Last month I abandoned my whole novel outline halfway through chapter 2

I spent 3 years planning this fantasy trilogy with maps and character charts, but last month while writing a scene about a market in a fictional city, I realized my characters were way more interesting alive than following my plot points. Now I'm just writing with zero plan and seeing where they go, which feels wild but also way more fun. Has anyone else dumped a detailed outline and just let the story breathe?

2 comments

2 Comments

richard_roberts8010d ago

Oh man, I gotta respectfully push back on this one. In my experience, ditching the outline completely is a fast track to writing yourself into a corner. I've seen it with friends who write - they get all excited about "discovery" until they hit chapter 10 and realize they've got no clue how to end it or where the plot even went. Your maps and character charts might feel rigid, but they're also a safety net for when the fun runs out. Maybe try keeping the major plot beats but letting the characters roam a bit between them, that way you still get the wild fun without losing your way.

nancy15410d ago

Right? I've totally been there, it's a mess without a plan lmao.