Yea, there's usually two general types of writers, and they can be on a teeter totter so to speak: Those that outline and plan ahead of time using the outline

Yea, there's usually two general types of writers, and they can be on a teeter totter so to speak: Those that outline and plan ahead of time using the outline Those that write the story as they write Sanderson is very much an outliner, I think GRRM is more a it'll come together as I write it kind of person. He probably has some sort of plan, but it isn't as fine tuned as Sanderson's I suspect. Sanderson does multiple drafts as well, which works with how I write. My first draft may be complete trash, but getting it on paper helps me a lot in at least getting the ideas out and then I can fine tune or start over if I'm not happy at all. But yes, I think Sanderson is very much a "I write regardless and I'll refine it over time" type of person and doesn't agonize over the little details until it's time to actually do that.