Writing without finishing the plot outline first

Some follow a strict outline, some use an outline as a rough guide, other's write by the seat of their pants, still others write books where the characters are the plot instead of the plot driving the characters...

The best 'idea' for you is the one that works for you.

You're going to have to experiment because there is no 'correct' answer. =)

I had an ending in mind when I began this novel, but as I got to know my characters and saw the implications of certain situations toward the beginning, I realized my ending was going to have to shift to fit the evolving complexity of my story.

For me, I need to have a direction to write towards or I'll never finish the story. But I have to have the freedom of flexibility, too ~ part of the fun of writing is discovering what will happen next and I don't want to lose that sense of possibility because I'm trying too hard to adhere to a strict outline.

Whatever works for you is going to be a good idea.

What is this "outline" you speak of?

I outline a few chapters ahead but that's generally as far as I get. I don't know exactly how it will end until I get closer to the finish line.

How on earth is anyone going to be aware that you have sinned in this manner?

tricon7 said:

I tend to be this way, too. I'm going to just begin writing based on what I have so far, then flesh out where I want it to end up. I wanted to make sure I wasn't committing some cardinal sin by writing with no set ending. Of course, I realize that there is no "rule" for writing.

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When I first started my WIP I wrote the first 20,000 words and got stuck. I knew my MC was going to be lured into a trap, and what that trap was, and how he would escape. I just didn't know how.

So I wrote out of order, and went back now that my mind was a bit freer.

It wasn't until a few days ago that I worked out just how he was going to get lured in, and I'm about two chapters away from joining up the dots.

And this is only half way. I have a vague idea for the rest of the book, and that's only because I'm working from a Christian myth.

Ha. I wrote a pretty thorough outline by using a couple of sentences per scene to describe what was happening. Then I got to the end and left it blank thinking that I'd finish it when the time came. Well, the time came and I had no idea how to finish in terms of sequence. One thing though, my initial ending was a piece of crap. It took me months of writing to think up a more suitable alternative. Outlining for sequence is wonderful, not so much plot.

So what I'm trying to say is, don't dwell on an unfinished outline. Odds are that many things will change along the way. Get a pretty solid outline and follow it loosely. By the time you are finished writing all the point in your outline, you've already figured out an ending.

I'm pro outline, but to an extent. Don't follow it religiously. I highly recommended it because it allows you to focus and not have to worry about what happens next. It increases your odds of actually finishing a manuscript by like 40% or something. Okay, that percentage is totally made up, but those who have some sort of outline tend to accomplish more than those without one. Even a partial outline is great.

careful.

=DanielaTorre;7178578]Ha. I wrote a pretty thorough outline by using a couple of sentences per scene to describe what was happening. Then I got to the end and left it blank thinking that I'd finish it when the time came. Well, the time came and I had no idea how to finish in terms of sequence. One thing though, my initial ending was a piece of crap. It took me months of writing to think up a more suitable alternative. Outlining for sequence is wonderful, not so much plot.

So what I'm trying to say is, don't dwell on an unfinished outline. Odds are that many things will change along the way. Get a pretty solid outline and follow it loosely. By the time you are finished writing all the point in your outline, you've already figured out an ending.

I'm pro outline, but to an extent. Don't follow it religiously. I highly recommended it because it allows you to focus and not have to worry about what happens next. It increases your odds of actually finishing a manuscript by like 40% or something. Okay, that percentage is totally made up, but those who have some sort of outline tend to accomplish more than those without one. Even a partial outline is great.

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When I write my historical fiction I use outlines. When I write my literary fiction, I don't. I end up writing a lot more "junk" with the non-outlined stuff: lots of chapters and scenes that just won't work out in the end. But I discover a lot more about my story when I'm not afraid to write the junk and I just go with the flow. I usually end up liking my non-outlined stuff a lot better.

Of course, with historical fiction you're sticking to known history anyhow, so it's easier to use an outline.

Outlines can change, and I often discover more interesting things in the course of writing that may diverge from the outline. Bits of character or setting that fit well or create tension arise in the writing process, so I follow them and don't let the outline limit me (unless the tangent turns into a dead end).

I always do a full outline and a time line. I do this because the one time I did not I killed a character off too early and had to do a lot of rewriting. I also find that once I have the story/plot outlined I can focus on writing and not worry about what is going to happen next. My writing is better, fuller with an outline.

tricon7 said:

I have some great ideas on how to get my story going to about the halfway point, but I'm on the fence as to how to end it as far as my plot outline goes. I thought that it would shake out as I got to that point, but I wondered if anyone else writes his novel without finishing the entire storyline plot first - or if that's a good/bad idea?

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I hardly ever know where a story is going when I begin. I generally prepare an outline, but one sign that the story is going well is that it departs from the outline as I go. I try to update the outline to keep up with the story.

Eh, I've tried to do outlines, and I guess they're useful to me in that they get me motivated and thinking about characters and stuff, but once I start to write, I usually ignore the outline or change it beyond recognition. I find that when I'm writing an outline, I don't really know my characters yet. They haven't yet really become real to me, I guess, until I am actually writing. I'd really love to be able to do an outline and stick to it because I feel that it would really simplify and speed up the process.

I outlined the hell out of the manuscript I'm querying because it is a mystery and I wanted to be very strategic about what clues happened where. My current WIP, I'm just writing as the ideas come to me. I have a vague idea of how it will happen, but not too much.

You do what works for you and for the project at hand.

What's a plot outline? At least as many writers don't plot anything as those who do. Probably more. Of my twelve favorite writers, only one plots anything, ever.

What matters is the finished novel, not the plot outline.

Don't get hung up on the outline. Write. And if you get stuck, skip to another scene or bit of dialogue you've had in you're head and come back. You may just find that new plotlines have opened up to you.

I am personally one of those people that never outlines. In my head I know maybe five things that I want to have happen, but other than that, I wing it. I find the best things come that way. And if I'm not positive what the next step should be, I skip ahead, and that usually leads to the road inbetween paving itself.

tricon7 said:

I have some great ideas on how to get my story going to about the halfway point, but I'm on the fence as to how to end it as far as my plot outline goes. I thought that it would shake out as I got to that point, but I wondered if anyone else writes his novel without finishing the entire storyline plot first - or if that's a good/bad idea?

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Personal taste, really- whatever works for you. I have index cards that I write the primary points of action on. I put them in order and I guess that's my outline. Nothing detailed, though. Everyone has their own thing.

All kinds of writers work without any outline, period. And a major way to procrastinate is obsessive over-planning. It's all individual to the writer, and may vary with the individual story, as well. Do what works for you. The key point is to write, and not to succumb to stuff that prevents you from doing that.

caw

My last outline started off very detailed and tapered off from 3/4 up until the end. I like some wiggle room.
Yes, that's what she said.

Sounds like you're ready to write. Go for it!

Charlie Horse said:

What is this "outline" you speak of?

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Yep. I don't use them though I know they work for some. It's all up to your style.

I found with my current WIP that I knew the beginning and then just went with it until about a quarter of the way through. Now, what has helped me not feel "stuck" is to briefly outline about three chapters ahead of myself. I think I'll probably end up doing this until it's finished

What's a plot outline?