A new “Alle Sez” in response to the writing question:

“I focus so much on the ‘perfect outline;’ I burn myself out.”

Charlotte Pitcher Shultz makes herself vulnerable, asking:

I would have so many books written by now if I didn’t care about having the outline perfect. I burn myself out and never get to the actual writing.

How do you get over getting stuck in the outline?

Alle Sez:

How about if you try writing the book rather than the outline? Just get that first draft DOWN.

• It will be crappy. Expect that.
• You will not answer all your own questions. Expect that, too.

By the time you finish your first draft, you will know so much more: about your characters, about the layers the story has to give. Starting draft #2, you will have massive revisions regardless of the perfection of your outline.

Futzing too much with the everything leading up to the ending is not entirely a waste of time; I do like to leave a chapter having given it ten to 50 once-overs. However, that happens with second drafts, with thirds,and so on. (I just gave my editor full revision #15 of my current work-in-progress. Number 16: ho!)

Also: don’t switch/start a new project when the first one just gets challenging.

Your new mantra: Get that Crappy First Draft DOWN.