I have a love/hate relationship with outlining.
As a creative, I love the freedom of creating a story as I go. I start with a fragment of a story idea and work it out as I go. Then there’s college (shudders). Years of academic papers stressed the importance of structure that outlines provide.
To make things productive, I developed a plan.
When I get a story idea, I create a loose outline. I jot down the idea. If I know the character names, I write those down with a very loose profile for them. Depending on where the idea is within the story (beginning, middle, or end), I start building the bones of the story.
Creating a loose outline for the story keeps me on track, considering I have a habit of not finishing one story before I start another. When I revisit the story, I won’t be lost. Win-win!
What are your thoughts on outlines? Here for them or no thanks? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Write On,
Joy