How to Make an Outline Work for Pantsers

As I made the Monday morning commute to work, I decided to listen to a writing podcast to pass the time. The host, a plotter, commented that when a work is properly outlined, the author is not at risk of experiencing writer’s block. The first thought, or rather question, that entered my mind was, “What planet does this host live on?”  Obviously, it’s not one in the same universe as my pantser world. Outlining is the quickest path for me to end up stumped. I’m so focused on what comes next in the outline that my mind goes blank. Why? Because when I begin writing, I’m not thinking of plot points and beats or even characters. I start with an idea, maybe a sentence or a bit of dialogue. I play around with it a while and think about the character who would say or do what I’m writing. Soon, if all goes well, I begin flushing at the character’s personality and intellect. As the character grows so does the character’s world—where he/she resides, friends, career, dialect, and so forth. So, I write more, and soon, I’ll have the core of the story. I’ll know the key players, their world, and a vague idea of what happens. But if I stop to write down headers and plot points, the thought flow is interrupted, and I’m lost. I’m staring at a blank screen or empty piece of paper, stressing about what to write. Clueless.

Now, plotting works for some, and I admire those that it does. But that’s not my journey. However, just because a pantser doesn’t necessarily “plot” does not mean that no planning is involved. I’ve discussed a similar topic previously, but with summer arriving this month, now seemed a good time for this topic. Why? Well, nearly every writer has heard of NaNoWriMo. Sadly, I fail at it each year. The pressure to write a set number of words tosses me off my game. I suddenly feel as if I’m writing just to be writing. For me, this boils down to quantity versus quality. I’ve discussed this in previous posts as well. However, what if there existed another type of writing challenge that wasn’t focused on word count? What if the focus was on improving style and content? Summer seems an appropriate time for that kind of challenge.

Things have much changed since I was a child, but one thing that seems to have hung around is summer reading programs. Believe it or not, my parents didn’t encourage summer reading. I think maybe it was because, after a long day at work, they did not feel like making the drive to the library to check out and return books. The library also had hours not friendly to many working parents. I remember my father scowling that I wouldn’t read all the books that I checked out, and he was right. However, in my defense, one of the reasons I didn’t read as many is because I fell into the trap of being a child. See, since I would arrive at the library shortly before closing, I would grab books that were close to where I was standing or that a librarian eager to clock out for the day would suggest because they were sitting on the counter recently returned. These books didn’t interest me, but my mindset as a child was “anything is better than nothing” a.k.a., quantity over quality. It didn’t work for me then just as it fails to work for me now. When I cracked the spine, these books didn’t capture me. Unread they remained. But I truly wanted to read books and win a book prize for reading. Yet, I was going about it the wrong way.

Summer reading is so much simpler now. For one, I have a car and can drive myself. I don’t have to depend on someone to take me to and from the library. Many libraries have extended hours beyond 5:00 PM and are open on weekends. But the main reason is that libraries can be bypassed for e-books that are available 24/7/365. There are free and paid books in all genres at all reading levels. Oh, yeah, that was another thing. The school library was arranged in reading levels, and teachers approved which students could check out which books. And since there were limited copies of books, it was first come, first serve. Frequently, I missed out on obtaining the books that I really wanted. With eBooks, all of this is a nonissue.

This got me thinking about writing. See, earlier in the week, I was browsing the internet for writing challenges. Let me just say, many strange things come up when you type that into a web browser. Long story short, I didn’t get far with finding anything. As I was about to give up, a critique partner called and reminded me that I should be focused on my WIP. “But I’m stuck,” I complained because earlier in the week I’d discovered the story had a huge issue that I didn’t know how to repair. So, let me back up and explain how I go to that point and how it relates to today’s topic.

Some time ago, I wrote a short story as part of a collaboration. However, once completed the story both read and didn’t read as a short story. Everyone who read it, including myself, agreed that the story read as if it was part of a larger story. I set it aside to allow the idea to marinate for a bit. Well, it sat for a very long time, and when I got back to it, prepared to expand it into the story it threatened to be, each time I began sectioning it apart to fill it in, the inclusions didn’t work. Why? Because the story had a beginning, middle, and end with character arcs. Dissecting it interrupted the plot. Thus, I had a story that worked on one level but not another.

This was more than editing, and I’d never attempted to write a story this way. That’s when it dawned on me that I was using the existing short story as an outline, and my brain kept getting snagged on the “what’s next?” My ideas weren’t free-flowing because I had an existing structure to stay within. I wanted a diversion from that, hence, my search for a writing challenge. I could spend my summer sharpening my skill. Yet, I knew my critique partner had a valid point. I needed to focus on my WIP. The only way that would occur was if I worked my way out of my writer’s block, or rather, story block. Therefore, I began to think of this as a summer writing challenge which meant I needed a plan. I needed to learn how to make an outline work for a pantser. Away I dashed to research and ask other writer friends and associates.

Don’t think of it as an outline. I don’t know how much mental tripping this cause, but some words can trigger mental blocks. Perhaps, the word outline is having a placebo effect. If this is the case, a writer has psyched himself/herself out before beginning. I don’t think this is my issue, but I have to toss it out there in the pot as a possibility.Outlines don’t have to be adhered to strictly. Yes, sticking to an outline is part of the process. Otherwise, if it was just to be ignored, why bother having it? However, as writers, outlines can be altered and changed as needed to fit the need of the story. Outlines are supposed to be a directional arrow to keep the story moving forward without too many reroutes and detours. But if an outline is flawed or misdirected in its inception, the writer will not have his/her desired end result.Focus on improving each scene as if it were an independent story. Ask, does the scene have a beginning, middle, and end that pushes the story forward? Is it the same pace as other scenes or does the pacing need to be changed? Are the voices of each character in the scene distinct? What happens in the scene? What is supposed to happen in the scene? This may sound like editing, but if a writer is stuck, it could be a kink in the existing story that is causing a blockage. For example, say in chapter three a character is killed off. In chapter ten, the main character needs to be told information, but none of the existing characters are appropriate. Not killing off the character in chapter three may resolve this problem.

Now, I know what someone just said. “Well, if the writer had outlined properly, he/she would have known not to kill off the character.” Not necessarily. Some concepts sound good in the mind but not so great on paper. I write sports romance. Before completing a story I was working on, the NCAA made significant changes in the rules. Suddenly, what I’d written had become dated and portions of my story needed to be changed. Another colleague explained that he kept getting stuck writing. A quarter of the way through writing the first draft, he realized his narration was the problem, and he switched from first person to third. This was not something that he would have discovered with his outline.

Find the sore spot and debride it. The best way for me to explain it is by using the example the person who explained it to me used when discussing my situation. In my case, I knew how I wanted the story to end. What I didn’t know was how to move the story from the current point to that end. The next step was my stumbling block (a.k.a., “sore spot”). I was instructed to ask myself all the major incidents in the story that had led to that point. The next task was to explore each point for what was missing or needed to be omitted. During this process, I needed to consider how each character would behave. I considered the position of the scene. Was it going into a position where a lot of drama was happening and needed to be broken up? How would it fit in the current timeline? What pacing would be needed? Was a change in point-of-view required? Would readers need to be reminded of previous information that may have been forgotten? Was any exposition needed? Answering questions about the functionality of a scene can help a writer determine what he/she needs to write.

Some writers outline their stories from start to finish. This may be the most common way. However, other writers may choose to outline their stories as they come to the scene. A friend outlines in sentence form. Basically, when he is done outlining, his first draft is completed. There are no rules to outlining

And that’s all that I have. Now, it’s your turn to sound off. What did you think? What is your take on the subject? Do you agree or disagree? Did you find this information helpful or informative? Did you learn anything new, or did it change your opinion? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Also, let me know if you would like me to cover more of these types of topics or dive deeper into this one. If you like this post, please click the like button and share it. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read. If you’re not following me on Creole Bayou blog, what are you waiting for? There’s always room at the bayou.

Get ready. It’s time to hit the ice again. Future Goals has arrived and is available.

When a college hockey player needs the help of an attractive older attorney, he gets more than he bargained for when trying to sort out the troubles in his career. Falling in love was never part of either man’s plan, especially as Corrigan’s and Sacha’s lives should never have collided. Now they’re left questioning if they’re standing in the way of the other’s future goals, or if there’s room for redirection.

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Missed the first four books in my hockey romance series? No frets.

Out of the Penalty Box (book #1), where it is one minute in the box or a lifetime out, is available at http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered on iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links on where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.

Defending the Net (book #2) can be ordered at https://amzn.to/2N7fj8q or www.books2read.com/defending. Crossing the line could cost the game.

Ice Gladiators (book #3) is the third book in my Locker Room Love series. When the gloves come off, the games begin. Available at https://amzn.to/2TGFsyD or www.books2read.com/icegladiators.

Penalty Kill (book #4) retakes the ice. Get a copy at https://amzn.to/3ex0N9p or https://amzn.to/3ex0N9p and let the pucker begin.

For more of my stories, shenanigans, giveaways, and more, check out my blog, Creole Bayou, www.genevivechambleeconnect.wordpress.com. New posts are made on Wednesdays, and everything is raw and unscathed. Climb on in a pirogue and join me on the bayou.

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Until next time, happy reading and much romance. Laissez le bon temps rouler.

Author Bio

Genevive Chamblee resides in the bayou country where sweet tea and SEC football reign supreme. She is known for being witty (or so she thinks), getting lost anywhere beyond her front yard (the back is pushing it as she’s very geographically challenged), falling in love with shelter animals (and she adopts them), asking off-the-beaten-path questions that make one go “hmm,” and preparing home-cooked Creole meals that are as spicy as her writing. Genevive specializes in spinning steamy, romantic tales with humorous flair, diverse characters, and quirky views of love and human behavior. She also is not afraid to delve into darker romances as well.