Winston Smallwood
Almost everything I know about writing is derived from what I know about illustration. They're both forms of art, and as a result, certain disciplines pertain to both.
When I was a young boy, I drew all the time. Man, I used to love to draw. Well, I say that, but I hated it. I could never do it right. I would spend hours and hours on a picture, one of my heroes or whatever it was. I would cry, because I couldn't get it right. But I kept drawing. For whatever reasons, I just kept doing it. I'd think of something, and I would think, "I have to see this thing." So, I'd go to work.
As I grew older, I realized about structure and anatomy and drawing in layers and all this other stuff. Today, I can draw something, and it takes me a few minutes. If you examine what I drew, you would ask, "How did you do that?" It would be like a magic trick, right? It's like, at first there was nothing, and now there is... this? It's like I skipped a million steps that should have taken place.
The truth is, I didn't skip any steps. I just know the steps so well, I no longer have to do them on paper. I see them in my head, and I imagine them as I work on the later steps.
I'm not a master by any means, but this is simply how it works in a natural way. And sure, sometimes, on more complicated things, I still have to draw out some of the more basic steps.
As a writer, you aren't Stephen King or J.K. Rowling. Not yet, you aren't. One day? Maybe so. I hope so. These folks are master story tellers who have been writing longer than most of us have been alive. They're good. They're some of the best writers we have. When they write their amazing stories, they're doing things that--I mean I don't want to speak for them--but I can imagine that they're doing things automatically that a person who is just starting out has to struggle with a long time. It doesn't mean they don't still do these steps or they don't think about them. It just means they can do them more quickly, automatically--it's almost like magic. This isn't a matter of good or bad. It's a matter of experience. Every craft in life works the same way.
Point is, you need to pay closer attention to those steps. And for most folks, when it comes to writing, what you need is an Outline, a short-hand write-up which allows you to see the whole thing in one go. Maybe some areas are more clear, maybe some areas are less clear. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you have a tool that allows you to concentrate on the things you need to concentrate on, while the rest doesn't constantly bug you--because at least you have it written down.
It's like a scaffold. Builders use scaffolds to support a structure and themselves while they build the actual structure. They have to build the scaffold first. The scaffold might take the general shape of the actual structure, but not precisely. It isn't meant to be a permanent thing. An Outline for your story is like a scaffold. It's there to hold you steady so you can get the actual story written. It's just like blocking out anatomy in illustration. You draw general shapes and proportions, and then you refine with a second pass. Do you see?
There's no shame in using an Outline when you're starting out. I highly recommend it because it helps you focus on what you need to focus on until you build your ability to a point when you no longer need it. And who knows? You might never be rid of the practice. What difference does it make?
When I was a young boy, I drew all the time. Man, I used to love to draw. Well, I say that, but I hated it. I could never do it right. I would spend hours and hours on a picture, one of my heroes or whatever it was. I would cry, because I couldn't get it right. But I kept drawing. For whatever reasons, I just kept doing it. I'd think of something, and I would think, "I have to see this thing." So, I'd go to work.
As I grew older, I realized about structure and anatomy and drawing in layers and all this other stuff. Today, I can draw something, and it takes me a few minutes. If you examine what I drew, you would ask, "How did you do that?" It would be like a magic trick, right? It's like, at first there was nothing, and now there is... this? It's like I skipped a million steps that should have taken place.
The truth is, I didn't skip any steps. I just know the steps so well, I no longer have to do them on paper. I see them in my head, and I imagine them as I work on the later steps.
I'm not a master by any means, but this is simply how it works in a natural way. And sure, sometimes, on more complicated things, I still have to draw out some of the more basic steps.
As a writer, you aren't Stephen King or J.K. Rowling. Not yet, you aren't. One day? Maybe so. I hope so. These folks are master story tellers who have been writing longer than most of us have been alive. They're good. They're some of the best writers we have. When they write their amazing stories, they're doing things that--I mean I don't want to speak for them--but I can imagine that they're doing things automatically that a person who is just starting out has to struggle with a long time. It doesn't mean they don't still do these steps or they don't think about them. It just means they can do them more quickly, automatically--it's almost like magic. This isn't a matter of good or bad. It's a matter of experience. Every craft in life works the same way.
Point is, you need to pay closer attention to those steps. And for most folks, when it comes to writing, what you need is an Outline, a short-hand write-up which allows you to see the whole thing in one go. Maybe some areas are more clear, maybe some areas are less clear. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you have a tool that allows you to concentrate on the things you need to concentrate on, while the rest doesn't constantly bug you--because at least you have it written down.
It's like a scaffold. Builders use scaffolds to support a structure and themselves while they build the actual structure. They have to build the scaffold first. The scaffold might take the general shape of the actual structure, but not precisely. It isn't meant to be a permanent thing. An Outline for your story is like a scaffold. It's there to hold you steady so you can get the actual story written. It's just like blocking out anatomy in illustration. You draw general shapes and proportions, and then you refine with a second pass. Do you see?
There's no shame in using an Outline when you're starting out. I highly recommend it because it helps you focus on what you need to focus on until you build your ability to a point when you no longer need it. And who knows? You might never be rid of the practice. What difference does it make?
More Answered Questions
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more