--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't make outlines or plans because…" description: "\"I don't make outlines or plans because whenever I do, they turn out to be useless. It is as if I am compelled to violate the scope of any outline or pl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/leslie-marmon-silko-14967_compelled_i-don-t-make-outlines-or-plans-because-w_460013.jpg" --- # I don't make outlines or plans because whenever I do, they… ![“I don't make outlines or plans because whenever I do, they turn out to be useless. It is as if I am compelled to violate the scope of any outline or plan; it is as if the writing does not want me to know what is about to happen.” quote by Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/leslie-marmon-silko-14967_compelled_i-don-t-make-outlines-or-plans-because-w_460013.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/leslie-marmon-silko-14967_compelled_i-don-t-make-outlines-or-plans-because-w_460013.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/leslie-marmon-silko-14967_compelled_i-don-t-make-outlines-or-plans-because-w_460013.jpg) > “I don't make outlines or plans because whenever I do, they turn out to be useless. It is as if I am compelled to violate the scope of any outline or plan; it is as if the writing does not want me to know what is about to happen.” [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Plans often fail because creative work resists rigid structures, urging spontaneity over strict outlines. **In simple terms:** Writing thrives on flexibility, not strict planning. Key Takeaway Embrace fluidity in creation. Themes creativity process flexibility Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type creative process. When to use this quote - creative brainstorming - author workshops - self‑directed projects Key Concepts writing artistic expression project management personal discipline Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel constraints hinder your ideas? - How can you balance structure with spontaneity? A Different Perspective Over‑planning can stifle originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Scope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scope/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [I never work from an outline, and often I dont know how the story will end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-maclachlan/i-never-work-from-an-outline-and-often-i-dont-know-how-the-story-will/) [Patricia MacLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-maclachlan/) > [As for the story, whether the poet takes it ready made or constructs it for himself, he should first sketch its general outline, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/as-for-the-story-whether-the-poet-takes-it-ready-made-or-constructs/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [I would also argue that there is a good chance that an outline will help you stave off any onslaught of writer's block. Let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/i-would-also-argue-that-there-is-a-good-chance-that-an-outline-will/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [If ever I were to have a symbol attributed to me, it would be a heart, the outline!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolph-valentino/if-ever-i-were-to-have-a-symbol-attributed-to-me-it-would-be-a-heart/) [Rudolph Valentino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolph-valentino/) > [Due to the sweeping time frame and the voices moving back and forth, the outline for 'The Invention of Wings' was the strangest one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/due-to-the-sweeping-time-frame-and-the-voices-moving-back-and-forth/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/when-you-get-ready-to-write-your-novel-outline-it-first-there-s/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [I don't think I'm anything like the improviser. I'm not. I do better with at least an outline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-turner/i-don-t-think-i-m-anything-like-the-improviser-i-m-not-i-do-better/) [Kathleen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-turner/) > [I don't work with an outline, except a vague one in my head, a general idea of character, place, arc... I'm like a composer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/said-sayrafiezadeh/i-don-t-work-with-an-outline-except-a-vague-one-in-my-head-a-general/) [Said Sayrafiezadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/said-sayrafiezadeh/) > [We really had the whole piece laid out in like a Word file, just from beginning to end. It was kind of more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crowder/we-really-had-the-whole-piece-laid-out-in-like-a-word-file-just-from/) [Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crowder/) > [I hate outlines. I have a broad sense of where the story is going; I know the end, I know the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/i-hate-outlines-i-have-a-broad-sense-of-where-the-story-is-going-i/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [A lot of people think that they are really cool because they don't outline. In my writing group, they would say, "I will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-de-la-pena/a-lot-of-people-think-that-they-are-really-cool-because-they-don-t/) [Matt de la Pena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-de-la-pena/) > [I used to be an obsessive outliner - figuring that writing without an outline was like jumping off a cliff and building a parachute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-wasserman/i-used-to-be-an-obsessive-outliner-figuring-that-writing-without-an/) [Robin Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-wasserman/) > [The more work you put in on your outline and getting the skeleton of your story right, the easier the process is later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/the-more-work-you-put-in-on-your-outline-and-getting-the-skeleton-of/) [Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/) > [I enjoy writing scripts. I can find out what happens. With an outline, I feel like I'm doing an architectural diagram of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-enjoy-writing-scripts-i-can-find-out-what-happens-with-an-outline-i/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## More by Leslie Marmon Silko > [To be able to make up stories has been a great gift to me from my ancestors and from the storytellers who were so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/to-be-able-to-make-up-stories-has-been-a-great-gift-to-me-from-my/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [“rip the tongue from the darkness shake the earth with your breathing and explode gray ice dreams of eternity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/rip-the-tongue-from-the-darkness-shake-the-earth-with-your-breathing/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [He made a story for all of them, a story to give them strength. The words of the story poured out of his mouth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/he-made-a-story-for-all-of-them-a-story-to-give-them-strength-the/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [The truth of course was otherwise, but Lecha had never felt she owed anyone the truth, unless it was truth about their own lives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/the-truth-of-course-was-otherwise-but-lecha-had-never-felt-she-owed/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [“He could get no rest as long as the memories were tangled with the present”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/he-could-get-no-rest-as-long-as-the-memories-were-tangled-with-the/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [The story was the important thing and little changes here and there were really part of the story. There were even stories about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/the-story-was-the-important-thing-and-little-changes-here-and-there/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [You don't have anything if you don't have the stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/you-don-t-have-anything-if-you-don-t-have-the-stories/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [Being alive was all right then: he had not breathed like that for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/being-alive-was-all-right-then-he-had-not-breathed-like-that-for-a/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [What is it about us human beings that we can’t let go of lost things?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/what-is-it-about-us-human-beings-that-we-can-t-let-go-of-lost-things/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [The only way to get change is not through the courts or — heaven forbid — the politicians, but through a change of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/the-only-way-to-get-change-is-not-through-the-courts-or-heaven-forbid/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [Night. Heavenly delicious sweet night of the desert that calls all of us to love her. The night is our comfort with her coolness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/night-heavenly-delicious-sweet-night-of-the-desert-that-calls-all-of/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [Writing cant change the world overnight, but writing may have an enormous effect over time, over the long haul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/writing-cant-change-the-world-overnight-but-writing-may-have-an/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [Things which don't shift and grow are dead things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/things-which-don-t-shift-and-grow-are-dead-things/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [“I will tell you something about stories. They aren't just entertainment. They are all we have to fight off illness and death. You don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/i-will-tell-you-something-about-stories-they-aren-t-just/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [When someone dies, you don't get over it by forgetting; you get over it by remembering, and you are aware that no person is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/when-someone-dies-you-don-t-get-over-it-by-forgetting-you-get-over-it/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) [Explore all 44 Leslie Marmon Silko quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) ## More Compelled quotes > [We explore our environment, more than we are compelled to utter poetry, when we're toddlers. We start doing that later. Before that happens, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/we-explore-our-environment-more-than-we-are-compelled-to-utter-poetry/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [When I think of God's Kingdom, I am compelled to be silent because of its immensity, because God's Kingdom is none other than God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meister-eckhart/when-i-think-of-god-s-kingdom-i-am-compelled-to-be-silent-because-of/) [Meister Eckhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meister-eckhart/) > [Ordinary citizens are obliged and, if need be, compelled by force to meet their commitments. But let higher obligations of an international order be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-albert-gobat/ordinary-citizens-are-obliged-and-if-need-be-compelled-by-force-to/) [Charles Albert Gobat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-albert-gobat/) > [Untethered technology gives us the freedom to do nearly anything, anytime, anywhere. It can also enslave us - we feel compelled to use it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-stone/untethered-technology-gives-us-the-freedom-to-do-nearly-anything/) [Linda Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-stone/) > [He who is required by the necessity of his position to speak the highest things is compelled by the same necessity to exemplify the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-gregory-i/he-who-is-required-by-the-necessity-of-his-position-to-speak-the/) [Pope Gregory I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-gregory-i/) > [I found myself compelled - like this weird, shameful compulsion - to draw cute animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-barry/i-found-myself-compelled-like-this-weird-shameful-compulsion-to-draw/) [Lynda Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-barry/) > [ I've written a lot of other books and this book \[Tears we cannot stop\] was different. I couldn't just say what I wanted to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/i-ve-written-a-lot-of-other-books-and-this-book-tears-we-cannot-stop/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [See with what force yon river's crystal stream Resists the weight of many a massy beam. To sink the wood the more we vainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/see-with-what-force-yon-river-s-crystal-stream-resists-the-weight-of/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [“The more helpless she was, the more he would feel compelled to protect her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-more-helpless-she-was-the-more-he-would-feel-compelled-to-protect/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I love different sorts of people, their stories, all the different facets, that make them, them. This is entwined with how I am compelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-cairney/i-love-different-sorts-of-people-their-stories-all-the-different/) [Gemma Cairney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-cairney/) > [The most deeply compelled action is also the freest action. By that I mean, no part of you is outside the action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-most-deeply-compelled-action-is-also-the-freest-action-by-that-i/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [It's a mission for me to make sure that philanthropy doesn't feel like a vintage hand-me-down from mom or dad. I want people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/usher/it-s-a-mission-for-me-to-make-sure-that-philanthropy-doesn-t-feel/) [Usher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/usher/) > [Operas elucidate, in a way sometimes absent in other theatrical productions, the very human fact that in every hero, there is a thread of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-decrow/operas-elucidate-in-a-way-sometimes-absent-in-other-theatrical/) [Karen DeCrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-decrow/) > [The first thing, when I read the script, is that I need to care about what happens and feel compelled by the story and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sheen/the-first-thing-when-i-read-the-script-is-that-i-need-to-care-about/) [Michael Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sheen/) > [God has not made this world to be a nest for us, and if we try to make it such for ourselves, he plants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/god-has-not-made-this-world-to-be-a-nest-for-us-and-if-we-try-to-make/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) Browse all 515 Compelled quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't make outlines or plans because whenever I do, they turn out to be useless. 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