Hot take: I ditched plot outlines for character journals and it actually worked

I had to choose between sticking with my usual 3-act plot outline or spending a week writing a diary from my main character's point of view. Picked the character journal route and ended up with 15 pages of backstory that solved my second act stall. Has anyone else tried skipping the outline and just letting a character talk first?

2 comments

2 Comments

ellis.victor5d agoMost Upvoted

Got an old notebook full of scribbled "what ifs" from my main character, not even in order, just thoughts on why she hated her hometown so much. Ended up writing a whole scene where she breaks a window in a convenience store that never made the final draft but unlocked her whole motivation. Sometimes the voice just needs to ramble before it finds the plot.

skyler_white955d ago

Three whole notebooks and it's still not done @ellis.victor?