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do any of you outline your stories before you write them?

Discussion in 'Creative Zone' started by FifiandFurrball4ever, Aug 20, 2017.

  1. FifiandFurrball4ever

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    I've heard some writers make outlines (summaries of each chapter) for their novels. I was wondering if anyone does something like that for their Pokémon fanfics/stories. If so, what benefits of doing this have you noticed?
     
  2. BraviaryScout

    BraviaryScout Way of the Wind

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    Yes. My main thing is to draw out a synopsis of my story. This is especially helpful if you're doing something on your own as opposed to a recap of a movie or game already made.

    I'll break it down into segments and write from there. Sometimes stuff will get added in as I go on. Other times I may find that something works better and deviate from my original plan.
     
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  3. Anubis the Lucario

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    I don't really do it, part of the excitement of a story for me is not knowing what's gonna happen next.
     
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  4. Junkrat

    Junkrat Demolitions Expert

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    I'm the same as Anubis, usually I just kinda make stuff up as I go along. Although, there have been times where I planned chapters ahead. Doing that has made it easier to stay focused and pretty much made the path clear to what I wanna write.
     
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  5. UnstoppableGamer

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    I usually have main points thought out from the beginning, such as the end, a characters development, or a character death. Everything in between I feel that it'd be, to a certain extent, pointless to plan out, such as the precise words in dialogue or the exact order and specifics of an event. I do like to make a basic outline featuring characters' names and whatnot while I let the story simmer in my head for a while. However, simply going with the flow usually doesn't work out and you'll make some pretty bad writing mistakes in the end so, at the very least, you should make a basic outline.


    This post is an example of me not planning something out. I have no real structure~
     
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  6. Skittle

    Skittle daijoubu

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    Usually in a separate document from the actual story, I line up about 8-10 future chapters with chapter names, characters and Pokémon involved, and maybe a sarcastic side-note to remind myself what the chapter will be about. And the benefits? I'm not just sitting down after a few chapters scratching my head and wondering what's going to happen next. It's all in front of me!
     
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  7. Mandriel

    Mandriel Valor Knight

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    I usually just have a loose plot in mind as I write a fanfic which consists of the main events that occur throughout the story, but I usually make most of it up as I go along.
    With original stories, I try and have a more detailed plan in mind before I write, with each chapter being plotted out. This is much harder and more time-consuming, so I've never finished an outline for an original story :sweat:
     
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  8. GiratinaMissingNo

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    I usually start with a plot bunny idea, then it explodes into a huge story. I have a rough plan in my head, and if I'm stuck, I'll put the bones on paper and see what jumps out at me.
    #MissingNo
     
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  9. Morgaine

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    I plan out the chapters in general lines to have something to compare to.
     
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  10. BZRich64

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    I come up with a general outline for the story and then usually abandon it before I try to make into a narrative but I necessarily stick to that outline. I also come up with a lot of stuff while writing that I want to happen later. As I write a story I find that it is also helpful to write outlines for the chapters I've already written to use as a reference to see what happened when and check what plot-lines haven't been used in a while so that I don't forget about them for to long.
     
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  11. Wings

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    I come up with a very specific outline, from prologue to the conclusion, and from there I break each event into chapters and tweak everything so it flows better. Of course, a lot of times I'll find something that I like better than my original plot, and then I have to tweak the entire outline!
     
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  12. SyWry

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    I outline everything in my head. For the most part, I outline how the chapter will go by thinking about it and how it effects the overall narrative. Once I've found a goal/story for the chapter, I sit down and write the chapter.
     
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  13. SnowboundBecca

    SnowboundBecca Scarf Enthusiast

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    Same for me. And usually before writing anything, I brainstorm everything I think about for the story on paper before organizing it into something I can use as a narrative.
     
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  14. Owly

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    I also do this. Sometimes I write it down, too; not always, but especially when I'm not exactly sure how the story will go, I like to write a summary of the plot and figure out how I want the story to go. Other times, I just store it all in my head. I've never forgotten anything that way, so it works pretty well. I don't think I've ever written something (other than certain roleplays) that I didn't plan out beforehand. I do tend to rethink things halfway through though.
     
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  15. Barandofl

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    I usually only think about the begining of the story, and the ways I could possible end it. I never really think about what will happen in the middle, but its fun to see what you can come up with.
     
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  16. EZstyle

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    I definitely create outlines for my novels. It helps to have a basic structure so you can make it more diverse and complicated as it goes on.
     
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  17. Wolf Expert

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    I do bulletin points for mine. I make an outline of the story as a whole, not necessarily chapter by chapter, to make sure I get in everything I wanted to have. If it needs elaborating, I'll sometimes add sub points below the initial bulletin points too.

    Something my fiction professor back in college suggested was making something like a storyboard/flow chart, especially if you don't know what order you want certain events to happen in, that way you can move the order around. I only tried it out for that one class and never again after that though. Bulletins work fine for me and the storyboard just feels overly complicated, but I can see why some people might find it useful.
     
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  18. Deedee the Ranger

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    Sometimes I outline things, if I know in general how I want a story to go. All my original stories have outlines (at least, the ones I've started this year) and a few long term projects have outlines as well.
     
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