tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387354195138902316.post7535607536648250496..comments2023-10-25T08:54:32.041-06:00Comments on WRITE IN THE THICK OF THINGS: Death by (over)outliningKym-n-Mark Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314439278090348652noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387354195138902316.post-78538853956731167812013-04-05T15:14:54.407-06:002013-04-05T15:14:54.407-06:00Chemist Ken, thanks for stopping by, and thanks fo...Chemist Ken, thanks for stopping by, and thanks for the warm welcome to the IWSG hops.<br /><br />We absolutely agree with your comments: Like you, our ideas evolve and -- hopefully -- improve as the story develops and we shamelessly revise out outline as well..Kym-n-Mark Toddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05314439278090348652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387354195138902316.post-92093779101903850272013-04-04T11:06:51.274-06:002013-04-04T11:06:51.274-06:00I find that it's a good idea for me to have an...I find that it's a good idea for me to have an outline before I begin. But I've also discovered my best ideas don't come to me until I'm in the middle of writing, so I'm constantly going back and updating my outline to reflect the plot changes.<br /><br />Glad you're in the IWSG.Chemist Kenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09738272332470397248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387354195138902316.post-48856568960902936612013-04-03T13:56:56.228-06:002013-04-03T13:56:56.228-06:00Joylene, glad you hopped by, and thanks for stoppi...Joylene, glad you hopped by, and thanks for stopping along the way.Kym-n-Mark Toddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05314439278090348652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387354195138902316.post-12557787096986374092013-04-03T13:55:45.571-06:002013-04-03T13:55:45.571-06:00Hey, Mike. Glad to see you back in the land of the...Hey, Mike. Glad to see you back in the land of the (cyber) living!<br /><br />And thanks for stopping by.Kym-n-Mark Toddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05314439278090348652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387354195138902316.post-45002009558825542802013-04-03T13:31:03.218-06:002013-04-03T13:31:03.218-06:00Thanks for the chuckle. It's been too many yea...Thanks for the chuckle. It's been too many years since I experienced this. But it was fun to remember!Joylene Nowell Butlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04497637513532136615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387354195138902316.post-64492536253455048442013-04-03T11:55:30.609-06:002013-04-03T11:55:30.609-06:00I have a story like that right now. I know the las...I have a story like that right now. I know the last line and am working my way toward it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387354195138902316.post-99725653035730472013-04-03T11:53:40.267-06:002013-04-03T11:53:40.267-06:00I love your process! You know why? Because it'...I love your process! You know why? Because it's my exact same process. Outline, with only tidbits of direction in case your story takes you elsewhere, but enough to know what comes next.<br /><br />Sorry I've been all incognito...lots going on with a bad sickness, to boot. Trying to get around now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387354195138902316.post-37024541284388192292013-04-03T08:04:23.906-06:002013-04-03T08:04:23.906-06:00Thanks for dropping by, Annalisa.
Wasn't it V...Thanks for dropping by, Annalisa.<br /><br />Wasn't it Vonnegut who always said he needed to know the last line of his novel before he started? Once he had that, then he just wrote until he reached it. <br /><br />We really enjoy learning how other writers do what they do. Thanks for sharing your methodology.Kym-n-Mark Toddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05314439278090348652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387354195138902316.post-69838574041490068812013-04-03T05:28:40.126-06:002013-04-03T05:28:40.126-06:00I have a title and a first line, and a 'feelin...I have a title and a first line, and a 'feeling' of the direction the plot's going. Oh, and there's always a last line too. Apart from that I just go with the flow... Sometimes it works :-)<br /><br /><a href="http://annalisacrawford.blogspot.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Annalisa Crawford</a>, One of April's IWSG Co-HostsAnnalisa Crawfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14943610814274794998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387354195138902316.post-31792835918638741832013-04-02T16:53:34.791-06:002013-04-02T16:53:34.791-06:00Alex, thanks for adding your seasoned perspective....Alex, thanks for adding your seasoned perspective. <br /><br />Fascinating to us that you devote that much time to outlining, but it clearly pays off when you start pounding the keys. <br /><br />As our own projects develop, we seem to find ourselves less committed to the original story arc that launched us and more willing to let a story take on a life of its own -- even though that forces us to re-outline. That said, we still have to plan out and flesh out the outline for the two to four chapters ahead to see of our beats (and yes, let's please save that cat!) still ring true.<br /><br />We suspect you've learned to listen to your narrative intuition, allowing you to be more efficient.<br /><br />Two months for actually keystroking the book. Wow.Kym-n-Mark Toddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05314439278090348652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387354195138902316.post-14866690646160021912013-04-02T16:46:25.615-06:002013-04-02T16:46:25.615-06:00Julie, thanks for your take on organization.
We ...Julie, thanks for your take on organization. <br /><br />We think mag article writing (which we both do as well) is a similar process and, as you point out, depending on the size of the project it takes somtimes more and sometimes less planning. We kind of think of individual chapters as chunky articles (our journalism training, probably) with a mini-story arc and a context from the larger story. <br /><br />We suspect you'd be great at organizing a book, and we think you should get that creative nonfiction project you've told us about started! :)Kym-n-Mark Toddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05314439278090348652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387354195138902316.post-77182444116651343432013-04-02T16:19:16.151-06:002013-04-02T16:19:16.151-06:00I always do an outline before I begin writing. And...I always do an outline before I begin writing. And from Save the Cat, I've learned about the Fifteen Beats and the Logline. I can't imagine winging it. I spend several months on the outline alone, but once it's ready, I can write a whole novel in less than two months. I could do it faster, but I am a very slow typist...Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387354195138902316.post-86793546226134034262013-04-02T15:55:31.688-06:002013-04-02T15:55:31.688-06:00I think, if I ever attempt a book, I'll have t...I think, if I ever attempt a book, I'll have to have an outline with flexibility. Sometimes, when I'm writing in-depth articles with lots of quotes, I have to outline and pull things in so it makes sense. Otherwise I feel like I'm just cramming in information willy-nilly. And no one likes a willy-nilly article...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00741349796538313075noreply@blogger.com