Where Would I Be Without My Wall of Crazy?

If you're an avid TV watcher (like I am), then you'd know the term "wall of crazy". Also known as a "detective string board", it's basically a wall (or a board) where detectives, conspiracy theorists, brilliant CIA analysts, or any crazy person in general tack on information, clues, leads, anything that helps them with their investigation/conspiracy. One of the most famous "Wall of Crazy" in television is the one featured above - from Showtime's terrorism thriller Homeland. Its lead character, Carrie Mathieson, is known for using the "Wall of Crazy" to put some organization to her rapid, manic, Bipolar brain - and in her case, it always works! Her Wall of Crazy always helps her figure things out.

I don't usually use a Wall of Crazy for anything, but while I'm in the process of rewriting this novel, I consulted with a friend of mine, who's also a writer and brilliant, and he suggested that a Wall of Crazy might actually help me. I was skeptical at first, but then I looked at an empty wall in my bedroom and thought, "Why not?". And that was it. I started tacking on ideas, narrative arcs, outlines, plots, everything I could think of basically, on the wall. It started out like this:

But then, I kept on tacking on more and more things and it grew:

And finally, it achieved peak "Crazy":

The funny thing about my Wall of Crazy is that it actually helps me with the rewriting process. I was stalled for weeks, not knowing how to start, but the second my Wall of Crazy was up, the words started flowing and I instantly knew where I wanted to go with this novel. I knew where my characters were headed and why they were going there. Such is the power of the Wall of Crazy.

I still don't know when this novel is going to reach the final draft, and when it's actually going to be published. Soon, within the next few months, I hope. But now I know that it is going to reach the final draft and it is going to be published, because I have The Wall. And The Wall is going to get me there.

So watch this space. More great things are coming.