Outlining

[clevermanka]

A while back, I posted a comment about how I outline my longfic in write_out's DW. I meant to reproduce over here and then forgot. Until now!

I really like W plots and both my already-published longfics use one, as do both the current longfics.

Once I have enough of an idea for where I'm going with a fic (basic plot, what emotional beats I want to hit) I draw a big W on a piece of paper (taking up the entire sheet) and I write the major plot points at the five peaks on the W. Then, using the notes I've been taking up to that point, I write out short descriptions of where I want details. This sounds confusing, so I drew a fake one:

Those sections don't always hit at the word-count middle. Like, in Deconstruction the second bad thing happens in the third-to-last chapter (out of 31).

With Ghost Story, I knew right away how I was going to structure everything and the outline came together early and fast. I wasn't ready to draw the outline for Deconstruction until I was about a third of the way into it (maybe 30k words?). I didn't know the specific emotional beats I wanted to hit or the plot points I wanted to hang them on. I just had the basic journey in mind.

For the ones I've got currently on the stove, I know the emotional beats but not the plot points for the shorter one. For the sequel to Deconstruction, I have very nebulous notes for both (with detailed notes about a few specific interactions).

I don't use this for one-shots, but I use a modified concept of it when I'm having a hard time structuring a scene where I know what I want to happen but the pacing (or something) seems off.

Seems a little strange giving writing advice when I'm in such a creative slump, but you know what they say about those who can, etc.

Comments

[desireearmfeldt]

Interesting!

I've been mired in outlining and re-outlining the second half of a two-parter, which has been a WIP since I posted the first part....8 years ago now? I was using these folks' scene and story arc structure paradigm (https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-to-structure-scenes/ recommended by china_shop if I recall correctly) to see if that would help, and it was interesting and highlighted some problem areas -- though I couldn't really tell if the structure would help me figure out how to solve those problems or if they were flags that maybe my desired structure was a little different...

[clevermanka]

Wow, that's a Very Comprehensive writing guide! Thank you!

[khellekson]

Your example is so gorgeously hilarious while also being informative!

I just... write it? This seems better somehow.

[clevermanka]

gorgeously hilarious while also being informative
Life Goal = having this also describe me as a person. 😄

[marycrawford]

Oh, that's a nice visual, thanks for sharing this concept! I am so bad at plot and I tend to hit the wall when trying to write outlines, but this version at least doesn't Look Like a List. It might help, who knows.

Ghost Story has a tightly cohesive feel to it, like a play in acts, and I can see how that structure helped. (I am in a huge comment Slough of Despond, so short version is: I loved it! Hope to write longer comments one of these days...)

[clevermanka]

Yeah, I tried at first to make an Outline-Outline (like the type I learned in school, the numbered-and-lettered list things) and that did not work at all. The sorta ~dimensionality~ of this served me better.

No worries about comments, bb! I'm glad you enjoyed Ghost Story. 🧡

[shipperslist]

That's really interesting!

I'd like to think I can plot but I'm more like a plantser. I mean, I can plot but they often tend to grow wings and take off anyway. I have an overall idea and how long it will be, rest is...whatever. :D Out of pure curiosity, I went through my writing tag a bit and found some interesting things: back in 2014, I made these notes on my first nano. I used that notebook for quite long but for the last couple of years, I've been plotting straight on Scrivener. I usually try to split the story into chapters/sections and go from there (see this picture on the first half-ish of The Crimson Sunrise, featured in this post about how I Scrivener). And before last nano, I wrote a thing on my writing habits in general.

...I'm not sure why I wrote this reply? Um.

[clevermanka]

not sure why I wrote this reply
Because I'm fascinated with the creative processes of others? I wrote my own DVD commentary of Ghost Story largely because I was so taken with how naye did one for Kaleidoscope. So I appreciate your comment very much!

I've eyeballed Scrivener a couple times and it's suuuuuper tempting but I'm afraid I'd get so swept up in the organizational aspects of it I'd get distracted from the actual chore of, you know, writing. 😅 God, I do love me some filing and organizational techniques. mmmmmDELICIOUS.

[naye]

That is really fascinating to me! I feel that this is a very cool, intuitive way of structuring a story... Hm. We'll see if I ever manage to get to structuring a story, but I'll definitely remember the method.

[clevermanka]

Even if you don't use it as a process, it might help just to have the idea in your head.