Words of the Barely-Published

Outlining Novels: A Good Idea, But Kinda Frustrating

2010-11-01T02:08:15Z

The outline is over 6000 words long. The *outline*. And it's only about 2/3 done.

I suppose the fact that I go back and keep adding stuff to the beginning of the outline is good - it's much easier to consistency check the outline. But ugh, I'd hoped to be done with this by the end of October. At this point, the end of the first week of November seems more likely.

So much for trying to do this as part of NaNoWriMo. Perhaps that's a good thing - given how much editors HATE NaNoWriMo stories, I suspect this story will be much improved for a completed and tidy outline.

My inner creative goon would like to have that outline done, however, so I can start writing...

comments

Badger-badger-badger-badger, outline outline!

2010-05-24T12:54:24Z

One of my novels got hit with Plot Wanderitis, so I sat down to outline it. Over the past couple of weeks, I've been thinking about what I wanted to do with it, and scribbling out index cards that I could rearrange into approximately the right order. This morning, I wrote about 1800 words of nothing but outline.

At last, I know where I'm going with this story.

Now I just have to go back and do some serious overhaul of the early chapters.

comments

Well, this interesting...

2009-12-10T23:00:26Z

I have an outline of more than 2500 words, all written in the past few days in addition to everything else. I'm not done, either, but I seem to have the first three/fifths done, along with notes on the next fifth.

And I know how it ends. (Gotta have an ending, or I can't write.)

But I really *don't* usually outline like this. I have to, because I have to make sure that I'm not doing terrible things to the plot that will come back and bite me later, but at the same time...it feels weird.

I wonder if I will finish it or just give up in disgust and start writing?

comments

One Word

2009-12-08T13:42:53Z

The fabulous Margaret has gone and got me working on a *different* novel. I talked to her over tea on Sunday night, and muttered about this thing that I'd been working on a long time ago, and blah blah blah, I was stuck.

And she gave me one Word. It was the Word I needed.

Having acquired this Word, I spent over an hour yesterday starting to outline this thing. It's wandered in so many different directions over the years, and there's so much...well, stuff, in there that doesn't need to be there, and isn't central to the story. (And some of it is really awful.)

Looking at it from a critical perspective too, there're plot holes *galore* in there that need clearing out too, and questions that must be answered in my own head, even if they're not down on paper.

Also, must do research, as one of the two protagonists needs to be Not An American. The other one is from a culture that I am creating, which requires worldbuilding - the culture is a bit too nebulous in my head, and I need to know enough of the relevant bits to clear this up.

But the basic story that I came up with, what, 7 years ago? That is usable. And now I have the necessary Word (word of power!) to make it work.

Because, of course, I really needed *another* novel to work on. :}

comments