Attributed to MartinFowler:
* Spew pages and pages of whatever is on your mind
* Throw the pages on the floor
* Scrabble desperately around trying to figure out what they are all about (this results in throwing at least half the pages away). 

Now you have an outline with a bunch of holes. Fill in the holes and you have a book.

''In my opinion, Fowler's finished books are *still* full of holes. --top''

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This looks suspiciously akin to the NoDesignUpFront tactic of ExtremeProgramming:
* Jump right in and write code
* ReFactor like mad
* Intelligible design (SelfDocumentingCode) emerges eventually
<ducking/>

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''KentBeck summarized it like this'': Fowler's Law of Book Writing, SpewThenOrganize

(I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a good writing technique, or just something Martin manages to get away with!)

It works ''very'' well if you have a muse. I don't (and more's the pity) but I know people who do.

''A 'muse'?''

(from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

muse (IMAGINARY FORCE) noun [C] LITERARY
an imaginary being or force that gives someone ideas and helps them to write, paint or make music:
The muse has left me - I haven't written any poetry for months!
Juliet was not only the painter's best model but also his muse (= the person who causes him to have the most ideas for his work).

Muse noun [C] LITERARY
in ancient Greek and Roman stories, one of the nine goddesses who were believed to give encouragement in different areas of literature, art and music 

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GeraldWeinberg does something similar. He writes pages at a time, and files them. Eventually, some collection of writings form the sketch of a book.

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I once read that KarlFriederichGauss did the same thing - he edited a journal at one point and received a manuscript with a proof in it. He then digs through his own pile of papers, pulls out a half-finished paper of his own that expanded upon the proof that was submitted, finishes it and publishes it too. -- KyleBrown

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PepysWiki supports FowlerWritingMethod, without cluttering sheets of paper on the floor ;-) -- FridemarPache

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This is basically Peter Elbow's writing method, explained in his book WritingWithoutTeachers, which I highly recommend. -- ApoorvaMuralidhara

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See also BrainStormFirstCleanLater
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CategoryCreativity ''(even if only because this page deserves more links)''