Tuesday's Inspiration - Outline Value #MFRWauthor

There is both joy and pain in having an outline for your story. Many people just dive in and write and write and write. Then say they have no idea where the story is going until the reach the end. I'm not sure this is the case. Some people do all this in their head. Having a plan for the story gives a goal to work toward. I have a friend who has been writing her story for years and it's taken her a long time to figure what's wrong. This is a romance but she kept the hero and heroine apart for chapters and chapters. Now this can work depending in the kind of story you're writing but not a romance. The hero and heroine need to have a closeness, even when they're apart. So she's finally writing an outline and has found there's a lot that doesn't belong. She'll be rewriting the story but this time I think she'll learn how important it is.

Knowing the beginning, the middle and the end are important. The joy of having an outline means you have an idea where you're going bit it doesn't mean you have to follow this like it's the only road in town. As a story develops, the characters change and grow. One important thing is when you have a plan for the story is to remember is there's nothing wrong with changing the plan if things happen. That cute point in the plot you've been depending on to make the story come to a conclusion suddenly you learn won't work. The direction needs to be changed. Then it's time to sit down and see where the outline has gone wrong and bring the changes into the new direction of the story.

Having an outline or a plan for the story is important but it's also important to remember the plan needs flexibility. Nothing about writing stories is carved in stone. Not your words or your plan.