Do you outline your stories?

[The_Fool]

Thanks for the replies. I figured that everyone would have a different response. Svenska, your reply fascinated me. The one where you talked about drawing the pictures, not the one about the big dick... I know that I kind of make up a movie in my head when I am working through a story. Not many others have said that they use visual cues for their work.

Thanks,

Fool

 

[Boota]

I write an outline that is more like chapter notes in my own personal shorthand. I don't want to spend too much time with an outline, I'd rather be writing. I started my first novel with no outline and no notes, but around chapter seven I realized that I needed an outside guide to keep me consistent. Now, I don't live and die by the outline. It remains fluid and changing all the way through the process, but I find it helps keep me focused and doesn't let me forget things that I otherwise might not remember to put in. I'm new at this, so I might find a way that works better for me in the future, but so far outlining and notes are doing a good job for me.

With short stories I don't bother with an outline. It would probably take me onger to write the outline than to write the story.

 

[pop_54]

Yeppers

Exact same answer here. I just sit down and write and let the story take me wherever it wants to go.

Lou

I'm with the lovely Purdy and Lou, (wish I was), here, I've never bothered to outline anything, I would confuse myself (not hard to do) with a lot of stuff to reread and then rewrite.

I fully understand the viewpoint of those of you who do outline though, I'm not being critical just stating my preference.


pops.............

 

[Guest]

Purdy, Lou and Pops - has a nice ring to it. Let's meet up in a couple hours, eh?

Perdita

 

[pop_54]

Yeppers

Purdy, Lou and Pops - has a nice ring to it. Let's meet up in a couple hours, eh?

Perdita

What's wrong with a couple of minutes beautiful Then make it last a couple of hours

 

[Lovepotion69]

No, nothing I write is complex enough to need an outline, and I often develop my plot (such as it is) as I'm writing, starting from a vague idea for a scene or an interaction or a mood. I put my characters in a situation with a general idea of where I want them to go and then just let em rip. Anything special I want to happen Ijust keep in my head.

---dr.M.

What he said.
I'm also a visual person, so at times I "see the" scene before me, angles and everything. Mainly that happens when I write dialogue.

I can't work with outlines. I just write. Whatever is in my head is penned down on paper. If it was a uni paper they used to get a bit confusing at times. I'd write up the major points, then the details and I'd jump all around the place between topics. Later I'd start cutting and pasting like hell. Thank god I don't use the same technique here at Lit!

 

[SadieRose]

That depends v.much on what inspired the story in the first place. If it's a longer piece of work and I'm going to embroider it, then an outline helps me keep track of what the original idea was (knowing that ideas do tend to run away with me... and lock me in the boot of their car... and drive me to a remote spot.. and *slaps herself* Umm... where was I?)


Outline... yeah!

I think the shorter pieces do tend to come from little things like a fragment of conversation or a scene from daily life. I have a story on here called 'Falling Like Rayne' which was inspired completely by a statue I saw whilst walking in a park in Barcelona near the Arc de Triomphe on a winter evening. It started me thinking about what a person would do in order to impress someone, and then how far they would go to have life imitate art, and from there the scenario developed quite smoothly.

Sometimes I like to have an idea of the end of the story before I write and I can fill in all the pieces working backward from there. It can take a while, but hell it's fun to do!

 

[thebullet]

I'm been writing a magnum opus - the thing is 17 chapters already and the next outline I write will be the first.

I'm not proud of that fact. I know I should be plotting it out and following a plan. Instead I'm letting the story write itself. It goes where it wants to go and I follow along.

My excuse is - what the heck, we're not JD Sallinger or Hemmingway. If I went to all that trouble, it would be work rather than relaxation. I'm doing this for fun not profit.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.



Chapter 1 of Death by Fucking - a magnum opus with no visible means of support

 

[raphy]

I'm not proud of that fact. I know I should be plotting it out and following a plan. Instead I'm letting the story write itself. It goes where it wants to go and I follow along.

Nah, you don't have to be doing that. No rules 'bout how you write, as long as the end result is worth it. Don't let anyone tell ya different.

At least, I hope there ain't no rules 'bout how to write, or else I'm screwed

p.s. goddamn, look at the tone of my post. Can you tell I'm in the middle of writing some dialogue?

 

[Guest]

I'm been writing a magnum opus - the thing is 17 chapters already and the next outline I write will be the first.

I'm not proud of that fact. I know I should be plotting it out and following a plan. Instead I'm letting the story write itself. It goes where it wants to go and I follow along.

My excuse is - what the heck, we're not JD Sallinger or Hemmingway. If I went to all that trouble, it would be work rather than relaxation. I'm doing this for fun not profit.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Every published author I've ever spoken to, and I've spoken to quite a few (I'm talking mass published, known names, at least in the horror genre) write in exactly that way. They are proud of that fact and actively encourage others to write in the same way.

The late Richard Laymon has written over 35 published novels and he only prepared and used an outline for one of those books. It was a very complex plot, set over 24 hours, and written in third person limited, with multiple POV changes. It wasn't one of his best books (Among The Missing, if anyone knows it, or is interested), but was still a very good read.

Everyone should write in a way that suits them. We are all different and we all create in a way unique to ourselves. I can't write without background noise, but others prefer complete silence. I have to have two cups of tea before my brain can function in the morning. I have to set myself up just right, I can then sit and write for hours, without plotting in advance or using any kind of outline. I'm not claiming I'm good, but it works for me and I'm usually satisfied with the results.

Lou

 

[DirtyJJ]

I don't always outline my stories for Lit, but the latest one I am working on has a loose outline because as I think of ideas I like I don't want to lose them. Kind of like what you said earlier, Fool... like a roadmap that I can go back and refer to later.

For a longer piece of work, like a novel, I think I need to outline it for it to flow more easily. For NaNo I was hoping the novel would "write itself", but it did not. I still would like to experience that though - I think there is something a little "magical" about it...
Like this:

I write that first initial thought down and it's downhill from there. Whichever character is hanging about at the time sets my fingertips in motion and they fair fly across the keyboard. I am my character's scribe. I have no idea whatsoever what they want me to write. I type too fast to hear it, too fast to form a conscious thought in my head before it appears in front of me. It's an incredible stunning time and it blows me away every single time I write.

My main character has seen fit to drag me through London's darker spots during the 1840s, he's even made me write about a boxing bout. I had absolutely no idea that's where he was taking me when I began and I have absolutely no idea where he'll take me next, but I do have those 23 other 'scenes' that he may want to dangle in front of me at some later point.

And for the life of me, I cannot think of a more wonderful experience for my characters to use me for. I am my character's scribe, and I love it.

 

[whispering_surrender]

(knowing that ideas do tend to run away with me... and lock me in the boot of their car... and drive me to a remote spot.. and *slaps herself* Umm... where was I?)

You get that too? When I do that, they just call me distractable (or is it distractible?)

I don't outline, per se. I usually have an entire piece written in my head before I ever type out the first word, and normally follow it pretty closely. But, to qualify that, I've never tackled anything longer than about 25k words. If it was longer....my poor aging memory might need help. *sigh*

Whisper

 

[JRaven]

After the fact

For short stories, I don't bother with an outline. I will write a sentence about how it ends to keep me on track. Otherwise, I tend to write and write and write...

For a larger work that I'm working on, I find it better to do the outline after the fact. I have a time line listing each charater's interaction with the main character. This helps me keep the characters in character. I figured this out when I was writing chapter six. Something that a character did in chapter one made it impossible for him to do what he did in chapter four. It took me a month to rework the story!

So, I keep an outline so that I can check back and keep myself on track. Then when I finish a chapter, I go back and outline it.

Jenny

PS: Just as I hit 'post reply' I realized there was another page of this thread. Sorry if I'm off subject by now...

 

[sweetnpetite]

the plot of my lit stories is sex.

so the outline would be:

I. They want to have sex

II. They have sex.

III. They are done having sex.

 

[damppanties]

I don't outline, per se. I usually have an entire piece written in my head before I ever type out the first word, and normally follow it pretty closely.

The same. The story appears like images mostly and I try to describe it as I go along. I cannot do outlines. I'm too lazy.

Then there are those frustrating times I try to actually 'write' it in my head - you know, using words and such - that's bad. I simply get nice ideas or phrases which are gone by the time I can get near the 'puter.

 

[Chimney Sweep]

No outline, but need to diagram...

I do not outline my work, but it is all short enough to not require it. One problem I am starting to run in to which will require some work is the web of people in my stories. I write from the same perspective (so far) and in the same world, so there are recurrent characters and a definite timeline. I have been fine so far but I am just about to the point where I will need a list of charcaters and a bit of a timeline.

Kinda sucks when you are writing about real people and what you wish had happened. I have changed all the names, and in some places made up ones I never knew in the first place, and sometimes I forget the girlfriend's room-mate's sister's name and whether I nailed her (or wish I had) in the summer or winter.

 

[Guest]

the plot of my lit stories is sex. so the outline would be:

I. They want to have sex
II. They have sex.
III. They are done having sex.

Sweet, you are so adorable.

Perdita

 

[sweetnpetite]

Sweet, you are so adorable.

Perdita

Perdita, I appreciate your adoration of me

Feel free to continue doing so

 

[snooper]

... Everyone should write in a way that suits them. ...

EXACTLY.
I could no more let a novel "write itself" or "Let the characters lead me" than I could fly to the moon. Others could not write an outline.

Kipling wrote:
"There are four and twenty ways of constructing tribal lays, and every single one of them is RIGHT."

 

[SadieRose]

I usually have an entire piece written in my head before I ever type out the first word,

[/B]

Because I get a lot of ideas when I'm technically meant to be doing other stuff, like... uh... working *ick* I scribble notes to myself and then work with them later in my head when I've got quiet time.

Terry Pratchett said that the best time to work with a plot is in bed first thing in the morning, something I totally agree with. (Also easier when writing erotic fiction and... um... trying it out! *blush*)

In any case, I get less distractions then and I can think through the things that particular characters would say and how they would react to certain events.

I love doing the background to a character. The more authentic they feel the happier I am so I do tend to spend more time on that aspect than just about any other. This can have it's down side. Rayne has so many complexities that I had to take a break from him for a while because his lifestyle was making me stressed *LOL*

I think we're talking again now.

Sadie