I compared writing with a strict outline versus just freewriting for a week each, and the difference was huge

Honestly, I've been stuck on this fantasy story for like 3 months and nothing was clicking. I spent one week forcing myself to write using a detailed chapter-by-chapter outline I made on index cards. I got maybe 2 pages done because I kept second-guessing every scene. Then last Monday I said screw it and just typed whatever came to mind for 20 minutes a day with zero structure. I ended up with 8 pages by Friday, and the plot actually started shaping itself naturally. The freewriting gave me raw material to edit later, while the outline just made me freeze up. Has anyone else tried both and found one works way better for first drafts?

2 comments

2 Comments

adam_hernandez1mo ago

Did you end up using any of that freewriting stuff or did it just sit there?

matthew8641mo ago

Honestly, I was pretty skeptical about freewriting at first. I thought it was just a gimmick people used to feel productive without actually getting anything done. But then I actually tried doing it for 10 minutes every morning for a week and it totally changed my mind. I ended up writing about this random memory from high school that I hadn't thought about in years, and it turned into a whole blog post idea I'm actually excited about.