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Just curious: before you write a story, do you do an outline of what the story will be about?
Just curious: before you write a story, do you do an outline of what the story will be about?
No. I've made a few notes--usually personal and place names--and that's it. But my Muse has already delivered all I need to know to get started, and to be reasonable assured that if I keep writing then, it will all come together.
I do more extensive notes and have a general outline ("this happens in this chapter") of some seven initial chapters (which invariably double in the writing) for something novel length.
I want to borrow your Muse. Or have her talk to mine. My Muse does not work this way, but I wish she did.
I want to borrow your Muse.
No outlines, maybe a vague image or single scene, but no preconceived plot in my head. I start writing, and plot and characterisation show up as I go along.
If you're like me, probably not.This.
I often do an image search for people and places first to set the scene in my mind and have those before me as I write, but my muse often leads me a merry chase into unexpected places. Maybe if I was to try to write longer pieces I would need outlines.
The outline is usually in my head.
The first thing, after the initial premise, is the ending. How I get to the ending is the difficult part.
A character says something and another replies to it and pretty soon it's a whole conversation, which spawns an action, and then... next thing you know it's three pygmies and a plover in bed with the main character. (Fear not, the plover is only there to observe.) I mean stuff just happens.
No outlines, maybe a vague image or single scene, but no preconceived plot in my head. I start writing, and plot and characterisation show up as I go along. I'm writing a big long thing at the moment - sometimes a chapter will take a while to start. I don't worry about that, not any more; it just means my subconscious is still mulling things over.
That's where my brain seems to have given me something very useful - I'd say 97% - 98% of what you read is in my first draft. My editing process is changes to words, sometimes phrases, occasionally sentences, rarely paragraphs. Most writers here say they work and rework their text - I'd die in a ditch if I did that, and my text would lose its spontaneity. Whenever this comes up on AH, I seem to be the exception rather than the rule - but since it works I'm not going to change my approach, not in a million years.I accept %80 of it is crap, but it'll lead me to that **0 that's golden.