Algebra or Geometry?
I can
admit I’m an Algebra person. I like being able to count on formulas. While I am a visual learner, I’m more of a black-and-white thinker. This made it hard during my second year of
teaching when I was asked to teach Geometry, and not just because I was a
biology major (not math). But God got me through it, and I lived to tell about
the experience.
So what
does this have to do with writing? I noticed that some writers like structure,
while others, not so much. In a broader sense, the writing world contains plotters
and pantsers. There are writers who like the structure and order of outlines, and those who do not. And
then there are those, like me, who fall somewhere in the middle.
When I
discovered beat sheets and the book, Save the Cat Writes a Novel, I was
overjoyed, because, as you can guess, it appealed to my need for structure. I
created my own little table based on what I learned from the book to help me
outline future projects. For newer writers, or writers such as myself, who are more risk adverse, outlines can be appealing.
But
then I heard about another book. You may have heard of it, too: Story Trumps
Structure. What? We can do that? Apparently, we can. This past weekend, I
had the opportunity to hear the book’s author, Steven James, speak at the ACFW
VA online conference. What he said was fabulous, but it was hard for me to
accept at first because it didn’t feel like Algebra. But that’s OK. Some writers work well without an outline. I don't see anything wrong with this approach, but this doesn't come as naturally for me as for some writers.
I’m
come to accept I might need a little bit of both (structure and spontaneity/deeper thinking about the story than a rote outline) in my writing. I like to start
with an outline, but I also would like to see
where the story leads. Ever since the
conference, I am excited to put in practice the new techniques I’ve learned.
What
about you?
