Why Planning Your Novel Makes Writing Easier (Not Harder!)

 

Many new writers resist planning because they’re afraid it will take something away from their creativity. They worry that outlining a story will make the writing feel rigid, predictable, or uninspired — as though the magic will disappear if everything is plotted out.

But in my experience, the opposite is usually true (although my biggest advice is always to write your novels the way that feels the most natural to you!).

When writing feels exhausting, it’s rarely because the idea is bad or the writer lacks talent.

More often, it’s because every writing session is filled with questions:

• What should happen next?

• What does my character actually want?

• Why does this scene matter?

• Am I even going in the right direction?

That constant decision-making creates friction.
And friction is what drains energy.

Without some sense of direction, each sentence feels like a guess — and that’s when writing starts to feel heavy instead of enjoyable.

Planning isn’t about control — it’s about clarity

Planning doesn’t mean locking yourself into a rigid outline or stripping away spontaneity.

At its simplest, planning is just answering a few key questions before you start writing in earnest:

• Who is this story really about?

• What problem are they facing?

• What’s at stake if they fail?

• Where does the story roughly begin, change, and end?

When you have even rough answers to those questions, writing becomes less about inventing everything on the spot and more about exploring what you already understand. That shift alone makes writing feel easier.

If some of those decisions are made ahead of time, your writing sessions become calmer and more focused. You can use your limited time and energy for writing, not second-guessing.

But you don’t need to plan everything

My advice is plan just enough to:

• feel you know a rough beginning, middle & end

• your main characters are sketched enought that they feel real - although I guarantee you'll know them a whole lot better by the time you reach The End of your first draft!

• avoid getting lost halfway through

You can leave room for surprises.
You can change your mind.
You can let characters evolve.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure where your story is heading, taking a step back to plan isn’t failure — it’s often the smartest way forward.

If you’d like guided support with that process, I’ve created planning tools designed to help writers find clarity. You can explore them in my shop you like!

SHOP LINK: https://thewriterprintableco.etsy.com

Happy writing,

Rachel x