Comments on: Outlines

By: Donald Smith

Donald Smith — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 20:48:57 +0000

Thanks for these insights. My outline for “The Constable’s Tale,” contained a quite a bit of detail in the early going, but got vaguer as it went along, which encouraged more of the discoveries you speak of. The most horrific story I know of involving someone who professes not to believe in outlines is Stephen King’s confession that he painted himself into such a corner in “The Stand,” with so many characters and subplots, that he was at a loss as to how to end it. After nearly having a nervous breakdown (by his own account), he settled on [PLOT-SPOILER] just blowing everybody up.

By: Jan M Flynn

Jan M Flynn — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 01:15:09 +0000

I do outlines, scaffolds, chapter synopses, mind maps — and then my stories rebel and head off in directions entirely outside my jurisdiction. Sometimes it’s a good thing, sometimes it’s garbage. But the outline/scaffold/map gives me a level of security, which I so fondly crave.

By: GC Smith

GC Smith — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 16:31:10 +0000

Your aptosch and mine are much alike. I love the Rlmore Leonard observstion.

By: Glenn A. Bruce

Glenn A. Bruce — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 14:34:26 +0000

Yes to everything. I want to be surprised at how the story takes turns and resolves; and yes, that leads to some throwaways. Also, yes it leads to re-ordering. But that’s part of the fun, eh? Figuring out how to make it work because I know there’s something good in there, somewhere; so the challenge becomes saving/killing/rearranging to bring the pieces together into a cohesive, entertaining, well-paced tale with surprising twists and a satisfying (and hopefully unpredictable) ending. BTW – Carl Reiner famously started all of his novels with a single sentence that popped into his head. Then he wrote until the story ended (itself). Great piece on the old Tonight Show with him explaining his process to Carson. Carson says something like: “So, if I said, ‘Joe goes to the refrigerator to see what there is to eat and decides on a bologna sandwich.'” To which Reiner said: “Brilliant! I’m going to steal that!”

By: Keith Dixon

Keith Dixon — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 14:13:23 +0000

My first two books I wrote without outlines … they took 7 years and 4 years respectively to finish. I then went in the opposite direction and have outlined half a dozen books to the nth degree, outlining each scene, practically each beat. I’m having difficulty with the current book, though, which is seeming to resist much in the way of planning, so I’m going to sneak up on it and start writing with an outline in my head and just one or two pointers in a plan. That should fool it.

Elmore Leonard is a hero of mine and I hate to argue with him, but I wasted years trying to find out where a given book was heading, and it seems much more efficient, in the end, to have at least some idea of the travel guide I’m using, even if I don’t have the precise road map …

Your last book, Mr Hall, certainly seemed to have been well-planned, as did the Thorn books, so whatever you’re doing you seem to have mastered the knack of reverse planning!