People have very strong opinions about outlining vs. “pansting” (or writing “by the seat of your pants”).

My belief is that, wherever you fall on the Outlining Spectrum, you should do what works best for you. Neither one is better or more right than the other, nor is one way going to work for every writer.

I’ve been writing seriously for a decade, maybe longer if you consider some of the workshops I took in college. I was never one to sit down and outline before starting a story.

In college, I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) every November and would get 50,000 words into a project before giving up completely. I almost never planned ahead. I winged it completely.

During my MFA program, which I was in from 2009-2011, I wrote short stories and never plotted them out ahead of time, either. I wrote what I felt inspired to write and fixed it later.

In 2014, I started writing a novel by accident, which meant I did zero planning for that, too.

My tactic was always to just write what felt most urgent. To go where the energy was and write that.

And, you know what? It works. That’s a great way to write a first draft.

I need a lot of freedom to roam when I’m working on the first pass of a story, but I also need a rough idea of my destination.

I know that now, but I didn’t know it a few years ago.

About a month or two into writing my first novel back in 2014, I decided to create an outline so I’d have a clue about what I was doing. Up to that point, I was just writing what felt the most important to write.

None of my scenes were really connected. I wasn’t sure what I was trying to say. I was just really enjoying the process of writing.

I can still remember sitting in Starbucks with my computer as I pulled up a blank document to start building an outline. The feeling in my body as I did this was tension and dread. I worked on it for a little while and then scrapped it completely.

It was way too early for me to try and organize the story because I didn’t yet know what the story was.

At that point, an outline was useless to me.

Before my second draft, however, I took a sort of “aerial” look at my story, read The Plot Whisperer by Martha Alderson, and started organizing the scenes I’d written plus the new ones I wanted to write.

Consider What Works Best For Your Brain

If you think back to any time you had to write a paper or organize a big project or event, how did your brain first approach the task?

Did you grab a piece of paper and make a detailed list so you wouldn’t forget anything?

Did you just dive in and figure it out along the way?

Something in the middle?

You probably already know if your brain craves structure or freedom when it comes to planning. Don’t force yourself into a method that just doesn’t work for you no matter what other people suggest.

Be Open To Doing It Your Own Way

It took me years to realize this, but you don’t have to be one way or the other. You don’t have to JUST be the kind of person who outlines everything or outlines nothing.

You can do what I do.

You can think in terms of a narrative arc and plot points (seriously, The Plot Whisperer is my bible. You should read it!) and build a loose sketch of your story based on the energetic markers you need to hit at certain points in your story.

I bristle at the thought of a strict, unyielding outline. It sucks all the excitement and magic out of my writing process.

But I also know from experience that wandering in the wilderness of a story without a map is a recipe for disaster.

So what I do know is plan the four major plot points I know I need to hit (end of the beginning, the middle, the crisis, and the climax) and build the rest of my scenes around that.

This gives me direction while ensuring that I’m still discovering the story as I’m writing. It keeps the process fresh while also staving off overwhelm.

It lets me think, “I know these scenes are building to that specific moment, so what’s the best way to get there?”

I guess it’s kind of like going on a road trip and knowing you need to hit a certain destination by nightfall, and being ok with stopping wherever you want along the way.

At The End Of The Day, It Should Make Writing Easier For You

Learn about different styles of outlining and “pansting” and then customize the process until your writing process is easier.

That’s really the whole point.

Don’t outline if it just makes writing harder. Don’t wing it if that leaves you feeling too overwhelmed to create.

The system that you land on should help reduce resistance as much as possible. If you’re like me, maybe you need to see the destination off in the distance, but have plenty of room to explore on your way there.

That helps me sit down and write without feeling like I’m following orders or writing aimlessly.

But maybe you like having strict orders! Maybe that helps you sit down and write. Maybe you’re the most productive if you can just do whatever you want and clean up the scenes later.

This is one of those times when I’ll remind you to trust yourself.

I can’t tell you whether you should outline your book or not before you start writing, but you can absolutely figure it out with a little trial and error.

Do you like to outline your projects or do you wing it? Have you had a great experience one way or the other? Share below!

When I started writing a new novel last summer, I flew through the first 48,000 words.

The scenes came naturally, the characters felt wonderfully formed on the page, and I hardly ever felt stuck when I sat down to write.

And then, wouldn’t you know it, I did get stuck.

I hit the halfway point, which sometimes is described as the portion of a manuscript where the story sags. The middle can be a tricky point when writing a long-term project. It’s not unusual for the middle of a project to be the murkiest part.

When I got to the middle, around 48,000 words, I knew I had to make some plot decisions that would set the trajectory for the second half of the novel.

That felt like a larger task than laying the groundwork in the first half, and instead of figuring that stuff out, I got happily distracted by other projects: teaching a creative writing course for a few months, revising a short story, making jewelry and knitting hats.

The excitement of starting a new piece had faded when I was faced with the reality that I’d have to figure out what comes next in my book. I really didn’t know what should come next.

I want you to know that you don’t have to stay stuck.

You can finish your work-in-progress even if you haven’t actively written for it a while.

I sat down recently and read all 170 pages of my manuscript and made notes on each section within each chapter. Instead of continuing to feel stuck, this exercise reignited my excitement and gave me some ideas I hadn’t considered before.

I’ve been writing at least a few hundred to over a thousand words a day since then, and it’s safe to say I’ve got my groove back with my manuscript. And I’m set to finish it within the next couple of months.

I’m not saying this to brag, but to remind you that it’s ok to pause or get stuck. There’s always a way back into your piece.

Here are some things you can try if you’re ready to finish your work-in-progress

Read everything you’ve already written

I recommend doing this if you’ve spent any time away from your manuscript and feel like you might not remember all the key parts of the story.

It’s not easy to hold the landscape of an entire novel or memoir in your mind, so don’t feel bad if you need a refresher on what you wrote. Take some notes as you read so you can easily reference what happens in each scene and chapter, then make notes of any ideas that come up as you read.

Put yourself on a schedule

This is unsexy advice, but if you’re eager to finish your work-in-progress yet keep putting it off, give yourself a deadline and make a writing schedule and stick to it.

Writing coaching with me can make this even easier since you’re accountable to someone while also receiving support and encouragement.

But even if you aren’t working with a coach or accountability partner, you can still motivate yourself by choosing a date and putting it on your calendar as your first draft deadline.

Then, break down how much you’ll need to write up until that deadline and figure out how to make it happen.

Can you write a few hundred words every morning or evening? Are you able to have some marathon writing sessions on weekends? Think about what works for your life and schedule.

Maybe you need to hire a babysitter a couple afternoons a week or wake up an hour early or skip some weekend events to fit in your writing time. Do what you have to do to stick with your deadline.

Trust me. Having a plan makes it that much easier to finish what you started.

Swap manuscripts with another writer

I love writing groups and writing partners for so many reasons, but especially because they can be eager and supportive readers of your work.

My writing group will often read my new pieces before anyone else, and their feedback is usually what shapes my revision process.

Plus, once I’ve told them about something I’m working on, I suddenly become accountable because they’re invested and curious and excited. A good writing group or writing partner is truly the best.

Make a plan to exchange projects with another writer who is also finishing their manuscript.

It’s probably most helpful if this deadline is a month or two out (or even more) from when you plan to finish your manuscript.

This will give you time to do some revision so you’re not sending someone your unpolished first draft. Unless that’s what you and your writing partner want to exchange, in which case, get it!

Remind yourself that you can change ANYTHING in revision

Sometimes we lose steam because a project genuinely isn’t working.

Other times, it’s simply because resistance makes us feel we have to get it right the first time around, so the second we feel like we’re doing it “wrong,” we want to bail.

That’s silly.

You can change anything when you revise. Anything.

This gives you such freedom as you finish your project! Think about it: you can make the writing stronger later. You can fix plot holes, flesh out characters, make scenes deeper later.

You don’t have to get it right or perfect on the first pass. You just have to finish.

In fact, you can’t really make the story better until you finish it, so don’t get hung up on perfection.

Use your first draft as a time to play, experiment, and take risks. If you decide later that you want to cut or change anything you’ve written, you can. There’s nothing you cannot fix or change when you revise.

And finally, figure out what’s holding you back so you can overcome it

This might seem like woo-woo advice, but I firmly believe a self-aware writer is a happy writer. Instead of feeling stuck and miserable and not understanding why, try to figure out the root cause.

Is there something, in particular, keeping you from finishing your work-in-progress?

Are you overcome with self-doubt? Did you get distracted by a shinier, newer project?

Do you feel completely stuck?

Are you afraid to finish it because then it might actually become something great? And you might have to actually admit that you’re a good writer who knows what they’re doing?

Think about it and be honest with yourself. If you want to finish your manuscript but can’t seem to get there, investigate why.

You deserve to understand what’s going on in your head so you can write despite how you may feel.

You deserve to finish your book!

I want to hear about your work-in-progress.

Has it stalled out? Are you ready to finish it? Tell me below!

At the end of 2018, I saw a few Instagram stories from writers who were recounting all of their major accomplishments for the year.

Everything from publishing books to landing on bestseller lists for multiple weeks to writing drafts of one or more other novels.

I mean!

It was actually really stunning to see how much some people write and publish in a single year. I know everyone is different, but it lit a fire in me to see if I can get more done this year, too.

If you feel like you want to get more writing done this year, too, you’re not alone.

And if you feel like interruptions to your life or your routine or just your mental state might throw you off course, I have some ideas for how you can maintain your writing life no matter what might come up.

Know Your Why

What’s your core reason for writing? Why do you want to do it regularly?

For me, it’s because my identity is connected to writing.

I’ve been fascinated with stories and storytelling and words since I was a kid (like a lot of writers!), so my need to write is a deep-rooted one that started a long time ago.

When I don’t write often enough, I feel generally irritated, restless, annoyed. It’s almost like writing releases pent-up creative energy that needs an outlet or else it makes a mess in my brain.

Basically, writing is vital to my overall sense of happiness.

Once you understand your most basic reasons for writing, you have something concrete you can come back to when life distractions pop up.

This is especially important if writing is more than just a hobby. For some people, it’s a necessity.

Have A Routine

Writing routines are great.

They’re like safe little houses you can duck inside when you want to write. The layout and decor never change. You always know what to expect when you walk inside. And they’re always there, unlocked, ready for you.

Routines can be simple and still be powerful.

My favorite routines are tied to a sense: hearing certain music, smelling certain tea, eating a certain snack.

But they can also be tied to time, place, writing utensil, a physical act, prayer, meditation, yoga. Whatever works for you.

I recommend having some kind of routine, however small, because it makes it easier to keep writing or return to your writing if life interrupts you for a while.

If you have to take a break from your writing, it can be infinitely easier to start up again with an already-established routine that triggers your brain to write. 

Routines can also make it easier to stay in your writing practice when life gets chaotic. They can even make writing feel like a refuge. The world might be swirling around you, but your unique writing routine gives you something real and familiar to lean on.

Ask For Help And Trust Yourself

These are two things I’m going to be doing more in 2018!

Be wise enough to recognize when you need help and ASK for it.

That might mean help with accountability, help with childcare, help with getting up early to write before work, help with life chores that make it hard to write as often as you want.

You don’t have to do it all. Let other people shoulder some of your load so you have more bandwidth and time to write.

And trust yourself! Please, please, please.

Trust the way you feel, trust what you want to write about, trust that you’ll figure out the best way to make time for writing in your life.

Trust that if your writing is interrupted momentarily (hello distractions of daily life!) or for a longer period of time, you’ll always make your way back to the page. It’s always there, and your writing is always with you no matter what’s happening in life or the world around you.

Tell me, what do you do when your writing gets thrown off course?