Planning things is my weakness.
I love having a set schedule, or at least a list of things to do. There’s a mental map in my head when I go places, like the grocery store. Efficiency is key, and how could I be efficient without a map? I shouldn’t need to backtrack from the dairy section to the vegetable section, because I forgot the cilantro!
It should, then, be obvious that I prefer outlining over freeplay (or freewriting). In fact, if I can’t outline important events and such, it makes me anxious–mostly because I’m afraid I’ll forget a key item, or turn, or point. Frustratingly, I’ve been known to forget key point even as I’m outlining. . . but that’s a story for another time. One more instance where outlining is a pain: immediately upon finishing an outline of a novel-length work, I almost always lose interest in the project. I sense this is a problem faced by many writers, though, and fortunately writers also have a keen knowledge of how to make themselves write anyway. ‘Cause let’s be honest, guys, we don’t usually want to pick up the pen until we’ve been using it for several paragraphs (or pages, or chapters. . . )
For all its difficulties, outlining is my #1 choice when planning a long, written piece, simply due to the fact that I’d forget everything otherwise.
Now let’s talk about freeplay.
When I say freeplay (or freewriting) I am not referencing the mode unlocked on many games where you can play any level with any character, and I am also not referencing the writing tactic of forcing yourself to write whatever’s on your mind for an indeterminate amount of time (though this can be useful in many cases). What I mean by freeplay is the complete absence of a plan. The story takes the writer on a grand adventure, instead of the other way ’round. This method can be useful in the sense that it can lead to more unpredictability in your plot–just be sure it’s unpredictable and not unbelieveable! With freeplay, it’s far easier to write yourself into a corner. But that’s not a bad thing! It merely forces you to figure out a surprising twist, or think about your story as a whole and go back and foreshadow. Simply, it can cause you to be more original.
The major problem here: will you be able to have fun and enjoy the random sparks of inspiration as the story blossoms, or will it drive you crazy not knowing where the story is going? For me, and other people who forget things easily, it would be more likely to backfire. This is not to say, though, that we should limit ourselves to just outlines. Rather, our outlines should remain fluid. Even as we’re writing using the outline, we should be open to the story going in a different direction, then make changes accordingly.
In conclusion, both outlining and freeplay have their perks. It is up to the personality of the individual to know which to use. To the people for whom it’s easy to keep track of various plots and twists, freeplay/writing might be the best for you. On the flip-side, to the people who stress over forgetting key details, just outline. It’s no skin off my nose whichever way you do it. The point is that you were successful and got that beautiful creation in your head onto paper!
-WordTechnician
Word Technician 