How Far Ahead Do You Usually Map Your Story Before writing.

[WhiteFeather]

Just that.
So how far ahead do you think and visualise the story before putting it on the paper. Do you freestyle it, or do you clearly plan everything?

 

[StoneInky]

Just that.
So how far ahead do you think and visualise the story before putting it on the paper. Do you freestyle it, or do you clearly plan everything?

I'm the type who gets bored if there's a clear plan. So I only decide on a loose framework for the entire novel, then I kinda... write whatever flows, and whatever details make the most sense. Whatever makes sense to be happening in the chapter, happens.

Even said loose framework isn't finalized, and can shift dramatically by accident. But somehow it works for me.

 

[Garolymar]

I started with a map, sort of just places the characters might go, Didn't have any MC's yet. Then I came up with the antagonist and what his ability might be. Then I did a bunch more world building over the months, stuff like powers, races, towns, and gods. Then like a week before writing an actual chapter I came up with the two main characters fleshing them out mostly as I actually wrote, and the final of the 3 in the trio I came up with because I didn't like how Chapter 2 was playing out with just the one MC exploring this weird realm alone, so I came up with a guide character who I just had a lot of fun writing dialogue for so she stuck around permantely.

 

[Corty]

I always have my ending in mind when starting. Then, besides that, usually I go by volume per volume. I let the journey to my desired ending to be flexible.

 

[StoneInky]

I started with a map, sort of just places the characters might go, Didn't have any MC's yet. Then I came up with the antagonist and what his ability might be. Then I did a bunch more world building over the months, stuff like powers, races, towns, and gods. Then like a week before writing an actual chapter I came up with the two main characters fleshing them out mostly as I actually wrote, and the final of the 3 in the trio I came up with because I didn't like how Chapter 2 was playing out with just the one MC exploring this weird realm alone, so I came up with a guide character who I just had a lot of fun writing dialogue for so she stuck around permantely.

I always have my ending in mind when starting. Then, besides that, usually I go by volume per volume. I let the journey to my desired ending to be flexible.

I'm happy we're all pansters, lmao. I thought webnovel writers were mostly planners, but I guess I was wrong. Let's goooooo!

 

[Jailbreak571]

Bold of you to assume I plan ahead, let alone actually write.

 

[HiroXV]

I do have some sort of guide, and I also try to plan the events that are gonna happen. But everything inbetween, I usually just freestyle it, it turns out better.
Then again, I don't just freestyle everything, I have to have some sort of planning before. But I do consider myself more of a planner, I can't work without some input.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

On paper? Very little. In my head? Quite a bit but I don't always follow the plan (or even remember it... and sometimes the characters go off and do weird stuff that kind of derails it).

 

[dukerino]

Chapter-by-chapter outline. Just a few bullets for what happens in each. Pantsing overrated!!

 

[Bartun]

I planned the story quite a bit, but I added so much that it became two books.

One is already finished, and the other is being written.

 

[OscarTlau]

Just that.
So how far ahead do you think and visualise the story before putting it on the paper. Do you freestyle it, or do you clearly plan everything?

For me, the only some is freestyled. My novel was first written in my diaries, since a friend of mine told me to write down the story I day dreamt about, since I was 12.
I do not know if anybody else does this but everything till the end has been planned. Only thing left is how I would drag out the boring parts or improve the story of how things happen, those are usually freestyled BUT require atleast a week of thinking to fully set my mind upon the idea.

 

[OneiroTrove]

Depends on the story for me. Some, I have the major events from beginning to end outlined with room to fill in as I go.

The series I'm posting here has been outlined as I go along. The more I write of it the more plot comes to me. Originally, it was supposed to be a smutty one-shot and now I have 3 arcs/books and 2 side books taking shape.

 

[Zagaroth]

I literally started with an idea/scene and wrote it.

On the fly, I realized that I could fit this into a campaign world I had started on but never finished.

I have now expanded that world, building as I go. I build either when I need to build, or when random inspiration strikes for an idea elsewhere.

I do, however, try to take extensive notes about my world building as I go, and I take advantage of the fact that this is a serial and thus a live document still. I go back and fix things that do not work (but I also inform my readers when I retcon stuff)

 

[Cookiez_N_Potionz]

I normally try and write a brief outline about my story, beat for beat. Trying to write decent or compelling dialogue takes me a minute too

 

[Fox-Trot-9]

Not very far. When I'm writing a story, especially a brand new story, I'm just exploring and seeing what works and what doesn't. When I write enough of it (around 20k to 30k words), then I can try to see where the story wants to go and make a generalized direction and then make notes on characters/names, settings, etc. After that, it's kind of a mix of writing and checking notes and make possible summaries of scenes in future chapters, but it's all pretty flexible.

 

[KB_Wala]

Plans? The blank document just speaks the story to me like the green goblin mask. When I come out of my fugue state the chapter is written.

 

[lambenttyto]

ust that.
So how far ahead do you think and visualise the story before putting it on the paper. Do you freestyle it, or do you clearly plan everything?

I write a storyline. Sometimes this is a single sentence, other times it might be a paragraph, or maybe a couple of paragraphs, and then I get writing. As long as I know WHO the story is about, and WHAT the problem is that they face, then I can just write without any plan whatsoever.

Here's the storyline of my yet unwritten story Briar and Smoke Rings.

Storyline: With no path of escape and unwilling to give up his prize find of the Elder Briar, Tomonobu pleads with his mentor to give the discovery to their pursuers in order to survive the coming encounter. However, Lord Romilly has no intention of giving away the culmination of his life's work and future legacy to his thieving detractors. By any means, he will be the man remembered as the one who discovered the natural treasure, even if by doing so he brings death upon himself and his protégé.

I'm very good at maintaining consistency in my writing. Unless the plot changes course during the story, everything I write must advance this story seed, otherwise it gets cut, and I don't spent a lot of time cutting, and I don't rewrite. Rewriting is for new writers. If I decide on a better storyline that isn't this one, I write it down and then write a different story with the new storyline AFTER completing the one I started.

 

[NagulanAuthor]

hi