Deviating from the outline

majiklmoon · Apr 11, 2006

I'm stumped, and I'm looking for input. I have an outline of my YA paranormal and really I'm trying to stick to it. But it's growing out of control.

Specifically, I have this one chapter that seems to be growing out of control. Ginormous actually. It seems to be going on into infinity.

My question is - do I deviate from my outline, or let it continue to grow and fix it in the editing process?

Sage · Apr 11, 2006

Can't you split the chapter into two?

Define ginormous? My chapters range from 5 to 40 pages.

Inspired · Apr 11, 2006

I'd let it go. See where it takes you. You can always "fix" it later. But, you may not want to.

majiklmoon · Apr 11, 2006

Sage said:
Can't you split the chapter into two?

Define ginormous? My chapters range from 5 to 40 pages.

well, that's a good question. It's 14 word doc pages to date with no sign of stopping.

Sage · Apr 11, 2006

I'd say write what needs to be written. If you need to deviate from the outline, go ahead & see what happens. You can always go back to the outline if you need to. For now, I'd say, keep writing the chapter if it's flowing well. When you're done, if it's too big, you have some choices: a) Check to see what you really need now that it's all down, & trim the unnecessary stuff, b) separate it into two or more chapters, c) leave it as it is, or d) go in an entirely different direction.

14 Word pages is probably the average of my chapters (I just went through them out of curiosity). Of course, you're not done w/ that chapter & it might really be huge by the end, but I don't see anything wrong with a chapter in the teens. Now, if you get to 40 like me, that's when I start worrying. (If I remember, though, someone was talking about their chapters averaging 30 pages several months ago.)

And of course there's no correct length. The book I'm reading (YA, I believe) has 43 pages in the first chapter.

majiklmoon · Apr 12, 2006

Thanks...I think part of what is killing me is this is the first time EVER I've used an outline - nothing hugely formal, just in this chapter these key events are going to happen - and hear I am, totally disregarding it lol

stormie · Apr 12, 2006

majiklmoon said:
Thanks...I think part of what is killing me is this is the first time EVER I've used an outline - nothing hugely formal, just in this chapter these key events are going to happen - and hear I am, totally disregarding it lol

Exactly why I don't do outlines. I only write notes on certain character traits, certain scenery aspects important to the story, etc.

Deviating from the outline

majiklmoon

Sage

Our Lady of Parentheticals

Inspired

majiklmoon

Sage

Our Lady of Parentheticals

majiklmoon

stormie

storm central