Comments on: 5 Benefits of writing without a plan

By: The_African

The_African — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:22:41 +0000

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.

By: Jessie E Turner

Jessie E Turner — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:46:39 +0000

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.

By: More on writing without an outline | Brad’s Reader

More on writing without an outline | Brad’s Reader — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:47:56 +0000

[...] 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 [...]

By: Brad

Brad — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:41:06 +0000

@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.

By: Avery K. Tingle

Avery K. Tingle — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:24:05 +0000

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!

By: J.A.Weiss

J.A.Weiss — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:23:46 +0000

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)