To Outline Or Not To Outline

Are You a Planner or a Pantser?

Do you outline your novel before you begin to write, or do you write as you go? Many authors ask the question: Which is the right way?

Honestly, there is no right way.

How you plan your novel is up to your preferred writing style. What works perfectly for one author may completely stifle another. Let’s take a look at a few different approaches and the benefits of each.

Outlining

Outlining a novel has some distinct advantages. Some authors begin with a timeline, some map out their major plot points first, and others create a murder-board-style outline with the plot at the center and characters, narrative threads, settings, maps, and other story elements branching out from there.

With an outline, an author has a visual representation of the story they intend to write and how the pieces fit together. It can help identify gaps in the plot, keep track of characters and subplots, and provide a roadmap to follow while drafting.

For writers who like structure and organization, an outline can be an invaluable tool.

Pantsing (Writing as You Go)

Other authors begin with a plot, character, situation, setting, or even a single object in mind and work their way through the story from the hip.

The advantage of this style is freedom. The author can be spontaneous and discover the story as they write rather than following a predetermined structure.

An idea may suddenly pop up for a scene that belongs well past the midpoint when the author hasn’t even written the first page yet. Jotting it down gives them something to work toward. That one scene might even change how they think the story should begin or end.

Personally, I find writing as I go more advantageous because I don’t have to keep changing the construct of an outline every time the story takes an unexpected turn. For me, having too much structure can feel limiting.

That doesn’t mean there is no planning involved. It simply means much of the structure develops along with the story instead of before it.

What If You Don’t Have a Story Yet?

There is another approach that can be useful when a story idea hasn’t quite presented itself.

Writers are observers by nature. Something overheard in a restaurant, an unusual building, a strange interaction between two people, a news story, a photograph, or even a random thought can spark an idea.

Some writers keep notes about everyday things they encounter. Others spontaneously write whatever comes to mind on a sticky note, in their phone, or in a journal. There may not be a story attached to any of it yet.

Looking back through those notes later can inspire one.

A character from one note may suddenly belong in the setting from another. A random line of dialogue might become the beginning of a scene. Something you wrote down six months ago and forgot about could become the piece that finally makes a new story click.

I find this style especially useful when I’m stuck for a plot. Sometimes you don’t need to go looking for a story. You’ve already collected pieces of one.

The Hybrid Writer

Some authors use a combination of outlining and writing as they go. The advantage is that an outline gives the author a roadmap of where the plot is headed and where they intend major plot points, such as the inciting incident, to occur. With the timeline or basic plot structure mapped out, the author still has the freedom to discover the story as they write.

The downside is that sometimes the story has other ideas.

If the narrative takes an unexpected turn, jumps the timeline, or a character decides to go in a completely different direction, the outline may need to change significantly. Earlier scenes may even need to be rewritten to accommodate the new direction. Personally, I find this a bit tedious because I’m spending time maintaining the outline when I’d rather be writing the story.

For other writers, however, having that roadmap while still allowing themselves room to wander may provide exactly the right balance between structure and spontaneity.

Which Are You?

So, which are you? A planner who needs the roadmap before the journey begins? A pantser who would rather discover the story along the way? Maybe you’re a hybrid writer who likes a little structure with plenty of room to wander. Or perhaps you’re still collecting those random thoughts, observations, and sticky notes, waiting for the right story to emerge.

There is no right or wrong way to write a novel. The best method is the one that works for you and, most importantly, keeps you writing.

So, which are you?