Outlines!!!!

[Steven Hunley]

OK, so I'm a reasonably new writer. I read all the time to see how the pros do it. When I was reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's Love of the Last Tycoon, the edition I had actually had part of his outline in the book. If I remember, it was handwritten.

I decided if outlining was good enough for F. Scott, it was good enough for me. Now I outline. I see here many of the author's subscribe to the process of "Let the writing take you where it Will'. I can do this for extemporaneous short pieces, but for me, a longer piece requires more thinking ahead, otherwise I find myself writing myself into corners that are hard to get out of.

So I do a basic outline. Plot comes first, then the number of characters and their details, then setting, and not necessarily in that order. I find it's really helped.

DO YOU OUTLINE? How the heck do YOU do it? What is important to you? Any pieces on here we're familiar with that had outlines? Any secret recipes you use?

What's the method to your particular madness, your creative formula for a success in a written piece? I promise not to tell.

[Calidore]

There are probably as many processes as there are authors. Some people may find outlining helps with organization and clarifying, others may find it restricts them and are more comfortable winging it. I think the only real trick is finding what best taps into your own thinking and writing style, and then don't let anyone tell you that you have to do it their way because it's better.

[cacian]

I consider writing a leisure and not a work/job I have to prepare for.
I just write and see where the air takes me. Outlines usually leave me with no alternative then to stick with was planned. I like room to manoeuvre and surprises along the way and so I uplan so not to plan in case I do not reach the target. :)

[AuntShecky]

There are probably as many processes as there are authors. Some people may find outlining helps with organization and clarifying, others may find it restricts them and are more comfortable winging it. I think the only real trick is finding what best taps into your own thinking and writing style, and then don't let anyone tell you that you have to do it their way because it's better.

Good answer! (Good opening question as well.)

When we say "outline," it would do well to keep in mind that it need not be the kind of formal outline as we were taught in the sixth grade, with topic sentences, sub-topics, Roman numerals and the like.

The so-called "outline" may be just a sketchy idea or a group of notes, phrases instead of complete sentences. Tess Gallagher, Raymond Carver's widow, once said in an interview she used to find little pieces of paper all over their house, each scrap with a phrase or a single word, like "Antarctica."

Earnest folks, especially Americans, are pragmatic, very big on "organizational skills." So a kind of outline can help a writer keep his or her on track.

On the other hand, sometimes one's characters will take command and "write" the story themselves. When that happens, you might as well throw the outline into the fireplace (if you have one.) But the initial outline is a good way to get started on a new project.

[Steven Hunley]

OK, so I was checking mine out and here's an example. Obviously, the story took on it's own aspects once I started writing.

Outline Dave Doppelganger


Plot- Man named David stops by girlfriends house to pick her up for a date and has to wait while she answers her e-mail. She has two e-mail addresses, one for normal mail and another for e-mails for spam, since that’s her old e-mail address.

He decides to copy her method and do the same thing.

After some time he finds various spam and one particular spam gets his attention. It’s an invitation to “hook up”

He follows through and meets the woman. She murders him on the spot the second she knows he’s going to “do it.”

The woman goes home and takes him off her “friends” list on facebook to reveal she’s his girlfriend all along, who was just testing his fidelity, and he failed.

Woman in disguise must have opposite hair, height, and dress. Black Widow syndrome


Setting-modern day- where?

Characters- Dave (David)

Girlfriend (name?) check greek myths where a woman kills her man- unfaithfulness

She should be ruthless and unfeeling, a plotter and planner

He should have the tendencies of a womanizer and be revengeful (when she doesn’t pay for dinner he takes it out “as a pound of flesh” merchant of Venice)

Theme- that spam e-mails are dangerous because you never know who you’re talking to , and that false identities and the internet can
bring out the worst in people