Novelists: Do You Plan Your Plots in Advance?
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To Plan or Not to Plan
I used to think I was an organic novelist, who got an idea and developed it while writing. Unfortunately, that meant I wasn't really a novelist at all—my inspiration petered out and I rarely finished anything. And when I did, it didn't feel right. It was just a sequence of things happening, rather than an actual plot.
Finding Larry Brooks's blog changed my life, as it taught me about novel structure. Then I came across Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method of planning a novel and it made so much sense.
Now I've almost finished a novel. I identified my plot points following Brooks's advice, and used a slightly modified version of the Snowflake method to plan. The book is going to need some serious editing, but it feels plot-y. It has a structure. It's very exciting.
But I keep coming across writers I admire who swear by the organic, seat-of-the-pants method—people like Terry Pratchett (my favorite writer ever), Charles de Lint and Jane Yolen. They make it sound like such a great way of writing that I feel less creative for plotting my book in advance.
I guess, though, that we all have to do what works for us. There's a continuum between the people who don't plan at all, and the ones who write hundred-plus-page outlines. I don't think planning a novel in advance is really any less creative—you just do some of the creative work at a different point. After all, lots of painters sketch out their ideas for their paintings in advance, and some of the most famous paintings ever were made from a person sitting in front of the painter. It's all about what you do with what you have.
Photo courtesy the trial through this Creative Commons license
Finding Larry Brooks's blog changed my life, as it taught me about novel structure. Then I came across Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method of planning a novel and it made so much sense.
Now I've almost finished a novel. I identified my plot points following Brooks's advice, and used a slightly modified version of the Snowflake method to plan. The book is going to need some serious editing, but it feels plot-y. It has a structure. It's very exciting.
But I keep coming across writers I admire who swear by the organic, seat-of-the-pants method—people like Terry Pratchett (my favorite writer ever), Charles de Lint and Jane Yolen. They make it sound like such a great way of writing that I feel less creative for plotting my book in advance.
I guess, though, that we all have to do what works for us. There's a continuum between the people who don't plan at all, and the ones who write hundred-plus-page outlines. I don't think planning a novel in advance is really any less creative—you just do some of the creative work at a different point. After all, lots of painters sketch out their ideas for their paintings in advance, and some of the most famous paintings ever were made from a person sitting in front of the painter. It's all about what you do with what you have.
Photo courtesy the trial through this Creative Commons license
What Does Planning Involve?
Ways of outlining a novel
It can be anything you want, really. Mindmapping, brainstorming, story boards, elaborate character charts, a list of scenes with a vague sense of what happens in each, or a mini-novel that details exactly what's going to happen in every single scene.
In my experience, it really helps to know about story structure, but beyond that, it's all up to you.
In my experience, it really helps to know about story structure, but beyond that, it's all up to you.
Advantages to Planning
- You don't run out of ideas in the middle with no idea where to go next.
- You generally don't have to edit as much because you've figured out in advance how things fit together.
- Ideally you see plot problems before you've written thousands of words that won't work.
- You don't go on huge detours that don't actually fit into the plot.
- You don't get your characters stuck somewhere with absolutely no way out.
- You can foreshadow properly the first time around.
- It's easier to evaluate your idea before writing the whole book.
- You can still change your mind—you just change your outline to reflect that.
- You can write faster because you know what's happening next.
Advantages to Jumping Right In
- It's more spontaneous.
- The huge detours you go on that don't really fit into the plot could give you brilliant ideas.
- If you just don't know what's going to happen, it can be fun to discover it as you go along.
- You don't get bogged down with details at the start.
- You don't end up forcing your characters into a story that doesn't work for them.
Where Do You Fall on the Continuum?
Share your thoughts
Do you plan your novel or not?
I tend to plan out most or all of my novel before I start writing.
I plan very little or none of my novel before I start writing.
MeltedRachel says:
I don't plan from the outset but I really wish I did! I so wanted to plan this year's Nanowrimo story but I don't think that's going to happen now.
I guess I have to come up with the ideas first - a draft 0 - and then discover the plot from that lump of words.
Then I start the plan but I can't plan without anything written down.
Being able to plan from the start would really cut the time I spend down, I think.
LindaJM says:
Usually I write a chapter summary as a guide for where I'd like the novel to go. However I've written novels 100% organically and come up with fantastic conclusions... that even I didn't expect until I reached them. I have to call it magical when everything works together to create a story you didn't know was in you. Sometimes it works and sometimes -- it doesn't. I too believe that a bit of pre-planning is helpful and doesn't detract from creativity.
Some Great Writing Books
More Information on Outlining
Planning your novel
- Top 12 Benefits of Outlining Your Novel
- An argument from another writer who's found planning works best. It includes a bit of information on how to outline, too.
- Storyfix.com
- This is Larry Brooks's blog. The archives (and of course the more recent posts) has wonderful information on story structure and more.
- How to Write a Novel: The Snowflake Method
- A great novel-planning method that gets you to consider your story from the points of view of all your relatively major characters. Also, you get the awful outlining over with at the beginning.
- Death By Bus
- Diane Chamberlain explains that outlines don't need to hem you in.
- The Primacy of Plot
- Best-selling author Ann Patchett makes an argument for plotting.
My Other Writing Lenses
Story structure, characters and summaries
What Do You Think?
Do you have any more thoughts on novel planning or lack thereof?
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LadyLovelace
Sep 17, 2010 @ 12:00 pm | delete
- I try to plan, I really do. But you know what they say about the road to the other place... :D
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MeltedRachel
Sep 17, 2010 @ 3:44 am | delete
- Be proud of your ability to plan!
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LindaJM Sep 17, 2010 @ 1:26 am | delete
- Whatever feels right for each project is usually what is best. As novelists we constantly change and improve our strategies. That's part of the fun -- the perfecting of our art.
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by Peregrina
I'm in the middle of writing a novel, and learning everything I can about the craft. I outline my novels, but not in huge detail.
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