Yes, a good novel may be written without a plan. People have done so in the past. However, this does not always imply that any specific writer can write without an outline. Mr. Harvey Ardman: For the past 50 years, I've worked as a professional writer. I've written more than 100 books and articles. I've found that if you don't know where you're going, it's hard to get there. The first thing to understand is that an outline is only a tool used by writers to organize their ideas. It can help focus your attention on what needs to be said and how it should be said. But an outline is just that--an outline. It can be as detailed or as general as you like. The most effective outlines are those that are both broad and deep. They cover all the important aspects of your story but leave room for change and growth. Writers who work without an outline often do so because they believe they can write anything well enough to finish a book. This is not true. Even successful authors spend a lot of time planning their stories before they start writing them. If you want to write a good novel, you should also plan to write one. There are many ways to approach writing a novel. You could try writing straight through without stopping to think about structure or theme. That's what some people do when they want to write a novel quickly.