I need structure.

This is not news to my close friends and family.  I am, after all, a Virgo.  We are an inherently organized and methodical people.  That's not to say we lack creativity, we just like it planned out.

But, when it comes to my writing, I insist on drafting an outline before beginning any new work.  I need the structure of knowing where my story is going.  It makes the writing flow much more smoothly once I start my first draft.

This wasn't always the case.  My first novel is a prime example.  Half-finished, that manuscript has been sitting on a flash drive in my desk drawer for about three years because I simply lost my way.  I attempted to write it "organically" as they say; just sit down with my laptop and type away.  Well, I found myself re-writing, changing plot lines, changing points-of-view and so on until I just ran out of ideas.

It was after that exercise in futility that I decided to take another approach.  I started with outlining my now published short story, Long Journey Home.  With a fairly comprehensive outline, I was able to crank out the first draft of it in about a month.  Of course, working and family doesn't allow me much writing time, but I thought I did pretty well knocking that one out.

Since then, I realized having that structure and knowing where my story was headed kept my writing consistent and thorough.  It kept me on the straight and narrow, so to speak.  Now, if anyone actually read one of my outlines, I don't think they'd have any idea what I was going on about, but they make sense to me and I suppose that's all that matters.

Will I ever go back to that first manuscript and try again?  Maybe.  Probably.  But not yet.

I wanted to give you a little insight on my writing process because I have been hard at work and just completed another outline.  The sequel to Redwood Violet.  It is as of yet, untitled, but I'm really excited to jump in and write that first draft!

So, for those of you who have asked when the next book is coming...don't despair!  My target date is Fall 2013 and I will do my best to keep you all updated as to my progress.  And keep an eye out in the coming months for an excerpt or two!

Now, I know I'm not the only organized Virgo out there.  So, how do you handle a big project?  It doesn't have to be about writing.  It can be about anything you have to tackle.  What works best for you?