Outline? What Outline?

My Workstation at Starbucks...yes, I'm the mean
guy hogging the couch all to himself

Most of my writings start out with an idea and a question and then they begin to develop from there.  After I write a while, I get a sense of the direction the story is going and the main plot and get some ideas of how I want to support this plot.  One thing that really helps me do this is outlining.  The important thing to remember about outlining it to use it as a guide and not a script. 

For instance, last night I looked at the outline that I had plotted for the chapter I was writing before I began.  Now that I have finished the chapter, I look back at my outline and notice the two arent even close to being similar.  What is written is so different than the outline that its almost comical.  I worried that I might should try to fit what was in the outline in the story somewhere, but then I remembered what the outline was for.  To guide the story along.  The outline is just a step in the long process of getting the story on paper.  Just like the first draft of the idea I had for the book, which quite honestly looks like a completely different project. 

Much encouragement to all you writers and aspiring authors out there.  Here's to hoping the story of your life develops way beyond an outline.  Happy Friday!

My quote of the day: "Focus, Josh! Focus!"