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6.
AOTW: To outline or not outline --- that is the question. Jeffery
Deaver recently authored an article in Writer's Digest which discussed
the importance of outlining; King seems to do what he does without
one, and Robert P. Parker, for another, professes that he has no
idea what's going to happen when he begins a book. Do you outline
before you begin a novel? Or do you sit up and let things proceed
as they may?
Noreen
Ayres: "First you say you do, and then you don't..."
Remember that old song? I try to outline, I do. But I have a woeful
attention span. I have in impoverished imagination: I just can't
see that far to the end. I may have a vague idea of the ending,
but the discovery mostly comes page by page. That makes for wasted
motion to be sure; and uncertainty, and self-doubt, and filled wastebaskets.
If you can and do outline, I celebrate your gift. It's just not
my habit, nor my preference.
Jeffery
Deaver: I guess from the reference in the question it's pretty
clear where my prejudices lie. Every writer has different goals;
mine is to create a well-structured story that delivers emotional
punches at appropriate times. Doing this involves carefully guiding
the main story, the subplots and the back stories relating to all
of them and to a resolution with, ideally, several twists at the
end. Although many writers can produce a book like this by simply
sitting down and writing without an outline, I can't. If I were
to I'd end up with characters and a story that might be insightful
and interesting (or might not) but that would be far too unfocussed
for my liking. I know, I've done it. There are, of course, many
other types of books for which outlining would be unnecessary, if
not destructive: for instance, a character-driven novel or, as Stephen
King describes his books, one that was situation driven.
Lisa
Scottoline: As I have said, I do not outline. It suits me, and
I couldn't do it any other way, but I have rationalized it thus:
it is important in any novel for the story to flow in a logical
fashion, carrying the reader along. If I write the novel as I go
--- simply asking what would happen next as my guideline --- then
the narrative will always flow nicely and smoothly. Characters will
be consistent and the tone will be even. I will be as surprised
as the reader as the story twists and turns, which it seems to,
inevitably. In any event, this is a fun and interesting way to write
and figuring it out in advance just sounds like school to me. I
don't have to go to school anymore.
Brad
Meltzer: I outline 50-100 pages at a time and that's as far
as I go, because I think the book has to progress over time. If
I outline too much there's no room for spontaneity if I outline
too little I have no idea where I'm going I end up rambling on and
on. So I always keep it short. How's that for a make-everybody-happy
answer.
Laurie
Halse Anderson: I outline the first few chapters, just so I
have a sense of direction. Once I get going, the characters throw
me in the trunk and take the wheel. I am just along for the ride.
Daniel
Handler: Outlines are essential in a piece of writing for the
same reason they're essential at the scene of the crime. We draw
a chalk line around the person who died on the sidewalk so, when
time passes, we can have a glimpse of what you found so captivating,
a clear clue as to why we're doing what we're doing. Of course,
the outline is not the whole story --- we don't know what the victim's
last words were, or what exactly was in that briefcase, or the killer's
current location --- but at least we have something to go on. Writers
who say they don't outline are liars, because if you know what the
end of the sentence will be before you type it, you're outlining.
Otherwise it's called automatic writing, which makes you either
psychic or a fraud.
Jonathan
Kellerman: As I've noted, I outline. My books tend to contain
multiple story lines, and I'm not smart enough to keep it all in
my head. Outlining also lessens the probability of writer's block
--- for me. There are no rules, everyone's different. Interestingly,
once I complete the outline, I rarely consult it. When I finish
the book, I do go back and review and, more often than not, the
end product is something quite different from the outline.
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