The How To's of Outlining?

[thaddeus6th]

My own approach to outlining is to sketch out the most basic story elements. Then, add detail until I've got about 1-2 pages.

I slice that into different chapter-worthy segments (might just be a sentence at this stage) and flesh out each chapter so it works in itself and has decent continuity with the chapters around it. I also try to ensure that a combination of exciting stuff, and plot development stuff, happen frequently (but not excessively. Five consecutive chapters, each with a battle, would become boring to write and to read).

Other info I include are major characters presents, the POV character(s), the location and the overall mood.

Adopted this for Journey to Altmortis (the smoothest drafting process so far) and for all subsequent books (except Sir Edric's Temple, for which I took the unorthodox approach of knowing the final scene, and making up everything in between as I went along).

It works well for me, but others would take a different approach, either with more or less detail (chapter outlines tend to be around five-six lines, maybe a little more, for me).

 

[LittleStar]

That sounds like writing to me

I mean, when I write I'm light on description and detail -- but I get the bones of the character interaction and the plot down, and then I come back and re-write to add detail/ flavour/feels (sometimes). I wonder if we're really doing similar things?

Perhaps we are. But as alex said, mayeb the difference is that i pants it all in my head first before page. Certainly in that case I would suggest that your first drafts are far far more readable than mine i would add a scene of my notes here, but I fear I'd be asked to leave the forums

 

[Loren]

I am a bit of a gadgeteer with writing, so I will offer this link to a product called Scrivener. It's like Microsoft Word on steroids, but it's specifically for writers.

You build the outline of the story (or not, if you so desire) in a separate pane to the right of the document (Document Notes). Scrivener lets you create chapters as individual entities that can be worked on one at a time or you can work on the whole manuscript if you want. Chapters can easily be moved about by dragging and dropping on the left pane, deleted, or stuffed away in an archive just in case you change your mind.

I gave someone an outline of my one book and all it took was to publish all the notes. Scrivener organized them into one document so that you can see how the whole story's notes fit together start to end.

For my style I vacillate between outlining and simply writing something. I usually write what is in my gut first, then put key points in the Document Notes pane to summarize what I wrote. That way I can see the bigger picture and how each chapter leads to the next or more importantly, if I need to go back and find important details, such as times and dates, chances are I put it in my notes and I don't have to go searching through pages of writing.

For me a writing tool is not simply a word processor. It's an environment for creativity or a playground for my imagination.

 

[Toby Frost]

First up, I would ask yourself what this story is actually about. Very, very loosely, leaving out the details and subplots, can you sum it up in a few lines? (Incidentally, spoilers about Alien follow. If you've not seen it, watch it now). Alien is about the crew of a spaceship that accidentally picks up a killer alien. It kills the crew off despite their attempts to stop it. Eventually, the only survivor faces off against the Alien and kills it, although the spaceship is destroyed in the process. It sounds as if you can sum your own story up like this.

The summary above gives a rough idea of the important points that happen in the story of Alien. They are: the alien gets on board the ship; the crew discover it; the alien kills various people; they come up with plans to stop it; the spaceship is destroyed; the alien is killed. These are the important events of the story, and it's reasonable to think that each event would have its own chapter. Each of those chapters is a mission or a level in itself with a beginning and an end (in this example, usually a death). So you might have chapters called "Dallas goes into the vents" or "Ripley and Ash's dispute comes to a head". Each is self-contained, but its result affects the rest of the story (by making the situation even more desperate, which raises tension and makes readers want to continue).

So you probably need to break down your overall plot into episodes that can work as chapters. Each chapter deals with a problem (which might just be needing some weapons and buying them) and either resolves it or clearly doesn't. If the main issue is getting into the city, you'll need something more than just a very high wall. The solution to the problem might involve espionage, making an enemy, striking a deal with someone else (and helping them do something interesting), compromising or conspicuously sticking to her principles, and half a dozen other things, each of which could form a chapter. At this stage I would advise against striking out any such options on the grounds that "My character wouldn't do that" because it artificially limits you, which is a bad thing. One of the classic options here is the "plot coupon" story, where the character collects objects that enable the plot to continue (parts of a magic item, for instance). Each part would have its own chapter.

Obviously it is good to have things from earlier chapters come back or to introduce new complexities to the story, so it isn't just about jumping over a set of identical hurdles. I would start each chapter at the point where the things important to the chapter start, and leave out travelling, etc. I'd stop each one where it seems natural, but generally when that particular scene ends. It's hard to say whether the repercussions of a chapter (the gang count the loot from the robbery etc) should be in that particular chapter or later on: it probably depends on the circumstances.

 

[Fishbowl Helmet]

I've been watching youtube videos and reading articles on outlining for most of the afternoon. But some things I can't seem to wrap my head around.

For instance, in one is says that it's a good idea to first outline the bare minimums.

Whos the main character, the main goal, whats in the way of the goal, the setting.

Then go though and give a quick blurb about each chapter. Then have chapter outlines which outline the scenes that make up the chapter.

But this brings up. What should happen in a chapter? I of course realize no one is going to say that a chapter should be 12.3 pages long. But what about a principle? "X should be accomplished in a chapter" or "X usually marks a good place to end a chapter."

I was once at a writing conference many years ago and I asked this very question and I was answered with a quote from Alice in Wonderland.

March Hare: Start at the beginning.
Mad Hatter: Yes, yes. And when you come to the end...
Mad Hatter: STOP. See?

Very profound sounding, but it doesn't really help me when I'm being told to outline what is happening in a chapter.

There's different ways to do it and everyone's got an opinion, from 'never outline' to 'this is the one and only right way to outline'. But there's no 'right answer' as it all depends on what works best for you.

A lot of writers do what's called scene-sequel.

You start with a scene: a character with a goal facing opposition in a location. The character struggles against that opposition and there's some kind of loss or reveal or twist that complicates things for the character. That character then reacts to the scene in the sequel. This is your emotional stuff and setting the next goal. The character then goes to a new location to achieve their new goal and suffers some kind of twist or setback that complicates things further. The character then reacts to that setback or twist and decides on a new goal... on and on till the end.

The first chapter should start with a really interesting attention grabbing hook of a scene. Think A Game of Thrones and Leviathan Wakes. Each open with characters already dealing with a situation (in a scene) and dealing with some kind of mystery. The first chapters or prologues of both end with some big twist or reveal that pulls the reader on to the next chapter. Each subsequent chapter starts with a sequel and end with the twist or reveal at the end of a scene. This gives the reader something meaty and exciting to hold on to that will compel them to read on.

Think of it like peaks and valleys. These are the reader's interest. It's easy to quit reading at the end of a chapter because it's a natural break in the story. If you end a chapter with a valley (sequels) then you're basically telling the reader to put your book down and go do something else. If you end a chapter with a peak (twist at the end of a scene) then you're basically hooking the reader into the next chapter despite needing to go to bed so they can go to work in the morning. It's a nasty trick, but it works. That's also why you see big twists and reveals just before commercial breaks on TV.

It's just physics, really. Action-Twist-Reaction-Decision-Action-Twist...

You just want to end a chapter on the most interesting bit, the twist, so the reader will keep reading.

So what should be accomplished in a chapter?

At least one scene, if not a sequel then a scene.

To outline a novel you just need to decide what those big bits are.

Chapter One. What's the big hook?

Chapter Two through Infinity. What's the MC's reaction to the twist? What's their decision? What's their goal? Where do they go to accomplish that goal? What's the opposition? What's the twist or reveal?

 

[James118]

This is going to sound wishy-washy as hell, but my approach would be to divide a completed work into chapters where it 'feels right'. This could, of course, lead to wildly varying lengths, which might only go down fine with the most liberal readers, but I must admit my practice is different from my approach: yes, I would go for the intuitive 'when it feels right' method, but I would do it in progress.

A more practical approach would probably be to create a scene plan, and then see how you can carve up your story based on sequences of scenes making one chapter, one chunk of development.

Alternatively, you could just pull a Pratchett and forgo chapters entirely.

 

[Edward M. Grant]

The only time I have ever planned a novel I used the snowflake method and I have to say it worked quite well as I only needed to rewrite that novel a second time.

That was the method I used back when I tried outlining. It was good, because you could stop anywhere in the process and start writing, rather than having to write a 300 page outline for a 200 page book, as some people seem to do.

Then I decided that outlining was the main thing keeping me from finishing a book, because I already knew the story and didn't feel any need to write it any more.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I just felt in the three weeks I'd spent planning I could have written a draft.

 

[MWagner]

I tried thorough outlining from the outset and it didn't work for me. Sure, I came up with a three-act structure and a bunch of character arcs. Mapped out a chain of scenes. But they didn't have any emotional oomph. I didn't know my characters yet, so their aspirations and actions were inert.

Then I pared it back to just the story premise: Someone wants something and can't get it because of X. I came up with a premise for each character, and then I just started writing. Once the words were flowing, the storylines took on lives of their own. I'd give them their head until they ran out of steam, then I'd pull back and do a little more outlining. What are the new conflicts that have taken shape? How are the antagonists going to react? Once I had a little more of the road mapped out, it was off to the races again. I think this type of writing is referred to as headlight outlining, or something like that.

Anyway, the point is you can outline as little or as much as you need to give you some guidance. And sometimes you need to write to give you the impetus to outline.

 

[Darkranger85]

I tried thorough outlining from the outset and it didn't work for me. Sure, I came up with a three-act structure and a bunch of character arcs. Mapped out a chain of scenes. But they didn't have any emotional oomph. I didn't know my characters yet, so their aspirations and actions were inert.

I'm not in any way disagreeing with you, I'm just curious.

Couldn't this be solved by doing an in depth bio on your characters?

 

[MWagner]

I'm not in any way disagreeing with you, I'm just curious.

Couldn't this be solved by doing an in depth bio on your characters?

I did that too. The thing is that your characters don't really come to life until they're doing stuff on the page (at least they don't for me). So who you think your characters are, and what they want, may very well change once you start writing the story - they go from being inert constructs to actors with their own agency. Then you will have a lot more to work with if you do outline going forward.

 

[Jeremy M. Gottwig]

That sounds like writing to me

I mean, when I write I'm light on description and detail -- but I get the bones of the character interaction and the plot down, and then I come back and re-write to add detail/ flavour/feels (sometimes). I wonder if we're really doing similar things?

I think this parallels my approach.

I'll come up with a very basic idea.

Then I'll scope out my characters.

Then I'll scribble down a very light plot... usually as just a long blob, which is often more of a discussion with myself to come up with ideas and a trajectory. It is not uncommon for this blob to contain phrases like: "Or perhaps I could do [this], which might result in [that]." I'll always keep characters in mind as I'm writing this. Once I have an idea for an ending, I'll start writing the actual story. I expect the story to diverge from my plot or congeal around an unexpected idea. I roll with it. I like a story that surprises me as I'm writing it.

 

[Edward M. Grant]

I did that too. The thing is that your characters don't really come to life until they're doing stuff on the page (at least they don't for me).

Yes. I started out writing character bios, but then found the characters radically changed while writing the book, so anything beyond one paragraph was really too much.

Even then, in my last book I had one character change from the protagonist's girlfriend to a transexual stripper who tried to sell him to slavers before it was done.

 

[R B Watkinson]

I think that there is no right nor wrong way to approach writing a book. Some people are very disciplined and write detailed outlines, others simply write the story and there are all variations in-between.

As for chapter length, I think I read 3,000 words is a roundabout number, but, and this is a big one, chapters represent scenes in a play and the amount of action in a scene can be highly variable.

I think of chapters as stepping stones toward the end of the story. Each represents a bridge to the next scene of action with greater and greater sense of suspense building to the climax. You can have a single thread of action throughout a book or several threads running at the same time and bouncing between threads as they lead you to the book's conclusion.

For me each chapter has a goal. I will take the action from one point to its intended end, leaving the reader with something of a mini cliffhanger so they ask/wonder what happens next and are compelled to turn the page.

You can write a chapter about what is happening on a boat, the next chapter may take you to a dock, another boat, or a city where some action takes place. If you have watched plays you can get an idea what a chapter means as they are analogous to scenes in a play where the curtain rises and and falls. The space between them are the chapters of a book.

This is an excellent reply. Personally, I start my books as a seat-of-the-pants writer, but once into the story, with characters fleshed out and the road of the story visible, I start doing a light amount of sketching in, just to keep me focused on the goal. Everyone has their own methodology where writing is concerned: Brandon Sanderson plans to the greatest of detail, where other prefer to start their character off on the road and discover where it leads along with their protagonist.
Try out different ways for yourself, see what suits you. The only way to learn writing is by writing - do it a lot and read a lot (and widely) and you'll get better. Most importantly - enjoy it.

 

[Inca_UK]

I started by writing a plot summery of where I wanted the story to go, line by line. It was quite vague and left plenty of wiggle room. Then I made up some characters and wrote a few lines on each of them. Following that I wrote a bit on the setting, just to figure it out.

Now I'm going through my plot and fleshing out each point into a plot chunk, which may or may not end up as the chapters, whilst running the characters through it and making sure it fits in with what they'd do. Its already deviated quite a bit from what I originally wrote and as I go, I've changed things up on the character profiles and on the background. But thats all fine and I expect when I actually start writing the novel, the characters will take me in different directions than what I've written anyway.

This might seem like a bit much planning and could probably have finished chapter 1 by the time I've done all this, but I have a history of thinking up a setting and starting writing without much direction and it eventually fizzles out, because theres not much of a plot and nothing is really thought out. Starting from a plot and extrapolating out seems to be a much better idea. Plus I know how long the story is (supposed to be), so its nice to know where the end is.

 

[Michael M]

The key point for any outline is to act as an aid to the writer. If you believe that you need a detailed outline, then this will help you to construct your novel, and it is an arduous task to create a coherent and entertaining plot. An outline can also reveal potential problems in the novel.
You might find your outline reveals that you would be dedicating more time within your novel to a theme you view as secondary, so you either transform the theme into a primary feature or you send the novel in a different direction. You can identify some problems before you have spent three months and twenty thousand words racing down the proverbial dead end.

 

[Hex]

It also helps you write a synopsis, when it's all finished... (she sobbed)

 

[Loren]

It also helps you write a synopsis, when it's all finished... (she sobbed)

Okay, you are not going to get away with just that. I smell a story here!

 

[Hex]

It's not a very exciting story, I'm afraid. I just finished a whole series of re-writes and now I think the ms is ready to be sent out, but I need to write (another) synopsis since the story is now very different. Since I didn't plan anything, and don't have an outline, I'll pretty much have to start from scratch...

 

[Loren]

It's not a very exciting story, I'm afraid. I just finished a whole series of re-writes and now I think the ms is ready to be sent out, but I need to write (another) synopsis since the story is now very different. Since I didn't plan anything, and don't have an outline, I'll pretty much have to start from scratch...

At least the bulk of the work is behind you, so that is exciting.