I have heard time and time again, from many authors, the precious outline is The Holy Grail of writing. This week I am questioning if blanket statements from writing gurus should apply to all writers. Last week on Gabby Bernstein’s podcast, I heard her say multiple times the importance of having a solid outline. This woman is one of the most open-minded, creative, self-help writers out there right now. And yet, I struggled with her message. Granted she writes non-fiction, but she totes that her method should be applied to the writing process across the board.

I can’t help but disagree. This is coming from the person who makes checklists and schedules for everything. (I derive an unusual thrill when striking something from my list that might not be psychologically healthy.)  However now having written six novels, I find that an outline is not the “Best Method” others have sworn it to be. For some authors the organization, the structure, and the planning are mandatory. I assumed since my control freak personality craves this in real-life it must be true for my writing.

This past week I noticed most of my books were not written from a strict outline. More importantly, when I tried to make the characters and the plot follow the outline, it felt forced. My heroes felt jammed into becoming something they shouldn’t. My conflicts did not make the impact I had intended, and my manuscripts were lacking, disjointed, and disappointing. In the end, I threw out the outline and wrote from the soul.

But how do you make characters feel so real it’s like we stepped into their lives and they existed long before we arrived and will be living long after we leave them?

For me, it is devotion and time to the character. Sitting with my characters and their problems—getting to know them like I would a lover.

I am always learning new skills and ways to better my writing, publishing, and marketing. However in the past few weeks, I have accepted the fact that sometimes you have to feel and explore your way to the best method for you.

In my beginning stages of story making, I imagine a great scene, or conflict, or character. Then I focus on just this one image. From there I determine who the character will be—their desires, their problems, their past, their needs, and if it is all enough to create a story. If these mere ideas on a page are enough to drive a story, I conjure up how the characters will possibly interact. What personality traits do they contain? How do they sound? What do they internalize? What do they project to the world? From there I jot down a few scenes—focusing on the images which first brought the character to life in my mind.

Then I write. I let the characters tell me where to go and how they will solve their problems, the loves they will lose, and the pain they will face. The twists and turns, the undeniable lust, the near-death experiences all come from the spontaneity of the words flowing on the page.

My outline is not an outline. It’s notecards of scenes which may or may not work. It grows the more I concentrate on the characters. Some scenes I never use. In other novels, I use them all. Then once the first draft is done I realize the story was different from where I thought it might go… It’s unexpected… It’s so much better.

For all writers out there, here is my message: Do what feels right. Go with your gut! If the opinions of “experts” don’t work for you, that’s okay. It didn’t work me either. But I’m always willing to try a new path, a new idea, or listen to someone’s advice.

How do you write or create? What is your process? I’d love to hear from you.