Because we all know writers like to plan out their novels...

One of the things I think is the most interesting is when writers (you know who you are) have this tenancy to not plan out the novel first. Well, and I do it too. We see the novel in our heads and think, “that scene would be perfect!” or “I like this one better” without taking that scene and write it out separately before throwing it into a book. We think we have the novel all planned out, yet when we come to our laptop or typewriter if we prefer that way, we’ll sometimes forget what our scene was. I generally carry a small notebook around in case something interesting pops in. now do I use every single idea into my novel? Not really. Sometimes I do if I want a specific angle to the story, but most of the time not really. My "writing journal" helps me to keep all of my thoughts straight as well as planning for who I want my characters to be (wow, creative writing helped after all). No, but seriously, if you can find someone who'll take the time to plan with you, then do it. You won't regret it. Writing's an art and as an "artist" so to speak, you'll need all the extra help you can get. Trust me. I tried it and it worked. For more information: http://www.novelwritingacademy.com/ and tell them I sent you.