How I Outlined a Novel on Accident

Historically, I am what they call a "Pantser." That is - I don't write with outlines for my novels in advance. Instead, I write "by the seat of my pants." Until recently (December 2020), outlining has always smothered the spark of creativity for me. Now? Well, my current project is about 50% outlined on the whiteboard in my office, and I know I won't start writing until I've got that puppy plotted out the rest of the way. So, soon I may have to resign from my position as Pantser and don the crown of Plantser instead. 

I'm intentionally outlining this one, but once upon a time, I outlined a novel by accident...

The year: 2015
The novel: The third of a trilogy set at a special agent training academy

I knew I needed to take some time to focus on editing my most recent work rather than drafting onward, so I shifted any work on new content to the backburner and dove headlong into those edits.

But I couldn't stop the stray thought or two about my next novel from sneaking in. I didn't want to lose them, so any thought I had, I jotted down. They were utterly random - pieces I wasn't even sure would fit in the next storyline - but I didn't worry about that. I wasn't drafting at the time. So every new thought that came got written down and then forgotten.
Some of the ideas were very hazy. Things like: "Car chase? Crash?" and "Friendly rivalry?"
Others were actual snippets of scenes or a few lines of dialogue. Things like:

The woman hesitates. "It's bad, Alice."
My stomach drops.
"You should really get over there now."

and

"What makes you think I'd believe anything you say?"
"Have I misled you so far?"
"Benedict Arnold could have asked the same question."
"You'll have to answer that question for yourself then. You said it yourself--why would you believe anything I say?"

(Yes, those are all actual examples I had written down.)

Then one night when I was done editing the current manuscript, I fished all my note cards out of the depths of my purse and my work computer bag and the sides of my desk drawers, and I pinned them to my corkboard. Fifteen minutes, a few new cards, and a lot of rearranging later, I sat back and looked at my next novel outlined in front of me.

Sure, there were missing spots and I wasn't quite sure how to actually get to some of the scenes on that board, but I knew where I wanted to go, beginning to end.

I wasn't intentionally outlining or even thinking deeply about this novel, but all those snippets came together in a beautiful way. The best part? This method of outlining (which I realize might be a generous term) didn't zap my creativity. When the time came, I dove into the work of writing just as excited as ever!

Are you a Pantser? A Planner? A blooming maybe-Plantser like me? What's your favorite method of outlining (or not!)?

PS: That image at the top? Those were my actual notecards. I filtered through my photos back to 2015 to find it, just for you - you're welcome.