Is Outlining for Hacks?

I am an aspiring writer and from what I can gather, each person should go with what they feel the most comfortable with. It is imprudent in my opinion to say one way is the best way, when there are millions of different personalities going about it in different ways and from different perspectives. Thank you for your blog, as it has been a huge help in finding my own path. rayne.johnson@hotmail.com

Just being a bit of a blonde here, but how do you write an outline? What is the definition of it? Cause I'm about to start writing a book, and I don't know what it means to outline the damn thing.. I've summarized, and from there on I'm pretty much stuck.. How do I write a synopsis as well? Help?

Stephen King's opinion on outlining is pretty much worthless. The entire point of outlining is to stop your story from meandering too much, and to ensure you get to a satisfactory resolution at the end of it, These are two areas King has *never* been good at. He's notorious for meandering and bad endings. So for him to tell other writers that his way of writing is the only real way of writing, really shows his arrogance.  Having an outline, doesn’t have to be restrictive. Would you build a house without planning it first? No, of course not. It would end up with weak structural points, gapping holes in the floor, and somewhat reminiscent of the leaning tower of Pisa. But with a plan, you can lay your foundations, build your house, then splash a load of colour on the walls to make it your own unique vision. That is the point of an outline; not to tie you in like a straitjacket, but to guide you on getting through the basic structure without your story being left a wandering mess that doesn’t know where it’s going. This doesn’t mean you are creatively stifled; if anything, knowing where your plot is headed, gives you more time and mental space to think about characters, dialogue, voice, and all the other little touches that make your novel yours.Best advice is to do whatever feels right to you as a writer, and ignore any advice coming from Stephen King ;)

For me, the answer is in the sticky middle ground between outlining and pantsing. My gut says: Sit down and write, that shizzle, yo! My brain begs to differ. So I loosely outline major plot elements but don't fear veering from them if the story needs to change direction. I think all writers occasionally reach a point when something in a scene doesn't resonate the way it should, where your words are running amock, all loosey goosey on the screen. When that happens I definitely outline that particular scene. I like a solid through line, and arc stability. That is to say I want every scene to have purpose and move the plot forward. Stopping to outline a problematic bit creates a more solid foundation for subsequent chapters.

Outline on, if that approach works for you and do not be concerned with being labeled a "dullard" by His Royal Arrogance.

I think the whole point is moot. Does it matter whether you outline or not? Surely the finished project is what you should be judged on as an author? I outline everything either in my head on on paper and I discover a lot about my characters like this. I also know for a fact that sticking to a outline like glue IS extremely stifling. I hated a character I had previously loved because I stuck too rigidly to my first idea of them - therefore not allowing them to develop naturally. I also discovered that a character I was writing about had had a miscarriage and that no one realised how it had affected her because she came across as a focussed career woman. This was a completely new direction but, having learnt my lesson, I went with only to discover later on that she was evil too! Talk about a twist! But anyway... Stories talk to people, but before they talk to an audience they talk to their author and it's proof of a good writer when they listen, learn and understand.  At least that's what I believe =)

To outline or not outline? That's not even the question. The one universal constant is that the first draft is toilet paper. If the first draft takes you where you want, its your outline. If it doesnt - then you need an outline. If you can keep all the details of structure, etc in your head while your write spontaneously, then great - but you will still be revising your first draft - changing characters, scenes, etc for dramatic impact. I think it's  just a prejudice on King's part certainly.

Without an outline, I would have a hapless mess...however, in writing my first novel, without an outline, something amazing happened! My story had developed itself, and no longer melded to the original timeline. Time for a new outline that allows for the new events my story now includes ;)

I'm also one of those people who have the general outline of their story stored inside their heads. I do make some notes however, but don't always keep things that way. Something I often tend to do is outlining the coming scene, especially if it's an important one where I don't want to forget. So it's probably a mix of outlining and not outlining, I never tend to follow any strict rules with my writing anyway.

Yeah always remember that Steven King was an alcoholic and drug addict. When you strip your consciousness down to the sub every night it becomes pretty easy to bang out something you pull from the ether.

In "On Writing" King does mention how much faster he was able to write novels while addicted to alcohol and drugs. But he also said how that saddened him, because he couldn't really remember writing some of his best works.

Thanks everyone for sharing your perspectives on this. I always appreciate hearing how other people approach the writing process.

I generally treat outlines as a loose guide, to be adapted as necessary. I suppose that one of their primary benefits is having a sense as to what comes next. For me, that makes it possible to write each scenes with a specific outcome in mind, which in turns results in more direct, focused writing.

I've never outlined in my life. This may be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on which side of the fence you're exiled. As someone who's never viewed being published as a primary reason for scribbling words on paper, I've taken a more stream-of-consciousness approach to what I write. I have no idea what events will greet me when I step out of my house in the morning, and I find an echo of this in my magnum opus (don't laugh - I'm serious!) As a matter of fact, some of the most interesting characters/events I've created have come unbidden and sometimes unwilling. I suppose the whole debate rises and falls on how an individual's mind works. Some will find outlining, as the Dragon says, a welcome way to guide the narrative. Others, with perhaps less disciplined minds, will only find the notion a hindrance. I'm not sure there's a right way or a wrong way, but it certainly makes for an interseting debate.

I agree with Brooks when it's something that I really DON'T want to write. Then I just want to be as efficient as possible and get the damn thing done! Lol. When it's my own fantasy work though I don't outline. I pretty much know the story so I just start typing away. There have been a few times where I might have written myself into a corner and had to think quick, but I still wouldn't adopt an outlining procedure.

I used to agree with King, because I love his book, and I felt guilty about outlining. But then I realized that I'm the sort of person who does well with a loose outline. I usually write historical fiction, so if I didn't do at least some outlining I'd end up with a sorry mess.

Very interesting read. I have linked to the article on my own blog here; http://jamesloscombe.posterous.com/47428182

People offset their memory onto their environment in order to solve problems that have too much complexity to hold in their head. That's why most people do calculus on paper and not in their head (also they do it for the purposes of communication). Experts in a specific domain (such as fantasy writing) can hold more domain-specific complexity in their head at once. Thus, I wouldn't be surprised if newer writers outline more often than more seasoned writers. I haven't done a lot of writing yet, but I imagine myself at least starting out heavily relying on outlining. The part of writing that I'm most interested in is world creation, and I can't image not mapping that out at least a little ahead of time.

I write out extraneous information - references for potential worldbuilding, mostly - but I don't outline the story. I know the story, a bit, but I accept that it will change when I write it, and I am definitely more like King when it comes to getting out a first draft. I need to sit down and just type it out. Plans change, and they get tossed. Yeah, the first draft is a mess, but I'd like to see a first draft that isn't shite. Yeah, there are things that have to be done outside of the 'sitting at a keyboard and typing' stage, but I think the most effective writing comes from a first draft acting as an outline, instead of some bullet points masquerading as one.