How to Outline Your Novel
Confession: I have been putting this post off for a long time.
Why? Outlining is a basic step. It can be pretty straightforward AND it can move you forward in your writing quickly and effectively.
The thing is, my outlining process is still being developed. I have written a LOT over the last 14 months. And with every new project I start, my outlining is a little bit different.
But, it also gets better every time. So for now, I’ve decided to share my most recent successful outline.
To be clear, by successful outline I mean one and only one thing: it helped me not only begin writing, but continue writing efficiently.
My outlines have gotten me across the finish line. And that’s a success! No matter where you are in your writing journey, finishing your first or next book is always a big accomplishment.
And an effective outline will help you do just that.
Where do we start?
1) 10 Plot Points
If you haven’t yet read (or are not already familiar with) the 3 Act Story Structure, I highly recommend reading through this post. It’s a great introduction or refresher.
This is important because when I am outlining, I use the 3 Act Story Structure. In fact, it’s all I use. I begin by outlining these 10 basic plot points (I’ll fill them in later, for now, just have them in front of you ready to be fleshed out):
Hook
Inciting Incident
1st Plot Point
1st Pinch Point
Midpoint
2nd Pinch Point
Third Plot Point
Climactic Moment
Resolution
One thing to keep in mind is that the outlining process, much like the writing process, is messy. You’ll erase and rearrange and change and brainstorm and throw away a LOT. That’s okay!
I still want to include each of these plot points in my outline. But remember, we’ll fill in those 10 beats in later. For now, just re-familiarize yourself with them.
Here are a few other things I like to have on hand. I’ll gather notes that include all of these:
2) My basic Character Arc:
I want to know my protagonist’s:
Goal - What is her burning desire? What does she want to/set out to accomplish from page 1?
Motivation - Why does she want this?
Need - What does she need in order to grow as a person and complete her arc?
Lie - What is the lie that is fueling her current worldview? How is it harmful to herself and others?
Truth - What truth does she need to learn? How is it the opposite of her lie?
Big Flaw - How would I describe her big flaw? The thing that is hurting herself and others at the beginning of the story? (Selfish, greedy, fearful, impulsive, unwilling to let people in, etc.)
3) The Antagonist:
Goal - What is his goal? How is it in direct opposition to my protagonist’s goal? Is there no way for both of them to achieve what they want? (Hopefully, the answer to that question is yes.)
Motivation - Why does he want this?
4) Theme:
What is the basic theme of my story? Can I sum it up in a word or two, or a simple sentence at most? For example, love conquers all, sacrifice, the importance of perseverance, tradition, etc.
All of these components are important because you want each of them present in every one of those 10 plot points. Meaning, that in all 10 of those plot points, I will include:
An aspect of my protagonist’s character arc
The antagonist
Theme
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s move into the actual outlining.
Today I use a software called Milanote to do my outlining. However, with my first manuscript, I used Apple Pages. Additionally, I have seen this process done with post-it notes or index cards. Find what method works best for you and use it. It will likely take a lot of testing before you land on something. And even then, your process will always evolve.
Personally, I hate doing things by hand. I’ve tried it many times and it’s always a massive slog. I get aggravated, confused, and I don’t enjoy it. But others love putting pen to paper. The point is, everyone’s process is different.
Now, the juicy part.
Here is a screenshot of an old version of the first half of my current WIP:
I say old, because I spent about two weeks mapping out nearly every scene, and then ended up trashing the last half of the book! Yeah. Things change when I write.
However, I like having an outline to work from, even though I know I’ll make changes as I go. It’s my process.
I loved creating this outline, and it was very, very helpful to get a complete bird’s eye view of my story. But yes, I only used it for about the first third of my manuscript.
After that, I had made enough changes that this version of my outline had become irrelevant.
Once I reached that point, I turned to Scrivener.
In Scrivener, I copied and pasted each of my scenes into its own Chapter. This allows me a lot of flexibility. I can open a Chapter file and see anywhere from a few sentences to a few paragraphs detailing the next scene. In the beginning, I tend to need to add several chapters, which is why I love this software.
If I end up adding more scenes, I can simply insert a new chapter in between where I currently am and where I had copied and pasted the next scene.
Here is what it looks like:
Now that you have an idea of my overall process. Let’s go a bit more into the specifics. How did I create the original outline?
First, I created a “post-it” for each scene within each Act. I outline:
Act 1 (up until the 1st Plot Point, which is the first major turning point in your story, where your protagonist is irrevocably drawn into the story world)
Act 2, Part 1 (up until the Midpoint, which gives your protagonist a moment of truth (an insight into something within your story that changes things for her) and moves your protagonist from reactive mode into proactive mode)
Act 2, Part 2 (up until the 3rd Plot Point, which is the low point for your protagonist, the point where it seems like all hope is lost)
Act 3 (up until the end of your story)
Within each of these Acts, I create scene “post-its,” as you can see in the Milanote screenshot above.
For my stories, I typically use about 12 scenes per act. I also highlight the Pinch Points within the Act, because I want to be sure those include the 3 components I discussed earlier (Character Arc, Antagonist, and Theme).
Then, I simply start at the beginning and start brainstorming scenes. The reason I far prefer digital brainstorming is because I change my mind a LOT. I also move things around quite a bit as I’m working. This is very easy with Milanote, but the same thing can be accomplished in any word processor, or with pen, paper, and post-it notes or index cards.
And that’s it! It’s a fun part of the process for me, and also an intense one. It can take me a few weeks just to finish the outline, but once I do and I can go through my story scene by scene, it feels so good.
For pantsers, none of this may work for you. Or, you might find it helpful to create just a few notes that detail beats you want to hit within your story. I’ve discovered that I am a plotter in the beginning, but I never stick diligently to my outline as I go. I’ll add, change, and rearrange.
Just keep in mind, all you really need is your imagination!
To sum up:
Gather all of your necessary story information. For me this includes:
A list of the 10 major Story Structure plot points (I’ll brush up on these and how I want them to look (very vaguely) inside this particular story with this cast of characters)
My protagonist and her basic Character Arc components
My antagonist’s Character Arc components relevant to the story
A summary of my Theme (1 word to 1 sentence)
Starting at the beginning of the story, brainstorm important scenes. Usually, I begin with the 10 scenes that will make up the 10 major plot points, and fill in the gaps after that.
Arrange these scenes in a final “bird’s eye view.” I love to use Milanote, but post-it notes or index cards would also work well here.
Go through the entire story. I’ll tell it to myself, using these notes as a reference, and sometimes I’ll also take my husband through it. Saying it out loud helps me get clarity and see it from a different perspective.
Copy and paste every scene (usually a summary that is anywhere from 1 sentence to 1 paragraph) into Scrivener.
Start writing! With Scrivener, I can add scenes as I go, as well as rearrange. This will give me a basic idea of how many chapters I’ll end up needing.
The fastest way to write a strong story is with an effective outline that plots your novel’s beating heart.
In Outline Your Novel, you’ll learn exactly what these beats are, why they matter, and how to outline them effectively to make your story sing.
