Outlining a Novel - Step By Step

Not every author outlines a novel. I use a brief synopsis to set up my storyline not broken into scenes and I build from there. I build my characterization, and I know the beginning and ending of my novel along with the black moment. Then as I begin to write in more detail, I outline the next scenes. But I’ve had to outline a whole novel for an occasional publisher, and so here is what I learned from that experience. But you might ask, if you don’t outline is in worthwhile? My answer is yes.

Value of Outlining
• It provides a roadmap that helps you envision where you will begin your journey and where you’re headed. When you take a trip, you have a beginning point and a destination, but the adventures that happen in the middle can prove to be anything—interesting detours, car repairs, getting lost. But knowing where you’re headed keeps you focused on the destination.
• It forces you to brainstorm. It causes you to develop characters, select a setting which includes era, location, time of year. It compels you to select a genre whether a thriller, suspense, romance, paranormal, women’s fiction or comedy.
• It gives you confidence because you’ve answered numerous questions, and once you have a direction, you will begin to expand the brainstorming to unique ideas you may not have contemplated for the journey if you had just “climbed in your car and turned on the key.”
• It allows you to use techniques like foreshadowing events, problems, or clues which provides a hook for the readers.
• It helps you remember all the threads that must be tied together by the end of the novel.

Problems With Outlining
• You could stifle your creativity if you let it. Don’t give so much detail that you stop thinking outside the box.
• You may fear taking detours that can expand the story and adding new complications and obstacles.
• You may become bored with the story because you’ve made all the discoveries you think you can make.
• You may provide too many details that can bog an outline. Think skeleton or bare bones leaving out all details and emotions

Pre-Development of An Outline
Before beginning the process, answer the following questions
• Who will be your main character with type person, etc.?
• What is this problem or goal? What is the most important possession or person or treasure to your character at this moment in time?
• What problems arise between the character and his/her goal or the solution to his/her problem?
• What is the setting? Historical/contemporary? Urban/rural? What is the genre? Romance? Women’s fiction? Suspense? Paranormal? Thriller? What are the key events that move the characters toward resolving the problem or reaching the goal?

Outlining
Break your novel into chapters first, writing the gist of what you want to accomplish in each chapter. Next break the chapters into scenes with only enough detail to provide you with “the next step on your journey.” As you write the chapter, you still have a multitude of opportunities for creativity in where and how this scene will take place, who will be in the scene, what will you foreshadow, what will be the mood.

If you have a story with two or three plots running at the same time, do a chapter by chapter for each of these plots. When you expand into scenes for the whole novel, use color to highlight to designate the various plots as you arrange them into chapters. Make sure you give a good balance between the major plots so that the reader doesn’t lose interest in the side plot or doesn’t become confused. Keep each plot line clear by opening with reference to the characters involved in that plot. Example: detective, criminal, kidnapped child’s family.

For an excellent detailed example of an outline, visit Paperback Writer blog at:
http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2007/09/novel-outlining-101.html

Question: How Do You Create A Rough Plot Outine?

Numerous questions were asked by writers in my online course in January.  I wanted to share this one with you.
My question is this: Do I start with a rough outline of scenes, using the checklist to insure the scene is driving the story, then go onto adding in sequels and plotting hooks?

My response:

 I plot a little differently than many, but that's natural.  We each find a way that works with us. I plot with things that should happen without knowing at the time whose POV it will be in or where it will happen. I just know these are the details I want to include, so building in the sequels comes from instinct. I ask myself does the other POV character need a chance to share his/her emotional and mental responses to what happened in the previous scene or situation. If so then I add those elements to his or here next scene.

Hooks are techniques we use within scenes and always at the end of a scene to keep the readers turning pages - so those are also instinctive to some degree but can be set up as you approach the end of your chapter or scene.

Here's what I do when plot overwhelms me. (You can do this on a brainstorming computer program if you have one.) I actually do it on sticky notes or index cards. I jot down ideas of things that need to happen-- information I need to share with the reader, incidents that move the story forward, conflicts that occur, new characters or subplots that enter the story---all kinds of things like this. Then I begin to organize them. Which is the least dramatic element? That goes first. I set up conflicts in order of the dramatic and emotional effect on one or both characters. I sometimes use a subplot to create a hook, but a great way to hook is ending a scene with a troubling question, the telephone ringing when the character is waiting for information, an unexplained noise, a question that needs an answer (which ever works in the story) and then move the scene to the other POVcharacter and sometimes another subplot. This keeps readers griping the pages until the find out what happened in the earlier scene . As I work through these cards or sticky notes, I make decisions about what information needs to be foreshadowed earlier or where the information needs to happen to keep the story moving forward. This works very well for me to present all the action, introspection and dialogue at the most effective place it can be in the story -- everything leading to that dire, dark moment when all seems lost -- and then the exciting road to a solution and resolve.

Outlining #5 – Pacing Needs Planning

The screenwriting outline article I shared with you lists a fifth and final major point for creating a dynamic story—pacing. Pacing is not only important for screenwriting. It is vital for plotting a novel. I’ve stressed this before in other articles on writing, but this will be a good review.

5. Pacing needs to flow like a river with all its hidden dangers. Through outlining the author can visual pacing before writing the book. He can see the river's calm and the turbulence and then place these scenes in the most meaningful way to impact the story.

I use the analogy of climbing into a canoe and heading down a river to a specific destination. This would be your story. It begins when your character steps into a new life event, experience or awareness. Once on a journey, it ends somewhere, and most people know their final destination. A novel must have one.

So let’s say, you’re going on a canoe trip. You climb into the boat and know you’re heading five miles down the river, but you have no idea what awaits you on your journey. The river begins calm, perhaps a few riffles in the water, but then things happen. You begin to struggles with the current. It draws you into rocks or into the trees near the shore. You battle your way out of that and then find rough water ahead, a whirlpool that’s drawing you in, another struggle to bring you back to calmer water. Then a new trial awaits you. Ahead you a towering boulder and you fight the current that sucks you in. Safe again, but then you see white water and the current picks up. Your job is to make it through the rocks to reach the calm by manipulating the canoe, fighting the current, and staying in the boat. The trip continues from one set of white water to another, each more powerful and more frightening, until you see a waterfall ahead. What can you do? Give in and go over, jump out and swim to a boulder (if that’s even possible), or be strong enough to land the canoe on shore. These are choices you must make and then achieve.

In your novels, pacing is that same kind of troubled journey. Making your character face choices creates tension, and each choice causes your characters to deal with challenges and conflicts. As the author you must decide which conflict comes first, which challenge, which danger. If you begin your novel at the waterfall, everything after it seems easy. You must decide which event adds tension to the story yet leaves room for more dangerous or more emotion conflicts to follow.

Making these decisions and organizing your plot events to build greater disasters and controversy as your story proceeds is pacing.