For those curious, I am now outlining Untitled Dragon Rider Project. Outlining was a skill I willfully didn’t develop because (if I’m being honest) it sounded really boring. It also forced me to foresee issues in the book I didn’t feel like confronting yet. However, confronting them in advance is actually one of the main benefits of outlining.
Granted, I haven’t begun drafting yet and am only on chapter 8 in the outlining process, but I can tell you that, even from my current place, this is a great direction. To me, writing is a lot like a tricky hike, and I used to set out without a map, picking my way through the thick foliage and rocky terrain myself. There were some upsides to this method, but as I grew in my craft, I needed better detail and story planning, and I couldn’t hold all that in my head without a “map”.
Outlining is that map. It gives you a bird’s-eye view of where you’re going and helps you prepare for and plan around obstacles before you encounter them. My brother recommended this article by Brandon Sanderson on outlining, and it was the deal-breaker that finally got me outlining. Trust me, it’s a great read and weighs the pros and cons of outlining versus freewriting.
Outlines are made up of summarized text and require little to no effort to adjust something that would’ve been a whole rewrite in a draft. It saves us time and stress and helps us get our story down before even writing it! Outlining allows us to think ahead, plan ahead, and put that “plot twist” in the perfect place instead of figuring it out when we arrive.
Yes, all of these were selling points my brother gave me…
Overall, I’ve found outlining to be a breath of fresh air, and yes, Joe, you were right. I was being terribly stubborn. Untitled Dragon Rider Project won’t be the last book I outline. That’s for darn sure.
Until we next meet, traveler.
Michael T. Hare 
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