I finally switched from detailed outlines to just a vague scene list for my fantasy novel

I spent 6 months writing 50 page outlines for my dragon story, but last week I tried a one line per chapter summary instead and wrote 10,000 words in 3 days. The old way made me feel like I was just filling in blanks, not creating anything alive. Anyone else find that looser planning actually helps the writing flow better?

3 comments

3 Comments

felix1474mo ago

100 pages of outlines for my dragon book did nothing but kill my momentum. @lunakim you're right, that blank filling feeling totally sucks the life out of it.

lunakim4mo ago

Omigod YES! That blank filling feeling kills the magic so hard.

paigem453mo ago

@lunakim it's the same feeling as when you clean your whole apartment but can't find your keys. The outline gave you structure but took away the discovery part. Momentum dies when you know every turn before you take it.