That is the title of the document that I currently have open on my computer, caps and all.
I'm not normally one to outline before I write something. Most of the time, I find outlining boring and tedious--and sometimes even unnecessary, as the major events are often already plotted out in my head. I try to avoid it, as much as possible, and rely on my memory and my fantastic "wangin' it" skills to power through my WIP.
This WIP is different, though. There's so much going on, so many relationships and subplots and emotions running wild that no matter how hard I try, I can't keep it all straight in my head. I forget things, little tidbits of information that come up later on. I end up having to reread a good chunk of the story to find it--and more often than not that ends with me wincing at how bad the earlier stuff is.
Bottom line is, I can't possibly keep track of everything that's going on. Not mentally. So, I started to outline.
I just started working on it the other day, and it's already becoming this massive document, with history and biographies and plot points. It feels nice to have some concrete information written down in a more accessible way. But at the same time, the act of actually making the outline still feels like utter torture to me. (Cue war flashbacks to every English essay I had to write that ever involved summarizing literature....*shudders*)
So, in an effort to make this outline more bearable, I've decided not to complete it...not right away, at least. Instead, I'll write down everything as I go. I'm hoping that it will make things easier for me later, when I need to reference an obscure plot point made five chapters back that I've long since forgotten (No more scrolling through documents and skimming poorly written paragraphs to find it! Hallelujah!), without my spirit suffocating in prep work.
I'll keep you updated as to how this little plan of mine works out. (Hopefully, it'll work out fairly well.)
Until later,
- Justyne
No comments:
Post a Comment