Phase Outline?

ThePaperGypsy · Sep 23, 2009

One of my writing buddies was talking to me about how she started using phase outlines, and I was wondering what that is.... Although she tried explaining the whole process to me, I couldn't exactly understand what it was. I've tried googling it, but I had no luck. :Shrug:

She usually writes her novels fairly fast, so I thought it might be the way she outlined them, but I'm really not sure. :tongue

Sophia · Sep 23, 2009

Do you mean this? That is a link to an article in Vision where Lazette Gifford talks about the phase outline.

Claudia Gray · Sep 23, 2009

I outline much like this sometimes, though I'm not as mechanical about the number counts for each section. But I, too, lay out the scene and what's important about it -- what forward motion is happening -- when I outline, and it really does help me work faster. (Once the outline's done, of course. The outline itself can take months.)

ishtar'sgate · Sep 23, 2009

Interesting. Checked it out. Can't do it. Outlining in that much detail destroys my creativity and I lose interest in writing the actual novel. I have to use a loose system that fits on one page. It kind of looks like a map with intersecting streets that indicate individual characters and where they merge with one another. 'Cities' are specific scenes.
I think everyone has to use a method they're comfortable with. In-depth outlines work for some, looser methods or no outlining for others. I wouldn't outline at all except I have to keep all the threads tied together properly or I'll not get the cohesion I want.

Justin K · Sep 24, 2009

I did one section of a project I was working on using this. I think it's helpful for when you're not sure on a good order for the phases; sometimes it can be very difficult to string a chain of thoughts together in a way that makes consequential sense. I wanted to have a good order before I made the thoughts into transitional sentences. I was writing non-fiction though, and it was fairly abstract. I can't imagne there would be much need for heavy usage of this in a storyline.

Mara · Sep 25, 2009

Wow, thanks for the link. This looks like the method of "outlining" that I started using earlier today. (Until a few days ago, I'd never even heard of outlining except for those useless I, II, III, a, b, c outlines you learn to do in middle school.)

I think I'll give it a try.

Justin K · Sep 27, 2009

Mara said:
Wow, thanks for the link. This looks like the method of "outlining" that I started using earlier today. (Until a few days ago, I'd never even heard of outlining except for those useless I, II, III, a, b, c outlines you learn to do in middle school.)

I think I'll give it a try.

don't forget about the bubble cluster!

Parametric · Sep 27, 2009

Phase outlining looks really fascinating, and I'm hoping to have a crack at it with my next novel.

ThePaperGypsy · Sep 27, 2009

Wow, thanks guys! I think I might have a go at it too.

cbenoi1 · Sep 27, 2009

Sounds like yet another Snowflake Method to me.

-cb

Tsira · Sep 27, 2009

I sort of did that, but I didn't know there was a name for it or anything. I just wrote a basic outline, and then divided them into scenes, writing a paragraph or so about each scene. I still ended up doing unexpected things even with the outline though. Eh, I chalk it up to choice. Some people like details, some don't even have basic notes when they start.

ThePaperGypsy · Sep 27, 2009

cbenoi1 said:
Sounds like yet another Snowflake Method to me.

-cb

Is this a good or a bad thing?

cbenoi1 · Sep 27, 2009

There is no good or bad method to write a novel. Use whatever works for you. I just found too many similarities between the two to not pass it up as a reference.

Snowflake: Iterate multiple times, expanding from a previous iteration each time.
Phase Outline: use 'telling' to write a short version of your novel, then expand from this version into 'showing'.

-cb

Phase Outline?

ThePaperGypsy

Won't be on much till December. :(

Sophia

Claudia Gray

ishtar'sgate

living in the past

Justin K

Mara

Clever User Title

Justin K

Parametric

ThePaperGypsy

Won't be on much till December. :(

cbenoi1

Tsira

Revision is my best friend

ThePaperGypsy

Won't be on much till December. :(

cbenoi1