McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
In Line With Outlines?
terioncalling:
Sometimes there's an outline, sometime's there's not. Sometimes its really frickin' vague. The latter usually works the best.
Most times I toss the outline out the window because my brain up and goes "HEY! What if THIS happened instead?" and the rest of the outline makes no sense after that.
The only story I'm going to keep smack dab right on with the outline is two original stories I've got going in a world I created called Medi Varnl. Vague outlines but the plot looks good to me. Now the issue is writing the dang thing, heh.
blgarver:
Sweet merciful crap... I spent the first 3/4 of my current novel without an outline...
Then I got stuck at the end...
Then Jim Butcher told me to outline...so I did...
And sweet mother of mercy...I'll be damned if I didn't outline the entire last quarter of the book within a few hours...while coming up with some awesome ideas I'd never have thought of without the outline.
So, thank you Mr. Butcher, I'm now converted to the smart way, and all the better for it.
I also found that after stalling for about an hour, once I finally started the outline of the last few chapters, it got rolling and I didn't really even have to think about it. The last scenes just came and flew onto the paper. So now I'm going to be up all night putting them to the computer.
Once again, thank you Jim!
B. L. Garver
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: blgarver on April 14, 2007, 02:07:28 AM ---Sweet merciful crap... I spent the first 3/4 of my current novel without an outline...
Then I got stuck at the end...
Then Jim Butcher told me to outline...so I did...
And sweet mother of mercy...I'll be damned if I didn't outline the entire last quarter of the book within a few hours...while coming up with some awesome ideas I'd never have thought of without the outline.
So, thank you Mr. Butcher, I'm now converted to the smart way, and all the better for it.
--- End quote ---
No disrespect to Jim here, but this is another one of those places where everyone is different. I know of at least one quite successful published author who has been writing a very similar outline for every book she's published for years and hopes some days to get characters who won't take it off in a totally new and different direction by the third chapter.
Matrix Refugee (formerly Morraeon):
I tend to try coming up with an idea for the beginning and the ending, with a few ideas for major plot points along the way... but if I try doing more than that, the plot just feels too mechanical for me. I try letting my characters tell their own story... Only trouble is, this could explain why the supporting male character who can shapeshift into a 30-foot dragon keeps trying to take over my current story. Not even deciding to give this guy his own novel to star in could keep him in check! :: Laughs::
jbisawesome:
NO OUTLINES
outlines take up so much time i mean sure it might help organize but i find just writing whatever is on the tip of your fingers is better. then you can go back read over edit, change words,delete words, add words etc but outlines are a no
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