TIL a writer's group in Portland changed how I outline stories

I went to this tiny workshop at a coffee shop in Portland a few years back. The host said, "your outline is just a guess, not a contract." That stuck with me because I used to lock in my plots way too early. Now I keep my plans loose and let the story surprise me (which is way less stressful). Has anyone else had a writing habit get flipped by someone else's advice?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_julia26d ago

I've noticed a big difference between outlining for short stories versus novels. With short stories I can keep it loose like you said, but with novels I always get lost without a solid structure. Did this workshop change how you handle longer projects or just short ones?

sanchez.blake26d ago

Outline a novel? Might as well paint a barn while blindfolded.