Jonnathan Strawthorne asked Annette Oppenlander:

Do you put together an outline? And if so where do you start with your outline? Characters first? Plot first? Setting first?

Annette Oppenlander Hi Jonnathan,
Thank you so much for stopping by. I typically start with a time period/setting because in historical fiction much is determined by the specifics of the era. In the case of the ESCAPE FROM THE PAST trilogy I visited Castle Hanstein in Thuringia, Germany by chance. Once I learned of Knight Werner and his brother, Lame Hans, who'd lived there in the late 15th century, I knew I had to write a story about them and the castle.
I'm a pantser, so I don't outline. But I do have a pretty good idea who my main character is. In other words I develop a detailed bio that tells me what my guy wants, what he looks like, what he fears and is proud of, etc.
Then I let go and the black box of my brain creates the story. Of course, there are multiple rewrites.
Best wishes for an awesome day!
Annette

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