I’m sure you all know by now I’m a hopeless Pantster. Outlines just don’t work for me. I can write ‘em, but I don’t stick to them.
However, as I was brainstorming my next writing project (or what I hope will become my next writing project) I felt the need to plan something out ahead of time. I’ve had two Shiny New Ideas come to nothing recently, thanks to lack of a significant story arc, and when I stumbled upon THIS site, I thought, “Now here’s the tool for me!”
The title of the article is Outline Your Novel in 30 Minutes – but ignore that. I didn’t time myself, and this doesn’t produce an outline anyway. However, I thought the series of questions presented here was a good way to map out a story arc for the MC in a proposed novel.
It also occurred to me this approach might be useful to writers in the middle of a NaNo project – if you’re stuck and unsure where to go – or if you want to test the overall strength of what you’ve written so far.
I gave it a try, and although it didn’t provide me with all the plot details I need to get started, it did give me a good sense of who my MC is, what she wants, and what stands in her way.
Now, I just need to research everything else. Back to my bizarre Google searches: portals to Hell, Nazca lines, Krakatau, petroglyphs, Algonquian legends, alien abduction, ice caves …
Yeah, I’m all over the map.
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