To outline or not to outline: that's the question - Writers Forum

satisverborum2003 · 02-11-2004, 12:17 PM

I am an artist and is on the way of writing my first fantasy novel. It isn't the first time that I've attempted to write a longer piece of work. Every time I try to start a novel I couldn't finish it and usually abandon it for something else. I have no problem finishing short stories but I'm wondering if I should outline everything in this novel or just dive into it.

Lily · 02-11-2004, 12:37 PM

Hm. I think outlining really depends on an individual's work ethics. I know for me, if I outline every last thing in a story (which I've done numerous times at teachers' suggestions), I loose the thrill of writing and inevitably drop the project all together. Outlining could help in providing a fairly visible goal, but I'm not an advocate of it. I feel that outlining takes away a lot from the spontaneity of the creative process (which, in my opinion, is something that makes writing so enjoyable). However, as I've said before, the usefulness of outlining really depends on the individual. It didn't work for me, but it may work for you- it probably won't help giving it a shot

Hope this helped!

FieryHands · 02-11-2004, 02:36 PM

Sometimes you need to outline, sometimes you don't. I guess it depends on the person. I personally don't like to outline, I just write ideas down. I have pages and pages of brainstorming saved, but I never did get past the first chapter of my outline. Of course, I've had this idea for years and still stuck on the said first chapter.

Darkwing · 02-11-2004, 03:50 PM

I would say it depends on the subject you are writing about. If you are writing something that is military oriented, you might want to outline to make sure your facts are accurate. If you are doing fantasy, like you said, it might be better to do it 'on the fly' as long as you remain consistant in the characters and the world. Most importantly though, stick with it!

Fantasia · 02-11-2004, 04:16 PM

But it really depends on what suits the writer. I'm a fantasy writer and I couldn't do without an outline. Too many names and facts to keep it all in my head.

lennon8two · 02-11-2004, 04:31 PM

basically, yeah, to repeat the rest of the writers, its just a matter of preference. for me, whenever i delve into prose, outlining is 50/50; sometimes i do it, sometimes i don't. btw, i don't know how to properly use a semi-colon, so you don't have to yell at me about it.

when im writing essays for school, outlining is a must. topic sentences make baby jesus cry, but they do keep things clear and concise. i need to break down essays and very carefully document their structure.

i screenwrite, so it's important to do some sort of outline, loose or not. one has to know what the status quo is, what is the problem, protagonists, adversaries, conflicts, climaxes, whatever. i know some people that use index cards to document scenes; i just sorta write by the seat of my pants.

wouldnt that be awesome if a person could write using the seat of their pants?

so, long answer short, it's all up to the writer and what works for him.

Lily · 02-12-2004, 09:39 AM

Just thought of another suggestion- I'd recommend keeping a writing notebook where you jot down story ideas as they come to you, that way you won't forget. That's a kind of outlining, methinks

obiwanjabroni · 02-12-2004, 11:15 AM

I think outlining is a must, especially for longer works of fiction. It helps keep all your ideas in place and it keeps the work moving. Believe it or not, outlining can save time (yes, I tell myself that all the time and I slack too) and it also helps the chapters to come along properly. Every chapter needs a conflict to keep the reader going and an outline helps that. A more extreme example would be Robert Jordon's Wheel of Time series. The books were enthralling for the first few books but at this point, the books have begun doubling back and doing roundabout things. Yes, Jordon probably outlined each book, but he did not outline the entire story. I would be safe in saying that he lost a large audience after his last book came out (the 11th of a series of books that spans 1000 pages each). So in my opinion, longer works do well to be outlined, not thoroughly, but enough so that you know what will happen when you write about it.

Fantasia · 02-12-2004, 11:22 AM

J.K. Rowling said she has the whole thing outlined and that she knows exactly how the entire Harry Potter series is going to end, but I do believe that her outline is *very* general seeing as how she wrote the outline on bar napkins!

Lily · 02-12-2004, 11:35 AM

[ot:12903001b3]I actually heard that Rowling wrote the series starting from the last book, and that's why she knows exactly what's going to happen in them![/ot:12903001b3]

gabriella · 02-15-2004, 07:21 PM

I'm going to speak from experience right now.

I am just like you. My outline is a raw rought copy. Just freewrite the entire story. But, after a little bit, like you, I would lose inspiration and get another idea for something else. I would then start that and it got to the point where I'd never finish anything. I have so many novels that need completing, and it's just extremely overwhelming.

However, in my most recent piece that I'm working on, I decided to write an outline. I wrote all the chapters, editing them, merged a few chapters, took some parts away, etc, until I had a polished blueprint of my novel. And I have to say, that looking at that just makes me feel so much better. Having an outline has given me so much inspiration and motivation to go forward because I can see how much farther I have left. Not only that, but if I get stuck on something, I could easily move on to something else, knowing exactly what it is I was stuck on and thus making it so much easier to get back to it.

I really do recommend outlines, especially chapter outlines, and then go over them a few times to make sure that's how you want your book to be. Sure, you may need to make a few more alterations along the way - and the blueprint isn't something you have to follow with strictly. Because, after all, no book goes exactly as planned. And if it is, you know you're censoring something and avoiding a spectacular idea. Make an outline, but always keep your door open for any more ideas, because you never know just how much those ideas may benefiet your novel.

Work on your novel and write a chapter a day. And if you're on a roll, write another, and then maybe another. Outline are maps, making it so much more easier to find where you are in your novel, what more distance you have to cover, and what type of scenery and weather you're going to have to deal with.

Oh, and as for the Rowling quote - I doubt it, otherwise her novels would have been published a lot sooner

Aevin · 02-16-2004, 11:29 AM

Well, I've never used many outlines. I agree with Lily--a writing notebook is a useful tool. You can write down good quotes or metaphors for later use. If your story is long, it is doubtful you'll remember them long enough to reach that point in the story. If you use an outline, I'd suggest a very general one which covers basic plot points, not specific character reactions and so forth. I think a specific outline could definitely make the story less spontaneous and fun. Once again, however, whatever works for you.

Fantasia · 02-17-2004, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gabriella

Oh, and as for the Rowling quote - I doubt it, otherwise her novels would have been published a lot sooner

Well, that's if Rowling is lying, buuut I don't know if she's prone to lying or not.

I believe than an author could have a completed outline and still submit a novel late, though. Outlines have worked for me either way. While I find outlines very helpful to my writing style, it has happened that I finished the novel either in record speed or in about the longest time permissible, some not at all. Granted, the flaw is probably in the story, not in the outline, but the fact is that it's different everytime, at least for me, and since I'm not special

other authors probably share the same malady I do from time to time.

gabriella · 02-18-2004, 07:13 AM

No, that's not what I meant.

If she really did write her novels backwards, then by the time she published the Sorcerer's Stone, she would have had every other book finished or near finished. Which means that the space between the Prisoner of Azkaban and the Goblet of Fire would have been muuuuuuuuch shorter than, oh two and a half years or something? Even with all the movies and games and whatnot coming out, it still should have been released earlier.