Outlining a novel is quite different from nonfiction. And maybe you’ve heard the terms plotter and pantser. A plotter is one who outlines. A pantser is someone who writes by the seat of their pants—without an outline. I think most writers (fiction and nonfiction) tend to do a bit of both. I fall into that category.
Like most things, there’s more than one way to outline your book. It’s all about personal choice and writing style. Some writers, after outlining their novel, have the book nearly written. I can assure you, I’m not one of those people!
As I stated in my previous blog “How to Outline a Nonfiction Book,” Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Online Dictionary gives these definitions of outline: “the principal features or general principles of a subject of discussion; a summary giving the essential content of a written work.”
With a novel, your outline might capture only the major scenes of your story, or at the very most, every scene of your story. I’m not going to get hung up on semantics here on the difference between outlining and plotting. Here’s what Scribophile says: “A book outline is a road map of your story’s key events, characters, and conflicts.”
The idea is to create something that keeps you on track with writing your book.
Outlining or Plotting Points
When I outline, I tend to use K.M. Weiland’s plotting points:
- The Hook
- Inciting incident/event
- Key event/point of no return1st,
- 2nd, and 3rd plot points
- 1st and 2nd pinch points
- Climax
- Resolution (aka denoument)
Each of the above are essential scenes to your novel. Knowing what these are help guide you as you write.
I will also sometimes use Randy Ingermanson’s snowflake method.
The time frame of my fiction series played a critical role in my story, so I dated each scene in order to ensure I wasn’t getting events out of sequence. Keep track of anything that’s essential to the smooth flow of your story.
Include as much information as you need to communicate the full idea of the scene. Otherwise when you go to write that scene, you might find you’ve forgotten what you intended to happen at that point in your story.
Here are items to consider:
- What is the setting?
- What characters make an appearance?
- Who is the main character of the scene?
- Who’s POV is it in?
- What is the conflict?
- How does the main character of the scene deal with the conflict?
Remember each scene has a beginning, middle, and end, as does each chapter, and the book. You can outline/plot the beginning, middle, and end of the book or each chapter or each scene if you like.
Methods of Outlining
As stated in my previous post on outlining nonfiction, there area plethora of methods. You can use a
- whiteboard,
- pen/pencil and paper,
- colored pencils,
- colored markers,
- colored sticky notes,
- index cards,
- Scrivener,
- mind mapping software,
- Trello,
- Evernote, and more.
Don’t let your outline limit you. If you discover something along the way, allow yourself to veer away from that outline if needed. Whatever tool you use to help you with your work, don’t allow the tool to control you. You control the tool!
And feel free to say “outlines aren’t for me.”
How do you outline your novel? Leave your comments below so everyone can benefit.
Other helpful posts on this topic:
“Structuring Your Book”
“Plotting: Finding a System That Works for You.”
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Thank you Debra for you insights and help staying on track.
You’re welcome, Bonnie.