Outlining is painful, at least for short stories. If you're trying to write a novel, on the other hand, I can't imagine how you'd keep track of the plot without an outline.
Whenever I write a short story I just get a vague sketch of beginning, middle, and end in my head and just wing it from there. Like Pros and others have said, it can really limit your possibilities if you have a rigorous outline, and can put a stopper on your "creative flow." (Whatever that means.)
I guess it just depends on the person, judging from the comments.
Prokaryote
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