Chose a detailed outline over pantsing my mystery novel, now I'm stuck at chapter 4

I've always been a pantser, just write and see where it goes. But for this project, a murder mystery set in a small town in Vermont, I figured I needed a plan to keep clues straight. So I spent 3 weekends building this big outline with every clue, suspect, and red herring mapped out. Now I sit down to write and it feels like I'm just filling in the blanks, no fun at all. My brain keeps wanting to take detours that don't fit the outline. Has anyone else switched methods mid-project and regretted it? Did you push through or just ditch the plan?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamieperez4d ago

Three weekends on an outline and you're giving up at chapter 4? That's like buying a gym membership and quitting after one workout. Maybe the outline's just a loose map, not a cage. Detours can still lead somewhere, you just gotta trust the road.

lilychen3d ago

Sticking with it for three weekends already shows more grit than most people have.