--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you take a few days to write an…" description: "\"If you take a few days to write an outline, you're just making up scenes that you think will work, that you think will be interesting. But as you write..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/elmore-leonard-3471_better_if-you-take-a-few-days-to-write-an-outli_868687.jpg" --- # If you take a few days to write an outline, you're just… ![“If you take a few days to write an outline, you're just making up scenes that you think will work, that you think will be interesting. But as you write it, other ideas occur - better ideas that have to do with what you're writing.” quote by Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/elmore-leonard-3471_better_if-you-take-a-few-days-to-write-an-outli_868687.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/elmore-leonard-3471_better_if-you-take-a-few-days-to-write-an-outli_868687.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/elmore-leonard-3471_better_if-you-take-a-few-days-to-write-an-outli_868687.jpg) > “If you take a few days to write an outline, you're just making up scenes that you think will work, that you think will be interesting. But as you write it, other ideas occur - better ideas that have to do with what you're writing.” [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Planning outlines can limit spontaneity; writing reveals better, organic ideas. **In simple terms:** Outlines may stifle creativity. Key Takeaway Embrace flexibility in writing. Themes creativity process spontaneity Mood thoughtful inspired Type advice creative When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - brainstorming - editing Key Concepts narrative development creative flow Questions to Reflect On - Do you rely too much on outlines? - How can you stay open to new ideas? A Different Perspective Rigid outlines can hinder unexpected breakthroughs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“I never used to write down all the ideas that occur to me while writing. I believed if I forgot them they were not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-never-used-to-write-down-all-the-ideas-that-occur-to-me-while/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [I don't plan the books ahead of time. It's not like Harry Potter. I don't work in a straight line. I don't write with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/i-don-t-plan-the-books-ahead-of-time-it-s-not-like-harry-potter-i-don/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [I don't write with an outline. I don't often know what I'm going to do as I'm writing. And I do everything by feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/i-don-t-write-with-an-outline-i-don-t-often-know-what-i-m-going-to-do/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“I never used an outline until I started "The Bourne Legacy" project for which I was required to write an outline. To be honest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-van-lustbader/i-never-used-an-outline-until-i-started-the-bourne-legacy-project-for/) [Eric Van Lustbader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-van-lustbader/) > [I don't write a play from beginning to end. I don't write an outline. I write scenes and moments as they occur to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-greenberg/i-don-t-write-a-play-from-beginning-to-end-i-don-t-write-an-outline-i/) [Richard Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-greenberg/) > [Outlining is like putting on training wheels. It gives me the courage to write, but we always go off the outline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hallie-ephron/outlining-is-like-putting-on-training-wheels-it-gives-me-the-courage/) [Hallie Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hallie-ephron/) > [My general writing preface is to write an outline and then ignore about half of it, both on a micro level with the individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/my-general-writing-preface-is-to-write-an-outline-and-then-ignore/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [“Why would the same ideas occur to different people at the same time? Ogburn and Thomas argued that it was because our ideas are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-penguin-press/why-would-the-same-ideas-occur-to-different-people-at-the-same-time/) [The Penguin Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-penguin-press/) > [It is in quiet that our best ideas occur to us. Don't make the mistake of believing that by a frantic kind of dashing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/it-is-in-quiet-that-our-best-ideas-occur-to-us-don-t-make-the-mistake/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Some of the best ideas I get seem to happen when I'm doing mindless manual labor or exercise. I'm not sure how that happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/some-of-the-best-ideas-i-get-seem-to-happen-when-i-m-doing-mindless/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [No, I don't harbor any mystical ideas about writing, Your Honor, it's work like any other kind of craft; the power of literature, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/no-i-don-t-harbor-any-mystical-ideas-about-writing-your-honor-it-s/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [We may have our own ideas in the writing and editing stages, but we work out those disagreements in a constructive way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-fleck/we-may-have-our-own-ideas-in-the-writing-and-editing-stages-but-we/) [Ryan Fleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-fleck/) > [I think I know what my bandmates like or are interested in or would be interested in doing. I take ideas and I develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dieterich/i-think-i-know-what-my-bandmates-like-or-are-interested-in-or-would/) [John Dieterich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dieterich/) > [As my kid gets a little bit older, if I feel like I have a little bit more time on my hands, I'd like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/busy-philipps/as-my-kid-gets-a-little-bit-older-if-i-feel-like-i-have-a-little-bit/) [Busy Philipps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/busy-philipps/) > [I have great ideas, but the follow through is always really difficult for me. As my kid gets a little bit older, if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/busy-philipps/i-have-great-ideas-but-the-follow-through-is-always-really-difficult/) [Busy Philipps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/busy-philipps/) ## More by Elmore Leonard > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [These are rules I've picked up along the way to help me remain invisible when I'm writing a book, to help me show rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/these-are-rules-i-ve-picked-up-along-the-way-to-help-me-remain/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“There’s something happening here, I know it. It’s right in front of my face, but I just can’t see it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/there-s-something-happening-here-i-know-it-it-s-right-in-front-of-my/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/the-line-of-dialogue-belongs-to-the-character-the-verb-is-the-writer/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“I try to leave out the parts that people skip.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-try-to-leave-out-the-parts-that-people-skip/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I have fun writing. I don't make it a chore. I don't have to struggle with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-have-fun-writing-i-don-t-make-it-a-chore-i-don-t-have-to-struggle/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can't allow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/if-it-sounds-like-writing-i-rewrite-it-or-if-proper-usage-gets-in-the/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I don’t think writers compete, I think they’re all doing separate things in their own style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-don-t-think-writers-compete-i-think-they-re-all-doing-separate/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [After 58 years you'd think writing would get easier. It doesn't. If you're lucky, you become harder to please. That's all right, it's still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/after-58-years-you-d-think-writing-would-get-easier-it-doesn-t-if-you/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“He saw Harvey and Edgar catch each other's eye as he looked off toward the strains of "Alley Cat," Jesus, hoping they'd rush it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/he-saw-harvey-and-edgar-catch-each-other-s-eye-as-he-looked-off/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I'm not going to write for posterity. I'm going to write to make a buck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-m-not-going-to-write-for-posterity-i-m-going-to-write-to-make-a-buck/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“A wife's faithful to her husband, subject to him. It's in the bible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/a-wife-s-faithful-to-her-husband-subject-to-him-it-s-in-the-bible/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Using adverbs is a mortal sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/using-adverbs-is-a-mortal-sin/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Try not to write the parts that people skip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/try-not-to-write-the-parts-that-people-skip/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I want the reader to know what's going on. So there's never a mystery in my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-want-the-reader-to-know-what-s-going-on-so-there-s-never-a-mystery/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) [Explore all 130 Elmore Leonard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) ## More Better quotes > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. I would get to my choir class,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fonsi/everybody-has-their-cliques-and-i-was-very-shy-i-m-still-very-shy/) [Luis Fonsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fonsi/) > [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/) [Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. I'm not so good at understated, kitchen-sink kinds of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/the-bigger-the-canvas-the-better-i-do-i-m-not-so-good-at-understated/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [The Little you Give !! The Better it Gets !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-stanyer/the-little-you-give-the-better-it-gets/) [Mario Stanyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-stanyer/) > [A strong, durable Puerto Rican economy will leave the island better prepared to handle future natural disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/a-strong-durable-puerto-rican-economy-will-leave-the-island-better/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [In my first 100 days as Ontario's Minister of Transportation, I found a willing municipal partner in the City of Toronto that shares our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-mulroney/in-my-first-100-days-as-ontario-s-minister-of-transportation-i-found/) [Caroline Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-mulroney/) > [It hasn't been a conscious thing, like, 'I don't want to listen to a bunch of dudes,' but I genuinely like music by women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soccer-mommy/it-hasn-t-been-a-conscious-thing-like-i-don-t-want-to-listen-to-a/) [Soccer Mommy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soccer-mommy/) > [Life is going to hit you some line drives, and sometimes you'll have to think fast. However, it's better to think first than to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/life-is-going-to-hit-you-some-line-drives-and-sometimes-you-ll-have/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [I like to collaborate with other people for studio recordings because I believe collaboration, in any form, makes music better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-like-to-collaborate-with-other-people-for-studio-recordings-because/) [Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [Not having drops and not taking plays off, if I do that it will make everyone around me better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demaryius-thomas/not-having-drops-and-not-taking-plays-off-if-i-do-that-it-will-make/) [Demaryius Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demaryius-thomas/) > [Cara Delevingne and I took an eyebrow selfie. We both have prominent eyebrows, but hers are much better than mine. Maybe we should do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/cara-delevingne-and-i-took-an-eyebrow-selfie-we-both-have-prominent/) [Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/) > [I never really look at it past one year. I look at last year and my whole goal is to be a better player…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-williams/i-never-really-look-at-it-past-one-year-i-look-at-last-year-and-my/) [Trent Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-williams/) Browse all 17,085 Better quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you take a few days to write an outline, you're just making up scenes that you think will work, that you think will be interesting. But as you write it, other ideas occur - better ideas that have to do with what you're writing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elmore Leonard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/if-you-take-a-few-days-to-write-an-outline-you-re-just-making-up/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Better" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/if-you-take-a-few-days-to-write-an-outline-you-re-just-making-up/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/elmore-leonard-3471_better_if-you-take-a-few-days-to-write-an-outli_868687.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/elmore-leonard-3471_better_if-you-take-a-few-days-to-write-an-outli_868687.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/elmore-leonard-3471_better_if-you-take-a-few-days-to-write-an-outli_868687.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you take a few days to write an outline, you're just making up scenes that you think will work, that you…” — Elmore Leonard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Elmore Leonard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you take a few days...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/if-you-take-a-few-days-to-write-an-outline-you-re-just-making-up/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/if-you-take-a-few-days-to-write-an-outline-you-re-just-making-up/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```