Sometimes You Can Over-Plan These Things

I mentioned earlier on this blog that “Oont” was the working title for the story I’m currently working on. I like the sound of the word, for some reason, and that Cul de Sac comic strip on the earlier post is a non-ending source of chuckles, since I know kids who have hairdos like Dill.

But now I’ve got something more than a working title. Try this on for size:

Through A Glass, Darkly.

I'll continue to use "Oont" in the blog postings here, just for continuity.

It’s taken from 1 Corinthians 13. I think it’s a better fit for the story I’m envisioning overall. The plot, by the way, has developed quite a bit since I talked about it last. I’m not going to reveal any details at this point because I don’t really know many beyond just a bare-bones thought. It’s not even an outline. I want to continue seeing how the story evolves organically. I start out writing a section with the only thought in my head being: “OK, brain, you know the plot. Get me a little bit closer.”

There are writers who don’t like this commando approach. I think it works fine for the first draft, because for me, outlines just don’t work. They’re great for planning, but not necessarily so for writing. This commando approach, just sitting down and putting fingers to keyboard, gets the writing done. I know it’s not perfect. I may have to outline the plot more fully later and then go back to revise. But this method gives me something to revise. Just as Chevy Chase says in The Three Amigos, “Sometimes you can over-plan these things.”