As I mentioned in my previous journal, I've got a lot of time write at the moment so I've decided to try learning an advanced author technique for long stories to try to reduce the chance I'll get bored with finishing my longer stories: outlining. I find that I have a very analytical/structured way to doing things and so far it's been a big relief knowing where I'm going with a story before I try to crank.

Upstaged will still be finished, but for now I'm going to try this out and see if I can fully flesh something out before I start posting it. I want to be published some day which requires fully finished works not the hodgepodge I'm accustomed to doing. I'll try to release some quick-and-dirty flash fiction to remind everyone I'm not dead.

Finally, for those of you who are curious about what method of outline I'm going with, I'm trying out the Walter Dean Myers Six-box method which I learned from reading here: http://www.amazon.com/Just-Write-Wa.....ers+just+write

The book is a good read and I recommend it to anyone trying to write themselves. The six-box outline it talks about breaks down a story into the follow segments with scenes expanding each box:

1) Character and Problem

2) Obvious Solutions

3)Insight and Inner Conflict

4) Growth and Change

5) Taking Actions

6) Resolution

I'll release the outline with the story, too (but only after it's fully uploaded).