5 Benefits of writing without a plan
Whenever I sit down to write a new short story, I usually have some sort of rough outline (even if it’s just a few bullet points of the main events). In other words, I have a plan. This is especially useful when it comes to writing the always-difficult endings. And it helps to prevent writers block.
But what about writing without any sort of plan, not even an outline? Well I decided to find out how my writing would be affected if I just sat down and started writing a short story with nothing but a basic idea. I’m writing the story in my notebook that I use for more experimental works, which I detailed in this earlier post.
Even though the story is nowhere close to being finished, I’m already seeing the benefits of losing the outline. Here are a few of those benefits I’ve found so far:
1. Your writing flows more naturally and may seem less contrived.
2. The plot takes its own course and you’re not tethered to an outline.
3. Writing without a plan forces you to just write, realizing you can go back and edit later.
4. Allows you to be more experimental.
5. You don’t run the risk of "over thinking" the story and driving yourself crazy over the smallest details.
All of the above reasons are inter-connected and it might seem like there’s a lot of overlap between them. It goes without saying that changing how you approach a writing project will drastically affect the outcome of the project. That appears to be what is happening here.
Do you use an outline when writing fiction? Explain why or why not. Leave a comment below with your answer. I always love reading how others write!
Related posts
- More on writing without an outline
- 5 tips to organize your writing
- Organize your fiction writing with an editorial calendar
- When do you give up writing a piece of fiction?
- To outline, or not to outline!
Read More: Writing, Writing Tips
I write lots of short stories and prefer to write without an outline. For longer works I tend to use a ‘lite’ and fill it in as I go. (was refered to your blog from twitter)
This is a good blog. Half the time, when I sit down to write, I have a plan. I agree with a lot of your points (writing without a plan is less restrictive and allows your work to come naturally) but I still find myself agonizing over every word even when I don’t have a plan.
I favor using a plan, even if it’s minimal, because it keeps my imagination from running off the road. When I plan, I know where I’m supposed to go and not go, so when I encounter writer’s block, I can look back to my notes and get back on track.
But that’s just me. Nice blog!
@Avery: Thank you for your comment! I tend to use an outline, even if it’s just a few bullet points for most fiction I write. Just so I have something to keep my ‘grounded’ if I get writer’s block or something.
@J.A. Weiss: Thank you for your comment as well! I think for longer works, it’s imperative to have a plan. There are too many characters and events to keep track of.
Stephen King maintains he doesn’t outline before writing, but he’s probably the exception rather than the rule.
[...] first time I’ve written about writing without any sort of plan. Back in April I wrote a post 5 Benefits of writing with a plan where I commented that I’m seeing the benefits of jumping into a writing project head-on [...]
I took a course on book writing. That was my first experience with writing a story from an outline. I found that the outline kept me from being spontaneous. I like surprises. Perhaps if I weren’t concerned about doing the assignments well, I would have had more flexibility. I’d rather ditch the outline and let the characters take the reins.
The trick is to write impulsively but with a general plot summary. This way you avoid writer’s block but at the same time you don’t overanalyse what you produce in an effort to achieve perfection. The first story I tried without a plan failed miserably, I couldn’t think of anything new. It’s much easier to write when you know where the story is going, even if the details are spontaneous.
Absolutely no outline–I MacGyver it (a term I like far better than pantser or non-outliner). Why do I do it this way? My approach to writing a story has been so chaotic at times that I’ve thought of it as throwing paint at the wall to see what sticks–so I tried outlines. I tried many different outlines, to see which might work best. None of them did, even a promising one that was for “pantsers.” That one was in a workshop, and everyone hit each session, read the examples, and the light bulb went off as they realized how this new process worked. Me? I didn’t understand any of the examples; never understood the process for two of the steps; and had the instructor telling me “Go outside of your comfort zone,” as if I was deliberately resisting her method. I came to the realization that using an outline or MacGyvering it is an organization process, just like dealing with paper or calendars (both of which I’ve had enormous trouble with). The result is that I’ve had to learn how to work better with the process I need to write, rather than trying to go against it or battle with it.
Unfortunately, outliners and people who have a different organizing process still can’t conceive that I can write an entire novel sans outline. I’ve always had people tell me I need to do an outline, and I’m pretty sure some people think that I’m outlining and just not calling it one.
Linda Adams´s last blog ..MacGyvering a Story Part I: Developing the Idea