Warning: my old writing method was killing my story before page 5

I used to just sit down and write from the very first sentence, no outline, no notes. I thought it was more "organic" or whatever. But I kept hitting a wall around page 10 where I had no idea where the plot was going. Characters would just stand around talking because I didn't know what they wanted. Last month I tried something different for a prompt about a haunted laundromat. I spent 20 minutes writing down three bullet points for the beginning, middle, and end before typing a single word. That story wrote itself in two days and actually finished. Now I do a tiny outline for every prompt, even short ones. Has anyone else struggled with just diving in and getting stuck?

2 comments

2 Comments

wood.zara16d ago

Yeah, the 'organic' thing bit me too. I used to do exactly that, just dive in cold, and end up with characters standing around talking because I had no clue what they wanted. Then I tried a haunted laundromat prompt like you, scribbled down three bullet points for beginning, middle, end, and boom, it wrote itself in a day. Now I do a tiny outline for everything, even short ones. You need that road map or you just spin your wheels.

linda30515d ago

Oh, so you mean spontaneous combustion isn't a valid writing method? Who knew.