Recipe or Outline? Follow… Or Not?

Recipe or Outline? Follow Or… Not?

Recipe or Outline? Follow or not? Two good questions I may have answers for in this week’s The Djuna Shellam Podcast Episode 23. I wanted to do something different, while still connecting the episode topic to writing. Because, after all, the podcast IS about writing. Ah, but it’s also about life, right? Indeed, it is. What does life require? FOOD and RULES. Wait, wait… no. No rules!

We don’t need no stinkin’ rules!

I digress… I thought I’d let my listeners into the secret world of Djuna Shellam by sharing something personal about myself. In the process, you might realize that I tend to relate almost everything in my path to writing.

What is that personal tidbit about me, novelist Djuna Shellam, you might ask? Well, first off, if you’ve listened to previous podcast episodes, you’ll know I don’t like rules. Oh, I’ll follow rules if I think they’re absolutely crucial (y’know, like the ones that keep you out of prison), are not arbitrary, draconian, stupid, or spiteful. Whoever coined ‘Rules are made to be broken’ is my hero. Okay, I’m partly teasing… but… am I really? Ha!

Boom!

That said, in addition to writing, I also enjoy cooking and baking. What do all three activities often include? A recipe or outline. Boom! There it is. Houston, we have connected this week’s episode topic!

To me, recipes are a list of rules that cry out to be broken; or, they’re a loving, flexible guideline. Therefore, I put them in the same category as a story outline. I can cook or bake without a recipe. I can also write without an outline. In fact, I prefer writing without an outline. I’m talking about a sanctioned, properly organized outline (following proper writing rules).

As I’ve mentioned before, I like using my “What Happens” as my guide as opposed to an outline. My “What Happens” is the basic telling of what happens in the story I want to write. That is then broken down into scenes, which will then go into chapters, and not always in the order in which they were written. My “What Happens” is quite fluid, with no rules other than, write a good story.

When it comes to cooking, I rarely use a recipe. Well, I’ll check out what ingredients I need, then I’ll usually just wing it. I’ve rarely made a catastrophe. Baking is another story. I do need a recipe for certain things, but if I’ve made it once, guaranteed it’ll be the last time I make it “by the book.”

Keto Chocolate Chip Recipe

In Episode 23 I share a recipe I’ve been using as a guideline for Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies from EATWELL 101. And, I tell you how I’ve tweaked it to make me happy. Yes, I’ve been living a Keto lifestyle since Spring of ’18. I love it. Some people think it’s too difficult, but I don’t. Not at all. It works for me and my body. I’ve lost 70 lbs, though I did put a few back on during the “you-know-what.” I’ve got it covered, though, so I’m not worried.

I don’t do elaborate Keto recipes like so many people do (and end up failing the diet because it becomes so much work). No, I eat simply, but very well. Baking sometimes gives me something different to do where I can be creative in a different way, and end up with a tasty reward.

I do want to correct myself. In my podcast was trying to say cacao (kuh-cow) nibs, but it kept coming out as cocoa (co-co) nibs. Gah! In my brain, I apparently had a random dyslexic episode—or something—as I tried visualizing the package label in my mind. I suspected I was getting it all wrong but didn’t want to stop the recording to make sure. My apologies. Organic cacao nibs are delicious and nutritious—follow the link to learn more about them and the differences between cocoa and cacao.

When you write, do you use an outline or something else? What things do you like to do other than writing? I’ll leave the comments open if you’d like to share. I’d really like to know!

Don’t forget to visit my Listeners’ Resource page! I’ll be back next week!