Friday, July 4, 2008

Do you outline? If so, how much/how detailed?

Curious, do you outline your entire story first?
For a given 'chapter' how much of the plot for that chapter is part of the outline?
Do you even outline 'conversations'?

Happy 4th of July!

2 comments:

Tia Nevitt said...

I outline using the document map. Other than that very sketchy outline, I don't do much. I'll jot down a few notes in another font at the head of a chapter if I'm having trouble getting my thoughts in order.

The ending of my novels are usually "squishy" and they firm up on later rewritings. Kind of like baking bread.

I don't outline conversations. I just write down what I hear in my head.

Lisa said...

I've found having a firm outline helps to motivate me to keep writing.

With my first book I had a firm outline,with the next in the series a rather open outline. I found I was slow to go back to the book, and I slowed over time (and it still isn't done) With the next story I only have outline ideas and basics.
I finally realized that I need to stop writing and do a better outline.
I have a direction of where the story is going, how it will get there, and the ending, but the outline provides some of the smaller details that keep me focused.