| Having experimented with a few ways of | | | | psychiatrist really wants no part of Bob, Bob |
| structuring and writing novels, gleaned from | | | | wants him to be available at his beck and call. |
| reading books and implementing strategies, I've | | | | If you thought about writing a story about a |
| concluded that outlining is helpful and does pay off. | | | | psychiatrist and his or her patient, you could try |
| You have to have a sense of what your story is | | | | outlining your story's development or sequence or |
| and where it is going. If you are writing a | | | | completing a few character sketches first. As you |
| mystery or romance novel, for example, you | | | | worked, however, you would soon discover that |
| have a good idea of who the detective and killer | | | | the story's details keep changing, and if you |
| are in a mystery and who wins in the end. | | | | change a few things in the beginning, you've |
| Likewise, in a romance novel, you know if the guy | | | | virtually changed your entire plot, and have to go |
| will get the girl, or whether the girl gets the guy. | | | | back to square one. |
| There are other examples too. In westerns and | | | | I also tried character sketches and outlines, |
| science fiction, you probably begin with one or | | | | working several months with each, but never |
| more bad guys and good guys and can easily | | | | quite managed to kick off a good plot. What I do |
| determine the outcome. And to a lesser, "iffier" | | | | now, and have some success with, is go right |
| extent, you can pretty much determine the | | | | back to the basics and first figure out the |
| outcome in chic lit. | | | | beginning and end of my story. For example, in |
| Developing an outline for the genres mentioned | | | | the end of my present novel-in-progress, I know |
| above is not really that difficult, so long as you | | | | that my main character, a laid-back, |
| have a good story and an interesting twist. | | | | good-for-nothing, ex-mobster of a grubber, will |
| On the other hand, if you only know, for | | | | overcome his problems of getting a decent |
| example, that you want to write a humorous | | | | income in the end. All I have to do now is figure |
| novel, you may have a bit of a challenge on your | | | | out how he's going to overcome everything and |
| hands. You have to determine who the hero or | | | | everyone who stands in his way and reach his |
| heroine is, the main problem and theme, and the | | | | goal. I was ready to outline and am now up to |
| outcome. And you have to combine those | | | | Chapter 14. I know where I've been in this novel |
| elements in an interesting, funny way right from | | | | and where this novel is going, saving myself |
| the get-go. For example, in the movie, "What | | | | months of work and aggravation and frustration. |
| About Bob?" you are almost introduced | | | | The moral is that if you know exactly how your |
| immediately to the two main characters, Bob, | | | | novel ends, you will find that outlining the rest of it |
| who has a problem, and his newly-appointed | | | | is highly effective, especially when you keep |
| psychiatrist, who gets stuck with Bob at the last | | | | asking yourself, "And then what? |
| minute, right before vacation. And while the | | | | |