Outlining a novel might not be the right thing for every writer, but I firmly believe that it’s the best way to stay efficient and write a cohesive story without the headache of rewriting your book a million times. Making a story work is so much easier (or at least quicker and less labour-intensive) before […]
Outlining can be both the most exciting and sometimes the most difficult part of the writing process, especially when you’re trying to draft a novel in only 30 days. So I came up with a solut…
A blank novel outline template for use with Google Docs, Google Keep, and Scrivener. The One Page Novel is a simple, memorable structure for novelists.
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BRILLIANT! Positively BRILLIANT. Most comprehensive outline I’ve ever seen anywhere. Thank you Derek! A few years ago I made the Plot Dot (now free on Amazon!) – my simple 8-point novel writing template, with the major dramatic twists most stories need to hit. I always wanted a more in-depth book outline and plotting cheatsheet, but […]
Love to argue? Love to challenge others’ beliefs? Then penning an argumentative essay will be right up your alley! Handmadewriting team gathered the best tips for You on How to Write an Argumentative Essay.
Jami Gold's Writing Worksheets: Help for all writers, from newbies to experts and from plotters to pantsers.
Writing a trilogy of novels comes with many of it's own challenges. However, by outlining your trilogy you can save yourself a lot of stress later on!
Use a fiction novel outline template to get a professional and neat outline format for your fiction novel. Download for Word and PDF.
NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month—write a 50K word novel during November) starts today, and while I plan to continue blogging throughout NaNo, I wanted to make sure I gave you something good to keep you happy during my crazy month. *smile* Of course, whether or not you’d define today’s post as anything good might depend […]
Writing a novel is a daunting task, one that requires a great deal of discipline, creativity, and attention to detail. Whether you’re a seasoned author or just starting out, having a checklis…
These will turn people off in an instant.
As an author with three series under my belt, I’m often asked how to plot a series, and I thought it was finally time to share a few tips. First thing is first, anyone considering tradit…
Outline for the first arc of my current WIP Until quite recently, I'd considered myself a loud and proud pantser. I had tried outlining in detail once before, it killed my muse, and I declared that I'd never do it again. Then I started getting writer's block more often than not, and would stare at the page and not know what comes next. I mixed and matched outlining methods and ways to structure story to find the one that suited me that best. Right now, I've come up with the spreadsheet method that's shown on the right, but I promise it isn't as terrifying as it looks. This is by no means the best or only way to outline, but it's my way. Quick things to note: I sort of use the three arc structure. I use the scene/sequel structure (if you don't know what that is, click here and here). My current manuscript is told from a singular first person POV (I'll suggest alternatives for people working with dual/multiple POV further down) I'll be using Pride and Prejudice examples taken from K.M. Weiland's Structuring Your Novel to illustrate everything as I learnt a lot from it. Row = Horizontal, Column = Vertical This post is a little long, so I'll put it underneath a cut. Okay! So let's get started. I open up Excel and start to fill in the top row. If I was outlining Pride and Prejudice, it would look something like this: From left to right, my columns are set as such: Arc - I use this column to track where my Key Points are (more on those later) ✓ - I place a tick there when I finish writing that scene Summary (Protagonist POV) - 1-2 sentence summary of the scene, Place - Where the scene happens Time - When the scene happens One column each for significant supporting characters - A line about what they're doing either behind the scenes (if important) or in the scene. If they're not in the scene, whether doing something important behind the scenes or not, I block it out with grey Scene/Sequel - See linked posts above Goal/Reaction - See linked posts above Conflict/Dilemma - See linked posts above Disaster/Decision - See linked posts above Short-term goal - Not the scene goal, but a very minor goal that takes more than one scene to complete (e.g. to steal enough money to pay the dressmaker) Long-term goal - Big Picture things that are needed to achieve the end goal (e.g. to disguise herself as a noblewoman to enter the palace) Overarching goal - The end goal, what the protagonist wants (e.g. to kill the royal family) While the sheet is still empty (apart from the column labels), I copy it twice so I have three sheets which are exactly the same. I name them Arc One, Arc Two and Arc Three. You could keep it all in one spreadsheet, but because I plot out every scene, it tends to get very long and I'd rather click between tabs than keep scrolling. These are columns are completely flexible, I have some characters don't get their own columns until arc two, and some characters who were significant enough to get their own column in arcs one and two, but ends up dying during the third plot point and no longer needs a column. If you don't think it's important to keep track of the location of the scene, you don't need a location column. If the weather is important, add a weather column. One scene in one row. I fill in all the columns, and if major parts that make up the scene/sequel are . missing, I know that I'll have to seriously rethink about whether or not I need that scene. Potential filler scene avoided before it even began. I can move the scenes around, insert new rows if I need a scene to go in-between, and easily get rid of scenes that I no longer want. Then I add another sheet called "Key Points." Pride and Prejudice would have one that looked something like this: In column A, I write down in each row: Hook Inciting Incident Key Event First Plot Point First Pinch Point Midpoint Second Pinch Point Third Plot Point Climax If you have no idea what any (or some) of these points here, click here. In column B, I write down the scene(s) involved involved in that plot structure point. I edit and add to this as I outline-- usually it goes from a vague idea (e.g. Elizabeth rejects Mr Darcy), to an more concrete idea (e.g. Elizabeth rejects Mr Darcy in the rain after he acts like an asshole and insults her entire family before declaring his love). This really helps me keep track of where the story is going. I usually set up empty spreadsheets for all of my significant characters, and everything and anything that suddenly comes to me goes there. Pictures, dialogue, "what-ifs," all the ideas I get during outlining that I'm not quite sure where to put. Same goes for a worldbuilding and locations. Quick Tips: Freeze the top row. Colour is your friend. Colour code everything. Wrapping the text will save you. If something no longer works, change it. If you suddenly feel the need to revamp everything, click Save As and save it as a new file before going on a deleting spree. If you have more than one POV character then one way of adapting it would be to repeat the scene summary column for as many POV characters you have, and add a POV column. Indicate which POV is being used (through colour or column) and keep notes about what your other POV character is doing during that time in their columns. Hopefully, all of this made sense and didn't confuse anyone too much. If you have any questions or want me to expand on something, feel free to leave a comment!
If you cut my wrist, I’d bleed pantser all over you. Which, for anyone that knows me in real life, is about as ironic as you can get. I’m hyper organised. I have lists of lists and spreadsheets to make even the hardiest of geeks weep. I’m so extreme my wife has to schedule in […]
Have you ever had the vibes of your story figured out but no plot? This post gives you an easy process to find out what actually happens in yor novel
How to start writing a book and turn your book idea into a finished book outline.
Finding your own brainstorming, outlining, and writing process is essential to being productive as a writer. I once heard someone say that you should write your first book not to write a great book…
Being systematic is key in learning how to write a book and get it published. Follow these 10 steps and you'll increase your book's chances.
Lately, some of you have been reaching out to us and asking "how do I write a book?" After reviewing some of our posts, Rachael and I realized that we never really wrote an article on how to write a novel. Sure, we have talked about certain foundation pieces to build your novel but we neve
So, where exactly is your plot taking you? What happens next? What is this story about? It’s time to think about plot. Plotting Worksheet
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The structure of a novel can add to the reader's pleasure or diminish it. Learn how to structure a chapter and make individual story units strong.
There's a lot of things that you need to consider when writing stories. You can use any of these story outline templates to create a good piece of work.
I made this quick outline or "cheat sheet" as a guide for my students. Also included is a checklist for students to use as they write and one for you to use as you score compositions. I re-sized the checklist and Texas Teaching Fanatic's Expository Writing rubric to 50%, added two to a page, and simply attach them to the compositions as I score. Easy, peasy! Print on white to use with Flair pens :) or print on Astrobrights paper for a POP of color! Cheat sheet and checklists are available in English and Spanish. Texas Teaching Fanatic Expository Writing rubric can be found here: Be the first to know about my new products and freebies! Look for the green star near my store name and click on it to become a follower!
These methods of outlining will help you create a novel outline that makes writing your first draft a breeze, whether it's your 1st or 10th time writing a book.
Rhetorical Analysis Outline Worksheet. Rhetorical Analysis Outline Worksheet. Argumentative Essay High School Buy Essays Online at Our
I have been working on my novel for many years. I’ve had confidence issues, fear issues, procrastination issues…but now I’ve decided enough is enough and it’s time to get on with it. This is a vlog of my progress and for this month I show how I am outlining and re-plotting my manuscript.
Novel Writing Scene Card Nanowrimo is right around the corner! Use this simple novel writing worksheet to help you get ready. Includes 1 pdf - Print as many as you need! Friendly Reminder: No physical product will be shipped, and files are for personal use only. Colors may vary due to different color monitors. Artwork is @copyright of Wild for Awhile. For more printable worksheets and art, head over to the homepage and check out our variety of prints. Thank you for visiting, and remember...stay wild!
It’s been seven weeks since I last did any writing on my novel and the longer I leave it the harder it is to re-start. So this is a writing vlog where I decide enough is enough and crack on with the last two Acts in the outlining process. And that’s when the writing magic happens…
A novel outline template will help you find the scope and structure of your story. But an outlining process is more effective. Learn why.
Using a story planner template is an effective way to ensure a positive short story writing experience for both new writers and established ones alike.
