To Outline Or Not: Was My Advice Wrong?

[Earl Merkel]

A fellow writer asks: “Aged old debate - to outline or not to outline?”

I respond, and ask you: was I right?

Continues my correspondent: “Here's something I read that relates to the idea of creating some sort of design document to guide your creative process: ‘Some writers dislike being reminded that they’re in charge of creating the reader’s experience… I think letting your unconscious write your books is like asking a group of nine-year-olds to design the next roller coaster at Disney World. The kids know what they like, but only a real pro can create the experience for them.'”

My reply:

Regardless of the aged-ness thereof, I enjoy meaningless debate as much as the next guy-- or gal, in the case of (how-to-write author’s name deleted on probable advice of counsel, if I had one).

I'm a little less enthusiastic about the folks who, also like (author), hawk "how to write" -books that contain such unflinchingly sage observations as her dictum on outlining, and foist 'em on an eager-but-unsuspecting audience of people who sincerely want to write. I could be wrong --often am-- but going by the passage cited, I strongly suspect she's just one more of those "buy my book" vultures who prey on the dreams of those who aspire to write at book length.

Outline, don't outline-- I know authors who do, those who don't, and those who switch back-and-forth between the two practices. In non-fiction, an outline can certainly have value as an organizational tool... but since you're going to have to do one to sell the damn thing (i.e., in NF, most books are sold on the basis of a strong proposal, two or three sample chapters and an outline to show the rest of the book's content), willy-nilly you're into outlining anyway. Enjoy (but know that even in non-fict the final product frequently evolves --and usually should-- into a book that doesn't follow the preconceived diagram).

But in fiction, you have a choice whether to bullet-point the book. If outlines help you get going, by all means crank 'em out; if it is a way to procrastinate-- to avoid actually writing the book-- don't.

Still, in neither case should you count on it helping your novel get representation or publication. Virtually no reputable publisher will buy (or reputable agent agree to rep) a novel on the basis of an outline; why would they? Everybody has an "idea for a great novel" (which is generally true; everybody does), but it's the submitted manuscript (full & complete, not just a few chapters) that demonstrates whether any particular writer has produced a great (or even less so) book. Even demonstrably skilled short-story writers frequently stumble when going for book-length competency.

That's probably because in fiction, certainly compared to non-fiction, so many elements are in play. Translated, that means so very, very much can go wrong and foul the final pudding. Sadly, few of these
elements can be resolved (or even identified) through outlining.

For instance, outlining tends to fixate on plotting a storyline-- great for helping ensure that a story that starts at "A" actually hits point "B" and ultimately continues to "Z" in a consistent (albeit, often woefully predictable) manner. But an outline is of less utility when it comes to actually telling a story, which requires effective style, distinctly evocative voice, fully formed character(s), compelling (and suitable) pacing, and a myriad of other elements that defy either the outline's roadmap or (author’s) dictated recipe.

By the way, what's wrong with asking nine-year-old kids to "design" a rollercoaster, anyway? As (author) perhaps unwittingly admits, they tend to know more about what is exciting (to them, at least), and it will still take a careful craftsman to turn all those "great ideas" into a working/workable thrill-ride.

There's much to be said for this little dictum (copyright E. Merkel 2010): "Unleash your own inner nine-year-old." With that little bastard running amok in your cranium, you have a shot at writing something that may far surpass any potentially anal-retentive list of plot-points to "hit" along the way.

But in the event, if an outline motivates you to progress your project, by all means outline like crazy. Or not.

In my own humble opinion (accent on "opinion") here's how to write a book, designed for the novel but
generally applicable to any writing project:

1. Apply ass to chair.

2. Start writing... something, anything (say, an overlong screed like this one on, say, the CrimeSpace blogosphere. Sorry.). It puts your mind in writing mode, gets you into the rhythm of writing again... and only then should you shift over to work on your book, which is the story you really want to tell.

3. Produce five pages (or whatever, but make it some daily minimum).

4. Repeat the process the next day, and the next, etc.

5. And when you think you've told your story to yourself, re-read and start re-writing to tell it to other people... i.e., people who don't reside in your own skull.

Simplistic, I'll admit; for instance, with apologies to (author), I'm the first to chant "story flows from character." You'd better know your character(s) at least as well as you know yourself. You'll then be able to portray how they will honestly respond in any situation you parachute 'em into. You'll know what they'd say (and sometimes even more important, what they wouldn't say), and understand how they'd say (or not say) it.

And yes, (author): characters do go rogue and take over "your" story... that is, when (and if) the writer is exceptionally fortunate. But when it does happen, any writer is well-advised to whisper a prayer of gratitude... and hang on like crazy.

But the awareness of a suddenly-sentient character, and much more, comes from rigorous application of the above "Five Rules." That's where you'll gain the dawning wisdom that you discover how to write well... only by writing a lot, and acknowledging that much of what you write will be crap.

It's the price of the ticket, and there are no discount fares. Happily, though, you don’t have to pay any royalties for it.

--Earl Merkel

(P.S.: Don't think I'm criticizing anyone for buying "how-to" -books; I've contributed my fair share to the incomes of various writing "experts," but there's always a ton of chaff among the sparse grains of real wheat. I do suggest reading --hell, memorizing-- Larry Block's TELLING LIES FOR FUN AND PROFIT, one of the few advice-on-writing books that I've actually found invaluable. But even there, pick&choose what works for you.

Nevertheless, in my own experience I've found my limited book-budget better spent on books --almost without exception, novels-- that I either wish I had the skill to have written... or that I recognize were beyond the skill-set of the guys who did write them.

So read a lot-- as much as you can. You'll read a lot of clunkers along the way, but you'll learn far more about how to write/how not to write by reading 'em all. --EM)

[Dana King]

I've always been an outliner, and writers I respected have told me for years to try writing by the seat of my pants. So I tried, and it blew, and I lost about six months of work going back and fixing what I could have done right the first time. I can't pants anything longer than flash fiction, and eve those often rattle around in my head for days or weeks before they're fully formed.

People are just wired differently. Your post presented pros and cons, options, and essentially told them to do what works for them. I can't think of better advice.