To Outline or Not to Outline. NOT, unless you're writing a cook book or a phone
directory.

Edward C. Patterson

--- In IAG-members@yahoogroups.com, Peggy Ullman Bell <cronejay@...> wrote:

>
> I wrote both of my published works from the "seat of my pants" as it were.
Then a friend sent me Dramatica and I decided to outline. Since then I haven't
written a creative word and I know that if I ever write another novel it will be
like the first two. The last line will come to me and I'll write my way to it -
no outline, no map.
>  
> I tried putting plans and things on paper and ended up losing what had the
potential of being not one but 3 maybe 4 reasonably decent novels. I do not
intend to make that mistake again.
>
> Peggy Jay
>  
> www.peggyullmanbell.com
>  
> "No matter how contemporary you think your novel is, it's all historical
fiction by the time it hits amazon.com."
>
> --- On Mon, 7/6/09, ruthsims_author <digests@...> wrote:
>
>
> From: ruthsims_author <digests@...>
> Subject: [IAG-members] outline/not outline
> To: IAG-members@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Monday, July 6, 2009, 4:11 PM
>
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> I always find discussions about whether to outline very interesting. I'm
incapable of it and I wish I could come up with outlines. After I've written the
first draft, then I can--sort of--come up with an outline, but I can't do it
beforehand. I admire people who can outline and I'm sure it would save me a lot
of time in research and do-overs if I could. Is there an Outline Begetting drug
I could take? Does anybody else on this list do things backwards (or as my
brother used to say back-asswards) the way I do? Or I am the only eccentric in
this bunch of bananas?
>
> Ruth
> www.ruthsims. com
>