To Outline or Not Is The Question.

As a child, I hated doing outlines and those little brain storming bubbles. I always preferred to free write my thoughts. Did most of the time, then went back and created any outlines that were due for my teachers. Guess it carried over into my writing. Every book I’ve done, has been wrote using the SOPer, (Seat of the pants) style.

When I started my studying on new ways to increase my productivity and weaker areas of my stories, I kept running across the use of outlines. Decided to give it a shot. Took my writing style into considerations and came up with an outline that I thought would aid me. Tried it. Actually, I’ve written an entire draft using it. (Not sure if or when that story will be published, but it’s in my reserve.)

Doing this gave me a way to compare my SOPer style with using an outline. At first, I kept going off in my own direction and forgetting about the outline. By the third or fourth chapter I’d gotten into the habit of reminding myself that I had an outline laid out that was suppose to aid and lessen the number of revisions required. (Think this experiment of mine gave me more than a writing lesson. A lesson in patients, as well as taught me that nothing is written in stone and can change at any time.)

By midpoint of the written story, I’d decided outlining wasn’t as bad as I feared. Also learned a very important lesson. Just because you jot in down in an outline, don’t mean you can’t change you mind. It’s a lot easier to change a few lines in an outline, than to have to rewrite multiple sections of your story to accommodate the change of direction. Hint, this is why it can save you time. Also why, I’m still undecided just how helpful it can be.

Guess I see advantages to it as well as disadvantages it. One things for sure, I now know I can use an outline to write. Not sure if I will use the same one as I used the first time, but that’s the glory of being a growing writer. You can figure out and adjust your style of writing to fit what works for you with each story you are creating.

The outline I created may never be used again. Then again, it may be adjusted to fit how the story that hit my head needs it. No matter how, stories will continue to come to me, and therefore they will continue to be published for your enjoyment.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week,

Julia