Writing is a puzzle

I’ve been reading all types of writing lately, and it made me think of all the ways that someone can develop a story. There are so many different approaches. Some authors give little hints to the main concepts of the story but until all the hints are in place, they aren’t connected and filled in. It’s like making the border of the puzzle before doing the middle; outliners. Others give more detail to the concepts but do not connect the concepts together until all the pieces are used; broken sections of the puzzle put together, but not whole. Lastly, there are the authors that go with the flow of the story. There is no strategy or plan, they simply go where the story takes them; they take a puzzle piece out of the box and tries to find where it fits, all individually and more painstakingly. But in the end, they all create a picture, the story. Crafted differently but produced the same result, a detailed visual of what they were picturing when the process started.
It really is amazing how someone can create an intricate web of characters, plots and dialogue that mold seamlessly and paint a portrait of the inner workings of their mind. It’s a picture with words, which sometimes can give a greater visual than that of an actual painting.
I applaud anyone that is able to create such a work of art. Although I envy their ability, I do love to take advantage of their skills and read whatever I can. I may not be able to come up with the words, but I use them and allow them to take me to where ever I imagine.