I finally stopped outlining every chapter after 12 dull drafts

I spent 14 months outlining each scene in detail before writing a word. My novel in Denver still came out flat and lifeless, like a grocery list with dialog. Then I tried a zero outline short story on a dare from a local writing group. It took 4 evenings and had more energy than anything I'd planned out. Now I outline just the ending and let the middle surprise me. Has anyone else ditched the outline and seen their prose get better?

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henry_hernandez20d ago

Going zero outline can work for short stuff but a novel is a whole different animal. Without some kind of road map, most people just end up writing themselves in circles and quit around chapter five. Outlining the ending and winging the middle is a decent middle ground, but don't toss the map just because one short story came out good.

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