My Outlining Process – Writing Advice

One of my favorite parts of the writing process is outlining, and my method has developed a lot over the years. I’ve pretty much eliminated writer’s block from my life through my multilayered outlining process. (I like to do this all in one or two sittings so I don’t lose the story concept.)

Step One: The Basics 

This is where I jot down the basics of a new story idea. At the top of a page, I write the title (or working title), and under it, the age category, genre, POV and tense style, and word count projection. Then I write down a single paragraph premise of the story, including the plot, the point (or theme) and the main character(s). This leaves me with a space to brainstorm the actual flow of the story. 

Step Two: Expand

After I have my basics down, I write a summary of the plot and characters. This generally fills a page (front and back) in a notebook, and includes the beginning, middle, and end events and the key plot points. I start at the beginning and keep writing until I’ve discovered what the middle and end of the story is going to be, as well as how I get from point A to point B. Once I have this story summary, I do character summaries. Here, I write the basics of the main (primary) characters, such as name, appearance, gender and sexuality and at least two personality traits (most often a weak point and a strong point). After I have the basics, I expand into a more in depth look at my characters, including their backstory, their goals, and how they grow throughout the story. With an outline of the plot and characters, I can start a draft with ease. To me, the most important part of this step is the character outline, because if you know who your characters are and how they act, you’ll be able to avoid the most common cause of writer’s block. 

Step Three: Chapter By Chapter

Once I have a summary of the plot, I like to expand it into individual chapters. This chapter by chapter outline helps keep me on track with the story, even if the chapters change or shift as I write. I’ve only added this step recently and it helps me avoid so much stress about writer’s block or story uncertainty. I always have the next step laid out. Just write down a short summary of each chapter’s main events, and maybe a line of dialogue or two you know you want to include but are worried you’ll forget. This way, you never don’t know what to do as you’re drafting. You have a guide waiting for you.

Step Four: Worldbuilding

Sometimes I avoid this step, but I always come to regret it. When I prepare the worldbuilding for my story beforehand, it increases the depth of my first draft and leads to easier writing. I like to write down the basics, like geography, climate, religion, surface level culture, and magic (if there is magic). For this step, I might draw a map, so I know where everything I create is. Write down basically anything you think will be relevant to the book, especially recent world history, if you’re writing fantasy. If you’re not writing fantasy, it’s still good to do research and gather information about the area/culture/people you’re writing about.

Step Five: Reoutlining

This step comes after my first draft. I read through my story and outline it again, noting changes that need to be made for the second draft. Reoutlining really helps with my editing process. I write down a summary of each chapter as is, and make notes about how I should change it. This way, I can edit and always have a point to reference back to. It may also be helpful to create a new outline as you rewrite or edit your novel, so you always know what you changed and how it exists now, because if you’re like me, what sticks in your head is the original version.