Outlining my novel

After I finish writing this post, I will be updating the outline for my novel yet again. This is probably the sixth or seventh time I've needed to update it and I'm only about halfway through writing my first draft.

As I'm writing the book and learning as I go along, I'm amazed at how much I thought I could get in to one chapter. I wish I had kept copies of my earlier outlines, so that I could give a couple of solid examples of just how much I thought I'd be able to cram into a single chapter. But unfortunately, I just keep updating the same document and then saving over the old stuff. Suffice it to say, the action that now occurs over the course of seven chapters was originally outlined for three chapters.

In fact when I first started writing I estimated my book would only be about eight chapters. I'm just finishing chapter nine, and as I said I'm about half way through the book. So I'm estimating about 18 to 20 chapters total. Of course, I'm also anticipating having to cut a lot of stuff when all is said and done, but there's no way the book will only be eight chapters (unless each chapter is REALLY long).

I'm trying to be more careful as I update my outlines, trying to put less action in each chapter so I have a more realistic look at how much more I have to write, but so far I haven't been able to get it exactly correct. So each time I update, some of the action predicted for one chapter spills over into the next. I'm getting better though.

I think this is one of the things I'm loving, and hating, about writing a book. I've never written a book before and I really didn't realize just how much things would change as I write, and how much I'd learn about a story I thought I'd already created.

It's one thing to read what other writers have written about the process, but to actually experience it is a whole different experience. But it's exciting and I look forward to the next burst of inspiration that forces me to change my outline. Because each burst of inspiration makes the story better (well, I think so at least!).

So I'm gonna go update my outline now, which currently stands at 14 chapters. I'd bet you anything after I'm done, there are 16 chapters outlined!