When you write do you outline? If so, then how do you outline? I've finished my first novel "Leaving Fantasyland" and learned a LOT along the path to getting it done. As I work now on my second novel one of the MAJOR lessons learned is the absolute necessity of an outline. I like to write free form but I've found that ALL free and no FORM gets complicated. I especially struggled as I began to draw conclusions, connect characters and bring the book to a logical and hopefully entertaining and exciting conclusion.
I had a basic idea of where I was going and how to get there from the beginning of my last novel. What I lacked was a lot of those details that tie everything together. Needless to say I had to do a fair amount of rethinking and rewriting along the way and afterwards to make everything flow.
So here's my question, or better yet, question(s). What are you doing in regards to outlines in your own writing? How detailed are your outlines? Does every detail make sense to you before you start or do you figure some of it out along the way? Please share with us your process below. We all love to hear how well other writers are writing, but we also want to know how you are writing well? Thanks in advance for your input.
James,the words "free form" are an oxy-moron. Structure works great for some but I am a little too much of a free spirit for too much of it. I work with titles. Each chapter, each blog has a title, then I work with what I want to say and show about that subject. Sometimes I can go on and on and it interweaves with other stuff (which is awesome) but it's just enough structure for me to work in the lines. Congrats on your novel! When does it come out?
ReplyDeleteTammy, thanks so much for your insight. I find your comments very helpful. In my other life I'm a pastor, so I've been working with communicating through outlines for a long time. General chapter titles make sense to me in writing. I realized through writing my last novel that even somewhat complex story lines can fall apart without some structure to link everything together. I found that making timelines for example of different characters all overlap correctly got complicated because I didn't have all the details laid out ahead of time.
ReplyDeleteBy the way my wife is finishing the grammatical edits of my 1st novel now and I have lots of query letters to send to agents as soon as she finishes. I really want to find a publisher as opposed to self-pub if at all possible. I'm sure every writer feels their work is worthy of publication, but I do feel pretty good about this first book and have a series in mind for the protagonist. I have not doubt that the second book of the series, which I've already begun writing will be even better after all I've learned the first time around.
Thanks so much for your input. It truly has been very helpful to me.
Take care
Jim
What I do is list my main characters first then write a brief description of who they are and a bit of their personalities. Next I create their conflicts. That's just to start, the rest comes to me as I begin their story.
ReplyDeleteHi thanks so much for your input. I love getting different perspectives from different authors on how they write. I'm learning lots from you guys.
ReplyDeleteThanks again,
Jim
Like you, I did not outline my first novel. And some of the best authors don't.It is my nature to be impulsive, and I didn't see myself as an outliner. I wrote my first book to entertain myself. And yes, I had fun. But the end result was several hundred pages that did not add up to a concise 3-point plot. It took me another 4 years, with a lot of help from experienced writers, to untangle the mess and shape it into something that resembled a novel.I am happy with my first novel,and humbled by the reception it's gotten all over the world. But I knew I could do better.
ReplyDeleteI learned from my mistakes. I wrote a concise outline before I started my second novel. I had plot points and turning points - a beginning, a middle, and an end. A chalk outline, as you put it.I hadn't figured out every detail - sometimes that comes with writing,and even talking scenes over with other writers. Things changed along the way. Characters did things I hadn't expected them to do. But they are so real to me, sometimes I have to let them do what they will. The writing of the second novel took only two years, and it's now in the proofing stage.
I'm about to embark on a third novel. I still balk at the outlining process. No matter what, it isn't in my nature to outline before I write. But I know in the end it will speed the process and get my story out to my fans that much sooner.
Laurie
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comment. This is the kind of thing that helps me the most. I, like you , am learning as I go. This first book I feel is good, but as you said, I KNOW I can do better. My wife is editing my first novel now and as she does I've started on the second. I have a fairly detailed outline from which I'm sure I will make deviations but at least I'll have the over all plot in tact and not have to re-write major parts to cause everything to flow together. Thanks again for the GREAT input.
I'd love to know some about your journey to being published when you have some time.
Jim
I'd be happy to share something of my journey, but not in a public forum. Maybe I needed to know my writing was publish-worthy, and for this reason I am happy I got a publishing contract. But after learning how the game is played, I believe I can do much better in every way by self publishing from here on out. I am still under contract for my sequels, but looking for a way out. If you want to hear more I'd be happy to communicate privately.
ReplyDeleteI "pantsed" my first, which I ended up splitting in two because it came out with way too many major plot points and over double the allowed word-count for middle grade. I had to write a new mission/crisis for the first half of the old book, stole the ending from what will be the second book to complete the new book 1, and now have to write a new beginning and ending for the 2nd book covering the last half of the old book 1. It's confusing enough to understand, let alone write. What a goat rope.
ReplyDeleteThen I found out about Snowflake plotting by Randy Ingermanson and added 4 major plot points for my next 3. I will complete my snowflake outline for book 3, but that's as far as I'll go with outlining because I have a hard time thinking of what the next disaster will be until my fingers actually type it. People like me, with brains set in motion by their finger tips, would miss too many good ideas sticking to a full-formed plan.
Um, am I really your first follower? I don't even write crime fiction. But 2 guys in my old critique group do. So I have a couple crime reference books in my armory, so to speak.
Hey Sher
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for all the insight and help. I'll have to read the stuff on the snowflake plotting. That sounds interesting to me. I'm not sure what is up with my followers. I had several but I think when I re-tooled my blog I lost them because I had the old blog under a different google account. I'm glad you my 1st here though. Thanks for following and taking part.
Jim
Wow. my followers are magically back. Not sure what is up here!?
ReplyDeleteI'd like to say I had something to do with it, but it must have been Blogger catching up with your old account. I didn't know my followers weren't getting my feed for months until someone on twitter told me. Now I follow myself just to make sure my blog always shows in my reading pane. At least you have a Blogger blog where you get to keep your GFC followers after February when wordpress and others will lose them.
ReplyDeleteI got a notice that Google wants us to use our Google+ profile instead of our Blogger profile. I don't think so, at least until they force me.