Outlines

Another topic that comes up about writing is outlines. Yes or no?

Once again, no advice here, just my experience.

I’ve read about authors who meticulously outline their entire books. It’s hard for me to imagine that much level of detail before I even begin writing because to me it leaves little to chance in the world of storytelling. I think it was John Irving (I’m too lazy to go find a citation) who said he never started writing a book without having the last sentence written first. Then he would work on the craft of writing as he laid down the story. He’s a true wizard when it comes to crafting sentences that put you under their spell and clearly his approach works. For him.

I’ve tried a couple of methods with the books I’ve written. I start with a general idea of the opening scene and the conclusion. Everything in between is up in the air. I tend to follow the three-act method of storytelling and so I will take my notebook and map out the major events that need to take place in each act. In some cases I’ve mapped out what happens in each chapter. I do this for a couple of reasons.

One is that I want to capture an ebb and flow of action and emotion. Another is to keep myself pointed toward the end goal. A further reason is because I often have major events in mind for the story and I don’t want to forget them. Plus, they need to be paced correctly in the course of the book. It’s a rough outline, I suppose, but I often find myself deviating from it. Sometimes substantially.

For me, a rough outline like that is a guide, not a hard and fast way I have to tell the story. For some, it might be the opposite. The great thing about writing is that there’s no right way and no wrong way. You can experiment and find what works for you.

And if someone tell you you’re doing it wrong? Ignore them.