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Wocalich
Dec '20

Hello, everyone. I'm Wocalich. I wrote an outline for the new story I'm writing and it has helped me though I'm new to this(used to consider myself a pantser).
Sure, it's not too detailed and I have already changed directions from what I was supposed to write, but since I know where I'm supposed to go, it has become much easier to decide on the next course of action.
So, I suggest giving it a try even if you consider yourself a pantser like I used to(now I consider myself a plantser). Who knows, you might even like the process.

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    Dec '20

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    Dec '20
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milejdyvan
Dec '20

Yes!! I'm so very glad to hear this ^^ planning out shouldn't be a process that is ignored during writing. It is very important to have your facts straight and to also keep on track while you're writing! It also prevents major plot holes. While I understand writing a story without a plan might be enjoyable too, it is a marvelous experience when you give that extra thought into it!

Wocalich
Dec '20

Agreed! I must admit, it gave me a headache when I first started but now I think I like it. :blush:

DasIstWunderblyat
Dec '20

If you have an intricate story with extended background (history, lore, and everything world-building), mechanisms (magic system, weaponry), or has time-space phenomenons (time travel, time leap and loop, multiple parallel universe affecting one, alternate universe, and such thing) as its foundation, it is suggested to at least write a simple outline and note about it.

Or if you are just dumb like me thinking a kid whose orphaned at 8 would grow into a 24 years old man 14 years later.

elyss
Dec '20

I plot aggressively personally, so I'm glad to see others getting to the outline stage. Even just an outline can work wonders! My favorite part of it is using it to show what you thought was a good idea and then realizing, actually no. It saves so much time

claiborneart
Dec '20

I agree 100% here: even just a simple 1-2 phrase bullet point per chapter/arc is a huge bonus to have when you're 15k words deep and lost in the sideplot sauce (speaking from personal experience here).

The current outline method4 I'm using is an expanded, 27-point version of the basic 3-act structure, which I highly recommend for anyone unsure of how to go about jotting down their mess of a mental plot web.

CarltonIsaac
Dec '20

Here's an old thread with a lot of interesting views on the subject, if anyone would like to have a look.

DiegoPalacios
Dec '20

Writing style is not something static, it evolves with practice and study.

I have an outline for the key plot elements of my comic. This not only gave a clear direction to the story, but it also allows me to drop hints, early cameos of future characters and foreshadowing, which has inspired fan theories from some of my most eagle-eyed readers.

therosesword
Dec '20

I'm a solid pantser. Tried outlining and it never worked. Everything I've done I've done this way. Considering my "Dead Souls Doing the Samba" has been optioned for a screenplay and someone's asked about Bright Morn for TV (not holding out any hope there) I think I'm doing ok. I earned my living writing for audio drama for 12 years as a pantser and have worked on many other things (all of which I got paid for), all of it being done as a pantser this is the way that works best for me.

I truly think everyone should find what works best for them, that's done through trial and error. Pantsing isn't for everyone, although I'm always tickled to find out both Stephen King and Margaret Atwood (Handmaiden's Tale) are both pantsers, as is mystery writer J.A. Jance. I think they've all done alright in their careers. And lets not forget Deane Koontz, Ray Bradbury and Nora Roberts.

I also think that sometimes, if a person has been working long enough and done enough different things (plays, screenplays, articles, short stories, even limericks) you develop an inner plot that you occasionally consult... or kick to the curd depending on the fuel you're using (coffee, wine, tepid tea).

It all boils down to: write the way that works the best for you.

Here's a fun article about pantsing : http://www.howsmynovel.com/june-2016/id-rather-pants-in-a-yurt-than-plot-at-a-popeyes/#:~:text=A%20Pantser%20is%20so%2Dcalled,Atwood%20is%20one%20famous%20Pantser.&text=If%20writing%20a%20book%20were,advance%20of%20leaving%20his%20driveway3.

Kann
Dec '20

My style is a mix of planning and improvisation, but without the basic outline I'd be lost. xD

DiegoPalacios
Dec '20

True, whatever works for one writer may not work for another.

That being said, it's important to learn from the different approaches to see their benefits and drawbacks. Every once in a while getting out of our comfort zone can expand our horizons, and that applies to writing too.

therosesword
Dec '20

absolutely, that's why I basically say for me: been there, done that. I sometimes have trouble getting people to understand... I've done the outline route and it produced some of the worst writing I've ever done and will never see the light of day. Those stories ended up in a bonfire the likes of which have not been seen since the last witch was torched. Now if I write an outline and I finish it I never write the story/novel/play/whatever. Because I'm done. Story is done. No point in going any further (for me... that is my opinion and how I feel about it) by that time I'm bored.

This is where, after years of working, everything from collaborations to musicals to screenplays to plays to novels to writing in someone else's voice to the point where people can't tell who the writer is, etc. I am. This is my happy spot. Not even dynamite is going to move me.

Write hard, write true.

cherrystark
Dec '20

I am a pantser. I might make notes or jot ideas down to keep things straight but outlines never hold up for me. I might get the first quarter of the outline while writing and then have a flash of inspiration that leads the story in an entirely new direction. If outlines work for you, kudos!

Freemints30
Dec '20

Outlines all the way for me. Really I kinda my whole work planned out from the start. With chapter by chapter summaries of what would happen.

Ofcourse I find some new things I would like to add later or new things that I would like to change. But it has made the writing process so much faster for me to just write as I know what is to come next any way and foreshadow appropriately.

I write over arching mysteries. It would be hell for me if I don't plan from the start what the answer is going to be.

DiegoPalacios
Dec '20
therosesword

Maybe a more gradual approach can fit you better?

the extreme of knowing every single sentence seems cumbersome, but just a clear idea on key events and twists can give a clear direction while keeping most of the flexibility

therosesword
Dec '20

Ummm, how am I not making myself clear that I have, indeed tried and done outlining and it is not for me. I keep feeling like you're saying I should try it. I have, multiple times which I've stated several times.

" been there, done that. I sometimes have trouble getting people to understand... I've done the outline route and it produced some of the worst writing I've ever done and will never see the light of day. "

Am I really missing something or do I need a double depth charge espresso? :wink:

Write hard, write true.

Penni
Dec '20

I'm more of a hybrid. I map out the major plot points I need/want to hit in the story and then allow myself to fill in the gaps on how to get there.

If I get stuck, then I will outline with more detail, but chances are I'll think of something better along the way so I try to keep my outlines as loose as possible.

To each their own! Writing is different for everyone, however, I do encourage writers to try different methods until they have something that works for them. ^^

DokiDokiTsuna
Dec '20

"Plantser"...that's a cute fusion term XD

Seriously, though, it's a good idea. Considering yourself a pantser doesn't mean you can't ever plan anything out, the same way considering yourself a plotter/planner doesn't mean you can't ever make a spontaneous decision. Minds are complicated, writing is complicated; just do whatever feels right for your story.

I consider myself a pantser, but I'm constantly scripting and outlining, even though I know half of whatever I've written will probably be obsolete by next week. There's a lot going on in my mind, and I'd much rather have a bunch of loose plans to deviate from than have to rebuild a fictional universe from the ground up every time I revisit a script.