Preparation Preparation Preparation - Part 2

So, we've discussed steps 1-3. Now comes the harder, more complex part(s).  :)

The next step in preparation IS:

     4. Setting the mood for your book.

A mood is sort of like a genre. Is your book categorized by romance? By the feeling of horror readers get when they read your book? Or is there not a lot of feeling, and a lot of action? You don't want this to take over your book (don't fall into slaving after one specific mood), but keep this in the back of your mind when you write. Also, you want different sub-moods WITHIN your book ("duh," you say, "I know that!" However, it's a skill to get your emotion/moods into the heart of the reader. You might be surprised how hard it is.)

     5. Storyboard the mess out of this thing.

I used to NOT believe in story-boarding, believe it or not. I believed that your book should just FLOW from your pen, eloquence flowing out as fast as the ink. 

Well, I was wrong.

Tell me if you think I'm wrong, but there is a term that's called "writing yourself into a corner." Let me show you how this works:

You are on a hot streak. The words haven't flowed from your pen like this in a month. You feel your mood is getting across to the reader. As your writing, the only thing irritating your mind is the fact that you haven't taken a sip of water in five minutes, even though you are parched; your hands are too busy. 

Then it stops. 

You realize that you and your MC are trapped, whether metaphorically or perhaps even physically for your MC. And it's not like you can take out that part of your story: it was written so well...

You didn't plan ahead.

With that bad memory in mind, whether experienced personally or not, it's probably a good idea to prepare by story-boarding. Not every conversation, or even every chapter. Just the basics. For example:

1. MC gets captured 
2. MC works for captors, learning the inside structure of his opponents castle, analyzing weaknesses inherent in his captors for if he ever breaks free
3. MC breaks free
4. MC gathers his family's tribe, which is rather large, and assaults the castle, using the knowledge he gained from analyzing the castle.
5. MC wins the battle, and is declared king.

Now, my storyboard is much more complex. But you get the understand the general idea. See how it allows for wiggle room. I didn't specify what conversations he/she had, who he/she meets, if someone he/she meets within the castle sets him/her free, or if he/she met his/her true love or even if (*gasp*) he/she had to leave that true love behind!

So yes, I love story-boarding. :)

As a counter-weight, however, some authors may perhaps skip the story-boarding process. I, however, am not that good, and I have yet to hear about them.

What's your opinion?