Monday, September 29, 2008

Do you use outlines?

James Patterson creates such a detailed plot synopsis that someone else can write his first draft. Dostoyevsky was big on outlines too.  But what about normal people? There are upsides and downsides. If you have a great outline, you'll know what parts of your plot don't work before you've already written 200+ pages. You'll also be able to quickly manage multiple plot lines without your head exploding. (Always a plus.) The bad part? Oh, you can spend years perfecting a plot and never get around to writing.  (Perfect is pathological, by the way.)

How to outline? Glad you asked. You can use index cards. Pleasingly tactile and fun to stack. Use different colors for different plot lines.  If you like tools, try Keynote, a small free app that lets you organize notes into outlines. 
My personal favorite is yWriter--another free bit of software that makes you pity those who buy software. You can organize by scene or by chapter. You can write inside your outline. Best of all, you can print your outline on...little cards! ( Maybe this is Patterson's secret weapon.)

The how and the why of writing fiction

It's easier and harder than you imagine