3 Reasons to Write with an Outline

Among writers, you will often see two possible responses to the question, “Do you use an outline?”

Response One: “Yes, I do. Here’s why I like them…”

Response Two: “AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!” *flees into the night, leaving an author-shaped hole in the wall*

Outlining is a polarizing subject. While some tout its virtues, others can’t imagine ever writing that way. Some may even look down on outliners as a sort of lesser literary species. So, if you’re trying to decide which way to go, the advice you get will be subjective. The fact is no one can tell you exactly what your writing process should be, because no one else is writing your book.

Personally, though, I’m a big fan of outlining. Here’s why:

1) Organization. Writers tend to have a lot of ideas bouncing around in their heads. Outlining helps me line up those thoughts, organizing them into a logical progression. Once major plot points are strung together, it’s easier to spot areas that need more attention – points that lack development, scenes that should be rearranged, characters that need more attention, any logical gaps in the story, and what kind of sandwich I’d like for lunch. Okay, so maybe that last one’s not writing-specific….

2) Visualization. When I make an outline and refer back to it during writing sessions, I give my eyes the job of considering all the story elements I want to include. That frees my mind from holding onto all of them at once. Then I can devote more brain power to visualizing the scenes, and how each one will best flow into the next. This helps my story to build and flow more naturally.

3) Memory. Let’s say I think of a scene or plot point, but I’m not ready to write it. If I relied solely on memory to store and recall it later, I would lose many of these ideas to the Vortex of Forgetting (my brain’s official title). Instead, I plug it into the outline at a point that seems appropriate and revisit it later. Then I’ll develop it further, move it to a better spot, or sometimes remove it altogether (hey, not every idea is a good one). This helps me identify quickly if a new idea is relevant and useful to the story. If it’s not, it’s discarded or saved for a different story.

Now, having said all that, would I recommend that you start outlining immediately? Not necessarily. “Whaaaa??! Now I’m confused!” That’s you right now. You sound funny.

So, why wouldn’t I always recommend outlining? Because everything’s relative – it all depends on what you’re writing and how your author brain works. Maybe outlining will be your best friend in the world. Maybe what you’re writing doesn’t require it, or would even be hindered by it.

What type of book are you writing? Is it a crime drama, a sweeping epic, a fantasy adventure? These stories tend to have a lot of plot, a large cast of characters, and more elaborate settings. If your book has those, an outline can help elevate your work from a mass of concepts to a real, working fictional world. But maybe you’re writing a quiet drama, a torrid romance, or a character’s emotional discovery. These authors tend to shy away from outlines, and their storytelling may lend itself to a more free-form style. Foregoing the outline and just writing may be what they need to be free emotionally, and to know their characters’ thoughts and feelings. To them, outlines feel like shackles, enemies of their natural flow. And you know what? That’s perfectly okay. Because, in the end, it’s really about what makes you the best writer you can be.

If you’re still not sure which way to go, just experiment! If one way isn’t working, try something else. That’s the beauty of being a writer – we get all the second chances we can imagine.

Next time, I’ll talk specifically about how I outline, and how it’s helped me build a better story.