A to Z Writing advice:
Outlining – Are you a pantster or a plotter? I need organization. I must outline! Nothing fancy, just a sentence or two for scenes or events. Then I rough draft in a notebook, and, finally I sit at the computer and type it up - adding more with each phase and each round of edits. But I have to start with that initial outline. I must be able to see the connections and then I can go back and add twists, tempting hints, foreshadowing, or red herrings, right?! What's your process?
Visiting BROKEN BRANCH FALLS (MG Fantasy):
Ogres - big, not-too-bright, proud of their ugliness humanoids with gray skin and yellowy eyes - the jocks at school.Ona - Gabe's love interest, an uncommonly bright, unogre-like ogress
And for laughs:
Reasons Men are Happier People...
O is for Optional
Men can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
Men can wear NO shirt to a water park.
17 comments:
I've never actually learned to outline. I sit at the computer and hope something pops into my head.(sometimes it takes forever) Although, I recently finished a ya mystery and it was the first time I needed to think ahead. Way ahead, like who was going to be the killer. Even then I changed the ending a zillion times. Every now and then I take a scrap piece of paper and write down some info for the advancement of the story---a little outline...?
YAY...just saw my blog listed on your sideline!! Thank You!! Made my day!
I usually wear a black t-shirt. And shades. Because I'm cool.
Now that you're done laughing...
My process is just like yours. I outline until I'm actually writing the story, then I just keep adding with each pass.
I was just going over this with my son last night! He has a paper due so I showed him I outline all the books I am working on.
I think showing him that I still do it was really helping him.
--
Timothy S. Brannan
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I used to be solely a pantser, despite my extensive note-taking and timelining for my epic fantasy which is currently abandoned. But nowadays I err more on the side of plotting ... at least a little bit. I just have to be careful not to overdo it, lest I make myself bored.
I also like to make a decent outline until I start writing, then I keep adding more scenes and twists and turns.
I don't outline every chapter. At least I didn't with this one. I wrote the beginning, the end, and made notes about the middle. And then I stopped and thought before starting each chapter so that I knew the objective before I started. As I move through the editing process I guess I will find out how well that worked for me...
I've tried to outline but it never works out. I'm a pantser to the core. Sometimes I don't even write in order, just whatever scene is inspiring me the most.
I'm mostly a plotter, although, for short stories, I've been known to pants things - I more or less pantsed my way through The Burning Web, my serialised story for the A to Z and I surprised myself that there were only a few bits that needed tweaking to add in the dimensions I wanted - Zen had done the rest ;P
Sophie
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I'm in your camp with that sentence or two. That seems to work for me along with hours of angst over whether or not I've got that sentence right.
Here's to those water parks this summer and all those shirtless men. :-)
Me... totally pantster!
I love the excitement of going with the flow.
I am regimented in so many other aspects in my life, so having the joy of 'winging it" pleases me so.
My original outline and notes from 2001 were such a huge help when writing my second Russian novel in 2011. I'd had the entire story memorized backwards and forwards since 1995-6, but there were lots of details and events I might not've remembered otherwise. Some of the events changed a bit when it came time to write them down, but the general outline was still there. I'm also glad I had a general outline and notes for my third Russian historical, my WIP.
I'm more of a cancer, and I don't really outline much, but sometimes I have a strong idea of what my stories about before I begin writing. Other times I figure it out as I go, and then once I know what the story actually means, I polish it up. Sometimes that even works. :-)
Deb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com
I think you were going to go with the underwear optional for men.
I loath outlining, but it's a necessary evil I guess.
Guys have their advantages. Jock Ogres, can't wait.
Outline, yes. Or at least a detailed timeline. I have to know where I'm going.
Some of the men wearing no t-shirt to the water park really ought to wear a t-shirt to the water park.
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