How to Write a Novel: The Outline

BOOOOOOO-RIIIIIIIINNNGGG.

That's what you're probably thinking right now, if you just read that post title. I know I did, just typing it. The truth is, I completely HATE outlining a book. It's probably the most tortuous thing I can possibly think of doing, besides sitting in a dark room with flying baboons and clowns force-feeding me furry green pudding. I just want to get to the writing part, if it's okay with you. Enough of the technicalities. Gimme the pen and paper and let me do my thing.

That's what I once thought (silly me) every time I sat down to work on a book. It wasn't long before I found, about halfway through the story, that I had no idea where I was going. I didn't know what happened in the end, or the middle, or even the beginning. I just started with the characters and went from there.

I think this is a big problem in a whole bunch of young writers. They think the characters are everything. Well, I can tell you from experience that characters are the biggest part of the book, but they alone don't cut the biscuit. To get a whole, completed, readable novel, you need to know the generic outline of a basic story.

The Outline:

1. The Beginning (Act I)
a. The Hook
b. The Inciting Incident

2. The Middlish-Beginning (Act II)
d. The New World
e. The Villain

3. The Middle (Act III)
f. Conflict, conflict, conflict

4. The End (Act IV)
g. The Black Moment
h. Facing the Villain
i. The Smackdown
j. Happily Ever After (or not)


As you can see, there are many sub-acts that happen during the main Acts. Now, this isn't a guideline to all of the good writing in the world—it is just what I find most important in a book. Goodness knows there are so many other things you can add to a story: death, true love, betrayal, secrets, surprises...

Anyways. Back to the main point. Since discovering these important facts, when I start a book now, I force myself to not get too excited and jump right in and take time to write out an outline. Here is a webpage that gives good templates of writing outlines.

Well, there you have it. You have just made a commitment to write a better book. Congratulations! Now have more fun outlining it than I do, and come back tomorrow for the next post on THE BEGINNING (dun dun duuuuuunnn...*cue dramatic look off to the side*)

A.C.