Need guidance on my writing method
I have decided to take up writing as a hobby. First because I have so many ideas and like creating things. Second, because I enjoy it so far and thirdly, I like the idea that if my writing is any good, others may want to read it.
So my issue right now has to do with my approach to writing. I am working on a sci-fi novel with integrate plot lines. I have been spending most of my time developing the plot lines and trying to storyboard them. I haven't worked out a climax that I like yet but I feel like I'm spending so much time preparing to write, with out having done much narrative writing yet.
On the other hand, I don't feel like I can properly begin writing until I have the story clearly laid out in my mind. I'm sure everyone does things differently. I don't feel like I can write this kind of story in a free flowing create-while-you-write method. But since this is my first attempt at weighting a novel, I don't know if I'm being too perfectionist, or if I'm getting stuck in planning mode.
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Start writing. Don't be so afraid to get it wrong. A writer can get a long way by emphasizing quantity over quality.
This post was sourced from https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/20590. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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There are plotters, and discovery writers. You sound like a plotter. There's nothing wrong with that. Take the time you need to outline your story so you feel comfortable with it, and additionally accept that things will change as you go.
There are many different methods to creating a plot, and none of them are wrong; you just have to figure out what works for you. The Snowflake Method and the Hero's Journey are two structures/processes which I've recommended before.
What you should be wary of, and what happens more often to SF/F fantasy writers, is Worldbuilder's Syndrome, where you spend so much time creating the world for your story to be set in and polishing all the details that you never get around to writing your story.
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