Writing with an outline
As a person who thrives on organization I cannot imagine trying to write a novel without an outline. For me it comes as natural as breathing. Having spoken to other authors it seems this process can be intimidating to many.
When I started the first Jayne Stanford book I initially just wrote whatever came to mind and then tried to piece it together to form Acts one through three. The more I learned about the process of writing the more committed I became to using an outline. It wasn't exactly a deliberate act as much as it evolved into an outline. As I tried to keep facts straight I found I was having to search the manuscript for particular scenes. That quickly became tedious.
When I took a break from Jayne's life and started on my second book, Wife for Rent having an outline happened without any forethought. Since I was moving away from the mystery genre into women's literature I wanted to know where the main character was going from the beginning.
On the second book in the Jayne Stanford series I began with an idea and then moved right into my outline. This time I've taken it even further and created not only an outline but a spreadsheet with character information. This simplifies the process and allows me to look at any particular character and double check the facts. The spreadsheet includes not just the character's physical description but also their motivation, reason for being in the book and all the little details that make him or her human.
The outline for this last manuscript is at about two thousand words and growing. I know what each chapter will contain, what needs to occur to move the action forward and who is participating. The only thing left for me to do is fill in the blanks.
As a person who is compelled to have list after list of what I need to do during the course of a day, having a detailed outline gives me peace of mind. If it seems like it would take longer to write the outline then the entire book this may not be the process for you. However, I would recommend giving it a try, possibly on a small project first, to see if it help keep you moving forward.
Leslie
When I started the first Jayne Stanford book I initially just wrote whatever came to mind and then tried to piece it together to form Acts one through three. The more I learned about the process of writing the more committed I became to using an outline. It wasn't exactly a deliberate act as much as it evolved into an outline. As I tried to keep facts straight I found I was having to search the manuscript for particular scenes. That quickly became tedious.
When I took a break from Jayne's life and started on my second book, Wife for Rent having an outline happened without any forethought. Since I was moving away from the mystery genre into women's literature I wanted to know where the main character was going from the beginning.
On the second book in the Jayne Stanford series I began with an idea and then moved right into my outline. This time I've taken it even further and created not only an outline but a spreadsheet with character information. This simplifies the process and allows me to look at any particular character and double check the facts. The spreadsheet includes not just the character's physical description but also their motivation, reason for being in the book and all the little details that make him or her human.
The outline for this last manuscript is at about two thousand words and growing. I know what each chapter will contain, what needs to occur to move the action forward and who is participating. The only thing left for me to do is fill in the blanks.
As a person who is compelled to have list after list of what I need to do during the course of a day, having a detailed outline gives me peace of mind. If it seems like it would take longer to write the outline then the entire book this may not be the process for you. However, I would recommend giving it a try, possibly on a small project first, to see if it help keep you moving forward.
Leslie
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