 National Novel Publishing Year Forum Index Preparing to Write  Outlining
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Re: Outlining | #16 |
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Moderator
 
Joined: 2007/9/5
From Israel
Posts: 3513
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I don't plan and/or outline at all. At most, I have some sort of an idea when I start writing. Admittedly, once or twice I dried up at 20-30k, but more often than not I get to 200k still having fun with the story and the characters.
And I thought that 20+ editing rounds (I don't really rewrite either, just read through, fix, cut out and add!) were a bit over the top! Though I comforted myself with the thought that this is just because it was the first part of my very first finished rough draft novel, and I hadn't used my native language much in the 30 odd years before I started writing it, and I'm still building that world, as well. Deaver's way seems totally boring and anal retentive to me. Also: "Better write for yourself and have no public than write for the public and have no self." I forget who said that, but I like it. |
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_________________
WiPs: "Culless" @48k "Aaltje" @80k Edit'10: @ 393p/113h If there is no wind, row! You can edit anything, except a blank page... |
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Posted on: 2009/8/12 8:10
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Roma
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Re: Outlining | #17 |
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PubYe Book Reviewer
 
Joined: 2007/9/4
From Southern England
Posts: 2719
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I've got to say it again ~ it totally fascinates me the different ways people write.
I would buy a book consisting of nothing but writers talking about how they do stuff. ( In fact I found an old out-of-print one in the library not long ago and loved it.)  |
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Posted on: 2009/8/12 17:29
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Re: Outlining | #18 |
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Moderator
Joined: 2007/9/5
From Israel
Posts: 3513
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Yeah, that's very interesting. I've read a few books with interviews with different Dutch writers and they all have their own way of doing things.
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_________________
WiPs: "Culless" @48k "Aaltje" @80k Edit'10: @ 393p/113h If there is no wind, row! You can edit anything, except a blank page... |
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Posted on: 2009/8/13 7:58
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Re: Outlining | #19 |
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Word Dabbler
Joined: 2008/12/20
From Canada
Posts: 67
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I am the same way I NEED to have an outline to write.
I usually have a vague idea for a story. I write out what I think the blurb on the back of the completed novel will look like. I look at that and see where the beginning, middle and end of that blurb might be. Then I rewrite each section, fleshing it out until it seems to have a beginning middle and end for each section. I end up with at least 9 segments of the story then and that can lead to 9 chapters, more if I continue to break it down further. Thats my system and it seems ot work for me :) |
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Posted on: 2009/9/13 13:01
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Re: Outlining | #20 |
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Synopsis Master
Joined: 2007/8/21
From Arizona
Posts: 3798
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I used to be a complete pantser, but now I tend to follow the headlight method--I know my destination, and I try to plot out as far ahead as I can see, and that's usually only a couple scenes ahead. But it works.
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_________________
KD In 2010-- Mostly Edited: Fidelis Partially Wrote: To Embrace the Beast Edited: Hiro Book I Won: NaNoEdMo (first time!) Partially Edited: Ben Partially Wrote: Kolya Maintaining: This Siggy |
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Posted on: 2009/9/14 12:01
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Re: Outlining | #21 |
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Pen Nibbler
 
Joined: 2007/9/2
From Rocklin CA
Posts: 41
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I've found that using the snowflake method works well for me. I walk through this on my blog at http://www.bethane13.blogspot.com/ for what I worked on for NaNoWriMo 2009 (which ended up as a pretty good short - 6K words or so - story rather than a novel...oh, well!).
I'm using it right now for a story I'm writing for the May 2010 entry for The First Line contest. We'll see how that one comes out! I'm also planning on using it to help in editing/moving forward stories I have that are already in progress. It might help me figure out the ending for Harken the Change (written in FebNaNo 2006 and in editing purgatory ever since!), for example. I also recommend Laurell K. Hamilton's blog posts on writing for another author's perspective on the process. I think she does the headlight approach - plot as far ahead as you can see and then update as the vehicle moves forward. Ok, back to lurking again... |
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NaNos - 2006: Harken the Change; 2007&2009: Watery Death; 2008: Victory of the Soul Misc: Soultalker Published: Theft by Character available at http://stores.lulu.com/bethane41 |
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Posted on: 2009/12/13 16:23
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Re: Outlining | #22 |
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Word Dabbler
Joined: 2009/11/24
From Lithuania
Posts: 69
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Quote:
Could you explain the "headlight" more? I usually begin with the characters, they bring in further characters, and sometimes 'some' plot happens... My 'best' method to me seems to be get a 'flash' in my head, then write it down in a sentence or two, and then perhaps 'alter' - if 'hopefully' I had not forgotten what I meant by that - expand it to a scene or more. I call these sketches :-s Be well, Xiri |
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_________________
NaNoWriMo 2009 efforts |
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Posted on: 2009/12/14 7:22
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Re: Outlining | #23 |
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Site Admin
 
Joined: 2007/9/6
From Toronto
Posts: 402
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Quote:
As a sometimes-headlight writer myself, I'll jump in.  For the stories I've written with that method, I usually have an MC and maybe a few other characters, a first scene, and maybe a really vague idea of what else is going to happen along the way or at the end (e.g., for a previous NaNo: MC tries to fit in at court to please her mother and eventually decides it's not for her). That's about it. So I write the first scene. Partway through, I start to get an idea of what the second scene needs to be, based on what's unfolding on the page. As I'm writing that one, I start to see the third scene and maybe an inkling of the fourth. A bit further in, I realize what the next major plot development is, but that's not going to happen for several more scenes - now I know what I'm writing towards. But I don't know what happens after that. And so on. The name comes from E.L. Doctorow: "Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." With this method, new characters appear on the page, the plot twists arrive as you're writing, and you're just along for the ride. (For this year's NaNo, I did the most plotting ever - I had a general direction and three major plot twists. For the in-between parts, I did the headlight method. Had no idea what was going to happen in between. Even now, 50-odd K into the story, I have only a general idea of the next 5K or so, a really vague idea of the next ~20K (might be a lot more), and a slightly less vague idea of the climax and wrap-up.) Did that clarify things? |
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_________________
Nag me to keep moving on my WIPs! NaNo '09: DONE at 116K! First, Do No Harm: On hiatus. Velvet Elvis: On hiatus. |
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Posted on: 2009/12/14 12:42
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Re: Outlining | #24 |
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Word Dabbler
Joined: 2009/11/24
From Lithuania
Posts: 69
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Quote:
Sounds great, thanks :) Be well, Xiri |
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_________________
NaNoWriMo 2009 efforts |
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Posted on: 2009/12/14 13:16
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