While you can jump "write" in to a writing project, it's always better to outline first. This way, you don't feel lost or lose hope on your idea. There are different ways to approach outlining, but I will share my method of outlining with you. I will also give some general outlining tips to help you outline your piece. Outlining is an important part of the writing process, no matter what type of writer you are. With an outline, you are less likely to feel stuck or lose touch with your work. Outlining may be what you need to finally jump into a writing idea you've been holding onto for ages. The type of writer you are can affect how you outline, but I argue it always important to outline a work before completing the first draft. As you outline, you can brainstorm your piece's story arc, character development, themes, and more. To help you outline, I will show you how I outline and give you some outlining tips: HOW I OUTLINE. Most of the time when I outline, I will only include the most important details: plot points. Sometimes, if I know exactly how a scene will play out, I will also add some quotes on how I think a character will speak. I may also add in personal notes to myself within the outline like "this is a major spot for character development in Rey (my protagonist)". For some of my outlines, mostly my series, I will also keep a timeline.
My outlining is, and I believe everyone's outlining should be, for story only. I have seperate sheets for world building, character info, etc. If you don't separate these things, you may get boggled down by all the information in your outline. Look at this example of my outline for Chapter Four in the first edition of A Vow to Fury. "-king pov -those that return with the eggs and dont have the specific one they wanted are criticized by muar and then the king -also angry they didnt remove any of the dead dragons horns or claws -he prepares new troops to bribe the aradaso, knows the kakato were too far to have taken the egg, and another troop to question the otami, killing any if they need to " This small outline served as a guideline for my nine-paged chapter. There are obviously a lot more details in the chapter than included in this outline, but what is in the outline is important parts of the plot that needed to be included in my story, or else there would be plot holes. For one, it was important that troops went to Otami and Aradaso because it would affect how my protagonist got the help she needed. OUTLINING TIPS. Outlining is pretty straight forward, but sometimes even outlining can be troublesome for a new writer. If you're finding it hard to spit out ideas or maybe you're boggled down by your outline because you can't seem to get it in order consider these tips about outlining: DETAIL LEVEL. Outlining does not have to be extremely detailed; the detail level is completely up to you. It should, at least, be a list of bullet points of important events and interactions, only the things related to the plot. You can feel in more details while you write, or maybe after you outline the plot, you can feel in more details. It's entirely up to you. "STICKY NOTE METHOD". Whenever you have an idea for your work, write it down. If you prefer pen, write it on a sticky note. If you prefer the computer, put it into a document. Do not worry about the chronological order: on a sticky note you can reorganize them, and on the computer you can copy and paste around until you are satisfied with its order. You may not know when it will happen, but you know that you want it to happen, that's the important part. Eventually, you will have a collection of ideas that will grow into an outlined story with your help of drawing connections. GUIDELINE. Your outline is only a guide. Do not drill these ideas into your head like they are strict rules to your story. I changed my outline multiple times. In fact, I printed my outline out so that I could write all over it and add new ideas. START AT THE END. The climax is the key point to your story. Everything builds up to that point, and it is easier to outline if you know what your destination is. CONFLICT. TIMELINE. As mentioned, sometimes I keep timelines in my outline. For some outlines, it's important to keep a timeline, especially for series or books with multiple points of views where time overlaps. This is also especially true if you create your own method for your characters to track time. Once you have your outline completed, you can start your writing process! Happy writing! :)
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More InfoErin blogs because she wants to help other young adult writers and new writers. It's aimed to educate others on the writing and self-publishing process. If there is anything you'd like to know that she hasn't covered yet, please contact her! |