Puzzling

Since I was a kid, I've always enjoyed jigsaw puzzles. I have a standard method for putting them together: I start with the edge pieces, then I pick out pieces by color and work on assembling small sections, eventually joining the sections together.

Outlining my novel is kind of like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Except I don't have a picture on a cardboard box to follow, and I don't know exactly where the edges will be. Sometimes I change my mind about which pieces go together. But it's very satisfying when the pieces fit.