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The day I realized I was over-planning my story outlines
I spent years writing detailed outlines for every story I attempted, mapping out each chapter and scene before typing a single word. Then I joined a local writing group in Portland last spring and the moderator pointed out that my stories felt stiff and lifeless. She asked if I ever let the characters surprise me and I honestly said no, not really. That comment stuck with me so I tried a different approach for a short story competition with a June deadline. I wrote a loose one-page summary with just the start and the ending, then filled in the middle as I went. The result was the first piece I actually finished and submitted on time, and it placed second in the contest. Has anyone else found that too much planning kills the creative flow?
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patriciap521mo ago
Totally get what you mean. I had the same problem with my outlines, they made everything feel like I was just checking boxes instead of discovering the story. Letting the characters mess up your plans is scary but it's the only way the writing feels alive.
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