Outlining Your Novel

When I first started writing, I was the definition of a pantser. An idea would pop up into my head and off  I went. Rarely did I have an idea of where the story was going, who the characters were, or how everything should fit together. I'd get around 20,000 words in and quit because I didn't know what to do next. For some authors, this kind of discovery writing is life giving. As they write they get to know the characters and the world and are able to build out from there. For me however, I need to have some structure before moving forward. Though I'll likely never be a full plotter, having some idea of where I'm going has helped keep me accountable as I write and has helped me finish one story while well on my way with another. 

If you're interested in writing, or want to know a little about my writing process the this is for you. Here's how I'm outlining and plotting "Mississippi Hills." I've adapted a model used by Brandon Sanderson to use with the app "Plotter." 

Step One: Overview

Okay, so you want to write a book. A moment of brilliance happened in the shower, or you jotted down quick notes from that crazy vivid dream and now you're ready to write the next classic novel. The first thing I do is write an overview of the entire idea in one paragraph. You don't have to have all the twists and turns in your story figured out, but you should know the gist of what you're wanting to write. If you need to, start with a single sentence and build it out from there. Whatever you do, don't move on until you can quickly describe the kind of story you want to write. You'll know what genre you're writing in, and will set the foundation for plotting that comes later.

Step Two: Characters

Next, we need to begin to build our cast. There are a few ways we can go about doing this. With Mississippi Hills, I thought of this process like I was casting a tv show. I knew the characters I needed: main characters, love interests, best friends, antagonists, etc. Check out character archetypes and determine what type of character fits your story the best.

Once we do that, we can go about building our characters. I recommend writing out three or four paragraphs about your main characters, while writing out one or two paragraphs for those supporting characters in your story.We need to know who these people are and what makes them tick. I don't plot out their entire lives, but with my main characters I do want to know some highlights. I decide what their enneagram type and wings will be, and think through 1.) How those past events led to them acting the way they do, and 2.) How would this personality type react in this situation. I try to diversity these personality types  to make each individual character stand out. 

During this time, we can decide other things as well, like what they look like, what their favorite foods are, and give them flaws and quirks that make each character look unique. 

Step Three: Setting

This step can be easy or difficult, depending on what kind of story you're writing. My first story on Kindle Vella, an epic fantasy called "The Valdor Chronicles," this step was a major undertaking. I had to create an entire world from scratch. Cities, Kingdoms, people groups and magic systems all needed to be designed before I plotted my first scene. For "Mississippi Hills", this process has been easier. I lived in New Albany for several years, so I've based the story on New Albany as it was circa 2008. Most of the restaurants, coffee shops, and bakeries are real places you can visit today. 

If you're writing fantasy, even a cozy fantasy, you need to think through this setting. What kind of government do they have in your world? How does their economy work? Are they religious? What do they consider valuable? Is there magic? What are the consequences of using magic, if any? 

Step Four: Plotting

In Mississippi Hills, I'm trying something new. I'm using the "Plotter" app for this story and I love the presets they give you.

1. Stage 1: Setup
2. Turning Point 1: Opportunity
3. Stage 2: New Situation
4. Turning Point 2: Change of Plans
5. Stage 3: Progress
6. Turning Point 3: Point of No Return
7. Stage 4: Complications & Higher Stakes
8. Turning Point 4: Major Setback
9. Stage 5: Final Push
10. Turning Point 5: Climax
11. Stage 6: Aftermath

I'm thinking of this as a "Season One". As such there are individual episodes, but also an overarching structure as well. Therefore, I'm using this structure twice. "Welcome to New Albany", which includes the first twelve episodes, included Stage 1, Turning Point 1, Stage 2, and Turning Point 2. Yet, in these twelve episodes I also placed every scene under these. For example, Episodes 9-12 were in one sense considered turning Point 2 for the story as a whole, but also Turning Point 5 and Stage 6 for "Welcome to New Albany." In doing this, I hope that the plot never feels stagnant. Every scene has a purpose that propels the story forward. 

One I have this macro view of the plot, I go into each scene and began to plan out what exactly will happen. What is the conflict in this scene? What's the character's goal? How does this scene change the story going forward? What is the weather like? I like to outline my scenes, for example.

1. Rebecca and Henry walk up to the Apartment. (250 words)
2. Small Talk about Family. (250 words)
3. Cozy Moment: Describe Rebecca prepping lunch. (250 words)
4. Conversation gets personal. (500 words)

The word counts are kind of the Pirates Code, more a set of guidelines. I aim to keep every episode under 2000 words for Kindle Vella purposes. While several scenes will fit together when this releases as a book, for Vella I break each epidoe down into indiviual scenes between 1,000-2,000 words. 

Conclusion: 

There you have it. From beginning to end here are my steps for outlining your story. Now, get to writing!