I didn't outline at first, but I am a real writer. <ahem>
The excitement in finding out what happens can - and I'd argue, does - happen in the outlining as well. Outlining doesn't mean it won't shift or change. But as a saga writer with multiple plot lines going on, I must outline now to ensure I keep track of all the bits that need to be resolved.
So OUTLINE, and let the characters go "off script" and do their thing...the biggest deal is that you are organizing the route, the journey. It doesn't mean you can't take a detour. It just means that you know, ultimately, where you want to go and generally how you plan to get there.
<sigh>
And you're right. It cuts down the writing time, start to finish. It gives you the luxury of being playful.
Stephen King says, in On Writing, to let a finished first draft sit and simmer. I have found the benefit in that, though it's not for everyone. I need that time away from the story to begin to be objective with the story itself. So, when I come back fresh, I can maybe see something I missed (if I did).
As an aside, I find that your experience and Gordon's are somewhat similar as far as the trad publishing world. How odd that publishers are throwing out so many wonderful ideas. Rejecting an idea because it's from a dog's POV? Or like yours, with the death of Luke (well, the first one)? That's insane. And it tends to confirm my rather jaded perspective that trad publishers are mainly interested in two types of books: the formulaic story or the "news of the day, oh-my-gosh hurry and get *this* book out because of the day's new stories-type work. The Indie world is the world where real stories, varied stories, daring stories can go. If ONLY most of them were better-written. Not only would we not suffer a bad reputation, the trad publishers would have to change - or they'd die out.
Another aside - would love to pick Gordon's brain regarding police work. You know, for Bridgeman and Alvarez.
Gordon says how I fell, too. Maybe *I'm* biased in favor of my work. Maybe it's - and I'm - not as good as I've let myself believe. So I get that. And trust me, if I could stop, I'd have done it by now. But I can't.
Which comes back to AMMO. I'm still nervous, but I'm doing it anyway. Around 35 minutes in, when Gordon described his experience, I got a full-blown panic attack. Seriously. I'm almost in tears. Why the hell is this great process affecting me this way? I don't know. I'm still gonna do it (IF Steve agrees to take me on - which I didn't realize was a thing until this minute, and now my hands are going numb), but I'm like mortally scared. I don't get it. Man, I can't wait to be on the other side.
And...$300/day? I'm just cozying up to the concept of $30/day.
I am wholly against AI for writers, so I'm not sure if that's going to be a problem. I can't express it strongly enough. Not to create a book. No way. Never. It's cheating and it's not writing. Period. I work way too hard to compete against a computer.
I want to end my comment on a positive note. LOL I'm literally sitting here freaking out. Maybe that's comical. I don't know. My head's all foggy now.
I didn't outline at first, but I am a real writer. <ahem>
The excitement in finding out what happens can - and I'd argue, does - happen in the outlining as well. Outlining doesn't mean it won't shift or change. But as a saga writer with multiple plot lines going on, I must outline now to ensure I keep track of all the bits that need to be resolved.
So OUTLINE, and let the characters go "off script" and do their thing...the biggest deal is that you are organizing the route, the journey. It doesn't mean you can't take a detour. It just means that you know, ultimately, where you want to go and generally how you plan to get there.
<sigh>
And you're right. It cuts down the writing time, start to finish. It gives you the luxury of being playful.
Stephen King says, in On Writing, to let a finished first draft sit and simmer. I have found the benefit in that, though it's not for everyone. I need that time away from the story to begin to be objective with the story itself. So, when I come back fresh, I can maybe see something I missed (if I did).
As an aside, I find that your experience and Gordon's are somewhat similar as far as the trad publishing world. How odd that publishers are throwing out so many wonderful ideas. Rejecting an idea because it's from a dog's POV? Or like yours, with the death of Luke (well, the first one)? That's insane. And it tends to confirm my rather jaded perspective that trad publishers are mainly interested in two types of books: the formulaic story or the "news of the day, oh-my-gosh hurry and get *this* book out because of the day's new stories-type work. The Indie world is the world where real stories, varied stories, daring stories can go. If ONLY most of them were better-written. Not only would we not suffer a bad reputation, the trad publishers would have to change - or they'd die out.
Another aside - would love to pick Gordon's brain regarding police work. You know, for Bridgeman and Alvarez.
Gordon says how I fell, too. Maybe *I'm* biased in favor of my work. Maybe it's - and I'm - not as good as I've let myself believe. So I get that. And trust me, if I could stop, I'd have done it by now. But I can't.
Which comes back to AMMO. I'm still nervous, but I'm doing it anyway. Around 35 minutes in, when Gordon described his experience, I got a full-blown panic attack. Seriously. I'm almost in tears. Why the hell is this great process affecting me this way? I don't know. I'm still gonna do it (IF Steve agrees to take me on - which I didn't realize was a thing until this minute, and now my hands are going numb), but I'm like mortally scared. I don't get it. Man, I can't wait to be on the other side.
And...$300/day? I'm just cozying up to the concept of $30/day.
I am wholly against AI for writers, so I'm not sure if that's going to be a problem. I can't express it strongly enough. Not to create a book. No way. Never. It's cheating and it's not writing. Period. I work way too hard to compete against a computer.
I want to end my comment on a positive note. LOL I'm literally sitting here freaking out. Maybe that's comical. I don't know. My head's all foggy now.