MY OUTLINING TIPS

Recently I posted a story on Instagram asking my followers what they would like to see in a future post on The Empty Pen. The wide majority voted for me to explain my process to planning books and getting to know my characters. Being completely honest, this was the topic I was wanted to write about most! To writers who prefer diving into their projects blind, with little planning, or are new to writing, the concept of outlining can be intimidating. Not to mention, it’s many writers’ least favorite part of the writing process (maybe apart from editing). It's tedious and tends to take an incredibly long time. However, for most, this is a vital step in actually completing a story. It’s essential in growing a connection with your characters and plotlines. Every writer has a different approach to this, so by all means, this is not a clearcut manual you have to follow. I am going to guide you through the few methods I have taken in outlining my books as well as short stories, what I have learned over the years, and hopefully you will find some inspiration that will get you excited to start your project!

START SMALL

I always suggest to writers that before diving into the world of novels, work your way up. This doesn’t necessarily mean starting with short stories, either, but aiming even smaller. The goal you’re working towards is finishing something. Get your mind greedy for the rush of endorphins that follow typing the word “END” on the last page of a draft. So, if you haven’t completed a story yet, try your hand at flash fiction. Then, move to short stories, then novels and so on.

I love writing short stories, especially when an idea hits me and has me like, “Oh yeah, I can get this done in six-thousand words and it’ll be the best thing since Shakespeare.” They’re never the best thing since Shakespeare, but that mindset and ego has me completing my stories. I will be truthful; I rarely outline short stories or flash pieces. These shorter works are often only focused on one or a few scenes, a singular concept, or character. You don’t have to map out a dozen different plot twists, side character arcs, and a master villain. These short pieces allow more freedom to just sit down with an idea and churn it all out in an evening. It trains you for the bigger fete of finishing a 70k manuscript. But sometimes even short stories need more thought to figure out what exactly it is you’re trying to tell.

Take Untouchable, for example (a short story you can find on my blog). If I remember, that story took me two days to complete the first draft. My first brush of inspiration came from an image I had of an old man feeling a deep sensation of loneliness. I wrote the first scene and then sat back, not knowing what I wanted out of Louis. I read the lines, feeling his emotions, then went to bed. I turned him around in my head and asked, “What’s causing him such great sorrow?” It didn’t take much for him to tell me. He told me about his late wife, how they were so deeply in love and fell out of that affection for each other, how it took losing her to regain his lost feelings. I was back at it the next day, Louis’s story spilling from me.

No matter the length, stories can start with a simple image. It might be an emotion like Louis’s loneliness, a sample of a conversation, or an entire character ready to tell their history. Discovering the completion of that story comes with asking questions. When planning a novel, you will have to ask a lot more. I have a document of over a 100 I try to answer before really diving into the writing process. However, every story—even flash fiction—needs these questions answered:

1. Who is your character and why do they matter?

2. What is their physical goal?

3. What is their mental goal?

Those are basically the main questions for shorter works and can easily be built on for more complex pieces. However, when it comes to flash fiction or short stories, you don’t want a complex plot (especially for flash fiction). These shorter works tend to be character-driven. If your writing goal is to work on stories longer than this, short pieces will be the steppingstones on getting there!

TAKING THE LEAP

Start with a notebook. A simple notebook costing a dollar fifty and a smooth pen (always spend your money on a pen that won’t hurt your hand, paper doesn’t matter). That’s how I begin planning a novel.

On the first page, sketch out what you already know. This could be a plot point, a character, the ending, or a setting. It doesn’t matter. Whatever that brush of inspiration was—or the idea that’s been brewing for months—make sure to get everything you know down.

Flip the page. Now, who is your character? You don’t have to know their name. You don’t have to know their appearance if you don’t already, what matters is their role. What’s tying them to the story? Why are they important? Some writers suggest creating the antagonist first—that villains are what make the heroes. I say, follow your line of creativity. If the hero comes first, focus on them. And I want you to ask a hundred questions.

Start with these:

1. Who are they?

2. What do they want?

3. What’s stopping them from getting it?

Grow from there. Think of it like going on a date, except you’re going to get really personal and have some trauma bonding. But you need to know everything. And as you get to know their goals, what’s at stake, their answers will tell you about their personality. The more questions you ask will reveal answers to things you didn’t even think about. Track as much as you can in that notebook. Once you know everything about your characters and the broad concept of your story, you’re going to move onto outlining the basic plot.

When writing The Wayfarers: Volume One, I decorated my room with sticky notes. I am incredibly dependent on visuals, and once the plot started expanding, it was like my journal was obscuring my view of the world. I needed The Wayfarers everywhere around me. I needed to be able to turn and easily see plot points connecting with plot points without the hindrance of turning a page. If you’re like me, there are a few things you can do. You can do the sticky note method, which might make you look like a detective, or you can use a massive whiteboard. This is how I have been planning Volume Two. Or find what works for you! I just found that pasting the plot on my walls not only made planning more organized (in a weird and ironic way), but also reminded me to write.

So, you’ve gotten to know your characters as well as the plot and are now ready to start outlining? I’ll be honest, this can be an incredibly frustrating process. At least, it is for me. My current project has duel POV, so it can be finicky outlining and figuring out where everything comes together. However, here are a few of my favorite outlining structures. (I recommend either filling out multiple of these or merging them to fit your story. It can aid in finding all the plot pieces.)

Outline Structure One

I—Hero and Ordinary world

A. Inciting Incident

B. First Plot Point

II—Exploring New World

C. First Battle

D. Midpoint

E. Second Battle

F. Second Plot Point

III—Defeat and Victory

G. Final Battle

H. Rebirth

Outline Structure Two

I—Introduction

A. Call to Action

B. Point of No Return

II—Mystery

C. New Reality

D. New Friends

E. Major Event

III—Action

F. Build to Pursuit of Action

G. High-Action Event

H. Simmer-Down

IV—Conflict

I. Boost to Complete Quest

J. Key Event/Lose Everything

K. Major Twist

V—Conclusion

L. Tie Storylines Together

M. Resolution

N. Conclusion/What’s Next

They key is to view each point of the structure as a tree limb. There will be multiple plot points branching out. Everything needs filled in as much depth as you are able. When you think you’ve described each section enough, go ahead and ask what more you can elaborate on. This will make creating an official chapter outline that much easier.

Chapter outlining is different for everyone. I typically like to have the first few chapters written before I sit down and completely outline the rest. It gives me a feel for the official tone of the book, which makes seeing my characters’ future actions easier (if that makes sense). You can do this before you start writing or what like I do. It’s important to note that outlining chapters should not be seen as a restriction, but a guide. You don’t have to abide by the outline. If the plot pulls you in an unexpected direction, don’t fight against it. Outlines are simply there to help you get to the end of your book.

Chapter outlines also don’t necessarily have to be the most details. When writing Volume One, many of mine were just scribbled sentences I wrote on scraps of paper between class.

Reading all this—my complex and longwinded process—might have you wondering when you’ll be able to actually write. And, while I said it’s best to wait until you know practically everything, it’s also just as important to feed your creativity. If you have the itch to write a scene, write the scene. Don’t keep yourself from doing so because who knows when you’ll feel that pull again. If you want to be incredibly thorough with planning, write side stories about your characters solely for the purpose of getting to know their voice. Make memes out of them, act like how you want your greatest future fan to.

Let yourself go through this process naturally and make sure to not overwork. That’s how you hit a writing slump. Don’t write until you’re exhausted so you’ll have the energy to pick the story back up the next day and find fun templates when planning! To ensure I’m leaving you headed in a good direction, I typed my favorite world and character-building questions as well as a few links to writer resources! Happy planning!

CRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Who is the protagonist?

2. What’s the conflict?

3. What do they want?

4. What’s keeping them from getting it?

5. What scares them most?

6. Who is the antagonist?

7. What scares them most?

8. What genre is the story? What’s the story’s tone?

9. What are the characters’ internal conflicts?

10. How can you make this concept different from what’s come before it?

11. Why should people care about the protagonist?

12. Is the antagonist a villain or just someone that has an opposite goal to the protagonist?

13. What does the protagonist have to lose?

14. What pushes the protagonist into the quest/conflict?

15. What are the stakes?

16. How will the protagonist change throughout the story?

17. What plot points can the story live without?

18. What characters can the story live without?

19. Is the protagonist a reliable narrator?

20. What is the worst thing that can happen to each character?

RESOURCES

• To read about character archetypes visit: https://www.novel-software.com/character-archetypes/

• To further study outlining visit: https://www.novel-software.com/novel-outline-template/

• NaNoWriMo can also be a helpful tool in pushing writers into completing their manuscripts! Visit their page at https://nanowrimo.org/

It’s also important to have platforms you enjoy using! My favorite app for writing first drafts is ZenWriter. For outlining, planning, and writing early drafts I use Scrivener. For later and more developed drafts I use Microsoft Word. However, there are dozens of good resources out there, so really research the apps that would fit you best!