Monday, February 8, 2010

On outlines

Found this bit of advice over at Backspace.

... keep in mind that imagination is limitless. Do not, therefore, reduce your story to outlines and sketches, notes and 3x5 cards. You will make your story finite this way and it will suffer because it cannot grow beyond your outline. Juggle your story: by this, I mean keep eight balls in the air and only two in your hands. Let the story - the eight balls - float free, dangerously so. That's the beauty of watching a juggler: where will those balls fall? Chase your story, believe in your characters and follow them. Do not predetermine every step they take but record what they do, and do the recording breathlessly but with control, as if you just came inside to report an accident or a marvel you have just witnessed.


I loved that. Actually, I liked the whole thing. That said, I am working on an outline of one of the stories I had on my list that I wanted to finish by July. I think it's going well and am excited to see how this process works for me.

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