I didn't outline at all for the first story I tried to write, and it was a disaster. I messed up in the beginning and lost control of the pacing probably by chapter two. At one point, I tried that snowflake method, and I got so caught up on details before getting to the writing that I didn't actually write anything.
I wasn't sure what to do. From what little I could glean, writers fell into two camps: the plotters who spent as much, if not more time plotting than writing, and the pantsers who just sat in front of their computer and let a story flow out their fingertips. It seemed like I didn't fit into either category.
Then for my current WIP, I tried something I consider "new", but I'm sure that writers have been doing since . . . forever. I tried for a very flexible, evolving outline. First, I wrote down my loose concept and broke it up into twelve "chapters". At this point, I didn't concern myself too much with plot twists, rising arcs, or characterization. I just wanted to know what the story was going to be about. I let my rough outline sit for a couple of days, then came back to fill in more specific events and tried to break up the "chapters" into loose "episodes".
And I was ready to write.
I've just finished chapter five of my WIP, and I'm satisfied with my progress. I realized right away that I couldn't follow my outline to the letter. Instead of panicking, I simply revised after every chapter. This way, I could reassure myself that I was making progress while reminding myself of my endgame. I also gave up on keeping the chapters as chapters, hence my continued use of quotation marks for the word in this post.
I haven't tried to outline my characterization at all. I hate to sound like an artiste (I don't like the idea that characters have a mind of their own; they don't exist outside my imagination and I am my imagination). I have learned that characterization is probably best when it flows organically. Plots tend to be mechanic, but characters are hopefully always unique.
Personal lesson learned: outline what needs to be outlined, and improvise what needs to be improvised.
This aspect of planning is a skill that you will improve just in the same way that you improve your technical ability to write prose, for example. One way in which I compromise between the extreme approaches is to write the scenes or set-pieces that are strongest in my inspiration for the story, then look at what effect they have on my visualization of the overall plot afterward. Both the content and structure of the story can be updated alternately, as a dynamic system.
ReplyDeleteYou would be severely handicapping yourself if you either never outlined or never got stuck into writing the content before you fully finished the outlining process.
I don't think I could write scenes out of order very well. Most scenes work in our imagination because we have a wealth of background that the readers don't have. Since I'm not yet at the point where I can estimate how long it would take to bring characters to the point where they are in most dramatic, vivid scenes, I wouldn't feel comfortable writing them. What if I go in another direction while writing the events that lead to the scene in question? I'd have to delete the scene, and it'd feel like a waste of time.
DeleteI do hear that many authors write out of order, but I don't think that'll ever be me.
I've also done something like that. Instead I wrote my story in 12 lines, following the technique of scriptwriting and at the same time, I also have an outline of my story as a novel.
ReplyDeleteWriting based from my novel outline helps in giving me directions. As for me I don't want my characters to be just my imagination, I want them to have impact by having a mind and a life of their own. When I hit a stumbling block, I will now consult my 12 lines or sentences.
Those sentences correspond to the script's Act 1-3.
There are so many rules in writing, but not all of them will apply in your story.
So take the rules that will work for you and leave the rest.
Besides we have our own way to be inspired and creative.
Good luck! You can do it.
The characters having a mind of their own has always baffled me a little, because mine always feel like figments of my imagination. I hear of writers complaining that their characters won't do what they're supposed to, and I'm like . . . ???? They're not real???
DeleteBut maybe my writing will be too clinical. We'll see.