Should you outline your story before you start writing?

When it comes to outlining versus just writing your story, there are about as many opinions as there are writers. Many writers need to have a general outline just to start writing. Some need to plan out every little detail of their story before they commit to putting it down on paper. Then there are writers who don’t enjoy outlining and abhor the entire process.

Advantages of outlining your story

Outlining has certain advantages. First of all, having even just a broad outline helps you know where you’re going with your story. It might even help relieve blank-page syndrome and give you that nudge you need to get started writing your book.

If you’re working with a general outline, then you’ll have a basic idea of what’s going to happen to your characters and your story. So you’ll be writing with a sense of flow. You’re not likely to get sidetracked into minor issues. Another advantage of outlining is that it can speed up your writing. If you don’t have to think about what’s going to happen in your story, then you can just write and write and write.

And if you don’t really like where your story is going after all, you can always veer off the beaten path. Your outline is not there to restrict you, but rather the opposite. A good outline will give you the nudge you need to get going with your story.

Disadvantages of outlining

Obviously, there are some disadvantages to outlining. For one, it may spoil the mystery of the writing process. If you already know how your story is going to end, do you still want to write it? Some authors find that knowing what’s going to happen makes them less inclined to write it down. After all, they’re already done with the story in their head.

Outlining may also not work well for your story. If your characters turn out differently than expected as you’re writing your book, then your story may not be suitable or believable. Of course, you can always change your outline if you find that it just doesn’t work for your story.

Finally, breaking down your story and outlining the details ahead of time may stop your creative juices from flowing. Some writers don’t like to write within certain constraints. They tend to be more creative when the story has not been predetermined.

A Little Bit Goes a Long Way

Some authors can just sit down and start writing. They may have an outline in their head; or they may really just create the story as they go along. But most of us need a little bit more help in the beginning. You don’t have to know what’s going to happen in each chapter in order to put your story down on paper. But it could help to know what your overall plot will be.

Anarchy Can Be Good

The creative process of writing requires some anarchy. After all, your characters should develop inside of your story and what they do may be dictated by who they are and who they become. Plus, most writers make changes to their story as they write because they end up disliking their original idea. In the end, you have to be flexible as a writer to finish a novel that’s worth reading.

Find What Works for You

As an author, you have to find out what works best for you. You can just start writing without any outline or general story ideas if you feel creative. Alternatively, you can try creating a general outline before you start working on your novel. In the end, you may choose to do a little bit of both.

Novelize allows you to do it either way. You can create a general plot for your story and use it to outline your novel chapter by chapter. But you can also just go to the writing screen and start typing.

How to get started on your outline

Outlining your story before writing it has the advantage that you can easily make changes before you’ve spent a lot of time on your novel. For example, if you’re having difficulties to get your character from your beginning to your ending, you may have to change one or the other as well as adding different material for the middle.

Outlining can be a lot of fun. While you outline, you may come up with names for the characters you need along the way. You can easily put them inside of your notebook without leaving the screen in Novelize. You can even add details to your characters if you want to, but you don’t have to. The important part is to get the outline done as soon as possible. If you have time, let it sit for a day or two and then read it again with new eyes. Does the story still make sense? More importantly, are you excited about writing it? Then you’re off to a good start.

Of course, outlining a story is rarely a smooth process (neither is writing a novel). Do you feel like it’s not really coming together properly? Does it get vague and boring in some places? Do you feel like you’re getting stuck? We have some tips for you next.