To Outline or Not to Outline
-
- Posts: 11
- Joined: 05 Jan 2015, 11:42
- Bookshelf Size: 7
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-jovip.html
Re: To Outline or Not to Outline
- khudecek
- Posts: 507
- Joined: 18 Nov 2014, 15:45
- Favorite Book: The Angel and the Outlaw
- Bookshelf Size: 12
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-khudecek.html
- Latest Review: "See Bride Run!" by Charlotte Hughes
However, I did use the bubble method when I wrote the short story for the contest they're having here. I found it to be pretty useful but it took some time and a bunch of paper to get it together. After the first draft of the story was written, I took it off the file cabinet (I had it taped to the lateral file next to my desk) and put it away.
Maybe if I were to try to outline again or do the bubble method more often, I might actually have something worthy of print.
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
~~
"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
-
- Posts: 12
- Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 13:56
- Bookshelf Size: 0
- CataclysmicKnight
- Previous Member of the Month
- Posts: 912
- Joined: 26 Jan 2015, 19:51
- Favorite Book: Ready Player One
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 1693
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-cataclysmicknight.html
- Latest Review: Simple Man Simple Message by Mark Dobosz
- aabortner
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 15 Feb 2015, 14:34
- Bookshelf Size: 0
- THWilliams82
- Posts: 37
- Joined: 26 Jan 2015, 23:30
- Favorite Book: Harry Potter Series
- Currently Reading: Lord of the Rings Book 1
- Bookshelf Size: 5
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-thwilliams82.html
- ariesdollface
- Posts: 16
- Joined: 08 Mar 2015, 07:39
- Bookshelf Size: 41
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-ariesdollface.html
- Latest Review: "Cinque Terre" by Enrico Massetti
-
- Previous Member of the Month
- Posts: 3986
- Joined: 20 Oct 2013, 15:59
- Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... =2595">The Messenger (2)</a>
- Currently Reading: A Game of Thrones
- Bookshelf Size: 192
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-trishaann92.html
- Latest Review: Superhighway by Alex Fayman
- Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU
- Publishing Contest Votes: 20
- Ilove2read_
- Posts: 1
- Joined: 17 Mar 2015, 01:12
- Bookshelf Size: 0
- Jesska6029
- Posts: 544
- Joined: 28 Feb 2015, 09:21
- Favorite Book: The Harry Potter series
- Currently Reading: It and Mr. Mercedes
- Bookshelf Size: 279
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-jesska6029.html
- Latest Review: "Texaners: Eight Short Stories" by T. F. Rhoden
-
- Posts: 18
- Joined: 22 Mar 2015, 04:20
- Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 12069">The Transformer Trilogy</a>
- Currently Reading: Tracker (Foreigner)
- Bookshelf Size: 86
Also, I think it limits where the characters want or need to go to fully tell their story, things they need to express to the reader. In some ways, as the writer, I feel I just need to add descriptions or "flesh out" what they've already felt so readers can understand them better.
Nowadays, I usually spend many days, months or even years meditating upon a character and story so that it is fully formed in my mind, unforgettable, fully to fruition, so that whenever I have the time I can write it down. That way I don't need an outline. If anything, I do make notes of ideas, dialogues or important scenes I want to include.
- khudecek
- Posts: 507
- Joined: 18 Nov 2014, 15:45
- Favorite Book: The Angel and the Outlaw
- Bookshelf Size: 12
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-khudecek.html
- Latest Review: "See Bride Run!" by Charlotte Hughes
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
~~
"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
- sjauhar
- Posts: 16
- Joined: 23 Mar 2015, 15:42
- Currently Reading: House of Eire
- Bookshelf Size: 66
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-sjauhar.html
- Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU
Thanks so much for talking about how you write. I have had a few ides for books and have jotted notes down, but always thought I needed a more formal approach that was similar to writing a Thesis. I do think that sometimes having a general outline could be useful for something like Historical Fiction (so you can make notations on historical events or facts) but has anyone here done a period book? And does having an outline help with that or not?
- khudecek
- Posts: 507
- Joined: 18 Nov 2014, 15:45
- Favorite Book: The Angel and the Outlaw
- Bookshelf Size: 12
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-khudecek.html
- Latest Review: "See Bride Run!" by Charlotte Hughes
I have and it hasn't been so long ago. It's helpful to keep notes but I can't emphasize enough to do your research and not from just one source. The book I ghostwrote was redone by the recipient and he copied and pasted segments from Wiki into it. Don't do that. It's insulting to your reader because they can go read the same thing you just put in there and they know when they're reading reference material. At least, I did. But, I'm sure you're much more creative than that.sjauhar wrote:ModernTimes,
Thanks so much for talking about how you write. I have had a few ides for books and have jotted notes down, but always thought I needed a more formal approach that was similar to writing a Thesis. I do think that sometimes having a general outline could be useful for something like Historical Fiction (so you can make notations on historical events or facts) but has anyone here done a period book? And does having an outline help with that or not?

I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
~~
"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
-
- Posts: 62
- Joined: 28 Jan 2015, 19:36
- Currently Reading: The Virtues of Captain America
- Bookshelf Size: 101
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-braktooth.html
- Latest Review: Skills of the Warramunga by Greg Kater
I've read some works where I was convinced the author didn't have an outline, and needed one. So long as you can avoid that, you're doing all right.