As of a few days ago, my book was in complete chaos.
I was averaging about 6k-8k words a week, but I had little clarity about my characters’ arcs and the direction of my book. It was disorienting and disheartening after so much effort had been put into it.
Honestly, I’ve wanted to give up more times than I can count. Even though I can write non-fiction all day, fiction felt like being stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with no landmarks or buoys in sight. Kinda like this guy.
And, for me, I learned one important lesson:
In life and in writing, you can’t get to your destination if you have no idea where you’re going.
Thankfully, I have an awesome book coach who helps me navigate these boisterous and erratic seas. You can find her here.
She encouraged me to do one specific thing that helped me find my destination.
First, she allowed me to just write for several weeks. I needed to get in the habit of it.
Second, once she felt that I had taken the book as far as it could go just by writing, she encouraged me to start outlining.
For plotters, this is the complete opposite of what they do.
They plan and organize first, then write.
But I discovered that, at least for me as a panster, it’s helpful for me to write, then plan.
A lot of pansters see things in a different light. Many have to “discover” what they’re going to write before they start organizing the details. This is me.
In the video above, I show you exactly how she told me outline my novel (don’t worry, it’s not hard).
If you’ve been stuck for a while, I think you’re going to have a new cognition about the writing and outlining process.
— Knikki Hernandez
(BTW, any links on my blogs could be eligible for commission. Also, if you liked this vlog, please consider subscribing. It motivates me to continue posting.)
Is Your Book in Chaos as a Pantser? Try This