A guest post submitted by Jennifer Harshman of Harshman Services.
Now that you’ve chosen your topic and researched thoroughly, what’s next? It’s time to outline.
I can hear the collective groaning from here. But let me assure you that outlining will make your writing process go much faster. You can hate it, and you can grumble at the very thought of its existence, but trust me when I say that outlining is your friend—even if you are a right-brained, holistic kind of thinker.
Many argue that outlining takes away the creative nature of writing. So let me reframe it for you. Creating an outline is a creative endeavor on its own. Its purpose is to plan what you are going to write. This is when you’ll figure out the placement of important information in your nonfiction book or plot points in your fiction book. All of this takes creative vision. It may seem mechanical and boring, but it’s not; it’s the backbone of your piece. Your outline is your map as you write. It’s that spark from which your book or blog springs.
Benefits of outlining your writing
If you outline your work, you will not have to constantly worry about what comes next while writing. You will be less likely to write yourself into a corner. You will have to do less backtracking and rewriting. The reason is this: you will find problematic areas while outlining, and it takes so much less work to fix an outline than to rewrite an entire section of a book. Do you know what that means?
It means that you will be able to put all of your creativity into the beauty of how you write, rather than what to write. No more staring at a blank screen. Your words will flow. When you have a detailed outline, all you have to do is look at it to know exactly what to write in that section.
There’s one more thing I want you to understand. Many tell me that an outline feels like wearing shackles. But let me assure you, it is not. Your outline is a living document. Meaning, one it’s written, it is not set in stone. It can be changed at any time. In fact, you should change it when needed. It’s a tool to help you during the writing process. It is not your master.
You don’t have to write your book in order from beginning to end. You can jump around all you want. Feel like starting in chapter seven? Do it. A great idea came to you in the shower, and it belongs in chapter four? Who cares if chapters one through three aren’t finished yet! Write that segment in chapter four. That’s the beauty of having an outline. You can write in whichever sections strike your fancy that day.
How does it make writing go faster? The answer is simple. You won’t waste time trying to figure out what to write, and that saves time.
Things to consider:
You won’t write yourself into a corner.
You won’t realize while in the midst of writing that you haven’t researched a topic fully.
You will have fewer instances of writer’s block, because everything will already be planned.
Some writers do a traditional outline with Roman numerals while others scrawl mind maps on the back of receipts. It doesn’t matter how beautiful or disheveled your outline is. What matters is that you have fleshed out your idea and have a way to move forward with your writing.
Methods for Outlining
I will start with the most involved way of outlining and move on to the least. There is a method for every personality. Try out what seems interesting to you, and if it doesn’t work, try a different way.
Classic
Whenever we think of outlines, our memories go back to grade school, and we think of Roman numerals. And, if that’s what you are comfortable with, then go for it. Since it’s what we all think of, I thought I would take a moment to talk about it before moving onto other ways of outlining.
How does it work? You have your main points, then information to back up those points below, then more subpoints after that. Basically, under each heading are elements that back up the heading.
Each main point is one complete thought that would be the topic of each chapter in your book.
Main point
Information that backs up the main point
More information on that element that backs up the point above.
Then you keep adding on numbers and letters until you have done this for your entire book.
This formula appears to be best for nonfiction, but it can be used for fiction as well. Consider this:
Chapter One
Inciting incident
Rising action
Rising action #1
Rising action #2
Rising action #3
Climax
Falling Action
Falling action #1
Falling Action #1
Resolution or cliff hanger
Just fill in the plot points of each chapter, and you are ready to write.
Synopsis method of outlining
This method is pretty easy to understand. You don’t have to worry about hierarchy, but it is just as detailed. Write the chapter number/name, then write a paragraph about what is included in that chapter. That’s it. Just one paragraph. You don’t have to worry about how it’s written, or if it’s grammatically correct. Just write. This document is only for you.
If you are writing fiction, it might be a good idea to start your outlining document with a list of characters, setting description or worldbuilding elements, and where you are headed with the story (plot points).
Mind map outline
Mind mapping is great for visual learners because it’s basically a graphical chart of your story. You draw shapes, link them to other shapes, then somewhere along the line, you have a lovely chart of your entire book. If you are working on a large book or a series of books, it might be a good idea to get your mind map printed as a poster and hang it near where you write. While writing, you can take quick glances at your map for reminders. You can also mark off each shape as you write about it. It might be a good idea to leave room in your map for changes and notes.
You can find more information about mind mapping, and if you’d like, get a free mind map you can print and use, or participate in a mind-mapping workshop to plan your writing.
You can even take this further with fiction by using mind mapping to flesh out your characters, setting, and world.
White board
This is a favorite method for many fiction authors. They like the ability to have a quick glance at their outline while writing, without having to open a new program or take their fingers off the keyboard. But they also want the ability to change things as they write, which hanging a large poster doesn’t give them. So they use a whiteboard. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Just make sure that your points are visible to you, and make sure to use that whiteboard eraser and marker to change things when needed. It’s important to constantly update your whiteboard as you move through your piece.
Sticky notes
I’ve been talking to authors on Zoom calls for years, and it always makes me happy to see a slew of sticky notes behind them hanging on their walls. That tells me they’ve been working hard outlining. This method is similar to using a white board. The nice thing about using sticky notes is that you can take them down, move them to other places, set them off to the side until you figure out what to do with them, and interchange them. It’s like copying and pasting, but using Post-Its instead. Each chapter has its own column. Hang the sticky notes with points written on them in the appropriate column. Of course, not all adhesive paper is made the same, so invest in a good brand.
Freytag’s pyramid for fiction
If you are writing fiction, and you absolutely hate the idea of outlining, this method may be for you. Gustav Freytag, a German science fiction writer from the late 1800s, put forth the idea that all stories follow the same plot structure. He created a plot pyramid to visually represent this idea. Since then, authors have been using this same format to help them plan their novels. All you do is write down what happens, where it happens on the pyramid of your story, and you are done. This is a minimalistic approach to outlining, because you are just noting larger plot points, you are not pinpointing everything that will happen in the story. You would use this method more like a signpost toward where you are headed, while appreciating the side, country roads. All you do is fill in each plot point, and off you go.
Bookend method
This is another way of outlining that is meant for fiction writers who absolutely hate outlining. You simply plot out the very beginning of the novel, then the very end of the novel. Then write, leaving the middle of your book up to your own creative whims. Just make sure to have a clear view of your goals, character, and setting before beginning.
No matter if you are a plotter (someone who outlines), a pantser (someone who flies by the seat of their pants when they write), or a plantser (a combination of the two), you need to have a vision before starting to write. The way you do that is up to you, but make sure to take the time to do it. You’ll be happy you did.
If you get stuck while outlining or need help with your writing, contact Harshman Services. What if you don’t know what you should even put in your outline? That’s a legitimate problem! You can find out exactly what readers want when you let SEO outline your book for you.
