Preptober Step 3: Outline Your Heart Out
We’ve talked about finding a story idea and creating our characters already. What’s next? Outlining.
Outlining is where I struggle and a lot of my story ideas stay story ideas—so, let’s get into it!
During October, I’ll be sharing ways to get ready for NaNoWriMo. If you missed the first couple of posts, catch up on the here and here!
In today’s blog, you’ll learn:
📃 Turning your story idea into an outline
❄ Different methods of outlining
💡 Important outlining tips
Turning Your Idea Into an Outline
Before we get into our topic today, know that there’s no singular way to do this. If what follows works for you, great. If it doesn’t, that’s okay too—you do not need to conform to it. And feel free to tweak it in any way you see fit.
Every writer has their own process and that should be respected.
Okay, let’s begin!
You must have a vague idea of your character, world, and plot before you can begin outlining. One piece may be more fleshed out than the others, and that’s okay. Maybe the characters are speaking over one another in your head. Maybe you’re dreaming about a new world. Maybe you’ve been imagining little pieces of the plot for the last few months.
Go into outlining knowing (at least) vaguely who your story is about, what your characters are going to do, and where they’re going to do it.
Make sure that your scenes snowball out using the words ‘therefore’ or ‘but’, if too many ‘and thens’ get in there, it means that there’s a lack of agency in your characters.
I know a lot of pantsers and discovery writers might feel a bit nervous about an outline—but even if it’s a loose outline it will help you control pacing, character arcs, and balance the different subplots throughout your narrative.
A wizard outlining his latest mystery novel. Tbh, he looks like he self-inserts…
THE SNOWFLAKE METHOD
The Snowflake Method is touted as one of the best ways to expand all your unconnected ideas into a fleshed-out novel.
The Steps
Start with a one-sentence summary of your story—and you’re allowed to be very general here.
Then, expand that sentence into a paragraph, adding more details to the big three: characters, world, and plot. Start incorporating the major characters and conflict(s). You can give your characters their names here.
Build profiles (or character bibles) for each named character.
Expand each sentence from the paragraph into its own paragraph. (e.g., a paragraph for the beginning, middle, and end)
Those are the four general steps, and from there you can keep building out from each paragraph.
Three-Act Outline
This is where outlining and story structure meet. Three-Act structure is probably the most widely known structure out there, at least in the West.
The Steps
Act 1: Set Up
Exposition: Introduce your main character(s), their everyday life, and what’s important to them.
Inciting Incident: What is the catalyst that sets your main character's story in motion?
Plot Point 1: Your main character decides to take action because of the inciting incident.
Act 1: Confrontation
Rising Action: Your main character’s journey begins to take shape and where they first encounter obstacles. More characters like allies and enemies can be introduced here. The main conflict looms larger and larger.
Midpoint: A significant event takes place around the middle of the novel where your main character’s goal is threatened.
Plot Point 2: The event from the midpoint will send your main character will make them pivot and change. In this plot point, they’ll find what they need to confront their antagonist.
Act 3: Resolution
Pre-Climax: The antagonist has become stronger and stronger, and at this point is ready to do battle with your main character. This is the beginning of the final showdown and the antagonist catches the main character off guard, sending both the character and your readers thinking they may lose.
Climax: This is where the final moments of the novel-long conflict come to a head. The main character takes on the antagonist again and wins!
Denouement: Your character’s goal is either achieved at the end of the climax or directly after. This is the come-down from the climax, where you’ll tie up loose ends and release the tension.
This cat doesn’t look like it needs saving, does it?
Save the Cat
Originally developed by screenwriter Blake Snyder and later adapted to novel writing by Jen Brody, it offers the most detailed method with 15 steps. For me, it’s a more fleshed-out three-act, gives more direction, and takes a lot of the guesswork out of things.
The 15 beats simply take up too much room, click below to get your free copy of the Save the Cat beat sheet.
Save The Cat Beat Sheet - Download
Check out the book that started it all (it’s one of my absolute favs!) and the companion workbook.
Honorable Mentions
Of course, there are many, many outlines and structures you can follow to help you flesh out your novel. Here are some honorable mentions to check out:
💡 2 Important Tips
Let trusted writer friends (critique partners) look at your outline—bonus if they write in your genre. They’ll be able to help you identify missing beats or anything else you may have missed.
The outline is never set in stone. I’m preaching to myself here too—treat your outline as a living, breathing, changing thing. Otherwise, risk getting stuck.
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Keep the pen moving,
Kourtney