creating an outline or just jotting down ideas/scenes?

I don't understand why some people think writing an outline ruins your creativity. It is as if writing a good outline doesn't require any creativity from the writer. Actually writing an outline is a great opportunity to be creative. The main advantage is that you can do it in a fraction of the time it takes you to write a proper first draft. Also, because an outline is a lot shorter than a first draft, it's extremely easy to make big changes in the story. Having said that, my own "outlines" are more like messy collections of notes than organised overviews of the plot.

I can't write an outline. It seems to dampen my creativity. I like the story to form while I'm writing it. I don't write any part of the story down, even notes. I do write biographies for my main characters and I use my relaxing time - driving, hanging out the washing etc - to think the plot through in my mind. But that's all.

So I suggest you try the different ways and go with whatever suits you best.

Mumut said:

So I suggest you try the different ways and go with whatever suits you best.

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Do this. People will tell you all sorts of things based on their own experiences, but every writer works differently so different things will work for different writers. Sometimes, even, different things are needed for different stories.

Things you can try:

Writing a detailed outline
Writing a brief outline
Mind-mapping
Jotting down scene notes or ideas and putting them in a file/folder
Writing as you go
(and there's others too)

Once you have chosen a method you can then tackle the actual writing different ways. Here are a few ways you could try:

Starting from the end and working backwards
Starting from the middle and working back and forward to end and beginning
Writing linearly (as in, from start to finish)
Writing non-linearly (as in, choose a scene from your outline or when it comes into your head and write that and then another one from a different place in the plot)

But the most important thing is not to create rigid rules for yourself. Personally, i find that some stories require a detailed outline, others not so detailed, others no outline at all. And the way i write each story differs too, depending on my focus (eg. plot or characters or voice, etc). So even once you do find a way that works for you don't be afraid to try a new method once in a while.

Count me among the "no outline" crowd.

When I wrote my novel, I came up with the basic story in my head: this happens, this happens, this happens, this happens, then this happens.

Then I started writing it. I carried a notebook with me and wrote down one-sentence ideas that sprung to mind about what could or should happen in the story.

As I continued writing, my story took a left turn away from my original story idea, (the "this happens, this happens" sequence of events) and developed into its own entity.

Not to say that outlining won't work for you, but I didn't do it.

I'm not a fan of going without a plan. I think there's less incentive to keep going if there's no finish line to aim for.

I've been in both places: I couldn't use an outline because it stifled my creativity, but I needed to use one to get control of the story. It was a lesson learned from one particular project which I jumped into writing and ended up doing massive amounts of revision just to get the story working properly. It seemed to me that it would be much easier to have things generally straight as I wrote the first draft rather than trying to work those elements in after the fact.

I did experiment a lot with different kinds. Most of the standard ones did not work for me--they planned out each scene and what happened in each scene. That's, I think, what tended to kill my creativity. I kept mine more general and did short bullet point lists of things that needed to happen in the chapter. Not specifics, but just vague points like: Backstory here; They find treasure. It wasn't important in the outline to know how those things happened in the chapter--only that they did. It's still evolving.

If you think you need one, be open to experimenting with different ones to get the best combination for you.

I agree with the above posts. I usually write till I run out of ideas, then I do an limited outline, Mostly 2 or 3 sentences per chapter. If I get some long or complicated plot issues I do a detailed outline for that part of story. Good luck by the way.

Jane

I'm one of the rare few who outline like crazy. Writer's block tends to rear its ugly head far more frequently if I don't.

I don't do character bios of backstories, and I don't work out every who/what/why/when/how of everything that appears in my story. What I do, after I've written 272636354 pages of notes while figuring out my plot and subplots, is write a sentence or two for every scene. Then I print it out and go through it, making notes on it, adding details I don't want to forget, bits of dialogue, etc.

It means I always know where I'm going, and I won't get stuck. If I want to skip ahead and write a later scene, I can do so without fear of creating a plot hole or messing up the sequence of events, because I already know what comes before and after.

But that's just me. I certainly understand those who don't like to outline. I wish I was brave enough to just sit down and type without a written-down plan!

lisamarie84x said:

I wish I was brave enough to just sit down and type without a written-down plan!

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I initially had a plan--a very sketchy plan that was the most basic of outlines, if it could even be called an outline. My initial treatment didn't even have an ending. It had a climax of sorts, but nothing concrete about it.

If I had stuck with that original story, totally outlined that way, my story would have turned out completely differently than how it wound up turning out. And, I think, it wouldn't have been as good.

I find I write better when I have thought the entire story through beginning to end. For me that means writing a detailed outline. Once I start to write I usually don't look at the outline much until the draft is finished. I find that allows me the assurance that I can get to the end of the story because the outline has a beginning, middle and end and that gives me the ability to write creatively.

Not everyone can work that way. Some people work best with no outlines. Some like just a brief summary of the main events.

I always start with a page that has a couple of key scenes on it. Right now I'm outlining a WIP and I have several very specific scenes in my head and some more general ones with big gaps inbetween. (And by general I mean something like: Something happens that proves Archie has truly abandoned his ties to the mob.) I look at what I do have, figure out in what sequence they would best occur (which comes first, which second, etc) and then I start figuring out how to get from one to the next and so on until the end. Sometimes this takes a couple days. Other times it's taken months.

If you start writing the rough draft and you really struggle to make any progress you may need to go back to the planning stage. Once it starts pouring out onto the page then you should keep going until you get to the end. How much planning/outlining you do before hand is unique to each writer. And you may have to try a bunch of things before you really find what works best. But that is part of the fun.

Try everything and see what works best for you.
If everything else doesn't work, create your own method.

I just wing it. It's working out so far.


~Sam

What's an outline?

Every book is different. Every writer that writes is different. We all have our own ways of being creative, getting inspired, setting goals, -- there is no book police that says you have to do it one or another, and we all write in silence and solitude, so if we didn't freely give this information, no one would ever know if we were lying or not.

You don't know what you are talking about.

Trauntj said:

In my opinion I do think making an outline for everything does ruin the creativity but jotting down ideas you have doesn't hurt. I'm for the majority the latter where I have the main idea but I like to see how it unfolds in my head as I come up new stuff for the story.

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I jot down a few basic ideas which I suppose you could call an outline although it's nowhere near as detailed as some make theirs. It's really a case of what's best for each writer. There's no right or wrong way.

Sometimes my totally-winged-it first draft becomes my outline.

As with all things, use whatever works for you.

-Derek

I have no problem accepting and respecting comments from individuals (like Mumut) who say they can't use an outline because it stifles their creativity. I do have a problem when someone says, as a general statement, that outlines stifle creativity. That former statement is a personal experience and very useful to all who read here. The latter statement is extrapolating in the most absurd way. I get the impression (based on comments over several years here) that some people think it's cool and artiste-like to say one writes without limitations and just lets the characters and the story go as they may, and to imply it's not cool to structure a story before hitting the keyboard. Even if the former is true for that individual, it doesn't automatically lead to the latter for others unless a person can only feel good about their own way of working by pushing down the ways of others. But first and foremost, writing is not about being cool. It's about finding the best way for YOU to get the story going and to finish it.

I come to the keyboard prepared to write. That means I have carefully thought out the overall story arc in enough detail to know how to structure each scene so it plays to the original ending, but in a general enough way to allow the story to change course without totally trashing what was already written (although the need for significant re-writes can occur). Then, when I get ready to write the next scene, I think that out in enough detail to know what the goal of the scene will be (in terms of the story arc and the theme of the story), who will be in that scene, and the tone I want to portray/achieve. I don't write much of this down, but I really mull it over before my fingers come close the keyboard. Coming to the keyboard prepared to write is essential for most writers, but how they do it can go anywhere from writing a detailed outline to merely thinking ahead a little about that next scene. And that is where the outlining versus organic writing thing emerges as anything but a dichotomy.

For me, outlining stresses me out. Way back when I was writing my first novel, I thought I HAD to outline, like that was the only way to write a novel. So I sweated and slaved over an outline, only to find I didn't really use it, and then I stressed over the fact I didn't use it.

The upshot is, I don't outline. I have a rough plan of the scenes in my head, know my ending, and then I just write. Every writer has to find the process that works best for her. Trial and error is the best way to find your ideal process. If you think you need an outline, write one, but don't stress out if you don't use it.

NeuroFizz said:

I have no problem accepting and respecting comments from individuals (like Mamut) who say they can't use an outline because it stifles their creativity. I do have a problem when someone says, as a general statement, that outlines stifle creativity.

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I totally agree with this. In fact, just because a certain approach worked for one book, doesn't mean it will work for the next. Each project is unique and has different requirements. Also, as your skill at the craft changes, your needs will change, as well.

For my last book, I wrote without an outline for about the first 2/3's, then I did up really detailed scene outlines to the end. But I ended up having to cut a LOT out of the final manuscript. I can't help but wonder if it would have been more economical to have the outline in place first.

I think processes are always evolving. For the last novel I would jot down ideas for future scenes but I didn't actually outline anything. For this one I'm experimenting with storyboarding, writing out scene descriptions (some vague, some more detailed) and arranging them. I haven't planned out the entire story but I still have a much better idea of where I'm going and to me that helps rather than hinders. The problem with the "outlines stifle creativity" idea is that sometimes limits help. When I wrote stories without planning out anything, I ended up going off in seven different directions at once. Was it creative? Yes. It was also a mess.

Some outline and others don't. Some take notes and others don't. Obviously, to each his own, with the only really important thing being the final product, and perhaps the amount of time and effort it takes one to produce same.

I outline, and I do so in great detail. In fact, it often takes me as much time, if not more, to produce my "final" outline as it does to complete the first draft of my book. While writing the book I'll sometimes change parts of my outline. Whatever, my outline is my road map. I know where and how to start, what the end will be and how I'll get there. For me, knowing the path gives me greater freedom to be creative. If I try something and it stinks I know exactly where and how to get back on track.

I've tried to work without an outline, but to no avail. But again, outline or no outline doesn't really matter. The only thing that does matter is the final product. So, as others have suggested, try both methods and see which works best for you. I'll only add that many believe it takes more time to produce an outline and then write the book. I don't think so. In fact, I think it's just the opposite.