I never outline my books. Outlining is one of those things you'll hear people say is a must when writing, but if there's one thing I've realized about writing -- and every other freaking thing in life -- is that everyone has their own process. What works for me doesn't work for everyone else. When I write my stories, I give my characters control and give them free rein to be flawed, weird, and indecisive . I don't say, "I'm going to do this in Chapter 2." I let the characters figure it out, if that makes sense. Outlining, for me, feels stiff and it tends to throw me out of the story, if I'm trying to plan it to the last detail. But again -- that's just me.
For example, it took me forever (pun intended) to write the third book of The Ever Series. Why? Because my protagonist had to make some awful choices, and by extension, I felt awful, conflicted, and guilty. When I'm writing (or reading) a book, I tend to live in that world.
When I started writing Unremarkable, I had no idea where it was going to go. I was like Alice, following the White Rabbit. On that note ...
For example, it took me forever (pun intended) to write the third book of The Ever Series. Why? Because my protagonist had to make some awful choices, and by extension, I felt awful, conflicted, and guilty. When I'm writing (or reading) a book, I tend to live in that world.
When I started writing Unremarkable, I had no idea where it was going to go. I was like Alice, following the White Rabbit. On that note ...