Discussion: Outlining- it's not for everyone
I had commented yesterday on my everyday journal that I outlined my stories. And I realize that outlining is not for everybody. The writing process and how we all work with it is different for all of us. For me-it involves a process that has two parts I can't live without, research and outlining.
So let's talk about outlining and why I use it.
In a sentence, it's simple why I do-I don't like to fly without a net.
So what does that mean exactly? For me it means I like to know how I'm going to start this project, where I'm going with it and most important of all, how I'm going to end this. If I don't outline, then I'm wandering aimlessly. I need that road map.
Do I outline every single story I do? Not necessarily- I write fanfic for fun and relaxation and the quick hit stories that capture a moment, are under 10k in words, I usually just run with. Those stories tend to write themselves for me. But a bigger project, a full novel be it fanfiction or professional, those I outline.
I also outline so that I can put a story down, work on other projects and then come back to it and pick up where I left off. The outline helps to refresh my memory, put me back in that story's voice as it were, helps to keep projects and characters from bleeding over from unrelated stories. I'm a restless writer, it's often hard for me to stay focused on just one project.
My outlines for my professional projects tend to be expansive. They start out broad, a couple of pages but then I keep adding to them as I work out plot details and twists. I'll add pictures of people that I base characters on, of the location/setting I'm writing. For instance, my WWII novel, Melody Blue, I have pictures of B-17s clipped in my notebook. For Then and Now, the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I add urls, the names of books and page numbers in them I used for research and will go back to. Often, if I'm at work or some place, bits of dialog come to me and I write those down on scraps of paper. Yup, they go in the outline so I can use them when I'm ready.
Another reason I love having a good outline is I can't always write linear. I prefer to but the best laid plans… you know what I mean. I can bog down easy and that can derail me and has. Ever have one of those scenes you just can't get around? Sounds foolish, stilted, the words are all wrong, you don't think you're talking in character-the list goes on and on. Happens a lot for me and my biggest hang up is when I get to the sex. Okay, laugh but it's true. I can be rolling along and get to that point and it's like hitting a wall. Oy.
I can let it derail me or I can work around it and come back to it. I'll work on something further into the storyline, something I've got on the outline. It will keep me moving, keep me motivated and engaged in the story even if I've ground to a halt several plot points back. I'll take that scene and add it to my outline. When I eventually get there, I know where it belongs. I'll probably have to tweak it, maybe change a bit of the dialog but I know it will be solid.
So yes, I outline. It works for me. I still enjoy the adventure of writing the project, I'm just one of those that's more comfortable knowing where I'm going.
So let's talk about outlining and why I use it.
In a sentence, it's simple why I do-I don't like to fly without a net.
So what does that mean exactly? For me it means I like to know how I'm going to start this project, where I'm going with it and most important of all, how I'm going to end this. If I don't outline, then I'm wandering aimlessly. I need that road map.
Do I outline every single story I do? Not necessarily- I write fanfic for fun and relaxation and the quick hit stories that capture a moment, are under 10k in words, I usually just run with. Those stories tend to write themselves for me. But a bigger project, a full novel be it fanfiction or professional, those I outline.
I also outline so that I can put a story down, work on other projects and then come back to it and pick up where I left off. The outline helps to refresh my memory, put me back in that story's voice as it were, helps to keep projects and characters from bleeding over from unrelated stories. I'm a restless writer, it's often hard for me to stay focused on just one project.
My outlines for my professional projects tend to be expansive. They start out broad, a couple of pages but then I keep adding to them as I work out plot details and twists. I'll add pictures of people that I base characters on, of the location/setting I'm writing. For instance, my WWII novel, Melody Blue, I have pictures of B-17s clipped in my notebook. For Then and Now, the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I add urls, the names of books and page numbers in them I used for research and will go back to. Often, if I'm at work or some place, bits of dialog come to me and I write those down on scraps of paper. Yup, they go in the outline so I can use them when I'm ready.
Another reason I love having a good outline is I can't always write linear. I prefer to but the best laid plans… you know what I mean. I can bog down easy and that can derail me and has. Ever have one of those scenes you just can't get around? Sounds foolish, stilted, the words are all wrong, you don't think you're talking in character-the list goes on and on. Happens a lot for me and my biggest hang up is when I get to the sex. Okay, laugh but it's true. I can be rolling along and get to that point and it's like hitting a wall. Oy.
I can let it derail me or I can work around it and come back to it. I'll work on something further into the storyline, something I've got on the outline. It will keep me moving, keep me motivated and engaged in the story even if I've ground to a halt several plot points back. I'll take that scene and add it to my outline. When I eventually get there, I know where it belongs. I'll probably have to tweak it, maybe change a bit of the dialog but I know it will be solid.
So yes, I outline. It works for me. I still enjoy the adventure of writing the project, I'm just one of those that's more comfortable knowing where I'm going.