Where to Begin?

Outline or Freestyle?

Regardless of what you choose to write or its genre, the starting point can seem overwhelming. How do you introduce your subject to the world? Do you know where your piece is going? Do you need an outline for what you are writing?

Every author has his or her own method to achieve the final product. Some people are comfortable creating an outline for their work and follow it rigidly, while others are more efficient developing an outline in their heads and allow for a degree of change within the storyline.

As a newly published author venturing into many unknowns, I tend to follow the latter group. I create the majority of the storyline in my head and allow for changes as it is being created. This method works well for me. I have never been one to follow through with the development of an outline or maintaining it as the story becomes larger. But this method may not work for everyone. Find your comfortable place. For smaller pieces of written work, an outline is not necessarily something an author needs to concern him or herself with. Yet larger written works need some organizational aspects added to the creative process. Decide what works for you before you undertake writing larger projects. It will help the words fall onto your pages faster and more fluently.