[stylist] Novel Outlines/research

[Elizabeth Sammons]

I can only speak for myself. Though I do outline for nonfiction pieces I
write at times, I have never, ever outlined for any of my fiction, including
for my novel, but I did do a lot of research and kept notes for reference...
in word... and thus I could freely shift from document to document if
needed. It may just be the way my mind works, or else, the desire to allow
my characters their free will, but though I had a very specific plot and
course of events in mind, I felt that committing it to paper before the
characters had grown into the situations they would face would be
restrictive. Hats off to those who outline, however, and do whatever works
for you.

Elizabeth