Outlining Redux

This is post number 222... how cool is that? If your answer was "not very," then stop reading now.

Yesterday presented a very interesting discussion at my writing group, Writers on the Verge, regarding the topic of outlining. There were as many opinions on the subject as there were people in attendance.

Some of us outlined by major themes, and let the details come as they would. Others focused on a detailed backstory of characters, defining the relationships between them, and let the drama emerge somewhat organically. Others just started writing to see where it would take them.

It occurred to me as I was listening to the different techniques that they were all, for the most part, suited for the particular type of story that each person was writing. My personal style is to give myself a roadmap so that each day when I sit down to write, I know where I'm going that day. But I tend to write stories with somewhat complicated plots, and without that outline I'd be lost entirely. I also do character backstories, but I use that drama to drive the outline before I start into the actual plot.

It makes me wonder whether the type of stories that people enjoy writing determines their outline style--or whether it is some aspect of their personality that both brings out a certain style, and makes them want to write a certain type of story in the first place.