tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post4470584485731663551..comments2023-11-05T05:59:33.041-05:00Comments on Sara McClung: Outlining 1, Sara 0Sara {Rhapsody and Chaos}http://www.blogger.com/profile/09824996048264979275noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-6280600904858279822010-01-11T23:18:54.988-05:002010-01-11T23:18:54.988-05:00You know, I always said I never outlined, but the ...You know, I always said I never outlined, but the funny thing is, I start each story pretty much like you have. I think in these terms "ouline" is more of a broad term. I'm a huge note taker and I write lots of lists. So, I guess, according to this book, I'm kind of an outliner after all. Who knew? Yay me.<br /><br />And it's amazing how much easier it does make the story when you know all this background stuff, in't it? Great post, as always. So glad to see this book has been useful for you! I may end up buying it myself. And I look forward to seeing this next story come to life.Carolina M. Valdez Schneiderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589934533051907801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-51378791970332745732010-01-07T21:30:10.053-05:002010-01-07T21:30:10.053-05:00Ah, I want to try outlining; keep us posted on how...Ah, I want to try outlining; keep us posted on how it goes for you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-8954501990316779702010-01-07T21:21:16.837-05:002010-01-07T21:21:16.837-05:00I think I'm wired wrong. I try the outlining t...I think I'm wired wrong. I try the outlining thing but nothing comes to me. When I dive in and jump around with no plan, people, places, and scenes develop like magic. Oh well, whatever works right? So glad this route is working wonderfully for you. :)<br /><a href="http://karenamandahooper.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">My blog</a>kahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10789825860272178765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-7968257631890250352010-01-07T20:21:46.762-05:002010-01-07T20:21:46.762-05:00I semi-outlined my book... some very vague one-lin...I semi-outlined my book... some very vague one-liners per paragraph that grew as the book grew. I hit the midway point and got stuck. Then, thanks to a very long meeting with Frankie, I realized I had to flip a lot of my second half around. (The general idea stayed the same.) My MCs were fully formed from the start, though! <br /><br />PS - Simon wins for my favorite comments ever on any blog.Donna Gambalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00317767593205769881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-31796104252287721492010-01-07T20:10:55.176-05:002010-01-07T20:10:55.176-05:00We swear by outlining--although we never do the ro...We swear by outlining--although we never do the roman numeral thing. Ours are listed by chapter number with a paragraph or two underneath. But in high school, I did the same thing as you--would outline after I had finished. Shockingly, my teachers often said my writing lacked direction. Hmm...I wonder why. Anyways, Lisa taught me how to outline back in the day and I haven't looked back!lisa and laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18144863275895761642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-88254446844285200142010-01-07T19:35:16.772-05:002010-01-07T19:35:16.772-05:00Nels, hi! I hope it didn't come across that I ...Nels, hi! I hope it didn't come across that I was saying that roman numeral outlining was WRONG or anything! It's just not my particular cup of tea :-) Especially if it's working for you, stick with it! Everyone has their own styles of what works best for them!<br /><br />LOL JEMI!! I KNEW that comment was coming from you ;-) Seriously. As soon as I hit publish, I thought about it, hahaha!Sara {Rhapsody and Chaos}https://www.blogger.com/profile/09824996048264979275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-9431798763296548402010-01-07T19:33:15.616-05:002010-01-07T19:33:15.616-05:00Jamie, thanks for the welcome! And it's defini...Jamie, thanks for the welcome! And it's definitely the knowledge that there is still so much room for surprise twists and stuff like that that's made this so much easier for me to go with!!<br /><br />Tamara, yes, I think I'll be keeping my outline pretty loose as well... But not the stuff I've done so far! I'm trying to keep my character/setting sketches as absolutely detailed as possible!<br /><br />Guinevere, re-write number 4?!? Oh my goodness! I know it's tough bc we always get to that point where we want to say WTF! I've been working SO hard on this... why isn't it where I want it to be??? That's exactly why I'm trying to outline this time!Sara {Rhapsody and Chaos}https://www.blogger.com/profile/09824996048264979275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-8630437853921997432010-01-07T19:28:41.640-05:002010-01-07T19:28:41.640-05:00Iapetus999--you know, I read some of yours about h...Iapetus999--you know, I read some of yours about how outlining worked for you and it was one of the factors that helped me feel more comfortable with doing it this time!!<br /><br />Nisa, thanks! Good luck with your revisions, I am right there with ya :-)<br /><br />Julie, I KNOW right? Bullet points? BLECH. But this really has opened my eyes to a totally different light about outlining!Sara {Rhapsody and Chaos}https://www.blogger.com/profile/09824996048264979275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-38537767816516779572010-01-07T19:26:31.552-05:002010-01-07T19:26:31.552-05:00Lol Shannon O--I'll hurry, I promise! :-)
Fra...Lol Shannon O--I'll hurry, I promise! :-)<br /><br />Frankie, I forgot you were a plotter! I'm slowly inching my way over to your side of things...<br /><br />Simon, you really must stop making me spit things out when I read your comments, hahaha (no really don't. I adore your humor!)<br /><br />Angie Kate. You have an eidetic memory? I am SO jealous! One of my upcoming posts is about how terrible my memory is.Sara {Rhapsody and Chaos}https://www.blogger.com/profile/09824996048264979275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-81196541214496574302010-01-07T19:22:15.666-05:002010-01-07T19:22:15.666-05:00Outlines scare the dickens out of me!! I know it w...Outlines scare the dickens out of me!! I know it works for so many people, but I just can't do it. Hope it works well for you :)Jemi Fraserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02214408467456320167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-41955858373653939932010-01-07T19:20:41.579-05:002010-01-07T19:20:41.579-05:00Oops... I am an Outliner, and I've always just...Oops... I am an Outliner, and I've always just pretty much done a Roman numeral time line style outline. I've filled out a few character sheets from other online sources, but so far my characters have been strong enough I haven't needed more characterization. Hopefully your post on characterization will give me some new and helpful advice. Can't wait!Nelshttp://fanaticalpupil.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-40367243618773755352010-01-07T19:03:09.664-05:002010-01-07T19:03:09.664-05:00I might have to get that book too! I am on re-writ...I might have to get that book too! I am on re-write four of my novel; I know it's going to be great in the end, but I feel like it could have been much, much easier to get to this point. <br /><br />Please keep us posted on your outlining adventures!Guineverehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10058786129073896210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-77008477236470201752010-01-07T16:58:28.106-05:002010-01-07T16:58:28.106-05:00I'm a total fan of outlining. Like you, I flew...I'm a total fan of outlining. Like you, I flew by the seat of my pants w/ my first novel. And whoa, I could totally tell when I re-read it! It was like, "How on earth did that scene make it in there? Did I just not know what to write?" I *love* outlining. I feel like it's easy b/c it doesn't look intimidating. And then to write, you just expand the information.<br /><br />I'm a very loose outliner, though. I liked to have lots of room for randomness.Tamara Hart Heinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07562765111202443160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-71426390028686023692010-01-07T15:52:54.903-05:002010-01-07T15:52:54.903-05:00Welcome to the dark side. ;-) I switched to outlin...Welcome to the dark side. ;-) I switched to outlining with my last draft, and will never look back. I use simple scene outlines, but even that much does wonders for my writing. And of course there are still plenty of twists and surprises that pop up in the writing. I don't outline the ending either - that stays a surprise until I write the rest. <br /><br />Best of luck - I'll look forward to reading more about your new-found methods. :-)Jamie D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05486427517423813962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-79151950595925758142010-01-07T14:12:10.415-05:002010-01-07T14:12:10.415-05:00I might have to check that out! I'm a total p...I might have to check that out! I'm a total pantster, and I get really frustrated at times, too. <br />I considered outlines to be full of bullet points and how boring is that??<br />Thanks!Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07850344847209933016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-18088541641102105042010-01-07T12:24:06.836-05:002010-01-07T12:24:06.836-05:00I have the same book! I bought it after I started...I have the same book! I bought it after I started my WIP, but I did complete days 1 - 3 and they really helped me. I figured I would try the whole method for my next project. Keep us updated on your progress.Melissa Hursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15530652829980250261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-19910253213474439022010-01-07T11:54:46.009-05:002010-01-07T11:54:46.009-05:00That is so great! I'm so happy for you! Yea fo...That is so great! I'm so happy for you! Yea for outlining! I need to sit down and re-outline/re-evaluate now that I'm revising.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08616276555920544920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-9292915506730750352010-01-07T11:48:32.307-05:002010-01-07T11:48:32.307-05:00Sounds like a good plan. Outlining helped me a lot...Sounds like a good plan. Outlining helped me a lot on my latest WIP. However, I found that the first draft didn't quite stick to the outline because I had outlined far more scenes than would fit in the final draft so I found myself cutting stuff while writing my draft. And then the theme of the book changed, because there's something magical about actually writing the novel that can't be captured in outlining. <br />Will be interested in seeing how this goes! (there are a couple posts about how outlining worked for me on my blog)Andrew Rosenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09215333688753781447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-16815624048082328382010-01-07T11:37:36.324-05:002010-01-07T11:37:36.324-05:00Wow, Simon. I guffawed about pantsing a novel.
O...Wow, Simon. I guffawed about pantsing a novel. <br /><br />Oh right, outlining. For my first, I outlined mostly in my head. I have an eidetic memory, so that works for me. But I don't count on it, and I outlined for my second and I feel a lot more secure about it. To learning from past grievances! :)Amy Staryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15448261306497185374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-25099016722995778632010-01-07T11:06:13.788-05:002010-01-07T11:06:13.788-05:00I don't think I'm the type to pants a nove...I don't think I'm the type to pants a novel. (Hang on... that's a strange image. Would that mean pulling the dust jacket halfway down in front of all its book friends?)<br /><br />Anyway, I think I'll be outlining this first one. I'm looking forward to seeing how you're doing it, good lady.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-34922231848512793942010-01-07T11:05:32.067-05:002010-01-07T11:05:32.067-05:00Cool! I can't believe you didn't outline b...Cool! I can't believe you didn't outline before. Pantsers are like soooooo foreign to meFrankie Diane Mallishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06066659801542129040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662203671583091505.post-23370502269055711852010-01-07T10:57:45.113-05:002010-01-07T10:57:45.113-05:00Oooo, I can't wait to hear more! Hurry, hurry...Oooo, I can't wait to hear more! Hurry, hurry...my chapter book needs you. :-)Shannon O'Donnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17299313309059235876noreply@blogger.com