There are two types of writers: discovery and architect. Architect writers meticulously plan every last detail of their writing, before they even start. They’re the type of authors who write an outline. They can write their stories out of order, because they know what’s going to happen anyway. They can write whichever scene seems the most fun to write at any given moment. My brother is an architect writer, so he knows where the story is going.
Discovery writers don’t follow an outline. We write whatever we want, usually in the correct chapter order that the reader we see it. There are no outlines, we just let our characters guide us. Oh, this character just said or did something? Well logically, this scene would happen next. At least, this is how I think. I, personally, think outlines are a waste of time. I want to get to the actual writing as soon as possible.
Most writers fall somewhere in between the two extremes. Architect writers won’t simply stick to the outline, if a new idea grows organically through their writing. They are flexible enough to pivot if it will benefit the story. And discovery writers won’t just wildly write anything and everything that comes to mind. I do have a general idea where the story is going and can plan where my story is going from there.
There are pros and cons with both styles of writing. Architect writers can produce some well-written plots, with foreshadowing and little seeds they plant along the way, but their characters can be a bit stale if they only stick to the outline. Discovery writers can have amazing characterization, but our plots might be all over the place if we ignore even the most basic planning. There’s no right or wrong way to write. Authors should write in whatever style suits them. As for me, I’ll stick with be a discovery writer. I can always fix everything later in the editing process.