There’s a common misconception going around about outlines: that they are going to limit you.
On top of all of this, there’s also the highly likely chance that you have never been taught how to plan a novel, and, since you don’t know how, you may think you don’t need an outline or that it wouldn’t work for you.
Little disclaimer, being a pantster is a real thing! My sister is the kind of writer who can’t wrap her head around outlines and planning. That’s simply not how her brain works.
I, on the other end, am a meticulous plotter.
I know that what works for me won’t work for her, and viceversa. That’s why my top priority with every single one of the writers I work with is to understand their needs first, and focus on strategies that work best for them.
However, for the longest time I thought I was a pantster… until I actually tried writing a book outline.
See, I am a type A kind of person. I like for things to be organized, I thrive in places that are peaceful and tidy, and I like to sit down and map everything I can up front to avoid misunderstanding and give myself some peace of mind.
It made sense that what works for me is to plan a novel to the tea before I sit down and start drafting (even though I always leave room for some extra wiggles).
But I didn’t realize it until, well, I planned a novel to the tea before I sat down and started drafting.
What I want to say is that, if you have never created an outline before, and are convinced you are a pantster, or you are afraid that an outline will limit your creativity, give it a go before ditching it altogether, and I want to give you a very simple roadmap to do just that and create an outline that is going to adapt to your needs.
I have a blog post about 5 questions you can use to start planning your novel today, and I’d recommend you start from there, but I’ll give you a quick rundown:
- Know why your main character is the main character: are they the only heir to a kingdom? Are they the only one with a specific power, or perhaps the only on without powers?
- Know what the main conflict is: what’s the problem your hero needs to solve?
- Define the main challenges they are going to face: is there a monster to defeat? A princess to save? A barren land to cross?
- Define the main turning points: when is the main character going to face a setback or an advancement?
- Know the ending: have a general idea of how you want for it to end, so that you can draw the map that will get you there.
Now, as I mentioned, I always leave room for changes, so if you have to add an extra challenge or change the ending while you write, feel free to do so. After all, you have to do what’s best for your story and sometimes that means to change things up halfway through.
Then, it comes the fun part.
This is the moment you have to sit down and write a summary of your story, and then divide it in a beginning, middle and ending.
Then take each section, expand on it, and divide it again in beginning, middle and ending.
Do this until you are satisfied with the roadmap you have created. You could do this only once and be happy with it, or do it multiple times until you get to have your full chapters.
The concept behind it is that every story has a beginning, middle and ending, and every scene is like a mini story on its own, so it can, and should, have a beginning, middle and ending as well.
I actually have this whole strategy mapped out in a pdf that you can download and use offline, or print if you need. You can download it here for free.
I hope this helped. Now that you know what to do, go on and plan that book.
Happy writing!
