This is K.M. Island and you are listening to the three hundred seventy second episode of the Helping Writers Become Authors podcast.

As you know, I've thoroughly enjoyed myself this past year as I've worked my way through what has turned out to be a massive

outline for my portal fantasy sequel Dreambreaker.

It's made me even more adamant in my belief in the importance and rewards of outlining, which as it often does makes me ponder why in-depth outlining is something that many authors insist isn't for them.

Now I do tend to think via my experience in teaching outlining

to thousands of writers over the years that much of this resistance to

outlining is simply due to writers not having yet understood outlining for what it really is, which is brainstorming,

and or not having yet found a flexible system of outlining that works for their creativity

and lifestyle.

However, something I realized about myself recently helped me see it from a different perspective. And that is that what I love most about the craft is not actually writing, but rather storytelling.

I've considered myself a storyteller before a writer.

As much as I love wordcraft, I doubt I would ever have gravitated to it as a lifestyle

if I hadn't first entered through the doorway of story talent. But anyway, what that made me realize was that this is why I love outlining so much.

The outlining period is totally not about the writing and the storytelling.

Which, as I expand my theory, is why I think there are those who find more joy in discovering

their stories in the first draft, in the actual writing.

So what do you think?

Does my theory hold any water?

Which do you consider yourself first and foremost

a storyteller or a writer. The latest post on my blog is five

things I learned when I switched genres. Thinking about making the leap to

switch genres, learn from one author's experience in finding a successful

...