Writing Related: Prewriting

uneek1323 · August 2013

We're doing this now, right? Since we don't have a board anymore.

Do you plan/prewrite/research BEFORE diving in? What method do you use? My typical MO in the past has been to stew and marinate over an idea and then dive right now only to sketch out scenes and research as I go. However, for my next piece, I'm actually thinking about a plan before I start writing. What do you do?

NicoleAnne416 · August 2013

I'm thinking a little research and planning first

EliStar · August 2013

I've done both and making an outline is what works best for me. I start with a one page outline, then expand each plot point into a paragraph.

EliStar · August 2013

For research, I usually do basic research before writing and more intense research right before working on whatever scene it's relevant to.

ThisModernLove · August 2013

Last year for NaNoWriMo, I pants-ed it but I think this year I'm going to research and outline.

Young_Love · August 2013

I've realized that I can't do anything without major outlining in advance.

RevJen · August 2013

I can't outline. I hate it. I feel like I'm trapped if I do. I usually do research as I'm going but I'll just start off writing. But here's the catch with me: If I can't get the first line right, I can't move on so I'll spend days working on that one line in my head until it makes me want to put it on paper. When I do, I'm off and running.

Diana Gabaldon is the same. No preplanning. She says it takes the fun out of the journey for her.

EliStar · August 2013

RevJen said:

I can't outline. I hate it. I feel like I'm trapped if I do. I usually do research as I'm going but I'll just start off writing. But here's the catch with me: If I can't get the first line right, I can't move on so I'll spend days working on that one line in my head until it makes me want to put it on paper. When I do, I'm off and running.

Diana Gabaldon is the same. No preplanning. She says it takes the fun out of the journey for her.

This is amazing to me.

RevJen · August 2013

EliStar said:

RevJen said:

I can't outline. I hate it. I feel like I'm trapped if I do. I usually do research as I'm going but I'll just start off writing. But here's the catch with me: If I can't get the first line right, I can't move on so I'll spend days working on that one line in my head until it makes me want to put it on paper. When I do, I'm off and running.

Diana Gabaldon is the same. No preplanning. She says it takes the fun out of the journey for her.

This is amazing to me.

I know. I had to ask her twice to make sure I read it correctly.

Jen748 · August 2013

Young_Love said:
I've realized that I can't do anything without major outlining in advance.

Yup, revising TFD has convinced me I need to do this going forward.

uneek1323 · August 2013

RevJen said:

I can't outline. I hate it. I feel like I'm trapped if I do. I usually do research as I'm going but I'll just start off writing. But here's the catch with me: If I can't get the first line right, I can't move on so I'll spend days working on that one line in my head until it makes me want to put it on paper. When I do, I'm off and running.

Diana Gabaldon is the same. No preplanning. She says it takes the fun out of the journey for her.

That is incredible!

Young_Love · August 2013

Jen748 said:

I've realized that I can't do anything without major outlining in advance.
Yup, revising TFD has convinced me I need to do this going forward.

I had to write one whole book completely wrong to figure this out.

SapphireCounselor · August 2013

uneek1323 said:

RevJen said:

I can't outline. I hate it. I feel like I'm trapped if I do. I usually do research as I'm going but I'll just start off writing. But here's the catch with me: If I can't get the first line right, I can't move on so I'll spend days working on that one line in my head until it makes me want to put it on paper. When I do, I'm off and running.

Diana Gabaldon is the same. No preplanning. She says it takes the fun out of the journey for her.

That is incredible!

This is incredible!

EliStar · August 2013

Young_Love said:

Jen748 said:

I've realized that I can't do anything without major outlining in advance.
Yup, revising TFD has convinced me I need to do this going forward.

I had to write one whole book completely wrong to figure this out.

Yup. I pantsed my first book and I couldn't get it to an ending. I had to almost completely rewrite it.

j*&p* · August 2013

I'm still feeling out what works best for me. Mostly, I have a loose plan and discover what happens in between as I go. I'm working on a total overhaul of something I pantsed a while back though and I'm torn. While a detailed plan would have made the writing process a lot faster, if I hadn't let myself explore some unexpected paths that came up, this would have been a totally different, and I think far inferior book.

I tried writing with a Save the Cat style outline for my last NaNoWriMo project. I spent about 4-5 weeks just working on the outline before I started and that made the writing go a lot faster, but it felt a little predictable and wasn't necessarily good.

I think the best method for me is somewhere in between- knowing the beginning and end and major turning points, but letting myself go off book if I hit on something worth exploring.

taylormillgirl · August 2013

I'm convinced that I never would have finished ALIENATED if it weren't for the Snowflake Method. (Thanks again, YL, for linking it on this board a zillion years ago!) Since I'd never written a book before then, I needed that advance plotting and structure to make sure I didn't go off on a tangent. Had I tried to wing it, I probably wouldn't have made it beyond the 10th chapter.

Now my process is more relaxed. I start by writing a back-cover blurb. Then I expand that to a 5-ish page synopsis. Then I dig in and start writing.

PBJ63010 · August 2013

I had a minor outline when I started NaNo last year. and I mean minor.

I'm still slowly working on it and haven't really done much research yet, just a little it here and there.

I figure I will correct all weird details in the revising process.

Young_Love · August 2013

taylormillgirl said:

I'm convinced that I never would have finished ALIENATED if it weren't for the Snowflake Method. (Thanks again, YL, for linking it on this board a zillion years ago!) Since I'd never written a book before then, I needed that advance plotting and structure to make sure I didn't go off on a tangent. Had I tried to wing it, I probably wouldn't have made it beyond the 10th chapter.

Now my process is more relaxed. I start by writing a back-cover blurb. Then I expand that to a 5-ish page synopsis. Then I dig in and start writing.

Snowflake is awesome!

Here it is for anyone else who needs it: http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/snowflake-method/

pinkybooklover09 · August 2013

I'm on my 3rd rewrite of my 2010 Nano because I pantsed it instead of plotting it out. I will plot and outline for the rest of my life if it means I don't have to completely untangle the mess I've made again.

uneek1323 · August 2013

Young_Love said:

taylormillgirl said:

I'm convinced that I never would have finished ALIENATED if it weren't for the Snowflake Method. (Thanks again, YL, for linking it on this board a zillion years ago!) Since I'd never written a book before then, I needed that advance plotting and structure to make sure I didn't go off on a tangent. Had I tried to wing it, I probably wouldn't have made it beyond the 10th chapter.

Now my process is more relaxed. I start by writing a back-cover blurb. Then I expand that to a 5-ish page synopsis. Then I dig in and start writing.

Snowflake is awesome!

Here it is for anyone else who needs it: http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/snowflake-method/

Thanks for the link. I'm going to check it out!

Skeezon · August 2013

I never ever outline. I feel like it is too restrictive. However, this makes my revision process lengthy. I just can't sit down and outline an entire book. When I sit down to write, I know my beginning and I know my ending. Everything else just happens. I tend to research while I'm writing. This can be distracting, but it works for me.

Most of the people in my writing group can not comprehend this. They are strict outliners. I'm a pantser through and through.

@Young_Love - I'm amazed at orderly outlines

@TaylorMillGirl - Your process is crazy to me. I HATE writing a synopsis! Hate.

Young_Love · August 2013

pinkybooklover09 said:

I'm on my 3rd rewrite of my 2010 Nano because I pantsed it instead of plotting it out. I will plot and outline for the rest of my life if it means I don't have to completely untangle the mess I've made again.

I thought my 2008 NaNo was going to be impossible to untangle. I just kept adding plot point after plot point trying to make something happen, but it just turned into more and more of a mess. Three years and two re-writes later, I was finally able to turn it into an actual story, and it barely resembled the original version.

taylormillgirl · August 2013

My crit partners are the same way. They'd rather amputate an arm than write a synopsis. But when you sell on proposal, the dreaded synopsis is a requirement...unless you're Nora Roberts or Stephen King. I'll bet they can sell on proposal with nothing more than a sentence.

RevJen · August 2013

taylormillgirl said:

I'm convinced that I never would have finished ALIENATED if it weren't for the Snowflake Method. (Thanks again, YL, for linking it on this board a zillion years ago!) Since I'd never written a book before then, I needed that advance plotting and structure to make sure I didn't go off on a tangent. Had I tried to wing it, I probably wouldn't have made it beyond the 10th chapter.

Now my process is more relaxed. I start by writing a back-cover blurb. Then I expand that to a 5-ish page synopsis. Then I dig in and start writing.

I never thought to do this. That's actually a really good idea. I usually know how the book will start and end but the middle is a mystery.

ThisModernLove · August 2013

Love the snowflake method! I need to be more dedicated this year during NaNoWriMo.. I hope non-writer NBCers don't care if we use the board!

pinkybooklover09 · August 2013

taylormillgirl said:

My crit partners are the same way. They'd rather amputate an arm than write a synopsis. But when you sell on proposal, the dreaded synopsis is a requirement...unless you're Nora Roberts or Stephen King. I'll bet they can sell on proposal with nothing more than a sentence.

I'm Nora Roberts and I've decided to write another book. The end.

RevJen · August 2013

pinkybooklover09 said:

taylormillgirl said:

My crit partners are the same way. They'd rather amputate an arm than write a synopsis. But when you sell on proposal, the dreaded synopsis is a requirement...unless you're Nora Roberts or Stephen King. I'll bet they can sell on proposal with nothing more than a sentence.

I'm Nora Roberts and I've decided to write another book. The end.

Pretty much.

uneek1323 · August 2013

RevJen said:

pinkybooklover09 said:

taylormillgirl said:

My crit partners are the same way. They'd rather amputate an arm than write a synopsis. But when you sell on proposal, the dreaded synopsis is a requirement...unless you're Nora Roberts or Stephen King. I'll bet they can sell on proposal with nothing more than a sentence.

I'm Nora Roberts and I've decided to write another book. The end.

Pretty much.

Publisher: Hello?

NR: Hello, this is Nora.

Publisher: Hi Nora. I'll put your advancement in the mail today.

Skeezon · August 2013

taylormillgirl said:

My crit partners are the same way. They'd rather amputate an arm than write a synopsis. But when you sell on proposal, the dreaded synopsis is a requirement...unless you're Nora Roberts or Stephen King. I'll bet they can sell on proposal with nothing more than a sentence.

I was VERY lucky (my publishing story is crazy and atypical) and did not have to write a synopsis for my first book. And bc I got a three book deal, I don't have to write one for the next two. This alone, is cause for a huge celebration! Yay! Of course, when the day comes that I do need to write one, I'll have no experience with it. Boooo!

booknerd226 · August 2013

Not a writer, or at least never will be.

But I like to write. I'd love to write a book. Don't really care about publishing because I'm way too chickenshit for that haha.

I sort of outline...ish. I basically write down (via typing into Word or writing in a brand spanking new notebook) everything I'm thinking. Any character details, quotes, quirks, anything related to scenery. I'll write out an entire scene, conversation, etc. I'll research little things just because it might be interesting to add. I'll copy/paste pictures that are what I'm trying to explain in case I can explain better later.

I sometimes do an outline with beginning and end and any middle that I like/want/must have for it all to make sense. Then I'll expand on some stuff.

Idk. I do it totally for fun and to relax, which is why I literally have dozens of Word documents, pages and pages and pages long, several half-full (half-empty?) notebooks, and even random sheets of paper with random thoughts. I also have...haha....like sticky notes with ideas that I have yet to put into anything.

This was long. This is similar to how my "planning" goes. Just blah blah blah and I'm off....

Writing Related: Prewriting

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