When beginning a novel, outlines are helpful but not necessary. I wrote Killer of Killers with no outline. I had no clue what was going to happen, who was going to be in it, and how it was going to end. As I wrote it, however, the pieces just fell into place. When I wrote the sequel, Killer Eyes, which is coming out soon, I did use an outline. But after the book was finished, I really didn't follow the outline. At least not exactly. The outline helped, however, since it gave me a blueprint, so to speak to follow. But even so, the final version was far from what was in the outline.
When I wrote The Vase, I had a good idea what I wanted in that story. I used a sparse outline for that one, but like Killer Eyes, the final version bore little resemblance to the outline. And for John Dunn, well, since that was a true story, his real life, and the real historical events provided a ready made outline. I followed that, but added a couple fictitious events, which mostly centered on the doings of Dunn's first wife, Catherine Pierce.
For Second Chance, I followed the events as I dreamed them, but fleshed it out with additional characters and a rich story line. Which brings me to the third Killer story, Killer on the Payroll, and the YA story, Inside the Outhouse. I wrote an outline for Killer on the Payroll, but did not for Inside the Outhouse. And strangely, it's the latter book that's making more progress.
You'd think the book with the outline would be the one making more progress, but I'm finding that the book with no outline has more freedom to go wherever the story takes me. That's not to say that I can't throw out the outline, which I had done already. It's a fun process, but there's no strict rule to follow. I mean other than the 3rd person limited POV rule. That's one rule I'll never break again. Ever.
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