How to Outline (Or Not)

    I’ve been told I like outlining. I don’t get it. All I do is make a preoutline for the preoutline which is for the preoutline before the other preoutline. 🤣 

Yes, I really do love outlining. Something about getting my ideas out onto the paper in a slightly organized fashion makes me happy. 

    But I wasn’t always a planner, I used to write everything without an outline. The stuff that was written without an outline (if I am honest) was terrible. Then I decided to try outlining. Now I make four outlines for one project two months in advance. 

    With NaNoWriMo coming up, I need to be outlining a lot. (October is often called Preptober among us writers because of that) So, while I am busy scribbling in my notebook, I might as well write a blog post on outlining!

Should I Outline? 

    Well, this is up to you. I, personally, find outlining the easiest and least stressful way to get my ideas on paper. But for you it may be easier to just grab your computer and write. 

    I suggest trying both then choosing. You can decide which one is easier for you and helps your writing the most. I know a lot of writers who write amazing stories without planning much and a lot who outline a ton and know their entire plot from the beginning. 

    It may take time and a lot of thought to decide which is best for you, but you should be able to find out if outlining is right for you. 

How do I Outline?

    Okay, so I am talking about outlining a lot. But how exactly do you outline? 

    There is no exact way to ‘outline’. I found this a little hard when I was starting to outline. Eventually, however, I just grabbed my notebook and wrote down the plot. That’s all outlining really is, writing down what you are planning. 

    But I thought I would show you all how I outline with some pictures to show you how I do it. 

• Notes

Usually, I have a lot of ideas in my head when I first get the idea for a novel. Sometimes, it is too hard to create an outline with that. So, I do a brain-dump. I grab something to write with and just write down every idea I have for the project. Whether that is conversation ideas or plot twists. They are never in order and very messy. 

(For the record, Jeffrey getting ice cream is not my NaNoWriMo Novel)

    You can see how disorganized and out of order these ideas are That’s because this is just a brain-dump. I don’t organize them in the least. Sometimes I just end up doodling on the page. XD But that is what this stage is for. 

• Overall Plot

    Next, I will take my page of notes and decide which ideas fit the story best. This may mean cutting out some odd ideas that won’t actually work in the plot. After I do this, I will start a new outline. This one will be for the overall plot. I won’t include conversations in the outline or show when each chapter will be. For example…

    It is a lot more organized than the notes! This will be the main plot! But you can see it doesn’t have a lot of details. That is where the next and final outline comes in!

• Chapter-by-Chapter

    The last outline I will do is a chapter-by-chapter outline. This will take a while to do, but it is the most detailed and helpful outline I do. 

    First, I’ll write what chapter it is at the top, then outline it the same way I did with the plot outline, just in more detail. 

    This is a lot more detailed! Now I know what to write for chapter one of my story! I usually have this be my final outline, but my process varies a lot. From a quick plot outline to a long process that takes me months. But this is the general process I use!

Outline Your Way

    I am not at all telling you to follow my outlining process exactly (though you may if you would like!). Every writer outlines in different ways. Or maybe you don’t outline at all! Every process is unique and amazing in its own ways! So find out what process works for you! It may take a while, but it is worth it! 

    If you have any questions or comments, feel free to put them in the comments below! 

    Until next time, 

    A.J. Syngraféas