Planned Epiphanies

I want to preface this by saying, I did truly try like hell to create a deeply thorough outline in the beginning. I ended up with something very loose, but for this particular story, I believe that was for the best.

I'm not sure why I feel the need to defend myself. Perhaps it's because I've always respected writers who can create exhaustive outlines and follow them almost to the letter. Most of the time, doing that causes me to wish that someone would suddenly hit my skull rather hard with a cast iron skillet. I'm sure they're necessary for many writers, and I so WANT to feel a need for them. God, I wish I could be the cool writer with an excel sheet, mind maps, and a dedicated character journal. But I just. Can't. Do. It.

You see, writing with such a loose outline creates an almost guaranteed ecosystem of improvisational inspiration. When questions come up in the narrative, or by characters, there's always an immediate need to answer them... whether you have the answer ready or not. Under these circumstances, epiphanies are practically guaranteed, and they feel so natural that a trail of consecutive epiphanies can be followed right up to the end of the first draft.

Ahh, but it feels risky! Writing in such a way feels like jumping from one invisible platform to another. Even when you are certain it's there, not being able to see it can be disconcerting. ​Writing with a fluid outline takes faith: in oneself and in the story itself. Do I trust my idea enough to let it guide me through all the details I don't have established? When the answer is yes, I find that I'm able to do incredible things.