Hi, I have a question! Do you find it’s easier to start with an outline, or write as you go? If the latter, how do you avoid drafting burnout? If the former, how do you know when you’re “ready” to start writing? Thanks!

Honestly, I do only the slightest amount of outlining before writing a novel. We’re talking like, two afternoon of writing down notes and I’m all set to go. This is mostly because I used to outline (a lot) and that led to drafting burnout, so there’s my solution to that little problem!

As to how to know when I’m ready to write, here’s a little secret:

I don’t outline until I’m ready to write the book.
I outline until I’m ready to write the first chapter.

The thing about outlining is that it is quite...