Writing Freestyle

I'm a big outliner. Having gotten my start in screenwriting, I'm accustomed to the rigid demands of a strong narrative structure. You only have 2 hours to tell a story on film, so you've got to keep things moving. I brought this discipline to novel-writing, but I've noticed that no matter how brilliant or detailed my outlines are, they rarely survive the first few chapters of the first draft.So this time, no outlining.I'm 10,000 words into my fourth novel and I have no idea where this thing is going. Could be straight off a cliff. I begin every writing session by re-reading what I wrote the day before, then asking myself: "So, what would be an interesting thing to happen next?" All I have to assist in this journey are some backstory secrets for the characters to stumble upon at some point in the future.I have no reason to think this method of writing will produce a better book. But, so far at least, it's a much more pleasurable writing experience. I feel as if I'm writing to order, with myself as the reader. I'm asking myself: "What would I like to read next?"Here's a taste from the opening paragraph:

In the beginning I was what you’d call a petty thief. I’d take stuff like DVD’s, beer, cigarettes--things I could sell to the scumbags who hung around our apartment. They’d spend their last dollar on a DVD they’d already seen, then worry about eating later. Some of them didn’t even have DVD players, or TV’s. I guess they’d worry about that later too. No matter where we moved, those scumbags would find us. Different ones in different towns, but they always smelled the same--like cigarettes, booze, and b.o.

I'll let you know how it goes. And for those who like fiction in small doses, I'll be tweeting a line a day.