Novel Do you plan your novels?

I live the majority of my life without a plan, but don't get anything accomplished without one (wait a minu


The only work that I've finished is the one my friend and I planned out and we are very happy with the way it turned out. So, my advice would be to plan it out.

 

I do a little of both. Usually some scene comes to me while I'm driving or listening to music. If it's interesting enough, it'll come to me again in daydreams. Over time I'll think of continuations and things that might have happened before it. Then I'll write out a bit of it to see where it goes. I'll think long and hard about the characters, and flesh them out. If I'm still hooked on the story at this point, I'll sketch out a general beginning idea, the end I see at present and some of the points in between. I'll write the beginning and see if I still agree with the other parts, making changes where needed.

This is the point at which I'll make some kind of outline. It just has a series of short scene summaries. After that's finished, I'll start writing more seriously. Often the characters do things I hadn't thought of initially, and the story goes in a different direction. I'm open to this. A story is a living creature, and doesn't always evolve as first imagined. The story I'm currently working on has done this quite a bit, and I think that the end result will be much better for it.