TIL the difference between outlining and just making a messy timeline

I've been writing short stories for like 5 years and always thought outlining meant jotting down events in order. Last week I tried something different for a new piece, I wrote down each scene's goal and conflict instead of just what happens. The first draft came out 3x faster and my beta reader actually said the pacing felt intentional instead of "like a list of stuff." The old way just had me forcing characters from plot point to plot point. Anyone else switch methods mid-project and notice a huge jump in quality?

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1 Comment

maxm6320d ago

Man, people really be out here acting like writing is rocket science sometimes. Good for you if it works, but some of us just type and pray and it comes out fine.

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