 For Authors: May 12, 2021 Issue [#10709] |
This week: Outline! Edited by: Annette  
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Stephen King once said (approximately) that he writes his novels word by word. Word for word? Word after word? I forgot what he said exactly. I also saw the quote in German, so he probably said, "Stop talking and write."
Since you're not Stephen King and I'm not Stephen King, we can string our words into stories and novels any which way we like.
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Outline!
Writers come in many variations, but most fall into either the pantser or the planner category. While pantsers sit down with a general idea and then start writing away, planners spend more time setting up smaller parts.
Just how Edgar Allan Poe was a drinker with a writing problem, I am a planner with a pantsing problem.
Yes, I just compared myself to Edgar Allan Poe.
Try it for yourself. You might like it. Or not. In that case, use another author.
Before finding Writing.Com, I was such a pantser, that after being asked to write a page long outline, I didn't come up for air until I had hammered out almost a quarter million words. Clearly, that outline grew way out of proportion. I needed help. Still do, but things are getting better now that I found Writing.Com. I have attempted several times to outline a novel before I write it, but I end up never going the distance. However, even the few pre-writing exercises I ended up typing up helped me later on.
Benefits of outlining or prewriting exercises:
 You get to keep track of all of your ideas without having to flesh them out.
You can write up short pieces that may or may not become part of your actual finished piece.
It helps in world building because you can take your time to describe everything in excruciating detail. Later on, you can use the parts that are needed for your story.
Meet the cast. Write a flash fiction story about each character and get to really feel who they are.
Avoid plot holes by taking the time to investigate all cause and effect moments before you commit them to your novel.
As you see, making an outline before jumping in gives you a lot of advantages when it comes to writing. If you have never tried making an outline, check out some of the resources I linked below that will help you get started.
Would you go hiking in the wilderness without a map or collecting information beforehand?
If I had tried that here, I might still be on that mountain.
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| | | Pre-writing (13+)
Pre-writing, not to be confused with research, is being ready for serious work.
#1556303 by Joy  |
A little bit of self-promotion, but also proof that prewriting exists in a pantser. I wrote this for NaNoWriMoPrep. The scene in here did not make it into the book, but it was so much fun to get to meet these two characters together and watch them go through their day.
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Replies to my last For Authors newsletter "Plot Holes Begone!" How do you avoid plot holes in narration?
victoryseeker wrote: Personally, I ask close friends or family to read through my work. My brother especially can spot them a mile off, lol! It's always good to prompt someone to defeat the logic of what you're writing, so you can close off any immersion-breaking points.
SantaBee  wrote: I have a few beta readers I ask to read my writing and I tell them I want it all - the good, the bad, and as much constructive criticism you can give. It really helps.
Santeven Quokklaus  wrote: The joy of a good beta reader.
When it comes to novels, this is how it tends to work for me.
I prefer a female beta (mainly because that way if I get something wrong in my portrayal of female characters, then it is easier for them to pick up). I write, leave it for a few months (in which time I've normally written something else... or a lot of something elses) so I've forgotten it, give it a good read and functional edit, rewriting anything that needs rewriting (no, I don't rewrite the whole thing - my second draft is an edited version of the first; for me the whole 5 drafts thing does not work... for me), then send it off to a beta. I take her notes and make all the changes - especially in story, POV, plot holes, time jumps, etc. - and then wait for a publisher who might be interested. Send it off... wait.
But that beta reader is vital.
I recently lost mine (she moved... she didn't fall down the back of the couch or something like that), so I have 2 novels waiting for a beta to be found to read and give me feedback. Shame, but that's the way it goes sometimes.
Dave wrote: Actually, pot holes are the primary drivers of plot. Hmmm.  
Dragonfly wrote: I'm still working on it. I'm grateful for all the ideas I find here 
Brooklynn York  wrote: I roleplay the scenarios with friends and see if I or they questioned the plot. If so it's time for a rewrite and deeper thought.
keyisfake wrote: Listen to your story don't just read it. Listening can help you find the holes in your story.
MiralMS wrote: Like most others have replied/commented here: Don't be afraid of feedback.
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