Outline like your future self knows something your present self doesn’t
Even if you’ve written plenty before, you might find yourself wondering if you’re doing it right. Does somebody know a better way and they’re just not telling you?
There are essentially two approaches: detailed outlining vs freeform.
First, you need to know there is no right way to do this. If you’re feeling some kind of guilt or anxiety that you don’t follow a process that’s as disciplined and clear as your friends who outline, or if you wonder if you’re just not inspired enough to write without planning every last detail, breathe. Relax. These practices are tools and you should use the one that works for you.
Freeform writers often refer to themselves as “pantsers” because they fly by the seat of their pants (can anyone tell me where that idiom comes from?). I think it’s a practice that can improve your writing a ton, especially if you’re used to writing purposefully (for journals, grants, even books). It’s like an athlete who plays another sport on an off day. It can improve your ability and feel relaxing at the same time.
I’ll write more about this approach in a future newsletter. But over the past couple of weeks I’ve been working with an author on the process of structuring their work through outlining, so today, that’s what I’ve got for you, too.
The photo at the top is a well-known image of JK Rowling’s outline for one of the Harry Potter books. You don’t have to be that fastidious to benefit from your outline, but it drives the point home. In a big, complex project, you always want to know whether you’re at least on the map.
Benefits of outlining
Order your thoughts. I think it’s worth outlining in multiple media—pen and paper, in a Google doc, even in excel (the ability to drag cells around and format with colors is pretty great when you’re brainstorming). This can help you whittle down a creative idea that starts off huge and amorphous, or it can help you nurture the seed of an idea into something with real shape and structure.
Chart a course. This process lets you fully identify the stepping stones your reader needs to reach the destination. Not only will you make sure you haven’t missed any vital links, but you’ll also be certain not to leave in any distracting side paths.
Warm up before you run, look before you leap. Outlining gives you something to do when you don’t yet feel ready to write and it helps you see more clearly what you’re getting yourself into. Laying it all out is both a great way to rev yourself up and a chance to spot problems you may encounter. If you’re not going to be able to finish the book for a legitimate reason, better to know before you begin writing in earnest.
Write bored? One of the brilliant things about a highly detailed outline is that it removes the need for inspiration. How often do you get to your scheduled writing time and discover that you just aren’t feeling it? Maybe you power through or maybe you hop on Twitter for just a sec to see what people are mad about today.
Instead, you can pull out your outline, pick any bullet points you want, and write a few sentences about each. The writing might catch you up, or you might phone it in. Either way, even without a sign of the muse, you’ve made progress instead of frittering away another writing session. Cleaning it up later is so much easier than leaving the first draft unwritten.
Get help. Having an outline that you put some real thought into makes it easy to communicate with other people about your ideas. That means they can give you feedback that can improve the book.
I know some authors who like to share their ideas broadly and get lots of feedback before and during the writing process. I also know authors who like to play it close to the vest, not letting anyone see what they’re working on until it’s “ready.” Neither one is wrong, exactly, but having something to share with a trusted colleague, friend, or advisor can help you identify your blind spots before they become an embarrassment.
Save your future self. In The Terminator (and basically all of its sequels, if I’m not mistaken), the plot revolves around the protagonist sending a time traveler back because they knew a murderous cyborg had already been sent back to kill them. Editing your outline multiple times is a million times less painful than writing a whole book, or even most of one, and then realizing you have to change something fundamental or move big chunks around. You don’t have a time machine, so save yourself in advance.
Downsides of outlining
Paralysis by analysis. Detailed outlining can turn into something that feels like productive work even when you should be getting on with the writing. You can tweak your outline endlessly and convince yourself you’re not really ready to start writing until it’s done.
Lock-in. When you rely too much on the structure you’ve created with your outline, there’s a risk that you’ll resist natural opportunities to riff on an (un-outlined) idea that comes up as you write. This is the idea that if something’s not on your outline, you’ll be wasting your time to write about it. Discipline is important–planning a good book is as much about what you don’t put in as what you do, but some flexibility is important, too.
An outline can be like GPS. If you turn on Google Maps every time you get in the car, you’ll never really know your way around. Then what happens if you can’t use your phone? I’ve gotten some great writing done by scribbling on scrap paper or even by taking five minutes between appointments to send myself an email. If you feel like you need your outline in front of you before you do any work, you might miss some opportunities.
I’m convinced and I want to outline, now what?
Tune in later this week for a breakdown of a 10-day method for getting a new project started and underway.
P.S. — you can do both
If you, like me, are not entirely satisfied with the idea of being an outliner, but you’re also, like me, not confident that you can leap into the unknown and come out the other side with a coherent book manuscript, there is a way that can get you the benefits of both.
Try combining your methodical outline-focused writing with daily freeform journaling. You can write about whatever is at the top of your mind, or you can write about your writing project. Sit down with your journal for at least 15 minutes, and (very important) don’t think of it as productive writing time. Think of it as priming the pump or a pressure release valve. It can really be both. Write about literally whatever comes to mind. Do this consistently and you might see increases in both the quality and volume of your writing–both in the journal and the “real” stuff.