Scene Lists and Editing Gripes

I can't decide if I should stop reading writing advice or continue reading it. No matter what topic, opinions differ. Some authors say you should create a scene list before writing, so you know where your story is headed. Others tell you to start writing and let the story flow. I couldn't say for sure which, if either, is best. All I can say is that I did take the advice of some and create a scene list.

My story began over ten years ago. I started writing and realized that my story was heavily influenced by Tolkien (magical ring, anyone?) I started over, testing several different story lines, until I finally ended up on the one I am currently working on. I guess I like to do things in the wrong order, because I wrote my story, and then decided maybe I should try creating a scene list. It is helpful, I would say I got just as much benefit from it after writing my story as creating a list of scenes before I even started, because if I have discovered anything, it is that characters do not always do what you want them to, so creating a list of scenes, while helpful, seems like it would lock your characters into a story that they might not fit.

But back to how scene lists have been helpful--creating a scene list is painstaking--and sounds just like what it is. I found a handy printable chart online and used that to go through my story scene by scene and list out the time, characters present, and short description of the event(s) that happen during the scene. Painstaking? Yes. Helpful? Absolutely. I realized that a character who factored heavily into one of my earlier drafts added little to the current version. He had to go. And I've been working on making sure that the scenes that I'm keeping are in the best order.

I'm sorry if I repeat myself a lot, but have I mentioned writing is hard work? The writing itself is hard enough, but that is just the first step. Sometimes it feels like I take two steps forward and one step back, I write events or scenes, and then decide they don't fit with the overall story arch.

My story is like a puzzle, I began it with no clear picture in mind, but as I wrote, I started to see what it was I was creating. Some of the pieces are still missing, but I am excited to see it come together. It's a slow process, but I've learned so much through it.