To Outline - Stage One
- Robyn Weightman
- May 31, 2018
- 2 min read
You have a story idea, and presumably you've been thinking about the logistics of this idea for a little while. You've chosen to go ahead and make this idea your next book.
You need to outline!
We can argue between if you're a Plotter or a Pantser, but most people are somewhere in between.
If you pants the entire plot you'll have a lot of editing to do afterwards. (Some people prefer this.)
If you over plan you might lose the love of your story. (Some people also prefer this.)
We'll presume you're roughly in between with varying levels. (Most people are like this, especially when first starting out.)
Make a mind board, (or Robyn's brain fart as mine is called). This can be on a white board, cork board, memo cards, anything you prefer. I advise to make whatever you choose moveable so you can play with ideas and move them around.
I use a cork board and post its.
These post its are colour coded so I can see at a glance if I have not enough action, or relationship development in any section. Design your board in a way that works best for you and play with ideas.
Mine are as follows (with a few variants:)
Yellow - Violence, action
Green - Plot Twist, Important Plot Development
Pink - Romance, Friendship
Orange - Dialogue, Artefacts
Once the outline is starting to make more sense, make it feel more permanent. I use pins on notes I think are definitely going to be in the finished book, (note, they can still be taken out, nothing is ultimately permanent.)
Once the board begins to look like an outline, check what you've come up with.
Ask yourself questions:
Is this event foreshadowed?
Has any specific dialogue come to mind?
Where does it take place?
Who is involved?
Where will the chapters possibly be?
Where does the climax start?
You can mark all of these in different colours, shapes, pens, it's entirely your choice. Do what works best for you and make it as detailed as you feel comfortable with.
Once your board looks something like this. You've probably finished the first outline draft of your new book and are ready for stage 2; type up.
Stage Two:
https://robynweightman32.wixsite.com/robynweightman/single-post/2018/06/27/Outlining---Stage-Two?fbclid=IwAR0MozaxPJ-WK0P2tCY2V-sscusAraFl-fFYzdz3Qg3iIZiGt91oUMABKos
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