In the last two years since I’ve decided to take my writing a lot more seriously, I’ve always planned before I start writing. Sometimes I would plan in my head but most of the time I would plan everything out on paper to reference to later.
I highly recommend planning before you write because it helps you pass writer’s block, which we all hate that. I also came up with four other benefits of planning ahead.
1. You can see where each scene will take you for the rest of your story
Instead of writing around in circles, you will have a clear path that your story will follow and that your readers can follow as well.
2. You can detect problems early on
By going over each scene before you write it you can eliminate/maneuver around any plot hole or questions that can cause problems to your story.
3. You can change your mind without deleting your words
Continuing off number 3, by planning ahead you avoid having to delete possibly thousands of words just to fix a problem that you’ve discovered while free writing.
4. You can write faster
I’ve read an Ebook a short while back called 2k To 10k: How to Write Faster, Write Better, and Write More Of What You Love by Rachel Aaron. One of the three main tips she gave for writing faster is planning ahead so you know what you’re writing when you sit down to write.
That advice helped me a lot to get more words down and I know this tip can help you with your own writing goals.
Now that I’m taking my writing career a lot more seriously than I did in high school, I do my best to take ten minutes to plan my scene before writing. Of course my plan for the scene I created is subject to change. Just having an idea down helps a lot.
How do you write? Planner or free writer? Love to hear from you.
-Shaquanda
photo credit: Mehmet Dilsiz from 123rt.com
