Day 1: Outlining

Starting off, I know this isn't technically Day1 for me since I have already put a decent amount of thought into this novel I want to write.  I figure that since this is my first day really working with a strong intent to see this through, this works just as well as my Day 1.

I was going to do a little more research for my first day of work, but I decided I needed a better idea of the specific questions I would have to answer, first.  Plus, I figured I needed something a little more exciting to get me going.  That is why I spent about 2 and a half hours writing up an outline.  I find that my plots are much better when I plan it out a little ahead of time.  It gives me the opportunity to have details show up at one point of the story and then pop up later with a twist.  Without it, I couldn't make my stories nearly as complex.  That is not to say that I am going to stick to it.  In fact, I am counting on myself diverting from it a few times and changing it around.  If I have a certain inspiration or if I realize that a character would act differently than I originally planned, I don't want to be stuck to a perfectly defined path.  My outline is more a loose idea of my path.

My outline right now is 2,945 words long, and I feel like it's got all the main points I want to hit and the feelings I want to convey at certain points of the plot.  It makes me feel pretty good looking at that number, because I know there are things that will end up in the novel that I have not thought of yet.  Without those unknown plot details, I could have a lengthy-enough novel if I were to multiply that by 30.  Although a novel is traditionally thought to be at least 60,000 words long, I'd like to hit 80-90,000.  I'd like to think I could hit that range.

An unexpected benefit to this outlining:  normally, I think my writing suffers from not having enough characters.  I would like to think that my characters are real enough, but I usually am a little lazy with creating others.  Through writing this outline, not only was I hit with inspiration for plots I had not thought about before, but I thought of relevant ways to bring in a few other characters.  Now I just have to find ways to keep them from making simple brief appearances.

I'm cautiously optimistic as of right now.  If I can keep this momentum up, I will be in really good shape to make my resolution.