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Knowing V.S. Not Knowing

Goes for writing and life.

Which do you think is better? Knowing what lies ahead, or not knowing?

In life, we tend to make plans, whether they're simple routines for the day or big plans for constructing your future. But on the journey, we always run into unforeseen events that throw us off track, sometimes changing or even shattering our plans. Realistically, we can never know everything that lies ahead... so, do you think it's better to accept that you'll never know everything and go with the flow, or grab life by the horns and force your plans into being?

With writing, you have to balance the two. There are some things you absolutely must plan, and others just spring into action on the spot. With my first book, I wrote mostly out of passion. I pumped out content almost blindly and it felt great... but that draft turned into a big heap of crap. I'm not sure if it was due to inexperience (it being my first book) or if the passion simply outweighed the technical thought process a bit too much.

If you want to be a good storyteller (not writer, but storyteller), you absolutely must be passionate. But, it's easy for passion to blind you. Then come the grammatical errors, plot holes, and other general screw-ups. This is why planning is just as important as passion.

You've got to plan what you're doing, at least to some extent. Know what your characters are going to experience, and build them up to it. Visualize the beginning and paint up the ending. Generally, you need to know where your book is going and how it's going to get there.

This doesn't mean you need to plan every detail, because for many creators, over-planning makes the project stale fast.

Some people function much better with planning, and others hate it with a passion.

You're either the compulsive-planning writer or the coffee-fueled impulsive writer, but whichever you are, you do need to plan, and you do need to implement passion. Balance is key, and it's a bitch to maintain.

Would you rather know everything before making the first move, or rush in headstrong and let whatever happens happen?

Whichever you prefer, the reality is, you'll get both. In writing and in life.

Peace!

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