Using Placeholders in Novel Writing to Maintain Creative Flow

When writing a novel, staying in the creative flow is crucial. One of the most effective techniques I’ve developed to keep maintain my momentum is using placeholders. This simple trick allows me to focus on the bigger picture rather than get bogged down in perfectionism.

When writing a first draft, the most important task is to get your ideas down on paper. But sometimes, the exact word or phrase you’re looking for doesn’t come to mind immediately. If you stop to search for it, you risk disrupting the flow of creativity and potentially losing the entire vision for the scene. This is where using placeholders in novel writing comes in handy. By inserting “XXX,” or any consistent marker of your choice, you can easily return to the spots that need refinement. This approach allows me to continue writing without interruption, ensuring that I capture my ideas.

Revising a novel can be just as challenging as writing the first draft. Maintaining your momentum during editing is just as important as during the initial draft. As you go through your manuscript, you might encounter words or phrases that don’t sound quite right. If the perfect replacement doesn’t immediately come to mind, using the “XXX” placeholder again can keep you from getting stuck. By marking areas that need further attention, you can maintain a steady pace through the revision process, knowing you can circle back to polish those sections later.

How to Use Placeholders Effectively

Here are some tips on using placeholders in novel writing to maintain your creative flow:

The goal of a placeholder is to keep you moving forward. Don’t spend time worrying about what to use as a placeholder—just pick something simple and stick with it. And don’t waste time debating if you need a placeholder or not. If a word or phrase isn’t XXX from your fingers, just add a placeholder and move on.

For a general placeholder, use the same sequence every time. Whether it’s “XXX” or another marker, staying consistent makes it easy to search for placeholders when you’re ready to revise.

If your writing requires a character or some other name that you haven’t decided on, create a more specific placeholder for that item. For example, you could use “NAME1” for a character, “LOC1” for a location, or “TECH1” for a specific jargon or technology. Later on, a search and replace of this specific placeholder makes it easy to insert whatever name you settle on.

When you add a placeholder, you might also include a brief note about what you were thinking or the direction you want to go in when you revisit it. For instance, if you write “XXX,” you could add a comment like “Need a word that conveys intense fear.” I often enclose these types of comments in brackets, to keep them separate from the main text. This way, when you return to your draft, you’ll have a clearer idea of what you were aiming for, making it easier to refine the text.

By embracing placeholders, you give yourself permission to write imperfectly in the moment, knowing that you’ll refine your work later. They allow you to maintain your momentum, whether you’re drafting a new chapter or revising an existing one. Placeholders also free you from the pressure of making every detail perfect in your first pass, enabling a more fluid and productive writing process. Remember, the key is to keep writing. Placeholders are a perfect way to do just that.

Jayson Adams is a technology entrepreneur, artist, and the award-winning and best-selling author of two science fiction thrillers, Ares and Infernum. You can see more at www.jaysonadams.com.