Outlining

Some writers dread outlines. Others (like me!) adore them. If you’re a pantser, outlining might not be your thing, and that’s completely fine; every process is unique, and the best method is the one that works for you. But if you’re a planner or a plantser, outlining might be the step that gets you familiar with your story and ready to jump right in.

At the end of the day, your outline can be as simple or as detailed as you want. I’ve worked with outlines that can fit on a single page, and I’ve also experimented with long, in-depth outlines that include a few paragraphs of notes for each scene or story beat. Gail Carson Levine likes a hands-on method, perfect for plantsers who like some flexibility:

Try writing a short summary of each scene on an index card, then spread the cards out and move them around, altering their original sequence. You can even bring in scenes from other unfinished stories…when you think about the characters, do you see new threads that connect them? Does one scene suggest itself as a fresh beginning? Another as the end? If your story flows except for a few scenes that stubbornly don’t fit in anywhere, you can cut them and move them to your Extras folder.

You can stick to a classic outline or try a method like Levine’s, using index cards or sticky notes and a poster board. If you’ve already browsed the Story Structure section, you’ll be happy to learn that the three structures we studied are easy to convert into outlines. Below are a few methods for how to do that, as well as a few other ways you can approach this step. Ultimately, the goal is to give yourself a map of the book you’re about to write. Experiment and pick whatever resonates!

Three-act outline

Here’s a basic outline following the three-act story structure. This one is formatted as a list, but you can also do this on a poster board with index cards or sticky notes. Feel free to tweak it as much as you need to.

ACT ONE

  • Exposition
    • What does the character’s “world” look like at the start of the story? Who are they at this point of “stasis”, and how can we expect the story to change that?
  • Inciting incident
    • This is what kicks off the story: Cinderella learns there’s a ball, Prim’s name is chosen in The Hunger Games, and Mark gets stuck on Mars in The Martian. Everything starts as a result of this moment.
  • Plot point 1
    • This is the moment that pushes your character(s) into Act 2. What happens, and how does it move the story forward?

ACT TWO

  • Rising action
    • What happens as the story escalates towards the midpoint?
  • Midpoint
    • This is your big turning point. If your protagonist has been succeeding so far in Act 2, this should be a false victory, and things start getting worse for them from here on out. If they’ve been failing so far, this should be a false defeat, and the second half of Act 2 should go a little better for them.
  • Plot point 2
    • Again, this moment pushes the character(s) into Act 3. What happens, and how does it move the story forward?

ACT THREE

  • Pre-climax
    • This is the build-up to the climax. Things get tense, final obstacles appear, and we wonder if the character will achieve their ultimate goal.
  • Climax
    • This is where it all comes together—final victory or final defeat (if your book doesn’t have a happy ending). This should be the payoff for everything that’s happened so far in the story.
  • Resolution
    • Happily ever after (or not!)

The hero’s journey

ACT ONE

  • Ordinary world
  • Call to adventure
    • This is your “inciting incident” or your “catalyst”, the moment that sets the story in motion. In the hero’s journey, this is what calls them to set off on their adventure.
  • Refusal of the call
    • Called the “debate” in Save the Cat!, this is the moment where your protagonist isn’t quite ready to jump into Act 2 yet; they’re still clinging to their “ordinary world”.
  • Meeting the mentor

ACT TWO

  • Crossing the first threshold
  • Tests, allies, enemies
    • This is your “fun and games” section! This is where you give readers the parts of the story that they were looking forward to. The action picks up, the tension rises, and subplots get introduced.
  • Approach to the inmost cave
  • The ordeal
    • These two plot points are essentially your “midpoint”. This is your false victory/false success and the point where Act 2 changes course.
  • Reward (seizing the sword)
    • In the aftermath of the ordeal, your character gains something. (In The Hunger Games, for example, this is happens in the wake of Rue’s death, when Katniss learns that she and Peeta can both survive the games.)

ACT THREE

  • The road back
  • Resurrection
    • Your climax. This is Cinderella revealing the second slipper, or Katniss and Peeta surviving the game.
  • Return with the elixir
    • “Elixir” here refers to whatever your protagonist has gained through the process of the story. This can be something real or something abstract, but the focus is really on the return; your character may have changed, but they’ve made it out alive.

Save the Cat!

ACT ONE

  • Opening image
    • The “before” snapshot of your character and their world
  • Theme stated
  • Setup
    • This is your “exposition”, where we see more of the character’s Act 1 world and most importantly, why they need to undergo the transformation ahead of them
  • Catalyst
    • The “inciting incident” or “call to adventure”, the moment that kicks off the story. In Save the Cat!, it’s important for the catalyst to be something that happens to the character. The journey doesn’t come from them.
  • Debate
    • This is the moment where the character hesitates before entering Act 2.

ACT TWO: PART ONE, FUN AND GAMES

  • Break into 2
    • Unlike the catalyst, this story beat does come from your character; this is where they need to take action to move the story forward and break out of the stasis of Act 1.
  • B story
    • This is the “fun and games” chunk of your story, where you make good on the promise of the premise and introduce (or strengthen) subplots. (If you’ve got a romance subplot, this is where it gets a little more spotlight.)
  • Midpoint
    • The first half of Act 2 culminates in a false victory of a false defeat. This turning point needs to shift things in a new direction, kicking off…

ACT TWO: PART TWO, BAD GUYS CLOSING IN

  • This is where your story starts getting more serious and your different subplots begin to escalate and collide. Regardless of whether your false victory/defeat sends this section on an upward or downward trajectory, this is where you need to raise the stakes.
  • All is lost
    • This is your second catalyst, the moment where your protagonist loses in a big way—rock bottom.
  • Dark night of the soul
    • In the same way “all is lost” mirrors the catalyst, this beat mirrors the debate. Here, your character has failed and doesn’t know how to proceed. They might consider giving up, but ultimately the only way forward is to change.

ACT THREE

  • Break into 3
    • Just like “break into 2”, this is an action beat and should come from your character. This is the moment they break out of their despair and push forward, finally beginning to grasp the theme that they lacked in Act 1.
  • Finale
    • Your story’s “climax” or “resurrection”.
  • Final image
    • Where the opening image was the “before” snapshot, this is your after. Your character has gone through trials and has fundamentally changed as a result. They’ve moved past their “want” in favor of their true “need”. Even if they’ve returned home, they can’t go back to the stasis of their Act 1 world.

Outlining can be intimidating, but hopefully the templates provided above can help this step feel more approachable for you! If you’re still struggling or want to learn more, check out these other resources for a good place to start.

Other resources >