crying and screaming, "Why?"

Ronan: What if I'm standing in your closet trying to talk to you?

Ronan: What if I kept the hand-me-downs you won't grow into?

Ronan: And what if I really thought some miracle would see us through?

Ronan: What if the miracle was even getting one moment with you?

Nothing New: Lord, what will become of me once I've lost my novelty?

Nothing New: How can a person know everything at eighteen and nothing at twenty-two?

Nothing New: How long will it be cute, all this crying in my room?

Nothing New: How did I go from growing up to breaking down?

Babe: What about your promises, promises?

Babe: How could you do this, babe?

Message In A Bottle: How is it in London?

Message In A Bottle: Where were you while I'm wondering if I'll ever see you again?

I Bet You Think About Me: Oh, block it all out, the voices so loud saying, "Why did you let her go?"

Forever Winter: He says, "Why fall in love, just so you can watch it go away?"

All Too Well (10 Minute Version): The idea you had of me, who was she?

All Too Well (10 Minute Version): Some actress asking me, "What happened?"

'1989'

Blank Space: Nice to meet you, where you been?

Blank Space: Keep you second guessing like, "Oh my god, who is she?"

All You Had To Do Was Stay: Then why'd you have to go and lock me out when I let you in?

“Slut!”: What if all I need is you?

Say Don’t Go: Why’d you have to lead me on?

Say Don’t Go: Why’d you have to twist the knife?

Say Don’t Go: Why’d you whisper in the dark just to leave me in the night?

Say Don’t Go: Why’d you have to make me want you?

Say Don’t Go: Why’d you have to give me nothing back?

Say Don’t Go: Why’d you have to make me love you?

Now That We Don’t Talk: What do you tell your friends we shared dinners, long weekends with?

'reputation'

I Did Something Bad: They say I did something bad, then why's it feel so good?

I Did Something Bad: Oh, you say I did something bad, why's it feel so good, good?

I Did Something Bad: So bad, why's it feel so good, why's it feel, why's it feel so good?

Delicate: Dive bar on the East Side, where you at?

Look What You Made Me Do: Locked me out and threw a feast, what?

Look What You Made Me Do: I'm sorry, the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now... why? oh, 'cause she's dead

So It Goes...: You did a number on me but, honestly, baby, who's counting?

Gorgeous: But what can I say? You're gorgeous

Dancing With Our Hands Tied: Oh, twenty-five years old, oh, how were you to know?

Dancing With Our Hands Tied: Oh, and you held me close, oh, how was I to know?

This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things: So why'd you have to rain on my parade?

'Lover'

I Forgot That You Existed: How many days did I spend thinking 'bout how you did me wrong, wrong, wrong?

The Man: When everyone believes you, what's that like?

The Man: What's it like to brag about raking in dollars and getting bitches and models?

The Archer: I say I don't want that, but what if I do?

The Archer: Who could ever leave me, darling, but who could stay?

The Archer: But what if I'm all right, right, right, right here?

The Archer: Who could stay, who could stay, who could stay? You could stay, you could stay

I Think He Knows: "So where we gonna go?" I whisper in the dark, "where we gonna go?" I think he knows

Miss Americana And The Heartbreak Prince: Boys will be boys, then where are the wise men?

Death By A Thousand Cuts: If the story's over, why am I still writing pages?

Soon You'll Get Better: And I hate to make this all about me, but who am I supposed to talk to?

Soon You'll Get Better: What am I supposed to do if there's no you?

You Need To Calm Down: Why are you mad when you could be GLAAD?

Afterglow: Why'd I have to break what I love so much?

'folklore'

The Last Great American Dynasty: And the town said, "How did a middle-class divorcée do it?"

The Last Great American Dynasty: Who knows, if she never showed up, what could have been?

The Last Great American Dynasty: Who knows, if I never showed up, what could have been?

Exile: You're not my homeland anymore, so what am I defending now?

Exile: I'm not your problem anymore, so who am I offending now?

My Tears Ricochet: And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake?

Mad Woman: What did you think I'd say to that?

Mad Woman: What do you sing on your drive home?

Mad Woman: Every time you call me crazy, I get more crazy, what about that?

Hoax: You knew the hero died so what's the movie for?

Hoax: You knew you won so what's the point of keeping score?

'evermore'

Gold Rush: What must it be like to grow up that beautiful?

Tolerate It: While you were out building other worlds, where was I?

Tolerate It: Where's that man who'd throw blankets over my barbed wire?

Tolerate It: But what would you do if I break free and leave us in ruins?

Happiness: Tell me, when did your winning smile begin to look like a smirk?

Happiness: When did all our lessons start to look like weapons pointed at my deepest hurt?

Coney Island: If I can't relate to you anymore, then who am I related to?

Coney Island: And if this is the long haul, how'd we get here so soon?

Coney Island: I'm sitting on a bench in Coney Island wondering where did my baby go?

Coney Island: The question pounds my head, what's a lifetime of achievement if I pushed you to the edge but you were too polite to leave me?

Coney Island: I'm on a bench in Coney Island wondering where did my baby go?

Ivy: How's one to know?

Ivy: What would he do if he found us out?

'Midnights'

Maroon: How’d we end up on the floor, anyway?

Maroon: How the hell did we lose sight of us again?

Question...?: But fifteen seconds later, they were clapping, too, then what did you do?

Question...?: And what’s that, that I heard, that you’re still with her?

Vigilante Shit: She had the envelope, where you think she got it from?

Bejeweled: What’s a girl gonna do?

Labyrinth: I thought the plane was going down, how’d you turn it right around?

Mastermind: What if I told you none of it was accidental?

Mastermind: What if I told you I’m a mastermind

Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve: If clarity’s in death, then why won’t this die?

You’re Losing Me: How can you say that you love someone you can’t tell is dying?

You’re Losing Me: How long could we be a sad song ‘til we were too far gone to bring back to life?

Other Songs written by Taylor

Christmas Must Be Something More: What if ribbons and bows didn't mean a thing?

Christmas Must Be Something More: What would happen if God never let it snow?

Christmas Must Be Something More: What would happen if Christmas carols told a lie?

Christmas Must Be Something More: What if angels did not pay attention to all the things that we wished they would always do?

Christmas Must Be Something More: What if happiness came in a cardboard box?

Christmas Must Be Something More: What would happen if presents all went away?

I Don't Wanna Live Forever: What is happening to me?

I Heart ?: And when you're home all alone at night, you'll still wonder, "Why?"

If This Was A Movie: Baby, what about the ending?

The Alcott: How many times will I do this and you’ll still believe?

The Alcott: Why don’t you... rain on my parade?

The Joker And The Queen (Remix): How was I to know? It’s a crazy thing

The Joker And The Queen (Remix): And who was I to say that this was meant to be?

This Is What You Came For: Who knows why it's gotta be this way?

Official Alternate Releases

(no who, what, where, when, why, how)

#taylor swift #lyrics #taylorswiftandx #lyric parallels #5w1h #who #what #where #when #why #how

Taylor Swift and Who, What, Where, When, Why, How (by question)

These are not all occurrences of the above words, but only when they appear at the beginning of a question.

Who