New Survey: How do YOU discover books?

I have a new survey up: How do you discover new books to read? Three multiple choice questions. 

The goal of these surveys is to help writers in their craft and business, and results are always posted here on Inkygirl.

For past survey results, see the Inkygirl Survey Archives.

Book Trailer Survey Results: What Works & What Doesn't

A couple of weeks ago I posted a survey (as part of my ongoing series of surveys) about book trailers and whether people thought they worked. 

I've included some data details and a selection of comments at the end of the post, but here's a summary: 104 people responded. 85% of them said they had never bought a book solely because of a book trailer. 46% said a book trailer did have an influence on their buying decision, usually when they were already considering buying a particular book but were on the fence. 60% thought that book trailer sometimes helps sell books, depending on the trailer.

Overall, it doesn't seem clear that book trailers have a direct influence on book sales. However, they do make people aware that the book exists. Also, a number of teachers and librarians said that trailers for children's books were useful for showing students in schools.

What makes a good book trailer, according to most respondents who commented on the topic:

- Accurately conveys the mood of the book. The key is "accurately" - comments included complaints about trailers that were better or significantly different in feel from the book.

- Short and simple, and doesn't give away too many specifics of the book. ("The best book trailers are more like flap copy—setting the scene and the story, but not literally "showing" it to me. And they should be short. 2 minutes tops. 1.5 is better.")

- Rather than trying to reproduce scenes from the book in low-budget live action, good trailers instead focus on the essence of the book (mood, atmosphere). If you have the budget & expertise for high quality production & editing, then there's more leeway.

- For nonfiction books and picture books, show some interior pages (content not easily found elsewhere online).

Main criticisms of bad book trailers:

- Cheesy, melodramatic and amateurish-looking.

- Misleading - doesn't reflect what the book is going like, either in mood or content.

- Too long. Suggestions for max length: 30 sec-1.5 minutes. Max 2 minutes, though some said that even 2 minutes was too long.

- Illegal use of images or music.

Related online resources:

Why Flashy Book Trailers Don't Work - by Catherine Ryan Howard

Eight Million Viral Views Later: In Search of the Ultimate Children’s and YA Book Trailer on Publishing Perspectives

Why Book Trailers Are Now Essential to the Publishing Industry - Mashable

How To Make A Book Trailer - by teacher-librarian Michelle Harclerode

How To Make A Book Trailer by Myrlin A. Hermes

5 Free Tools for Creating Book Trailer Videos - by Richard Byrne

How To Make Your Own Book Trailer by Julie Cantrell

Some places where you can find kidlit/YA book trailers:

Mr. Schu Reads: Exploring Children's Literature Through Book Trailers

Book Trailers For All

Also, many publishers have channels on YouTube where they will post book trailers.

MORE DETAILED SURVEY RESULTS:

104 people responded as follows:

1. Have you ever made a book purchase SOLELY because of a book trailer?

15.5% said YES, 84.6% said NO.

2. Have you ever purchased a book PARTLY because of a book trailer? (e.g. you were already considering buying the book anyway, but the book trailer helped convince you)

45.2% said YES, 54.8% said NO.

3. Do you believe that book trailers can help sell books?

27.9% said YES, 59.6% said SOMETIMES/DEPENDS and 12.5% said NO.

Selection of comments and comment excerpts:

"A book trailer can flop if the maker "Tries too hard." For me, someone tries too hard when it's too "shiny." There's too much going on. Background music along with a voice over and too much movement on the screen. Some really good book trailers I've seen have been almost minimalist. A few words on the screen, with a voice over. Ending with an image of the cover and date of release, or somesuch."

"Unless a book trailer is as professional-looking as a movie trailer, it is still going to look amateur-ish in my opinion. Better to let the book cover and description tell the story than to cheapen it with a trailer. Besides that, it takes either a lot of time or a lot of money on the part of the author, which could probably be better spent."

"I don't tend to do the "oh, I need to run out and buy that" unless I already know the author, and even then they're more likely to go onto a queue. However, there *have* been some book trailers which have called my attention to authors I didn't know, on the level of "Interesting concept. If the trailer's accurate, that's worth keeping an eye out for." On the other hand... Trailers are essentially equivalent to back-cover blurbs or equivalent-size print ads. We already know how misleading those sometimes are. On the other other hand, one _hopes_ that the author has more opportunity to review the trailer than the blurb. All of which boils down to: It's probably more effective than a typical small print ad, for me. But I'm honestly not sure how much bang for the buck it actually delivers. And I'm atypical, both in being a sf geek and in being the son of an ad man."

"Trailers full of illegal images grabbed off google search, or with equally illegal use of music, ensure that I will never read the book. Ever. It shows that not only is the book self-pubbed, but self-pubbed by someone who has no artistic integrity and no sense of professionalism. Trailers that work as movies are hard to do, and risk being too long and too cheesy. Image trailers need to be professional and respective of other artist's rights. The images need to match in type, whether they be photos vs illustrations etc. Video trailers need to be short, SHORT, and with a strong hook. The trailer for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, for instance, was better than the actual book it advertised. Personally, I liked the trailer for Across the Universe by Beth Revis. Visually simple, legal stock images, nice voice-over, and a great hook."

"Book trailers need to be more professional, made properly like a film trailer. Just using screenshots of text set to copyright-free music isn't really enough. We need to see imagery and hear realistic voice-overs... the book trailer needs to accurately capture the feel of the book. Done properly, book trailers can be as exciting as film trailers, and play a key marketing role."

"I usually turn off the radio or change the channel when I see book trailers. For the most part, they're too cheesy and don't really portray the "feel" of the book itself or what the reader can expect from it."

"For me as a market target (I buy and read a LOT of books), a trailer is most effective when it's 1) short 2) has great music 3) expresses the high concept of the book only (I can click through to a synopsis) 4) doesn't attempt production values it can't afford (I'd rather see something simple that's well done)"

"I've watched trailers for books I'd have never heard of without someone linking to the video as being entertaining or worth watching. With those books, I decided that the book wasn't for me, but raising awareness can't hurt."

"They need to be done professionally, have either simple text to read or a narrator. I hate amateur videos with scrolling text and terrible blurry photos set to music"

"Answer to number 3 is actually "not to me". I know some people are fascinated by video and might be thus lured to a book - I am bored or uninterested (you could have given me that info a lot faster/clearer in text!), so avoid trailers. And when I can't avoid them, I glaze over pretty fast. I have enjoyed some trailers, I think, in and of themselves - which usually means they have good music and/or enjoyable graphics - but as a lure for a book? No."

"Book trailers assume somebody's going to watch them, and that somebody is going to get their ideas of which books to buy through watching book trailers. I'm not sure that particular audience exists. I think they're more useful as an educational tool to start classroom discussions about books, or maybe to be used by librarians/teachers as booktalks for getting them to read the book."

"It has to be noted that book trailers are advertising vehicles, not sales-promotional tools. There must be a clear set of objectives defined before the trailer can be created. Otherwise, you end up with a slide show that is not truely representative of the book. Too many trailers fail, and are far too long. Have a look at mine and tell me what you think. Cheers! Gerry"

"Don't have the book's characters in the trailer. Books are often sold based on the author's name (why the type is always the same size or bigger than the title, I wager), so sell me the author. ... Children's books are quick bursts of entertainment, and I don't need to be sold on Patricia Storms the author, I'd actually prefer to see a pirate and a penguin do a little dance. Whatever you do, though, hire me to shoot and edit it :P Just remembered, one of my first video gigs was a book trailer of sorts! https://vimeo.com/23288627 … I'm a lot better now than I was then, heh."

"I bought Leviathan 95% because it had an awesome trailer, but it's also the only trailer I've ever loved that much. I've enjoyed a few since then (the Born Wicked trailer comes to mind, along with Shiver), but with those I'd already planned on buying the book. For me, a good trailer is one that doesn't look amateur, that makes use of good costuming (if using actors) and lighting, that is careful with the details."

"Like a good cover for a book or a good song on an album, a trailer can create an atmosphere, evoke a feeling or mood that might snag some readers. Frankly, I don't see a lot of book trailers because I don't go looking for them. They are not necessarily right in front of the consumer the way a tv ad is."

"Sometimes they're great as little 'shorts' in their own right but like with movies, the more 'teasing' and 'mysterious' a book trailer is, and the less information it gives, the less inclined I am to bother following it up. The "This Is Not My Hat" trailer for Jon Klassen's upcoming book is a great example of a trailer (for a children's book, at least) done absolutely right."

"But then again, I make them. For my own book, as well as for others. http://224pages.com"

"Adding various media to your marketing strategy is usually a good idea, though it seems that few people probably buy based solely on the trailer (hopefully this survey will say for sure!)"

"I would rather read back cover copy than watch a trailer."

"Hi, I enjoy making trailers for my own books. So far I have made three, but before I even started I watched many, many trailers in order to find out what I did and didn't like about them. While there was much I admired about the ones I've seen (and yes, I did buy books because of them!), there were quite a few that had the following problems: a) they were too long, b) they could be very repetitive (same action or pictures repeated several times in the same trailer, c) the music was overwhelming, too dramatic, and didn't match the story, d) the same music had been used too many times on other trailers, e) the voice-over was muffled, too fast, or had a tone/quality that I then didn't want to read, and f) the trailer was SO professionally produced, acted, etc. that there was no way it could ever match the book, i.e., it really seemed like the trailer to a film, not a book, and I felt like I had seen too much already. I've now presented several seminars on making trailers, and these are the main points I do my best to help others avoid."

"I have books with trailers but is it impossible to tell if they are creating sales, so will be interested to see what your find."

"I loved The Chicken Problem book trailer. I also loved the I'm Bored song trailer thing. I'd like to see book trailers for graphic novels. Usually when I see book trailers they are posted with reviews or comments, so it's hard to say that I've ever purchased a book solely based on a book trailer."

"Hello, The example below is just the beginning and the end of the trailer, but are the parts that really hooked me. "The Red Garden introduces us to the luminous and haunting world of Blackwell, Massachusetts, capturing the unexpected turns in its history and in our own lives. In exquisite prose, Hoffman offers a transforming glimpse of small-town America, presenting us with some three hundred years of passion, dark secrets, loyalty, and redemption in a web of tales where characters' lives are intertwined by fate and by their own actions. . . . . . . . Beautifully crafted, shimmering with magic, The Red Garden is as unforgettable as it is moving." This trailer really made the book seem rich and deep, but Alice Hoffman is not a hard sale anyway. Thank you, Ann"

"I guess I'm too old school i.e. book trailers are too flash for me. I saw a few and I was put off. I tend to stick to my favorite authors who don't need to create trailers to sell books. If I hear about a good book (outside of my favorite authors) I'll research it further to see if I'll like it. if so I'll buy it."

"Don't give away too much. It's just like with movie trailers. If I feel like I've practically read the book by watching the trailer, I won't read the book."

"Most book trailers are just so cheesy, that they do more harm than good sometimes."

"I think some teachers use mine in schools but I'm not sure they really sell books."

"A book trailer needs to give me something I can't get from looking at the cover and reading the back cover copy. It needs to portray a sense of emotion and tone. I don't want to see the authors vision of a low budget film based on their book. Makers of book trailers would do well to study successful television and radio commercials. Keep them short (30seconds), match your music to the tone of the product (book) but remember it's background music and not the star of the show. Grab me with something shocking, funny, or unusual in the first 5 seconds if you want me to keep watching."

"I think trailers have not quite caught on yet - personally, I haven't bought a book because of one. But I do say sometimes, as I think they will become more and more important as book buyers become aware of them. I am an author - and I have begun work on a book trailer. So, I'll see what happens."

"I think that a decent, fun book trailer gets shared around the internet, so I think that's the main reason to make one. I like book trailers that show the inside and outside of the book, especially for picture books and art books. I like to see the physical-ness of the book. Too many sites don't show what the insides look like. I wanna know what I'm buying!"

"Book trailers totally grab my grade 3-5 students. Books that have a trailer fly off the shelf after I have book talked them using the trailer as a supplement."

"I use them in the media center. When I show one to my students they line up to check the book out."

"The best book trailers (to me,) focus on the book and not on dramatizing scenes from the book. When I see a trailer that looks like a movie, I always think: "Wow—I'd see that movie." But I never think: "I want to read that book." They feel counter- productive to me. Also, I don't always like seeing actors as the characters—it interferes with what I see in my head. The best book trailers are more like flap copy—setting the scene and the story, but not literally "showing" it to me. And they should be short. 2 minutes tops. 1.5 is better."

"Goals for a good trailer: -Set the tone -Inform the reader about the book -be entertaining -market towards target audience in imaginative ways (e.g. If the book is about how to take care of your dog, try to have links with pet stores, grooming stores, etc. and not just book trailer sites)"

"Isn't a book trailer just a commercial for a book? If done well it can help, if done poorly it can hurt."

"I think if a trailer is done right it can boost readership. I have never decided not to read a book based on the trailer, but I have chosen to read one I'm borderline on after seeing a good trailer for it."

"I am answering as a librarian. I can say that professionally created BTs of 30 seconds in length are an invaluable tool in spotlighting books on our middle school morning news show which reaches 1000 students per day. Longer trailers can generate interest but can only be shown to the class I'm working with."

"I don't know if there is a solid venue for book trailers? I think there needs to be more awareness of them."

"Most book trailers I have seen are cheesy and melodramatic. I usually avoid them."

"As an illustrator, I find the thumbnail of the trailer video important. It makes me decide to play it or not. Sneak peek pages could be more effective than trailers."

"Don't like live action book trailers. Prefer artsy ones that hint at the themes in the books. (See Maggie Stiefvater's trailer for The Raven Boys or Laini Taylor's trailer for Daughter of Smoke and Bone) Must have appropriate music. Badly done book trailers can do more damage than good. Those by self-pubbed authors tend to be generic and poorly produced. Spelling/grammar mistakes in a book trailer will make me not buy the book. This is a deal breaker."

"I don't understand book trailers at all. I don't get why people make them or watch them. They never tell you anything. Unlike movie trailers they can't even tell you if the movie will be well shot or well acted because books have no cinematography or acting. A book trailer is just a really self indulgent commercial. This book is sooo awesome, let me show you show pictures and clips relevant to the storyline while someone tells you how awesome it is. You should buy it. I have strong opinions on book trailers but maybe I'm in the minority."

"If the trailer is good, I think it helps. (Well I hope so or my trailer is a waste of time) I have seen some really bad trailers that made me decide not to buy a book."

"It seems like book trailers are getting shorter, which I think is a good thing. 2:00 is a lonnnnng trailer to me."

"Book trailers can be intriguing and build up higher interest in the book. But only if done professionally. Many, many book trailers I've seen are clearly not the author's forte, nor properly funded by the publisher. A cheap-looking trailer (for me) often makes me skeptical of buying the book because then I'm left wondering where else they cut corners."

"I don't see many book trailers. Every once in a while one will pop up, but without them being prevalent, it's hard for them to work. Also, since book trailers are a somewhat recent advertising scheme, a book trailer feels like a ploy to sell a book that wouldn't sell based on the quality of writing."

"My cousin uses them in her English class and I used them in my teen book club."

"I love movie-like book trailers, but they're expensive to get right. So unless writers have a big budget or an extremely talented friend, it's best if they just go with an amazing photo/words slideshow (and put the money into great music) or use the low-budget aspects as part of the story (character relating things to his own webcam, jostled smartphone video, etc.)."

"For me I don't really see the point. But some trailers are cute, I guess"

"Book trailers need to be more like a hook, a why-to-read pitch, not an overview or summary of plot points. Bad ones can really turn me off."

"Some very good trailers have lead me to take the books out of the library and recommend the trailer to others who may have purchased the book. As well, I have a couple of books on my to-read list because of a trailer. A lot of trailers are crap. Slow. Long. BORING! Look homemade. Uck. They are a couple of slides and photos in PowerPoint and (sadly) look it. They lack originality and don't pull the reader in. They have to, have to have to. And if you can entertain--please do! Bobbie Faye's Very, Very, Very Bad Day is AWESOME. As well I love the Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. So funny. Love the humour!"

"Twice now I've bought a book because I liked the trailer, but after I read the book I usually felt let down, because the trailer was better, or significantly different in feel, from the book."

"ONLY IN NON-FICTION. I cannot stress this enough. The only time I have ever bought a book from a trailer, it was a quilting book that I bought because the trailer showed all the quilts and patterns and I couldn't find interior pictures of the book elsewhere."

Survey Results: Print vs Digital Purchase?

For a list of all survey results as well as current surveys still in progress, see my Inkygirl Survey Archives.

Thanks to all those who responded to my most recent survey, which asked:

Q. When making a book purchase, do you prefer ebook or print format?

Of 129 responses, 60% said they preferred print. 25% preferred ebook/digital.

Of the remaining responses ("Other"), here are some of the comments:

Ebook to get it fast for YA, but print book for picture books, & when I really love a book I want both. - @CherylRainfield

I do both. It varies with price and format. Some picture books don't look so great on the Kindle. They look better on the iPad. - @StacySJensen

Print if I plan to share with my students. (so MG books) E if I'd like to be able to read it anywhere (love having selection on my device) E if it is MY copy of a book I'm using with a reading group (love the notes features on my device and I don't lose my notes that way) Print if I already own part of the series or it's a series I think I will loan to family or friends (it's complicated!) - @Mselke01

I prefer print for fiction or anything pictorial, but I like ebooks for quick access to information

It depends. For a quick read, ebook. For things I want to save and reread or refer to often, print. - @bexdk

It depends on the book. For most, I prefer ebook. But there are some I want a print copy for my bookshelves. Usually, they are by favorite authors or friends.

I like print for children's books, ebook for adult (pleasure) print for how to book's...

Depends on the book and the price..and where I'll be reading. For travel, I prefer e-books. For home or camping, I prefer print. - Julie Chilton

Ebook for fiction, print for non-fiction. - @crazywritinfool

Both. I can't really separate the two because I usually end up buying the book in print even if I have it on my Kindle/iPad. I can't give up my books. I also will buy books for Kindle that I already own in print simply because it is easier to take on a trip or read in bed (for example: "War & Peace"). - @InkyTwig

Both! I love having both formats for different situations. - @wickedagrarian

Depends on the book. If it's something I want straight away, ebook, if it's more of a collectable - print.

E-book for texts I'll read linearly (novels, short stories). Print for reference materials, anything with graphics, anything I expect to consult arbitrary sections of. Also print for books with more "staying power", ones I'll want to have for years and years, 'cause who knows what'll happen to digital content over time?

Depends on the format & purpose: print = illustrated books e = reference books a = audiobooks, which is the only format I consume for fun. Ebooks, unless there are many illustrations or photos. In that case, I prefer print.

It depends. If I need something right now, I'll order a Kindle version, but for a nice slow read, I'll order print. If I want something to take on the plane, I order a Kindle; if I want to read it while taking a bath, I'll order print. For study and writing in the margins I'll order print because I don't care for the annotation function in electronic devices. Even the markup function in Word is annoying even though it's industry standard. - @suelange

I only buy drm-free ebooks and so my selection is limited, but I'm quickly coming to prefer digital over print. - @limako

Depends on the book. Picture Book, Easy Reader - Print (love to look at the color illustrations and for studying page turns) MG, YA Fiction - Ebook (convenience of being able to take it anywhere easily) - @darshanakhiani

Digital for novels, print for picture books.

Whichever is cheapest, naturally! (which at the moment is nearly ALWAYS print) - @readitdaddy

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Next survey: Book Trailers - Do They Work? (3 multiple choice questions + optional comments)

Do you have a suggestion for a future survey question? Please let me know!

My informal surveys about writing, reading & publishing

I currently have over 21,000 followers in Twitter, and I've noticed that whenever I ask a question of interest to writers, I get quite a few great answers. Unless everyone uses the same hashtag, however, only I see replies. To help others benefit and exchange helpful info, I've decided to start up a series of informal surveys to do with writing, reading and publishing.

I'm using an upgraded Surveymonkey service, did a test run a while back, and am pleased with the interface/security. My test question: Do you own an ebook reader? 73% said yes.

Feel free to suggest survey questions, but please note that I am only interested in questions whose answers will ultimately help writers in their craft or business or knowledge of the industry, NOT for a specific project or promo.

Here's the first official survey: When making a book purchase, do you prefer digital or print? Please answer here. Anyone who answers will see the aggregate results. I'll post a more detailed summary in an upcoming Inkygirl post.

And if you have suggestions for future survey questions, please do post them below or use this form. Thanks!

Writer Survey & An Amusing Barton Fink Video Clip: "I'm A Writer, You Monsters!"

My "writer uniform" today:

-- Red track pants

-- T-shirt

-- Fleece jacket

I try to avoid working in pajamas. I know some writers do, but I don't because I inevitably lose track of time when I'm working, and I don't want to have to answer the front door.

What do YOU tend to wear when you write?

(Thanks to David Diaz for the YouTube link)

Time management and writing...and a poll

Apologies for the sporadic schedule of my blog posts lately. I'm finding it much easier to post regularly in my inkyelbows Twitter account, if you're interested in writing tweets...I usually post there at least several times a day.

Since the SCBWI Summer Conference, I've been approached by a number of publishers interested in my illustrations and/or writing. While it's wonderful to have the attention after years of trying to get publishers to notice me, I'm now scrambling to get my projects finished so I have something to send.

Which brings me to time management. There's a fine balance between working on building up a strong author platform and not spending enough time creating the content for that platform to support. But where do you draw the line? I'm still figuring that out myself.

Meanwhile, however, I'm about to send off one mss today (yay!) and aiming to finish a nonfiction book proposal to send out by the end of next week.

What about the rest of you? How do you balance social networking and blogging with your writing time?

How do YOU avoid getting distracted by the Internet?

Some writers are able to switch off their computers and stay off e-mail and the Web all day. Freelance writers who rely at least partly on client work for income, however, sometimes don't have this luxury. The Internet can be a wonderful resource for writers but it can also be a major timesuck.

To those who DO have to go online at least a few times a day: How do you manage your time online? Do you limit the amount of time you spend on social networking sites? What tricks and tips can you offer others? What -doesn't- work for you?

Better To Outline Or Not To Outline? Some Survey Responses

A while back I posted a poll about whether you outlined before you started to write. 109 people responded, and 48% of you said you do use an outline. 29% said no, and 32% of you said it's too complicated for just a yes/no answer. Those who outline say it helps keep them on track as well as saving time later -- if they encounter a major plot problem, for example, it better to have to restructure an outline than have to restructure a written novel. Those who shun outlines say it's because they don't want their creativity or interest to be sapped away by writing a detailed outline. Many seem to prefer a very rough outline to give them a vague guideline about where they want their plot and characters to go, but leaving enough leeway to change their minds along the way. Thanks to everyone who responded! Here are some of your responses: Lazette Gifford: "I am a true believer in outlines. For a good many years I didn't work with them and swore I never would, but I found that once I learned the process and level of outline that works for me, I could write far more complex and coherent manuscripts. The trick, I think, is to be willing to experiment with different things. Any writer who decides there is only 'one true way' to write (or to outline) isn't open to experimentation, which I feel is a vital part of growth as a writer. I do sometimes still write 'without a net' for the fun of it, but the books inevitably need far more reworking than those where I have already worked out subplots and have a direction in which to go. Outlines are roadmaps of your story's journey. They point you in the right direction and give you points of interest to cover. They don't tell you exactly what your character is going to say and do and they don't disallow surprises, detours and side trips along the way. But even if you go off the map, so to speak, they're there to help you find your way back to a satisfying end." J.A. Marlow: "Way back when I used to be a pantser. But the stories weren't very good, and the projects wouldn't get finished. In 2007 I tried Nano for the first time, and read Lazette Giffords free Nano book with the Phase Outline. From that moment everything changed. I use different types of outlines depending on what the books need. Sometimes it's a quick phase outline of the important milestones. Sometimes it's by scene. Sometimes I take it by scene and then outline underneath each scene (I've written an article in Vision about using Scrivener to do this). I've had a 100 word outline, and outlines of 20k. The one thing I try to do, is to be flexible on the needs of each particular project. The big plus about finding outlining methods that work is that I've finished every writing project I've started. Talk about exciting!" Claudia Osmond: "I've found that when I outline it bogs me down and I think more about where I'm "supposed" to be going rather than where the story wants to take me. For me, writing is like life: no matter how much I try to plan it out, it always ends up growing legs of its own and rarely does it take the path I'd thought it should. So I've learned to live my life in wide open spaces and that just naturally spills over into my creative life as well. That's how I function best." Tabitha: "I do some freewriting first. It's usually a journal from the perspective of my main character, and she tells me her story. When that's all out (and it's usually a big ol' mess), then I take all that information and put it in order, then turn it into an outline. Then, I will start writing chapter one. :)" Katherine: "I keep wanting to outline, but every time I do, either I'm not pleased with the results, or I deviate from the outline after following it for a few points. I've tried various forms of outlining over the years, but the one I like the best is phase drafting (http://www.fmwriters.com/Visionback/Issue%2015/phase.htm for details). It's a great outline style for people who hate outlining and just want to get to the story, but know they need an outline to keep it all straight. It also makes it easy to document your deviations so you can keep your plot in control." Jan Morrison says she doesn't outline because she doesn't want to know what happens next else she'll get bored and not want to write the story. "Plus how do I know what my characters are going to do before I get to know them. If I get heavy-handed with them they'll just go all bland and passive on me. I wish they wouldn't up and move to places I've never been though. That is very aggravating." Olivia: "Actually I only outline when I'm writing a police novel (or crime fiction, as you call it). When I'm writing something else, I just write. They are different processes, both work for me. The crime fiction novel needs the outline because things need to be all wrapped together and the plot must drive the reader forward. In the other stuff I write that's not the case. The reference is the characters, so usually I have a vague notion of what't going to happen with them, but I let them drive me forward as I write. :)" S J Bradley: "I don't minutely outline every single chapter, but I outline the structure of the book and its story, deciding where I will position set-pieces and character's arcs. I find it helps save time later on (in my first novel, I didn't begin by outlining, and it took me years and years of rewriting to try and put everything right. In hindsight I see that no amount of rewriting is going to put right the significant structural problems that were generated by not outlining in the first place!)" Iqra says she has all the concepts of her story in her head. "Not word-wise, but concept-wise. When I finally sit down to write the piece, I already have the main skeleton in my head, but because it's in my head, it gets modified a lot as I write it out. That's fine, because an idea has to go through a lot of edits before it makes the final cut." Rachel Starr Thomson doesn't start outlining until she's about a third of the way into the story. Story Weaver: "Outlining usually hems in my creative process and makes it impossible for me to think outside the box." Eric J. Krause: "I try not to put too much detail into my outline, as I feel that soaks up my creativity. I outline 10 key scenes first, then fill in the gaps with plenty of more scenes. I try to limit each scene so they will fit on 1 3x5 card, trying hard not to write too tiny. This keeps, in my view, the details down and ready to be mined when I actually start writing." Jordi: "I have a basic outline--I usually do some worldbuilding first, and then some basic character profiles and some of the major plot points. That's the extent of my outlining. I keep notes for other things like subplots and details on settings and the like." C.D Reimer: "For short stories that are longer than five pages, I outline the story. If I can't write from beginning to end, I usually jump around in the outline to write out whatever is easier. Revising the story is when I smooth out the bumps from the rough draft. For my first novel, I developed a broad outline to divide into parts. Each part has outlines that covers an individual chapter or an arc of chapters. I usually place fast and loose with the outline." Lisa Dale: "I never worked with an outline before; I've always maintained that I'm an organic writer (which is a nice way of saying, I wing it). But in order to sell my new (third) romance novel, I had to put a proposal together and that meant the publisher needed to know what exactly they were buying. Now, I've seen the light and plan to do more outlining as I go forward. There's a different kind of momentum now that I'm working with an outline, and I'm really digging it! Great poll! Thanks!" Shannon Morgan: "I determine my turning points and act endings for each major character, then use those to fill in the scenes between. Spreadsheets rule my outlining process. :)" Andrew Sheard: "I choose not to outline because I have a firm belief that outlines are pointless for the following reasons : * They change constantly * They rarely work for anything except short stories * They can be confining when writing * They can inhibit a character's choices * They encourage writers to "put off writing this" " They make authors feel like they've got a working novel/piece when in reality they've only got the very mortar the building blocks are made out of." Liz H Allen: "I have to outline for a novel. It allows me to weave different story lines in and out and make sure all of them are resolved. Besides, I have such a lack of concentration, I'd forget half the things I wrote without an outline. I don't outline for short stories though." Benjamin Solah: "I only outline for longer projects. Short stories I usually just spit out and rewrite until they make sense. For longer, projects I use the snowflake technique beginning with a one sentence outline, then a paragraph, then a page and expanding until I have a dot point for each scene/event and then I can begin to write." Reesha: "The initial start is pure writing with no outline where I just write whatever scene is in my head. But after that, I look at the scene, take what I have, and make an outline, deciding where the scene fits in, who's in it and why, how the characters got to that point, etc. Those are the bare bones. From there, I add character, setting, thicken the plot, add subplots, and dialogue. Somewhere along the line, I'll end up creating something that resembles half of a story bible." Susana Mai: "I'm one of those writers who feels as if the characters talk to me, and that I am merely communicating what they need to say. That doesn't mean I only sit at my desk when inspiration strikes--I force myself to write, to parse and comprehend the words, to have that natural melody flow through my fingers. That's ruined by planning. It inhibits my writing, restricts it. And though I usually have an idea of where I'm going to end up, I don't plan plotlines in the same way I don't plan certain themes. They tend to appear by themselves (likely because I have something I particularly want to express) instead of being forced down the character's throat. It makes for a little more editing in the end, but I feel like I've succeeded in obtaining that pure, free, spur-of-the-moment authentic voice." Robert Whitfield: "I use very brief outlines, a lot of my writing is short pieces, but even for longer texts I prefer to let my imagination run on the page (for want of a pretentious phrase). I like my characters to suprise me." Margaret Fisk: "I start with a synopsis of the high points and then outline one summary per scene in Excel. That way it's easy to edit or move things around." Grace: "For novels I create some character worksheets, do a brief outline of about seven points, and then I start writing. If I over-plan it saps the enthusiasm right out of me. I write the scenes in the order they occur to me, and rearrange later, which makes revisions a mess. I'm still refining my process, and I suppose I always will be." Casey Jewels: "I always had a hard time in school doing the outlines, and so I always wrote those up after I started on the essay. This is true for my fiction work as well--I can't outline. I'm a discovery writer and, while I'll have some ideas for scenes in the back of my head, I can't sit there and write down what I'm going to write about. Over the years, I've come to realize that it's because it makes the story feel too predictable. I get ideas as I write for future scenes, but I start writing anything down outline-wise and my entire story comes to a standstill." PiscesMuse: "I haven't gotten heavily into outlining. I kind of brainstorm. I think about the story I want to write. Sometimes it's an idea, sometimes it's a character, sometimes it's a scene. Sometimes I let those percolate for awhile and let them gather more ideas, other times I dive right in. But sometime after writing a bit and wondering where things are going and how things connect I will bust out a little brainstorming to give myself a plan. It's never the same and it depends on the idea I am working with." Cid: "I outline because generally I get struck with a few story elements at once or in quick succession and I need to get down on paper how they build on each other or how the climax is reached. If I don't - I ramble - a lot." Sachula: "If its going to be a big project, yes - usually. Most of my ideas start as images, scenes, or bits of dialog between random characters. I will write a few of these down, and if the ideas continue, I will attempt to piece together an outline from that." Jessica: "I outline a little before I begin writing. The beginning of my outline is a way for me to get my ideas together, where I want the story to start, etc. I'll outline throughout the whole writing process. I'll write the beginning that I've outlined, then outline the next few chapters, write those chapters, outline the next few, and so on. I do this because I never really know exactly where my story is going to end up going. I always know how I want to story to begin, where I want to be around the middle, and how I want it to end. But all the meat in between those is always changing and evolving, so I don't like to do a whole lot of outlining at once and have the story in up in a completely different place and then have to redo my entire outline." Justina Clayburn: "Most of the time I have a story idea in my head for quite a while before I start writing. Also, sometimes in order to get myself to the end I outline so that I can remind myself where I'm going and that it won't take *that* long to get there." Melissa Banigan: "I generally make a rough outline so that I can see if my project is fully-conceived/realistic. Often, I think I have a complete story, but find through the processes of writing an outline that I have somehow tried to get from A to C without including B. Sometimes I can fix the problems, sometimes not, but by writing even a loose outline, I can save myself months of hard work (only to find that the project is ridiculous)." Nancy Kelly Allen: "I do a informal paragraph-style outline for picture and chapter books." 52 Faces: "I'm a pantzer (wth is it spelled like that? It makes me feel like a reindeer.) It might come from my background as an actor and playwright, when I had to come up with character backgrounds very quickly. I have an easier time getting into a character by speaking in their voice (to date I've only written one novel not in first person narrative) for a while and they'll tell me what I need to know. The plot comes from there." Meg: "If I don't outline, the story gets stuck in my head, I blank on where to go next, characters come and die in corners because I forgot to feed them, there is absolutely no sane worldbuilding, rocks fall and everyone dies. If I outline, I get bored with the story and wander off in search of something shiny. Or flail about complaining that the story is too simple, what am I doing with that character, this theme is shallow, should this scene go first or second, oh woe, oh woe. So...I have the most success with smashing out everything in my head onto the paper, every teeny-tiny piece of dialogue or plot point, and going back over the draft 9-10 (or triple that) times adding story and editing. Most of the research gets done as I need to fact check. Would this count as a really thorough outline with many, many gaps? It's horrifically slow, but I've just come to accept that my brain has complicated needs." Ieva: "My main trouble with outlining is that once I "know" what's supposed to be in a scene, it gets boring and I either become blocked, or write something totally different. I've developed several other intuitive methods for supplying creativity for everyday writing. (NaNoWriMo is an exception, I try to outline for those.)" Ceri: "I didn't used to do this at all. I would have a rough idea of either the characters or a piece of plot, and I'd just start writing from there. And I never finished anything. I never knew how the stories were going to end, or even how they were going to begin or progress. I have stories that are around 70 000 words but haven't been finished and storywise are still in midwayish places. I still have no idea how they should end. I've just kept on writing because of that. Now I started my newest project by outlining it. I did specific character sheets, and place sheets as well. I have two notebooks worth of pure planning, and I knew from the beginning how my story was going to end. _Still_, things can always change. The characters changed a little all the time. One of them, who was originally a very confident person, became a person with no self confidence whatsoever. She was down all the time and she ended up in the hospital. None of that was planned. Also, the ending changed radically. The ending I originally planned did happen, but the story went on from there, after I'd carefully planned the latter part of the story. What I'm trying to say is, everything is subject to change. The characters live their own lives, and the story evolves around them. I usually write down the main plotline and then some minor plotlines or twists to keep it interesting. The rest is up to the characters, and I've had a couple of great minor plotlines evolve while writing the story." Grace Bridges: "Snowflake Method - but not all of the steps. I leave out the ones involving character development and focus on plot." Eliza: "I do some general outlining, like major plot points. And if I get stuck, I will outline the next few scenes to get the juices flowing again. I like to have the ending in mind when I start writing the book, but putting every scene down feels tedious and unnecessary." C. Clark: "I've written with and without outlines and I've come to find that having an outline works for me as a writer. I can easily change things in an outline (shuffle scenes and the like) rather then changing thousands (or more) words in a novel." Marta: "Even in high school where teachers made us outline, I couldn't do it. Or at least I couldn't do it well. Outlines make me feel that I'm forcing the story to be something it may not want to be. I want the freedom to discover the story, and, honestly, if I spend a lot of time on the outline, I no longer feel the desire to write the story. I don't start stories with endings in mind. I start with one image and see where is goes." Sandra Gulland: "For my 5th novel, the novel I'm writing now, I made a serious outline — that is, 40 pages — and took it through 3 drafts. It took me 8 years to write my last novel, and over 1/3 of it was scrapped: I didn't want to go up so many dead ends this time. I was inspired by Robert Olen Butler's "From Where You Dream": Chapter 5, "A Writer Prepares." This is scene-outlining, which you've mentioned before on this blog. The outline is not descriptive, but imaginative: I think of the outline as an imaginative first draft. I'm pleased with the method." Marisa: "I outline to death. First the entire book, then each chapter individually. And when I really need to kill time, I outline each scene, too. By then I'm usually too exhausted to actually write..."

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Survey: Do you outline or not?

I've posted a new survey via Survey Monkey. Please do answer via this link rather than in the comments section for your results to be included in the summary. I'll post a follow-up on survey results next week. Thanks!

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