How do you write your novels?

[wordwalker]

I've used a lot of methods, usually ways to plan key elements of a story or scene and then wing the rest knowing that spine is already there. Especially, I use that to plan out conversations, battle moves, and also to have lists of things in a setting so I know the weather, furnishings, background noises, and other bits of description I may want to work in.

I also like doing part of my planning on notepads. It's fun to step back from the keyboard and start scribbling a few thoughts (or picking it up at odds moments in the day) about what other things might start meddling in a scene.

 

[Jabrosky]

I'm at a point where I don't know what method would work best for writing novels. I've had bad experiences with both planning and winging. Full winging often sends me crashing into dead ends where I don't know how to continue the story, but on the other hand, most of the outlines I devise turn out to have gaping plot holes that ruin everything. The few successes I have enjoyed combined aspects of both planning and winging, but those were all short stories instead of big novels.

 

[Garren Jacobsen]

This is my method I make an outline for what characters will be in the book, their flaws, and arcs. Then I write out what I want my end to be. Then I write an outline that looks like this for each chapter:

I Chapter one
A. Characters
1. Ben
2. Melinda
3. Mary (Mom)
4. Todd (Brother)
5. Morgan
B. Important events
1. The first time we get a full description of the purifying process
2. Ben and Melinda receive letters of acceptance to the most prestigious “University for magic”
3. A brief description of the familial relationships
C. Setting (7-14-100 AGW)
1. Ben's childhood home
D. Transition
1.Ben going to his room writing his response letter.

BTW these are all supposed to be indented. like what you see when you do this outline in word. The site won't let me do that.