Casey

I totally agree Mike. I like to plan but I have my own way of planning that works for me. I get a general idea of what I want to do and write that down. Then I take a few days and go over it in my mind. The story changes each time but the things that stay the same make it into the story. I figure if they're strong enough that I can remember them that well then they should be strong enough to carry the story.

I write short stories by the way. I probably wouldn't do a novel that way but again that's my style.

lisajane

I don't plan. I find I spend too much time planning, and once I've planned, I'm sick of the story and I never get around to writing it.

For my new novel, I don't have any intention at all to plan it. I'm writing it Nano style, so writing down everything as it comes to me, letting the plot form itself and carry off by itself, all I've given it is three characters. Once I've done that for about 200 or 300 pages, then I'll start going through it and re-writing it as an actual story.

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'Beauty stands and waits with gravity to start her death-defying leap. And he, a little charleychaplin man, who may or may not catch her fair eternal form spreadeagled in the empty air of existence.' - Laurence Felinghetti, 'The Acrobat'

tbs21

if you write an outline, you know the basic structure of your story, and therefore you know if it will make it to booklength--100,000 words.

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Current Novel: Untitled
Word Count: 2,879/50,000

Current Reading:
1.The Romanov Prophecy, by Steve Berry-5/5
2. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles-2/5