Q: Are you an outline or discovery writer?
A: A little bit of both, to be honest. I generally start with an image or scene, then work outwards from there. I’ll have a general idea of where the story is headed based on the characters, and plot, but I almost never outline specific scenes. Most of the fine tuning comes later, when I see the fleshing out that characters need, or if there are any glaring plot holes. Especially in a first draft, I like to see where the story wants to go on its own with as little guidance from me as possible, although lately I’ve been playing with prompts and other constraints as a way to prime the engine. Being able to bounce ideas off some kind of boundary, whether that be a word limit, plot detail, or form, can be a lot of fun.
Danny Menter’s story “Pain Eater”
in Metaphorosis Friday, 24 March 2023.
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