Decided Quote by J. K. Rowling

At the time I begin writing a novel, the last thing I want to do is follow a plot outline. To know too much…

— Elmore Leonard

I plot as I go. Many novelists write an outline that has almost as many pages as their ultimate book. Others knock out a…

— Clive Cussler

What I have to outline is action and plot because I'm not particularly good at that.

— Janet Evanovich

I start writing with only the vaguest idea about who my characters are and what is going to happen, and the characters and plot…

— Karen Robards

The way that I write novels in particular is I don't usually outline; I just write. Part of the fun is discovering what's happening…

— John Scalzi

When you get ready to write your novel, outline it first. There's nothing worse than getting halfway through and realizing you've painted yourself in…

— Janet Evanovich

Normally I start with a plot, and write a synopsis, and the ideas come from the construction.

— Jo Nesbo

Characters are incredibly important, but I tend to build them around the plot during the outline stage. However, once I'm writing the manuscript, the…

— Aimee Carter

I outline in some detail, but even after the outline is done I often get a new idea that is an improvement, so the…

— Jeff Abbott

I really don't keep an outline; I don't organize in any way. I just write.

— Kevin Kwan

I have a number of writers I work with regularly. I write an outline for a book. The outlines are very specific about what…

— James Patterson

I don't plot the books out ahead of time, I don't plan them. I don't begin at the beginning and end at the end.…

— Diana Gabaldon