Keeping the creeps away even though the voices like it!

A MUST HAVE for every writer is some sort of outline. I believe no matter how long the story may be (novel, novelette, short story, comic book, etc…) an outline keeps the creeps away from your well played tale. Now the format or look of said outline is completely up to your own flavor or desire. Here is the crazy behind my method of keeping the creep away.

I begin with a short summary explaining the premise (yes this is seen only by me but it keeps me from falling astray) and from it I create the first bullet or “Points of Light” (PL). A PL is considered “non-moveable” bullet and the information behind it will never be modified, moved or deleted. These PLs allow me to keep the creep away and maintains the story integrity by preventing it from bloating.  I then proceed to allow my mind to create the path the story or characters will follow. These bullets I call “Expendable Light” (EL) and often not, they are moved, deleted, reshaped, restructured and rewritten. This allows my creativity to walk freely between the PLs.

I do not maintain an exact number of PLs as the outline builds BUT once I feel the outline is finished, I cover each bullet and consider its status. This is when I mark it either as a PL or EL. Once it becomes a PL, like I stated prior, it will NEVER change its status. I write from one PL to the other keeping those ELs within thought but allowing a freedom to write.

I will go back and review this outline multiple times a week because as a Fantasy writer those ELs often change page by page. Those silly characters of mine have a mind of their own. They want to do want they want to do until the PL comes along and waves its nasty finger at them, directing the story back to its original path. They hate PLs!

How do I know?

They told me.  (Oh the voices….so many).