For some reason I’ve had a lot of writers lately who’ve been really frustrated by outlining. In fact, I know very few writers who are naturals at this. They might not be a fully intuitive writer (the kind who might say they “pants”), but no outlining system has worked for them.
If this is you, take heart! There is a way.
First, look at your Process Archetype. If you’re a visual writer, then outlining as a mind-map or story-board as opposed to an Excel spreadsheet might work for you. I suggested this to two of my visual writers and they were super excited. One called it, “juicy!’
If you are character-based and music or daydreaming is a big part of your process, then try something like what Robert Olen Butler calls “Dreamstorming” in his book, From Where You Dream. I just call it “intentional daydreaming.” Set a timer, keep a notebook nearby, and daydream your next scene. If you know what you’re going to write, then let it play out. If you don’t know, then sit quietly and wait for something to arise. It could be an image, a cinema in your mind, a bit of dialogue….whatever it is, this can be how you outline an entire book.
If you’re a writer who really orients with setting, what about writing a travel guide to your world or drawing maps? I plotted my recent WIP by drawing a map of the city and then figuring out how they were going to get from their starting point to their endpoint, and then at each stop I figured out what needed to happen there in order for the characters to keep moving (or be waylaid). Travel guides helped with my fantasy books - in having to write about the world and culture, a lot of plot came to me.
If music is big for you, what about a playlist that is an outline, with each song representing a chapter?
These are just a few examples, but I hope they show you how much you can color outside the outlining lines.
