For my current novel, I won't be outlining it beforehand. I'm going to do so after the first draft.

However, this story idea has been sitting in my skull for no time at all. It took me about a week to create a few characters, their story arcs, and a paragraph overview of the novel.

Now I'm considering taking a week or two break before I write Word One. I'm waiting for the story to "sell." Basically I'm testing whether or not I really want to write this story.

Do you have a similar method?

Since I don't really outline my books, I have never done that method before. Have you done it in the past? Did it seem to work?

No, actually. This is my first time doing it. However, I've heard of people who do it as a regular step in creating a story.

I have, however, done the opposite (aka, jumping into a story the very day I get the idea), which have left me with a horrendous 10,000 word manuscript I would never be able to finish. So . . . that's definitely not the way for me to go, personally.

Yes, I do do that. I'd never heard of a term for it before. I guess 'sell' is a pretty good one though.

When I get an idea, I always like it at first. But I need to wait a bit usually (sometimes a few months, sometimes just a few days or weeks) to see if it's actually something I can stick with and like long enough to write it, or not.

Yes, me too....

I do something similar, but I usually call it letting the story percolate. Heehee

Usually I write out the beginning, then I end up leaving it in my file folder while I go work on whatever my top priority project is. It's always in the back of my mind and I often get more ideas for it, but I just let it sit. I have several like that right now.

Always happens to me too.

Rebekah Jones: Percolate? Nice. I had to google search the definition . . . Now I feel ashamed.

For me, if an idea presents itself, it's usually with a few characters in the middle of a life or death situation. I wtire out those scenes, see if I lile them, then build the story off of that.

So I guess I don't wait, no.

Hmm... I don't think I really do that. Pretty much if I feel like writing part of a story I write it. If I hit a block in the writing road I might pause for a little while and then see if the story "sells." Honestly, though, I think the process has been different for every one of my stories, so... yeah. I probably should find a consistent method for story crafting. Hehe...