Outline?

[Fasiris Fay]

Hi there,
Does anyone have any tips on how to write an outline for a novel? I'm not sure if there's already a thread on this topic, but if someone could please redirect me, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks

[dpaterso]

I'm moving your thread to Basic Writing Questions forum.

In that forum, view the threads, select Search this Forum and enter writing outline to list previous threads that touch on this subject.

-Derek

[mlazzer]

This year I somehow ended up at EasterCon and went to a panel with Tim Powers (I think, never heard of him before the Con to be honest), and he explained how he's working. He makes an incredible timeline with different colours for different characters and whatnot) I even asked whether it wasn't a distraction to get some writing done, and he said: "Oh yes!"). So, that's one way of doing it, I guess -- I wouldn't really know because I hardly do that thing called outlining. But you could think out everything before you write. Maybe read The Histories of Middle-Earth (the 4th has this, I think) where Tolkien's son shows the reader how thoroughly his father outlined before putting pen to paper.

[alleycat]

There are a number of threads on outlines here. As Derek suggested, you can search for them.

Some people have taken an interest in what is called the "snowflake method" (personally, I think the first three or four steps could be useful, but I'm not so sure about the steps that follow). You might want to at least take a look at it: http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php

[Danthia]

Alexandra Sokoloff has a great series on her blog about the Three Act Structure (http://thedarksalon.blogspot.com/2009/01/why-three-act-structure.html), which breaks down a lot of things I used to create the outline template I use.

A lot depends on the kind of writer you are. Some like a very loose outline, while other like to know every detail before they start writing. Both are perfectly acceptable options.

What I've found the most helpful, is to create a loose outline with the key elements of the story. That way I have a solid foundation under me to write on, but still allow for spontaneity in the story.

My general outline looks like this:

Opening scene
Inciting event
Act one crisis
Mid-point reversal
Act two crisis
Act three crisis
Climax
Wrap up

That gives me all my major set pieces and ending. Then I just write toward each of those set pieces, letting the characters do what they do.

I also do a chapter by chapter summary to get the gist of what each chapter is about. I focus on the goals, motivations, stakes, and what goes wrong to drive the chapter to the next chapter.

If you want more structure, another helpful thing is to also identify what the goal is in each scene, what the protag is doing to get that goal, what goes wrong, and what the protag does next to deal with it. This gives you a plot-advancing outline with one scene leading to the next. Just overlay it with the loose outline above, then break the whole thing into chapters.

[C.M.C.]

There are as many ways to outline as there are to write. All of them do the same basic thing; give you an idea of where you're going. As long as you manage to know where the story is headed, and give yourself a way of getting there, the level of detail that you bother putting together before writing is entirely up to what you find comfortable.

[Fasiris Fay]

I'm sorry, I should have clarified what I meant by outline. What I meant is an outline that an agent/editor requests, as part of a proposal package. Originally, I thought that an outline was part of a proposal package that is used to sell a non-fiction book but I've seen many publishers that ask for a query with SASE and an outline for fiction as well, so I'm unsure about what the difference between an outline and a synopsis is.

[Bufty]

Clarity does help, my dear. :Hug2:

That's basically how I generally distinguish between a synopsis and an outline when referring to submissions and I'm sure your present understanding of the difference between them is correct.

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=174

Have a browse through these threads.

BUT, what you have read re fiction requests may just be a terminology hiccup - some folks ask for an outline but they mean a synopsis.