I agree with you too shadowalker, planning is working for me now, but it wouldn't have before. Everyone has their own way of doing things, I don't think one way is right or wrong, or even better or worse, just different.
I'm careful not to let the outline stifle my creativity too much. I don't plan so much that there's nothing for me to imagine when I get to the actual novel writing. I have started outlining the basic scene progression, so I know how to get from A to B, and eventually C, but I leave characters and the thick of the plot to 'discover themselves' within what I've planned. They way I think of if is that I'm a bit of a mad scientist... I get someone I vaguely know, and put them in to a situation I've set up. I've left enough doors open for them to shape what happens, and I sit back, watch the results, and write about what happens! I read a quote from an author somewhere that was along the lines of: "I don't have characters, I have victims."
My work-in-progress started as a quick idea which I worked on until it was a comprehensible plot. I used descriptions, quotes from characters, notes and partially written segments to build a plan of what was to happen throughout the story. I then wrote a chapter by chapter synopsis before starting to write the novel itself. This made the first draft fairly quick to write and I never really got 'lost'. I have recently finished the first draft and am now adding threads to the novel and growing the plot. I still love the story and enjoy developing it although it is harder to make progress now as everything is so detailed and has to be completely relevant to the existing work. I think I'd use this method of writing again as it allows me to write a fairly complex story without getting confused in the middle! Through planning, my novel changed enormously and in the writing it continues to change although once I had my first draft I put the plan down and haven't needed it since. I think the best way of writing is the way you find you enjoy most
This is me too. I plan a lot - characters, plots and sub-plots broken down by chapters. I don't find that it stifles my creativity at all; for me it makes my work more enjoyable as I know what I am aiming for. Certainly, things often change along the way, or new ideas evolve and I am happy to go along with them too. I don't HAVE to stick to the plan, but it helps me focus and have goals. But then, I also post-it everything all over my walls into massive mind maps because I like to see it in front of me. I also may have a slight obsession with lists...... I also make sure I write spur of the moment unrelated short pieces to encourage my writing skills and creativity while I am planning. I try to do a "10 minute challenge" every day that is NOT related to my main project but keeps me interested in writing.
Be careful writing your events and plots to deeply early on. At the end you may end up with a book where the characters end up being chess pieces to make the plot work giving uncharacteristic actions that feel forced. This is the reason my writing professor hated outlines. Personally I need it somewhat to have a general sense of where I am going but let your characters figure out how to get there on there own. If you write them well enough, believe me they'll talk to you and tell you where to go. As well if you write it too much you may end being stuck because you realize that your characters don't work in this situation and it kills all your outline work. Be prepared to change everything if you do.
Thanks for your advice! Even though I plan a great deal, I am still flexible in which way everything goes, and I am always open to change. I just enjoy the entire process from planning to completion and find it works better for me than sitting down with just an idea. For my novel/longer works anyway. I sometimes think that I prefer this because between work and children and the house and friends etc, my writing is mine alone and I can control what I do. Whereas everything else has other people involved, more unpredictability, I can't always be the decision maker etc. Does that make sense?
For sure! I like planning too but most of it is usually back story, world, that sort of thing. I get very protective of my plot ideas so I have to force myself not to make them happen if they aren't working so not over-planning helps me a lot there.
I like outlines for longer pieces- they make the whole thing more approachable for me. However, I tend to write down abstract ideas and themes rather than actual plot points.
I normally use a three-page outline of what my story is about before I go about writing. I do not often depend on everything of the outline itself. It only gives me a guide of where to go and not what to write. An outline is a navigation system of where to go. It is not something you should use to write the entire story.
