Talk to me, people.

[only_more_love]

For those writers who outline or do intensive pre-planning, will you tell me what your process is like?  

ETA:  If you're willing to share a sample outline, I'd love to see it. 

Answer anonymously if you want.  Answer even if we're not "friends."  Answer even if you just stumbled across this post and have no idea who I am.  

(And hell yes, I'm spamming today.) *g*

Comments

[lizook12.livejournal.com]

I sort of outline. Not anything real formal, but just an attempt to group things together. What I do once I have a general idea is try to break the idea into a few distinct parts. Under those parts I'll list what action or snips of conversation I want to happen there.

For instance, for the Gravedigger fic I just wrote I had the following:

Idea: She's having nightmares re: Gravedigger
   -Booth thinks of past time she's had them
      *First time
          *wanted to make her feel safe
          *just held her
      *Second time
          *She's out of the dream first
          *He wakes up to find her gone?
          *Floor by bed, shaking with suppressed
          tears
          *Laughs shakily - didn't want to wake him
      *This time
          *Waits for her to wake up
          *his own nightmares about not reaching    
          her in time
               -"He didn't need a calendar to
                 tell him; he could feel it."
               -Wonders if she's noticed
                    -She needs to observe
               -"Almost lost her once and he
                 didn't even "have" her yet.
                 Then again, they never had
                 really been just partners
   -Comfort one another
      *"Both knowing it's a promise he'll keep"?

So that's what I do. Of course, sometimes there's things I'll end up losing or changing, but that's generally what I work from. Hope it helps.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Hi! Thanks for answering my question -- and with examples, to boot. *g* It is always so neat to see how different writers approach the process.