A common debate among writers centers around whether or not they plot. Do they begin writing with a detailed outline or simply write off the tops of their heads.

I am a plotter. For my first book, my initial outline was quite long, broken down chapter by chapter, scene by scene. I've never plotted so thoroughly since, but it did help me get through my first book. Now I start out with a synopsis and move from there.

I often think back to the words of my college Psychology professor who stressed the importance of outlining quite heavily. He would say you wouldn't set out on a long trip to a place you've never been before without a map, so why would you set out to write without an outline. And Lord knows, as easy as I get lost on the road, I need a map, a GPS system and another person to call out each turn. So it should be no wonder that I did such a ridiculously detailed outline for the first book.

So, while I spout all the virtues of plotting, I must admit that I'm the only plotter I know. Every other writer I've ever talked process with has claimed not to plot. They say they lose interest in the story when they already know what's going to happen. It's so much more exciting for them to just start putting words on the page and see what happens.

And this does sound exciting. But, I clearly was not made to live on the edge. I always wear my seatbelt, I'll never ride a motorcycle, and I plot. If I don't know what I'm about to write, I write nothing. I need a plan that I can stick to or veer from at will. I know there must be other plotters out there, but I don't know any of them. All the famous and successful authors I've heard speak of this are Non-Plotters. All my friends are Non-Plotters. So, we the Plotters must be the minority.

But it doesn't matter, plotting or no plotting, the magic works the same. Either you make your road map ahead of time, or you stumble your way through correcting along the way. I rewrite a lot less than the Non-Plotters, but they may be able to barrel through a lot faster, and the story always stays fresh for them. Plotting strategies are like belly-buttons, you're either an inny or an outty and they're both just as good.