I've been having a tough time with my writing, not because I can't
come up with a story, or characters, or any of that stuff, but because
the mechanics of putting it into files in the right order (at least
for me, the way I work) are pretty overwhelming.  I start writing away
and then I decide to move this then add some more and move that and
pretty soon I have a big mess.

Because I have some experience with software, I've set aside my WIP in
order to build some tools to make the process of building a novel more
"handleable".  It might seem silly to some, yet another form of cat
vacuuming, but it makes sense to me.

The graphics editor that I've been using for years has a "layer"
concept.  You can have a background layer, then some other layer like
clouds, and a foreground layer, and you can show each layer or several
at a time.  

What I'm working toward is something similar for building a novel.

You have a plot-line.  You have characters.  You have character
development.  You have emotional buildup.  And of course you have the
actual text.  I want to handle all these separately but together.  I
want to be able to *see* what I'm doing all at once, instead of having
to keep half the book in my head while I'm trying to figure out where
the paragraphs about such-and-so belong.  I want to be able to move
text around on a chapter or paragraph basis without getting mixed up
and putting things in the wrong place.

At least the cat will be well-groomed, eh? <g>

--
  arggh, is it priate day again?