Outlining

Today was not a revision day but after I write this post I probably will go back and re-read some things. 

This morning I 'wrote' for an hour outlining my planned novel. Right now it's a time line, Act I - III. Plot points as it flows from beginning to end. This novel I had planned the ending long before I figured out where it was going to start. I didn't work backward but created an end point, a target and figured out where to start and with that I knew where it was going to end. 

Planning is a fantastic exercise. New ideas, new twists, new answers and having your idea begin to grow and evolve in ways you couldn't imagine. Getting it all written down, even and especially the rejected branches, is vital. Map out your mind as it flows. The ideas that spawn are not retained to memory and can be lost. I page through my idea journals, old writings, past projects and still am amazed of the things I wrote down never remembering the 3 or 4 lines of ideas. 

The next step is to start taking the time line and moving it to a deeper, detailed outline. I have rough sketches of characters but need to start breathing life into them. Give them names, backgrounds, physical appearances, personalities, styles and purpose. Create and expand the world these characters live in. As a writer that's a large responsibility. 

That's why I write, to create.