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Outline 1.0: DONE

Not-quite-five pages later, version 1.0 of my outline is complete. I had a couple of creative breakthroughs last night – those “oh duh of course that had to be the real motivation behind [insert plot point here]” moments that outliners talk about – and I think I have a solid outline to start with. It’s by no means done, because I can feel that there are places it’s sagging a bit, and I’ve sent it off to friends to take a look at where, why, and how I can bolster it.

But it’s a satisfying goal to reach, that’s for sure. I’ve never done such an extensive amount of research and outlining before (as little as it actually was compared to, say, an actual historical novel), and having a road map is much more helpful than I’d thought it would be.  I’ve even started writing down scraps of scenes and dialogue, because the story is so clear in my head.  Am I intrigued by my own damn novel? YUP! I would have eaten this up as a younger reader and today, too, would be overjoyed to find it on the shelves.

That’s a good sign. =)

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Today, I outline!

this is a very strange place to be with a project – confident enough to draw up a road map, but hesitant because there’s no way I could be done with research on this subject.

which, in fact, I am not. superhandyawesomeboyfriend was able to find a buttload of helpful stuff last night, which I’m going to peruse today before/while/after I start typing up this outline. yes, it’s finally time – moving away from the notebook and pen and into the digital world.

I’m a little nervous, to be honest. when a project is on paper, it feels alive, real, and changeable. once I have typed it up, it feels like it settles into something resembling really thick clay: I can mold it, but it takes a lot of work and grunting and general whinging. but this has been a new experience, enjoying a novel idea this much, so maybe it will be different.

future-fear is a silly thing. it’s useless, except for informing my plans, but it can be crippling. I experience it a lot, especially regarding people I care about, but it settles like a bad cold over my projects as well.

so here’s to facing future-fear and overcoming it with a few good keystrokes!

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Abandoning pants

…if you came here looking for my bare legs, sorry. I know, I know. I’m such a tease.

Pants!  Actually, let’s be more accurate, here: pantsing!  Not the really mean kind where you sneak up behind someone and remove their lower garb, but rather the kind where a writer sits down and goes “screw it, I’ve got a great idea and I’m writing it, and I’m writing it NOW.” Proceeding from that initial burst of idea, without semblance of order or planning, is pantsing.  Seat-of-your-pantsing is the origin of the word. It used to be my modus operandi, but it’s gotten me into far more trouble than it’s worth.  (See: zero polished novels.)

Not only that, but I need to try some different methods.  I’ve been stuck in my general writing routine for almost twenty years now, and as much as I’d love to stick to my guns and “be true to me,” that’s just bullshit.  I want to open myself up to new ways of doing things so I can find precisely what works for my creative process.  And I’ve tried outlining before – it’s not horrid, it’s just a bit inconvenient.

To facilitate my learning, I’m reading what’s proving to be a pretty cool book so far: Outlining Your Novel by K.M. Weiland.  It’s short but packed with helpful information, including ideas on how and when to outline.  Instead of reading this all at once and being overwhelmed by all the things I forgot to do in the process, I’m going to follow along and actually complete the steps as I go, so that hopefully – fingers crossed, good thoughts out into the universe – by the time I’m done I’ll have AGGO outlined and ready to write.

That’s the plan, anyway.

(P.S. Excitement – searching for “A God Grown Old” pulls up my blog as result #6…already! Above that are references to the book from which I pulled the phrase, so… I’d say I’m good on that one.)