Had a conversation with a retired editor at a coffee shop in Portland that changed how I outline

I was stuck on a fantasy novel plot and this older guy at the counter saw my notebook. He said, 'Stop planning the ending first, build the middle like a maze with one exit.' Then he drew a little map on a napkin showing how each scene should force a choice. I tried it on my next short story and the pacing finally clicked. Has anyone else gotten writing advice from a stranger that actually worked?

2 comments

2 Comments

sageburns4d ago

That napkin maze trick actually worked for me too.

miles7984d ago

You're saying it actually worked for you, but I've gotta push back here. Part of me thinks the napkin maze trick only works because people want it to, like a placebo effect, no real proof behind it. Maybe we should be more skeptical of things like this, @sageburns, instead of jumping on the bandwagon so fast.