During my 30 year career in business, I learned a lot about engineering techniques, one of which is called 'Fishikawa' and it's based on a diagram of a fish skeleton and is used as a 'Cause and Effect' approach to problem solving. It's a well-known engineering technique. These are the key elements that may well help you solve your writing challenges, and I've added an example for each aspect to help explain how it could work:-

 
1 Define the problem - I'm stuck on a character description and don't know how to describe them

2 Draw a fishbone - Put the word 'character description' at the head of the fish

3 Identify the main categories - Height, age, hair & eye colour, size, fitness, what do they look like?

4 Identify causes - Background, work, home, family, friends, circumstances, life details so far - what makes them who they are?

5 Identify sub-causes - What happened to make them do what they do? / Be who they are?

6 Analyse the diagram - Is everything there that should be there, how do they connect with your story/other characters?

 
7 Identify root causes - What really happened to make them do what they do? / Be who they are?

 
8 Implement solutions - This character did x, because of y and so this is what happens next - jot down possible story lines

 
When I began writing, it popped into my head when I was facing a particular challenge and a 'what next?' question. I thought it quite relevant to writing books as there's a common theme. Each of the spines of a fish can represent a chapter heading, with the head of the fish being the title of the book. Each spine (or chapter) has at its tip, the challenge that the writer faces when writing that chapter. Within each chapter there could be more spines coming off the main spine, representing each of the threads or characters in a story. When a writer has a loose end or a character who doesn't quite fit, the 'Cause and Effect' question can help the writer to tie up loose ends and/or find a place within the story for the character, as per the example I've given above. There's nothing worse than reading a great story where a character is 'thrown in' to cover a plot hole or make the reader wonder what happened to them, if it's not made clear.

When you are in the midst of writing, it's sometimes a good idea to take a break and do something different. Creating a visual of your book, using the Fishikawa method is a way to use another part of your brain to help you 'visualise' your story and gain a fresh perspective. Be as colourful and as imaginative as you like. You can draw a fishbone diagram for the whole of your book, with every chapter or you could drill down and create an individual diagram for each chapter. You can also do the same for each character where a description of who they are and what they are about is something you've been tussling with.

Finding different ways to 'map out' your book, with techniques that are simple, quick and easy to use, whether you are a 'planner' or a 'pantster' will help you move forward when you get stuck.

Let me know if you try out the Fishikawa method of 'cause and effect' in your book writing and if you have other techniques that you find useful, let me know that too. I'm always up for learning more because just like you, I'm an aspiring writer too.

Until the next time, bye for now and happy writing!

Mandy

PS - Sharon at   Kangaroo marketing   noticed that my logo looks like a cat, can you see it?