How I Outline

Everyone has their own way of outlining. This stands to reason as everyone's process is different; everyone thinks differently and learns how to do things differently. Thus, it should be no surprise that everyone has a different process for doing something. My outline process is based in large part on my interest in movies; I tend to break things down intuitively in terms of the three-act structure as well as beats. Even the number of scenes I use is based on movie scripts.

So it's no surprise that I use the concepts in my outlines. Here's how that works.

What Is An Outline?

At its simplest, an outline is the skeleton of the book. The outline provides the blueprint of the book and allows a writer to get a feel for what's happening. If we need to change things, then we can use the outline to see the effects of those changes, both ahead and behind the point we're making changes; this is a serious help when we're deciding which scenes need to be cut, added, or just changed. For those of us whose characters never shut up and are always suggesting changes, we can see how those changes would play out; this sometimes helps us shut those voices up.

In my specific case, the outline is a collection of 40–60 scenes organized into the A-plot, B-plots, and maybe a C-plot or running gag or two. The instigating incident should take place by about Scene #15 or so while the third act should start by Scene #45 or so. For those curious, movie scenes work out to about two minutes each (so 40–60 scenes work out to about 80–120 minutes), while those same scenes should work out to about 830 to 1250 words per scene for a 50,000-word book.

So Let's Break This Down

The A-plot is the main plot; this is the most important plot in the book and so takes up the most verbiage. When I outline, this means that I usually allot 20–30 scenes just to it. I also know that these will be the longest scenes, especially as they include so-called "set pieces" (the scenes that involve the biggest sets), dialogue-heavy scenes, and most of the important action scenes. In short, these are the scenes that you can't remove from the story without there being major problems.

The B-plots are the secondary plots, such as the romantic sub-plots, the villain's sub-plot, and the sidekick's side business sub-plot. Sometimes they enhance the main plot while sometimes they just allow for character development. You can also use these to build up the theme, such as Some writers will even use them to shine the spotlight on important characters or other situations that just don't fit in the main plot, like following a side character building the Big Weapon against the BBEG. These scenes are usually a little shorter than the ones in the main plot, but can actually be more fun in their own weird ways.

I usually have two and give them about 10 to 15 scenes each. One is usually a relationship subplot (not necessarily a romantic one; sometimes the siblings are having problems or it can be nice to work out something between the married couple) and the other is usually something to support the theme of the piece. For those thinking these are somehow "superfluous", keep in mind that you sometimes need to get away from the main plot and that doing something to build up the world or theme are not bad things, and are actually really cool for the readers, who are always looking for more reasons to like your story.

Okay, so now I'm 40 to 60 scenes in and I haven't even started the outline proper. I sometimes do keep some scenes back because sometimes you need a C-plot to cover plot holes (like, "Where did that ax come from?" or "How did the guy we last saw in London now show up in Moscow?); adding a few scenes can help bridge the gap. I usually note that the plot is rather dry, so I add in some sort of running gag just to liven things up. However, unlike the other plotlines, I don't allot a specific number of scenes; this allows me some freedom during the outline process.

Then I Write It

I like keeping the scene descriptions short; I mean, really short, like "1 & 2 kiss" or "3&4 argue about the goals of 1" short. This is more for personal use, after all, so I can do that. This means I go through two rounds of assigning numbers to characters: The first round is that every major character gets his or her own number, and the second round is assigning numbers to groups; this means I don't need to repeat long names and commonly used strings of numbers when I'm writing the outline. I'm not going to worry about characters that are one-shots (like that one ticket seller you need for the airport scene and that's it); I may note their names, especially if they're otherwise important characters, but that's it.

Then it's on to writing the outline. I need to keep in mind that each needs its own first act with its own instigating incident, its own second act where things get complicated, and its own third act to clean things up. Some even get their own denouement. However, the curves do not need to match up: The B-plots do not need to end as happy or sad as the main plot; you can have a grimdark main plot and one of the side plots have a happy ending, or the book can end on a sad note, but someone did end up happy. This counterpoint storytelling can actually help your book.

Keep in mind that you also don't need to keep scenes independent; you can join scenes from one plot to another; this can help when you have several different groups in the same place at the same time. You also don't need to write any given scene straight through; you can break it up, especially if it works well with another scene?

Now, remember those C-plots and running gags? You're invariably going to notice that there are pacing issues and you're going to panic over how to solve the problem. This is where those scenes come in handy. Your running gag doesn't need to be funny; it just needs to be something you can repeat at least twice with a capper scene. Heck, don't be afraid to add a scene just because it's cool; add two or three scenes to set it up and another for follow-through and you have a working C-plot.

Once the scenes have been described, then shuffle the scenes together so they make some sort of sense. The instigating incident and the climax (i.e, the scenes that end the first and second acts) of the main plot and the two side plots do not need to line up with each other; the B-plots don't even need to happen in all three acts, but they should happen in at least two acts (you can start one in the first act and end it just before the climax while the second can start before the midpoint and finish just before the end of the book). The C-plots and running gag go where you need them. So have some fun!

But I'm a Pantser!

For the pantsers, there's a compromise: This is not written in stone. My outlines never survive writing the book; I end up revising them constantly. The outline should be seen as a mere guideline; it's a tool to keep you organized more than anything else. Change it as often as you feel like it and allow it to guide you while using it as a springboard; if you like where you go, you can make applicable changes to the outline, both behind and in front of the point you decided to muck everything up.

Easy, Right?

So that's how I outline. I decide on an A-plot and two B-plots. I outline 20 to 30 scenes for the former and 10 to 15 scenes for each of the latter. I add in C-plots and running gags to fill in the gaps, and hopefully end up with about 40–60 scenes. When I'm writing, I change the outline to allow for new ideas I like better than the old ones that aren't working, or when I try something weird. It's simple, keeps me sane, and makes dealing with writer's block a snap.