Should You Plan Your Writing?
November 1st 2006 01:33
There are many writers out there who could not function without writing a detailed plan. However, there are many others who refuse to plan anything. What is the best way to go for a writer? Should you or shouldn't you plan?
Like most other things, planning your writing is a matter of preference. There are good points and bad points for both, and you need to see which method works best for you. Don't feel like you have to write a detailed plan if you hate the thought of planning. On the other hand, if you want to write a plan before you begin your writing, then this is what you should do.
There are many different methods of planning your writing. Some people draw up detailed outlines. Some writers use cards or scrap pieces of paper and jumble them around until they get an order they are happy with. You can also change how much you want to include in your plan. For some, a rough outline is sufficient. For others, a detailed, step-by-step plan of their writing is needed before they even put pen to paper.
The good thing about planning is that it helps you keep everything organised. You know where you are going and how you are going to get there. It helps reduce the chances of making mistakes in timelines, names and other factors. It can also make it less likely that you will need to go back and change things. A plan can also help eliminate writer's block. Knowing what you need to write next can help get you started writing.
The bad thing about planning is that it can limit your creativity. With a plan set out, writer's will be less likely to let their writing take them where it needs to go. If you are writing fiction, a character may want to do something that is not included on the plan. If you are writing non-fiction, a plan may prevent you from exploring things you didn't realize you wanted to include in your writing.
I have tried both, and I would suggest that all beginning writers do the same thing. Try a variety of planning methods to see which one suits you best. Remember, that there is no right or wrong way to plan a piece of work. The right way is the way that works best for you.
Like most other things, planning your writing is a matter of preference. There are good points and bad points for both, and you need to see which method works best for you. Don't feel like you have to write a detailed plan if you hate the thought of planning. On the other hand, if you want to write a plan before you begin your writing, then this is what you should do.
There are many different methods of planning your writing. Some people draw up detailed outlines. Some writers use cards or scrap pieces of paper and jumble them around until they get an order they are happy with. You can also change how much you want to include in your plan. For some, a rough outline is sufficient. For others, a detailed, step-by-step plan of their writing is needed before they even put pen to paper.
The good thing about planning is that it helps you keep everything organised. You know where you are going and how you are going to get there. It helps reduce the chances of making mistakes in timelines, names and other factors. It can also make it less likely that you will need to go back and change things. A plan can also help eliminate writer's block. Knowing what you need to write next can help get you started writing.
The bad thing about planning is that it can limit your creativity. With a plan set out, writer's will be less likely to let their writing take them where it needs to go. If you are writing fiction, a character may want to do something that is not included on the plan. If you are writing non-fiction, a plan may prevent you from exploring things you didn't realize you wanted to include in your writing.
I have tried both, and I would suggest that all beginning writers do the same thing. Try a variety of planning methods to see which one suits you best. Remember, that there is no right or wrong way to plan a piece of work. The right way is the way that works best for you.
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Comment by TonyK
AFL Central
NBL News
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
Comment by Andrea
V8 Supercar Pitstop
I will write down ideas that come to me and how they could fit into the novel, however that doesn't necessarily mean that they will end up being included. I feel that if it's a good enough idea then I will remember it when the time comes. Rubbish ideas get forgotten.
A.H.
Comment by K.L. Almeroth
Motherhood
To Writing Words,
It actually depends on the project, for me.
For Betrayal, the characters came first, then the plot. I guess I'm a major plotster, because I do spend an awful lot of time plotting the overall story, or the major climaxes.
Other works of mine just write themselves, whether its a beginning or an ending first, then the rest comes.
Completely depends. Whatever comes to me, comes to me!
Really enjoyed this post.
K.L.
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
Comment by historylass
The Written Word
History Lass
It often depends for me, too. I have had pieces of writing that I wrote a detailed plan for. Others have been completely unplanned. I find, for me, that the fiction that is unplanned seems to work out better than my planned writing. I like it better anyway.
Comment by Always Eighteen
Always Eighteen