Perhaps the two most important things in writing are research and structure (though not always in that order). The majority of writers I talk to don’t do any real outlining short of thinking up the beginning and end of a story in their head and saying, “some stuff is going down in between.”
As I get back into ‘writing shape’ I have been thinking more about these twin factors and the role they’ve played in both my writing success and failures. While some writers find outlines restrictive I find that they create a remarkably sound structure for writing and research. To begin, an outline–a really good one–is a lot like creating a first draft. Through this limited telling of the story a writer knows what they know and what they don’t know about their story, creating an opportunity to use research to fill in the blanks. Furthermore, writing an outline helps you get to that corner faster. You know the one, the corner that writers sometimes write themselves into and have no legitimate way to get out of… Mr. King knows what I’m talking about. I strongly suspect that George RR Martin knows what I’m talking about, because one does not sit on a novel that powerful for that long unless they’re stuck on something…
So, I’m encouraging the proper use of the outline and the use of research to make your work consistent and authentic. I’m not just talking here, I’m taking my own advice.
Some Thoughts:
- This article was very interesting. It reminds me that there are still mysteries in the world.
- The Fantastic Four looks horrible. I have no interest in seeing that film. I do wonder what the failure of that film means for Marvel properties not under the banner of the shared universe…