Tuesday, August 9, 2016

To map or not to map?

I find myself at a dilema often times with my books.  Do I need a road map of the story, or wing it?  I find positives and negatives with both options.

Having a road map can come in very helpful when ensuring your story is going exactly where you want it.  It can especially help when you want to put in foreshadowing of future events or you need the story to be a puzzle that comes together at just the right time.

Additionally, having a road map can keep you going in the right direction.  It also provides a way of keeping you motivated.  When you have a list of chapters, you can check them off as you go.  It's a great way to show you're progressing.

On the flip side, I sometimes feel limited by the road map idea.  The creative juices can be stifled when you force yourself in a specific direction.  There's also the possibility of turning your story into something greater, perhaps a novella has the potential to be a novel, or even a series of novels, but you set your sights on completing your road map, and when that's done, you're done.

I can only suggest trying each way to see which works best for you.  Keep in mind you can start without a road map and build one as you go.  Perhaps you write for a while, and when you need to find focus, or if you complete the story but want to fine tune it, build your road map and perfect your idea.  No matter which way you decide to go, as any writer will tell you, the only important thing is to ALWAYS KEEP WRITING!

Write on, my friends, write on.  And if anyone has any input or feedback, please chime in.

1 comment:

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