Storyteller Quest 1

Knowledge

It is unorthodox to start a writing quest with a personality test, but I bring this to your attention for your great benefit. I wasted so much time writing in a way that didn’t work well with who I am. It was so frustrating and I don’t want that to happen to you.

You don’t have to figure this out in a day, which is why I’m bringing it to your attention on the first quest. But! Our goal is for you to figure this out by the time you are an apprentice storyteller, so that you know what path to take.

Know yourself—and know what that means for your writing style. Most writers are Outline Writers or Discovery Writers.

An outline writer, like an architect, will design a plan for their story. Then the writer becomes the builder of that outline/design. Along the way, the builder will make tweaks with the architect based on things they learn along the way, but they build the bulk of the story from the outline.

A discovery writer is like an archaeologist on a dig site. With each stroke of the brush, the fossil is slowly, carefully revealed; with each stroke of the keyboard, the story reveals itself by the character, and setting that the writer reveals.

I’ve found that writers usually start very well as one and slowly get better at the other. (Of course I believe it is important to practice both ways but in no way guarantee whatever you define as success.)

Someone who outlines well discovers something about their characters which completely alters their outline. A redesign is necessary or a rewrite of the character. Both cannot exist for a well-told story.

And someone who discovery writes well becomes better at wrapping the larger plot points in their mind and can see the theme emerge from the beginning (writing toward it) which gives their 2nd Draft more thematic impact.

So then, to outline or not to outline?

Challenge

Part 1. Take a personality test. Or if you are already aware of what your personality is, then skip to the next step.

Part 2. Does your personality internalize more? Do you understand people well or do they confuse you? Are you intuitive? If so, then most likely you will do well to start with outlining your stories.

Does your personality externalize more? Do you have a firm grasp of human motivation? Are you more interested in the current sensation than in the collective data of past experiences? If so, then most likely you will do well to start with discovery writing.

Is this personality test a rule set in stone? No. I said, “start with” because it’s good to develop both, but you will spend the bulk of your writing time in Discovery Writing or Outlining, not both.

Part 3. That’s it! This is not something to think about a lot. It’s something to consider occasionally as you are completing your introduction quests. You won’t need to decide until later quests.

Inspiration

If you need a little inspiration in your writing, then tell me this, what are you reading? What do you like to read about? How is the author telling the story?

Encouragement

We are on these quests together. You are not alone. If you get trapped by trolls or feel eclipsed by elves, then send a carrier pigeon my way (via email, of course) and I’ll do my best to help you adventure on!

Pro tip: We all feel eclipsed by elves now and again. Don’t worry about it. They’ve been at just about everything longer than we have!

I encourage you to read daily if you are not already.