Arguing with the voices in my head

After a month long break from almost everything, I'm back.  Here's my first one for the new year.

For the first time ever I actually outlined one of my books.  Normally I am a linear writer.  I start and point A and write until I reach point B, C, D, and so on.  I never really liked outlining in my writing.  I prefer to be more free form.  (As evidenced in the random nature of my posts…)

With Hero Unit 2, however, I had to follow an outline.  There were too many points in the story that I needed an actual time frame.  I need to know where my characters will be at given intervals.  I have to know how long it’s going to take for them to drive from point A to point B so the story seems believable.  This is a very new experience for me.

People might wonder why I needed this information, or why I haven’t needed it previously.  With Hero Unit (the first one) I was dealing with a different kind of case.  There was less of a timeline for my characters to establish for the crimes they were dealing with.  And in my fantasy novels it’s never been an issue.  Days could pass with simple phrases like, “it took them a week of riding” or “a few days travel”.

Hero Unit 2 is nothing like that.  Ace and her unit are having to chase down leads, interview possible witnesses and suspects.  I have to have these events plotted out or the reader is going to say, “That doesn’t make sense.  Last time it took them 15 minutes, now it’s taking 5.”  Those kind of continuity errors grate on my nerves.

I guess my point is don’t be afraid of changing up your approach.  If you always outline and it just isn’t working for you this time around, try just sitting and writing.  You could always just pick a scene and write it and the next day write a different one and so on.  

There is no correct way to write, no matter what your teachers may have told you.  As long as you are putting words on the page, and they make sense, you are doing good.  You’re doing even better if you’re having fun while doing it.