-----Original Message-----
From: Jusenkyo Guide <jusenkyoguide@mailcity.com>
To: ffml@fanfic.com <ffml@fanfic.com>
Date: Monday, July 06, 1998 6:33 PM
Subject: Re: [FFML] Writing Practice (Was Evaluating Stories)

Quick question, what does everyone thing of outlines? I mean really sitting

down and outlining your fic before applying pen to paper (Or fingers to
keyboard) I know I generly don't as my fic change drasticly from the mental
outline I keep so I was wondering if anyone does and how well it works?
After all, as someone pointed out, we are here to impove our skills.


I write outlines for my longer stories. It's helpful because I like
combining
different story ideas into one. When I started "Double Trouble", I wanted
to write what would happen if both Ranma and Akane were cursed to
physically look like each other. Then I combined that with my ideas of
different reasons for the characters wanting to love/kill the two like
changing Ukyo's dowry to Star Wars action figures (she's a huge fan)
and have her hate the idea of being engaged to Ranma because he's
a trekkie and everyone knows Star Wars is the better series.

The outline helps me keep the story straight in my head. It also keeps
me from having the last story be a bunch of explanations for the
numerous subplots I forgot to resolve.

JG (Who's hoping that this won't post three times like it did last time)

******
I didn't spend all those years playing Dungeons and Dragons
and not learn a little something about courage.
                                          - Jose Chung's "From Outer Space"