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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/5897
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Think of your story as separate scenes. Your idea about writing a novel of interconnected short stories is basically the same thing. Each chapter is a different scene, or a different short story, if you will. Take the time to figure out where you want to go with your story and then start documenting that.

A lot of writers will get an idea of what they want to write and then just sit down and start writing. The problem with that is you don't always have a clear understanding of where you want to go or how you want to get there. Take the time to outline each scene so that you have a roadmap. You don't have to put a lot of detail into the outline, just make sure you have one.

Try starting out with a couple of major characaters and an idea of what you want to do with them. Then take the time to plan for them to do something in each chapter (short story), and then keep adding chapters to help guide them through a process that takes them where you want them to go.

Sometimes it's just hard to maintain your focus, and that is where an outline can prove to be most benficial. It allows you to break up the work into smaller pieces while also providing you with a structure that helps you see the big picture.

Original score: 13