James Patterson and John Grisham swear by it. Stephen King and Margaret Atwood are dead set against it. Outlining is not for every writer, nor is there one right way to outline your novel.
Authors are said to fall into one of two groups: the plotters, those that outline every step of their novel before they begin, and the pantsers, those prefer to ‘fly by the seat of their pants’, creating the story as they write. Both plotting and pantsing have their pros and cons and both can produce fantastic novels. If you fall into the pantser camp then you thrive on discovering your story as you progress. Writers describe this as letting their characters lead the way. They like the surprise of taking their story in unexpected directions and feel creatively restricted when they have to stick to a rigid outline. Plotters, on the other hand, like having a roadmap leading to their destination. Planning out their stories means that they can write faster with more focus and fewer revisions. Many authors fall somewhere in the middle of these two outlining approaches. They are the plantsers, beginning with a flexible outline that offers them some guidance along the way.
No matter your preference, every author, even the most hard-core pantser can benefit from some pre-planning. As with all things writing, the trick is to find what works for you. Think about how you prefer to write: do you feel lost if you don’t know every inch of your story or do you get bored if the ending is clear before you begin? Which part of the novel writing process do you find the most problematic? Do you lose the threads of your plot in the middle? Or have difficulty writing a satisfying ending? If you are struggling with your plot or finding yourself endlessly editing your work try a different approach. To get you started, here are six tried and proven ways to outline a novel.
Three-Act Structure
Dating back to Aristotle, the classic three-act structure is one of the oldest and most popular outlining methods. This structure divides the story into three distinct acts: the set-up, confrontation, and resolution.
Each of these three acts is composed of major plot points to ensure that your story keeps moving and holds the reader’s interest.
The three-act structure can be quite detailed, listing every scene that takes place in your novel. Alternatively, you can use a pared-back approach. The core of the three-act structure is as follows:
Act I – The Setup
In act one the reader is introduced to the main protagonist and the story setting. Early on the inciting incident occurs, propelling the character into action and kick-starting the story. The three elements of act one include:
Character introduction
The character’s everyday life (setting, goals, challenges)
The inciting incident that kick-starts the story
In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins act one shows Katniss in her everyday environment, scraping out a living in District 12. Katniss is responsible for the survival of the family and is protective of her younger sister Prim. The inciting incident occurs when Prim’s name is selected at the reaping and Katniss volunteers as tribute to protect her sister.
Act 2 – Confrontation
Act two is generally the longest act and it’s at this point that the action begins to rise as the stakes escalate and the characters are pushed into action. The main elements include:
Obstacles – the protagonist encounters numerous obstacles as they strive to achieve their goals.
Rising action and complications – things become complicated for our hero as they endeavor to push through.
A moment of truth – around the midpoint there is a moment of truth as the protagonist realizes what is at stake. This insight can either move them closer to or further from their goal.
In the example of The Hunger Games, in act two Katniss travels to the Capitol and begins training. The games begin and Katniss has to fight to stay alive as her fellow tributes kill each other off. There is a turning point as Katniss moves from fleeing for her life to fighting back. Obstacle after obstacle is introduced, making the situation increasingly precarious for our heroine.
Act 3 - Resolution
Act three is all about the events leading up to the climax, the climax, and the resolution. This is the point of highest tension, where everything comes together and the character needs to find a solution and resolve the problem at hand. Act three includes:
Lead-up to the climax – Tensions continue to escalate building up to the climax. At this point, the character may be forced to take a different approach which will affect the final outcome.
Climax – The point at which everything comes to a head and your character is forced to confront the situation. This is the point of highest tension.
Denouement/ Resolution- The situation has been resolved and the protagonist and other characters are left changed from their experiences.
In act three Katniss continues to encounter and overcome threats to her life. Finally, there is just herself and fellow tribute Peeta remaining. Together they foil the Capitol’s plan by refusing to kill each other. The Capitol is forced to declare them winners. They return home as victors and changed individuals, more resilient and rebellious than before.
Snowflake Method
Created by writing coach Randy Ingermanson, the snowflake method starts with one central story idea that is continually expanded upon until it’s a full novel. The process is as follows:
1. Write a one-sentence summary of your story
Condense your story premise into one-line. What is the essence of your story? What is the hook that would persuade a reader to purchase your book?
2. Expand your sentence to make it a one-paragraph summary
Build on your one-sentence summary to write a paragraph, explaining the main plot-line of your novel. Including:
The opening status quo – the situation the protagonist finds themselves in as your novel begins
The inciting incident – what causes the story to get underway?
Major events throughout the story
The second-act turning point – where the character realizes what they need to do to overcome the obstacles standing in their way
Final climax and resolution
3. Develop your characters
Let’s turn our attention to the characters driving the plot. For each of your main characters, create a one-sentence character profile, summarizing their most important traits and what role they serve in the story.
4. Expand each sentence of your one-paragraph summary to a page
By now your story idea should be a little clearer. Use your one-paragraph summary as the basis for a one-page overview of your story. You can use the 3-act structure here to give your story, a beginning, middle and end.
5. Flesh out your descriptions for both major and minor characters
It’s time to explore your characters in more depth. Ingermanson suggests writing a page-long description for each main character and half a page for minor characters. Give each of your characters their own motivations and goals. Consider how their past affects their point of view? What conflicts will they encounter? How will they change throughout the narrative?
6. Expand your one-page plot synopsis to a four-page synopsis
By this point, you’ll have a core-story and solid character descriptions. Now you want to return to your one-page summary and expand upon it to fill four-pages. By slowly expanding upon your premise you’ll have the opportunity to fix plot holes and inconsistencies as they arise, rather than writing yourself into a corner.
From this point you can begin to write or continue to expand on your story idea, adding in character charts, scenes, and additional details. For information on the Snowflake method see Randy Ingermanson’s website, Advanced Fiction Writing.
Mind Map
A mind map is a visual way of creating your story outline. To use this method, it helps to have a large sheet of paper. Begin by brainstorming and write down your story ideas and then draw lines between each idea to show the relationships. Another way of visually formulating your plot is by using post-it notes or flashcards for each element of your story. This suits writers who prefer a flexible outline as you can always move cards around as your story develops.
Outlining in Reverse
Some authors prefer to start at the end and outline their story in reverse. Starting with the ending in mind gives you a final scenario to work from. If you prefer to keep your outline flexible you can begin with your opening scene and final scene and then go from there. This approach means that you have a strong opening hook and an ending that nicely echoes the beginning.
The Save the Cat Beat Sheet
The Save the Cat beat sheet, created by screenwriter Blake Synder, is a series of 15 ‘beats’. Each of these ‘beats’ is an event that transforms the story, creating a road map for writers to follow as they outline their novel.
Let’s take a closer look at the beats:
Act 1:
1. Opening Image – A compelling opening scene showing the current situation.
2. Theme Stated – A statement made by a character (normally not the protagonist) hints at the theme and lessons within the story.
3. Set-up – Here we meet the protagonist and are introduced to their everyday life, their aspirations and their struggles.
4. Catalyst – An inciting incident forces the character into action.
5. Debate – The character questions what has happened and debates their next course of action. Often at this point, the character refuses ‘the call to adventure’.
Act 2:
6. Break into 2 – The character decides to accept ‘the call to adventure’, leading them to leave their comfort zone and venture into a new world.
7. B Story – A second story begins, introducing new characters who will ultimately help the main character learn the theme of the story.
8. Fun and Games – The highlight reel showing the character in their new environment. This section should be entertaining for the reader and show the character either thriving or floundering in their new situation.
9. Midpoint – The middle of the novel where the stakes are raised and the problem becomes clearer and more serious.
10. Bad Guys Close In – Problems escalate for the main character. Either the situation is consistently worsening or it falsely appears to be improving. In both cases, the character’s inner demons (their internal bad guys) and the antagonist (the external bad guys) are closing in.
11. All is Lost – The low point in the main character’s journey. At this point, the story appears to be over as the main character feels that everything they have tried has failed and the situation is worse than it was before.
12. Dark Night of the Soul – The main character hits rock bottom and feels helpless. This is their darkest hour, often accompanied by a ‘whiff of death’. It’s the ‘dark before the dawn’, the moment before the character realizes the solution to their predicament and learns the theme of the story.
Act 3:
13. Break into 3 – The aha moment! Thanks to a new idea or inspiration the character realizes what they need to do and they chose to try again.
14. Finale – On this attempt the character approaches the challenge bringing with them their new wisdom. They often fail at first and are pushed to their absolute limits, confronting their inner demons and changing their worldviews, before the problem is resolved. It’s at this point that the antagonist is overcome.
15. Final Image – An ‘after’ snapshot of the character’s life confirming their new status quo and how much they have changed since the beginning of the story.
You can find examples of this beat sheet in action on Blake Synder’s Save the Cat website.
Character-Driven Outline
Stories are driven by characters. It is your character’s motivations and goals, the obstacles they encounter in the pursuit of those goals and how they change along the way that forms the basis of a satisfying story. A character-driven outline starts with your protagonist and what they want. Flesh out your story by asking yourself questions that develop your character and their world. Consider:
What does my protagonist want?
Why do they want this? What has lead them to this point?
Who or what is standing in their way of achieving their dreams?
Are their obstacles internal? External? Or both?
How will they face those obstacles?
How will they change as a result?
Do they achieve their dream? How does this change them?
By knowing what your character’s motivations and struggles you can begin to see your story take shape. As Ray Bradbury says ‘Find out what your hero wants, then just follow him!”
The ways in which you can outline a novel are seemingly endless and there is no one approach that fits all writers. If you haven’t found your preferred method of outlining or would like to change things up then try experimenting with one of the techniques mentioned above. It will take some trial and error to find out what works best for you and you may need to adapt an outline to make it fit your own creative process. Writing is a continual act of experimentation, refining, and perfecting so don’t be afraid to try new approaches, throw out what doesn’t work and stick with what does.
