When it comes to plotting my stories, I definitely prefer to outline ahead of time. I like to know from the beginning which direction my story is going in. Of course, I am always open to change as well. Sometimes the characters take things in a whole new direction than I'd originally planned. In that case, I simply adjust my outline to include those changes. Having an outline doesn't mean it's set in stone.

Every writer has a million ideas bouncing around in their head. The problem is getting those ideas down on paper. Those of us who are just starting out need to figure out just what we need to make those ideas work.

Critically acclaimed novelist, N.M. Kelby gives us some fantastic advice on how exactly to do that in her article, "Taming the Beast". Here she tells us that we need to realistically outline and throw away what bogs readers down the most. And that we need to set up a game plan to hook the readers and keep them reading.