outline for book essay

How To Write An Outline For An Essay About A Book

If you want to know how to start an essay about a book, you need to begin with an outline.

It’s an essential step to help improve your writing skills.

Writing an outline for a book or an essay is very similar, but the only difference is the length or number of words.

You usually need to write an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion with any essay.

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Book essay outline

An essay outline is similar to planning to write a book.

While it consists of many chapters, it also needs a beginning, middle, and ending.

Even though the middle might be much longer, the outlining process is almost the same.

Now, let’s look at how you create your essay outline.

Write down the date, name, class, module, and any extra information you think is necessary.

It doesn’t include any information about the essay or book yet.

But you should note these details before starting your outline.

If you’re a high school or college student, you might be working on various class essays or projects at the same time.

You can quickly look at this information and see which project it is.

It’s also necessary for your teacher or publisher to check who is sending the information.

Thesis / Synopsis

Your thesis statement or argument should be robust and provide readers with information on what to expect when they read your essay or thesis.

It doesn’t need to be a lengthy, drawn-out statement, but the important part is that it should communicate a clear message.

When you write down your notes, be sure that you can argue your point.

When writing a literary analysis essay about a book, you might relate to this section more if you think of your book essay outline as a synopsis .

It is a quick summary of what your text will cover. Some publishers will have a set number of words, while others leave it up to the writer.

Check with the publishing house you want to work with and make sure your synopsis fits their requirements.

First paragraph / Chapter

Your opening paragraph is probably one of the most critical sections of your writing project.

An essay introduction is where you want to hook the reader and create a spark.

Many readers will form an opinion about your writing in the first paragraph, and it’s essential to convince them that your thesis is correct.

Once you have convinced the readers of your thesis, you can keep them interested throughout the essay or book.

Focus on the strongest point in your first topic sentence and paragraph to set all doubts aside.

As this paragraph also stands as your introduction, it is crucial to introduce readers to your way of thinking.

Once you’ve stated your most valuable fact, you can move on to the rest of your paragraphs or chapters.

The Body / Middle

Now that you have started with your most compelling paragraph and fact, it’s time to add more information.

Don’t think that the body of your work doesn’t need to be strong.

If you are writing an essay or a book, there are always other people competing with you.

If you are a student in the class, you want to be one of the top students.

Being an author isn’t any easier because there are many writers out there trying to get published.

You need to do sound research to prove your thesis, and this is the section where you will state most of those facts.

As this is just the outline for what will eventually be the final product, you need to make sure you understand the flow and structure.

You can jot down ideas or facts and insert them when you write a body paragraph.

Your work needs to have a flow to it, and this is where you create that. The body is where you organize your thoughts in a logical order.

You already know your thesis and your opening fact. But what else do you want to say, and in what order do you want to say it?

The Conclusion

After you’ve created your book essay outline for all of your paragraphs, it is time to start your conclusion.

Your conclusion should summarize all the facts you stated in the essay.

Don’t be afraid to remind the reader of your most impactful facts.

It’s a summary of what you have discussed and to leave the reader on a high.

You can’t start with a bang and then slowly lose your audience at the end.

Use the hook you started with and stay consistent with your writing style.

Then let your readers know why you chose to write your piece.

Call to Action

Once you have convinced your readers that your thesis is correct, what actions would you like them to take?

You provided many facts in your writing, and the reader should start thinking about your point of view.

Now you have to direct them to test your theory for themselves.

What do you want them to do now?

In any type of essay, it’s easy to draft a great outline once you have your structure right.

You can also look online for examples of a book essay outline and apply the ideas to your work.

There’s no right or wrong way to outline if you have a logical flow to your ideas.

You prepare an outline to prevent rambling in your writing or stating random facts that don’t connect.

Your final draft will come much later than your outline, so don’t rush the process.

Your outline will help make writing your essay much easier.

You can take each heading as a new project and focus on transitioning to the next section.

When you write the ending sentence of a paragraph, think about the opening sentence of the next one.

That way, you know that there will be no abrupt endings but rather a smooth transition between paragraphs.

It doesn’t matter if you are writing an article, an essay, a novel, or a research paper.

If you plan well, you’ll write well.

Related reading: Words To Avoid In Writing That Say Or Do Next To Nothing

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Mar 22, 2023

How To Make an Essay Outline (With Examples)

Ready to tackle that daunting essay assignment? A well-crafted outline is your secret weapon. Let's dive in!

Developing an outline for your essay is a fantastic method to keep yourself structured and keep track of everything you intend to include in it. Writing of any kind, from academic papers to artistic writing, can benefit enormously from having a strategy drawn up before beginning the process. Sadly, a great number of students and writers either need to be taught how to make an outline or are incapable of producing one appropriately. Our AI Essay Outline Generator can be a big help in this process, but it's still very useful to understand the process entirely before utilizing AI tools to make the process easier.

In the following sections, we will first provide an overview of the process of creating an outline, followed by specific directions and several examples of outlines for essays.

An essay outline serves both as a strategy for the essay you will write and as guidance while writing the essay. It will serve as the structure for the article that you expect to write. Included are both the thesis statement and the primary subjects that are addressed in each section. Before beginning work on a house, one needs to have a blueprint just as one needs a writing summary. It is feasible to write an essay without first developing an outline; however, doing so significantly increases the amount of work involved in the writing process and increases the likelihood of missing essential details. 

After the outline has been made, there is a way to remember everything. It will also be useful for: 

Get your thoughts and their contents in order.

Understand the flow of data

Keep track of a vital source or citation.

Wrap up your work quickly

 If anyone questions you, "Why do I need an outline for my essay?" you can tell them the following. Now, before you go ahead and begin crafting an essay outline, there are a few things you should bear in mind. Before you can even begin to write a summary for an essay, you need to have a firm grasp of the fundamental requirements.

Here are the guidelines:

There is a requirement that you read the instructions for your tasks thoroughly.

Grasp the point of your work.

Recognize your audience.

Keep marking as you gather information related to your topic.

Choose a format for your essay outlines, such as a basic bullet list or a more elaborate one with decimal points.

Writing an essay or study paper is much easier if you have an outline to refer back to as you progress.

What are the benefits of an essay outline?

It helps you maintain order in your study materials. An organized outline is a great way to organize your thoughts and determine where you should include your study or rationale in an essay. By laying out your evidence in this manner, you can verify the validity of your thesis. If you can fill your plan with examples that back up your thesis, you have likely chosen a good one. If not, think again.

It depicts a chain of reasoning that starts at the top and goes down to the details. The typical drawing format is alphanumeric. Specifically, they switch between using Roman numbers, uppercase letters, Arabic numerals, and lowercase letters to emphasize various points and subpoints. Staggered bullet points and decimal outlines are two additional essays outline examples.

Being adaptable is made possible. You can write in complete sentences or use shorthand in your formal outline. The outline is not intended as a final draft but as a guide for creating the essay's material and discovering its best organizational structure.

Things to consider before writing an outline

The success of your outline and essay rests on the thoroughness of your investigation. You can do this by citing credible sources and providing examples to back up your claims. The best way to speed up your study will depend on your level of education.

Search results from Google should not be used as references in academic works. Since the Internet is rife with fake news, it's important to check the reliability of your source before citing it. Sites like Google Scholar , Microsoft Academic , Science.gov , Refseek, and Oxford Academic are examples of credible resources.

After settling on a subject and conducting the necessary research, you can begin crafting your outline. It needs the same structure as the rest of the essay, with an intro, body, and end. Have you ever jotted down a note you needed later but couldn't understand your handwriting? The material must either be more densely packed or written in illegible handwriting, contributing to this problem. Even if you're in a pinch for time, you should be independent of a sketchy outline. Therefore, you need to arrange your strategy to fit the structure of the essay. 

How to Make Outline for Essay

Outlining an essay is easy you can write an essay by following the outline and examples.

Introduction

Useful methods to begin an introductory paragraph include anecdotes, proverbs, phrases, explanations, facts, quotes, and hard data. If you're writing an English essay, you can start by outlining the opening, which should include your thesis statement. The goal is to provide a roadmap, so keep statements short. 

Body paragraphs 

Each paragraph in the body should focus on one main point that reinforces your thesis and provide supporting evidence. Paragraph count varies with overall writing length. However, for the substance of a typical essay, you should plan on at least three or four paragraphs. Remember that each paragraph needs a topic phrase, at least two supporting ideas, and a connecting sentence.

Conclusion 

This paragraph provides some background and a summary of all the essay's major points. The conclusion of a short paper needs only three to five lines.

8 examples essay of how to write an essay outline

Argumentative Essay 

Mountain Biking, an Ideal Sport for Adults

Putting forth your position and supporting arguments should start the plan for your argumentative essay.

Thesis: There are many traditional activities that young people can choose from, but mountain biking is a fantastic alternative. 

Body Paragraph 1

In the plan for your argumentative essay, you should state your main point and provide evidence to back it up. 

Topic Sentence:  You can get the same health advantages from mountain biking that you would from any other kind of sport.

Detail Paragraph 1: 

It's a great way to work out and gain muscle power.

Detail Paragraph 2: 

It aids cardiovascular activity and serves as a heart disease preventative.

Body Paragraph 2

Bring up an alternative point of view and back it up with evidence.

Topic Sentence: Mountain biking provides some other benefits too.

Learning how to ride a mountain bike is a forever skill.

Regularly riding mountain biking can help you gain muscle mass, tone your body, and improve your overall fitness.

Detail Paragraph 3: 

Riders of mountain bikes can readily track their improvement.

Write a conclusion that restates your thesis and briefly summarises your strongest supporting points. Before you create your outline and first draught, it can be helpful to brainstorm specifics that support your point of view.

Concluding Sentence: 

In conclusion, tell the reader that mountain biking has many advantages over other popular youth activities, making it a good option for adults. 

Narrative Essay

How Losing a Mountain Biking Meet Made Me a Better Mountain Biker

Your narrative essay's introduction should contain a thesis statement and outline of the paper's growth (POD).

Thesis: When I first tried professional mountain biking, I came in dead last. I would have placed higher in the State Championship Meet if my preparation and coaching had been more deliberate. 

Plan of development: After the first competition, I was so disheartened by my performance that I dedicated myself to getting in better shape. I was able to ride more efficiently and quickly as a consequence, which improved my performance greatly. 

Expand on your main point by including descriptive details, anecdotes, and examples in your essay.

Topic Sentence: Talk about your failure and how you felt after coming in last place at your first mountain biking competition, so you set out to improve.

Tell me about how you put additional time with my coach and team leaders to acquire new strength training techniques.

Talk about how you took up jogging and weightlifting to improve your general fitness.

Tell how your performance increased to the point where you could compete at the state finals.

Provide additional supporting details, descriptions, and experiences to develop your general idea in your essay writing. 

Topic Sentence:  How you gradually improved to the point where I won or placed first in most of my competitions.

Because of your skill and conditioning, you increased both my speed and my range.

Results-wise, you progressed to the point where you made it into the state finals. 

Body Paragraph 3

The next writing stage entails adding more information, such as supporting details, descriptions, and encounters. Then classify them accordingly.

Finish your narrative essay with a brief review of what you've written or some thoughts on what you hope the reader will take away from the experience. Give a quick summary of the information you provided in each section.

After coming in dead last at my first mountain biking competition, I made it my mission to better myself for future events.

Descriptive Essay

Visiting the Hockey Hall of Fame

Write a thesis statement introducing the person, location, thing, etc. that you will describe in your essay. 

Thesis: All categories of hockey fans will find something to enjoy at the Hockey Hall of Fame. 

The first step in writing any good story is to paint the picture. 

Topic Sentence:  The Hockey Hall of Fame honours both the novice and professional levels of the sport.

Located in the heart of Toronto, the Hall attracts over a million visitors annually.

The museum features displays covering the history of hockey from its earliest days to the present-day NHL and Olympian tournaments.

Describe or share more sensory details, feelings, or information. 

Topic Sentence:  There are various interactive exhibits and performances to check out. 

Every chamber in the Hall is decked out in player memorabilia, from statues and plaques to jerseys.

A lot of the displays have films and interactive media that put you right in the action.

You can take on digital incarnations of some of the game's best goalies to further hone your puck-shooting skills.

Bring the essay to a close with a paragraph summarising your main points and the sensory information you've provided.

Visiting Toronto's Hockey Hall of Fame is like being immersed in the game's greatest moments, stories, and memorabilia.

Expository Essay

Why The School Year Should be Shorter

In an expository essay or any other form of academic writing, the thesis statement and the surrounding context introduce the paper's major argument or main point.

Thesis: To benefit students and teachers, save districts money, and see better academic outcomes, the school year should be shortened. The school years in other nations are shorter, and their students do better academically.

Outline your main point and back it up with proof. 

Topic Sentence:  It would benefit both students and instructors if the school year were shortened.

Students and teachers would have more time to share with their loved ones.

Instructors would return to the classroom feeling revitalized and ready to impart their knowledge to their students.

Add more details and proof to support your claims, just like in this sample essay outline. 

Topic Sentence:  Having students spend less time in school would save millions of dollars annually for public education systems.

By having schools closed for longer, districts can save money on energy.

Lower supply and transportation expenses are just one of the many benefits of a shortened school year.

Detail Paragraph 3: Students would do better on tests if they received enough sleep and were generally happy.

Add more information, proof, and analysis to the outline, just as you would in an essay.

Topic Sentence:  There would also be numerous advantages for parents and guardians if the school year were shortened.

It would be easier and less time-consuming for families if the school year were shortened.

Fewer school days would allow for more work-life balance for carers.

Include a summary of your primary argument and the significance of your supporting evidence and conclusion in the final paragraph of your essay.

The quality of living for students, teachers, and parents would greatly improve if the school year could be shortened without negatively impacting district budgets or academic outcomes.

Informative Essay

The Effects of Climate Change on Our Planet

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing our planet today. With rising temperatures, changing weather patterns, and the melting of the polar ice caps, the impact of climate change is being felt across the globe. In this essay, we will explore the causes and effects of climate change and discuss what we can do to address this critical issue.

The causes of climate change can be attributed to a variety of human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These actions have led to a steady increase in the Earth's temperature, resulting in a range of devastating effects. One of the most visible effects of climate change is the melting of the polar ice caps. As temperatures rise, the ice caps are shrinking at an alarming rate, which is causing sea levels to rise. This, in turn, is leading to more frequent and severe flooding in coastal areas around the world. Another effect of climate change is the changing weather patterns. As the Earth's temperature rises, we are experiencing more extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and heat waves. These events can cause significant damage to property and put lives at risk. Finally, climate change is having a significant impact on the world's ecosystems. Many plant and animal species are being pushed to the brink of extinction due to changes in their habitats and food sources.

In conclusion, climate change is one of the most significant challenges facing our planet today. The causes are clear, and the effects are being felt across the globe. However, there is still time to act. By reducing our carbon footprint, investing in renewable energy sources, and taking steps to protect our natural resources, we can help mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure a better future for generations to come.

Admissions essays

Thank you! Mr Sato. 

In the intro, tell the readers that Mr Sato was your English teacher and because of her expertise in the field, you got your degree in English. 

Thesis: Then tell the reader that your decision to major in English during your senior year of high school profoundly affected your outlook on life. Because learning English can be challenging for native Japanese learners.

After this, give an account of your experiences in English class and how you felt like giving up.

Tell about how Sato Sensei urged you to stick with the Japanese rather than give up and learn something else.

As a Japanese student who has also studied English, I have gained a unique perspective that has prepared me well for a career in foreign business. 

Persuasive essays

We Need More Security Cameras in the Student Parking Deck

Car thefts on campus are increasing

Thesis: The safety measures in place in the parking garage are inadequate at this time. Vehicles belonging to students are a constant target of theft. Provide data on auto burglaries and associated crimes, including the frequency of such crimes, the typical cost of repairing damaged vehicles, and the value of stolen items. The well-being of society benefits greatly from heightened security measures.

Use examples and quotations to illustrate the intangible benefits of improved safety.

Tell the benefits to outweigh the costs.

Provide evidence from other institutions that increased their security video coverage and saw a decrease in burglaries as a result.

Give the real price tag for a complete protection system.

Provide a summary of the discussion and stress the importance of school management making the student body's safety a top priority. Then, restate why installing additional surveillance cams in the garage is so important.

Personal essays

The Two Best Birthdays of my Life

Describe your favourite birthday traditions and how you feel about holidays in general. 

Thesis: Firstly describe how you had the most fun on your 17th and 22nd anniversaries.

Talk about how your 17th birthday was memorable. Like, “I recently received my driver's license and drove to my first concert with some of my closest friends. The wristband and admission stub from that event is still in my possession.”

Then tell me about your 22nd birthday. For example;

“It took me a while to realize that nobody remembered my birthday. After I had given up hope of ever seeing the art exhibit I had been looking forward to, my siblings surprised me by driving six hours to pick me up and transport me there” 

In the conclusion tell summarize the key points of your essay and again tell your happiness.

To sum it all up:

When you're in high school or college, you'll inevitably have to compose several essays. Each type of essay for example argumentative, expository, and narrative follows a similar pattern with slight changes. The key to writing flawless papers that earn top marks is recognising these distinctions and properly structuring your work.

You should outline first to stay on track while writing your essay and not forget anything. Organizing your thoughts into an essay outline will help you compose stronger and more quickly. For the most part, you can recall all of the necessary essay elements. Your ability to analyze critically increases. Also, you improve as a writer.

 Jenni.ai is a powerful AI-powered writing tool that is easily accessible online. Whether you need to quickly write an essay on any subject, such as how to write an essay outline, or simply want to enhance your writing skills, Jenni.ai is an excellent option that can ease your life in several ways. With its advanced AI capabilities, this computer software can swiftly produce high-quality essays on any topic. In our opinion, if you're looking for a reliable writing assistant to help you with your essay writing tasks, give Jenni.ai a try today!

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How to Use Your Outline When Writing Your First Draft

Recently, I received an email from Matt Powers, which made me realize that, out of all the dozens of posts I’ve written about outlining , I’ve never actually talked about how to use your outline when writing the first draft. Matt wrote:

I’ve read several of your writing books, as well as too many blog posts to count, and I don’t think I’ve seen this addressed. Forgive me if I missed it.

I have an extensive outline that I’m quite pleased with, and I’m about 40,000+ words into my first draft, but here’s the thing: I’m struggling with the actual writing and I can’t seem to get into the flow because I keep going back and forth between the draft and the outline. I have so much in my outline that I want to be sure to include, that I find I can only get a few sentences in before I’m pulled back to referencing the outline.

It’s like I have one eye on each, and it equals a slog of an experience!

I see tons of advice on how to create an outline, but very little on the practicality of actually using it. So I guess my question is, how do you utilize your outline when writing that first draft? How often are you referencing your outline as you write?

The How and Why of Outlining a Novel

Outlining Your Novel (Amazon affiliate link)

For a long time, the writing world differentiated between writers who were “plotters” (those who planned/plotted a story before writing it) and writers who were “pantsers” (those who “write by the seat of their pants” with no upfront planning). However, over my years of outlining many books, writing many words  about outlines, and learning about how other writers work, I’ve come to believe these distinctions are far too narrow.

At some point in the process, almost all writers end up outlining/plotting/planning. And at other points, we all end up pantsing/winging it/being spontaneously creative. In a craft as complex as that of novel-writing, both are equally important. How much outlining an author does upfront versus how much revision that same author does on the back end will vary greatly depending on each author’s personal mental wiring and creative preferences .

Outlining Your Novel Workbook (Amazon affiliate link)

That said, let me now express a little of my personal passion for maximalist outlining. I write extensive outlines, which start out with largely incoherent stream-of-conscious ramblings and questioning, before eventually solidifying into detailed scene outlines that contain just about everything a first draft should except for narrative prose.

For example, here’s a snippet of the scene outline from my gaslamp fantasy  Wayfarer (from the scene in which he “contracts” his super-speed):

Will flees for home. The trip is a blur. He’s nauseated, vomiting, and horribly dizzy, heart beating out of control, short of breath. I think that the powers should manifest just a little bit: his hands moving quicker than he’s used to, so he has trouble with the door latch. But he chalks it up to his illness.

And here’s approximately the same snippet from the corresponding scene in the first draft:

Through the weed-eaten garden, Will ran. Up and over first one stile, across the road, then the other stile. The night air cut through the sweat on his face. Even as he ran, his teeth rattled cruelly.

For the first time since he was a lad running this field at night, he caught his toe and fell on his face. Before he hit the soft soil, his stomach erupted. He vomited, and then he vomited again. The stars in the sky spun and spun, in every direction, up and down, in front and behind.

On hands and knees, he dragged himself forward, barely gaining his feet.

This time, there was no running; indeed, he could scarcely walk. He splashed into the knee-high stream before its gentle splashing even registered in his ears. He crossed without looking for the bridge. He would have been unable to see it in any case.

He staggered up to the house. His vision had gone completely dark, so maybe there was no light in the window.

Storming Outline Transcript

>>Click here to read the complete transcript of my outline for my dieselpunk adventure Storming.

My goal in writing any outline is to, first, pour out all of my “dreams” about a given story. I want to number all the shiny pieces my subconscious creativity has given me.

Then, by the time I’m done with the outline, I want to have moved as thoroughly as possible through the first analytical pass. I use my scene outlines to work through a story’s logical progression. I want to figure out as many of the details as possible, everything from what props are available in a particular scene’s setting, to the specific action/reaction sequence of each scene’s structure , to the motivations of all on-stage minor characters.

In other words, I try to use my outline to answer every single question I can think of  before I start writing the first draft. I do this for two intertwined reasons.

1.  I want to write a clean first draft (because revisions:blech).

2. When writing my first draft, I want to turn away from my logical brain and immerse myself utterly in the imaginative dreamzone space of my story.

I can’t do the latter if my logical brain is always turning into Hermione-raising-her-hand-every-five-minutes. And I certainly can’t do both simultaneously if I haven’t already checked off the bulk of any story’s necessary causal analysis and troubleshooting.

This is  why I outline. But how do I then take all these tens of thousands of words from my outline and seamlessly integrate them into the creative zone of my first draft?

5 Tips for How to Use Your Outline

How you choose to reference your outlining notes during the first draft will depend largely on the format of the notes themselves.

Writers who prefer the minimalist approach may create outlines that feature only a single phrase for each suggested scene, or even just a phrase for each important structural beat. In this case, referencing the outline is a comparatively simple and intuitive activity, since you’ll probably only need to check your notes at the beginning of each writing session. (In fact, some of these writers end up filling in their outlines simultaneously with their first drafts, as a way of keeping track of what they’re writing, for easy continuity checks.)

But what if, like me, you end up with enough outline notes to form a respectable pile of notebooks?

Completed outline for my gaslamp fantasy Wayfarer

In the case of maximalist outliners, it becomes essential to create a system for accessing all those juicy notes you’ve labored over,  without constantly pulling yourself out of first-draft flow.

(Needless to say, writers who prefer to wait until  after the first draft is altogether finished to do their logical thinking will have few, if any, notes to start with. Depending on the extent of required revisions , these authors may end up, to all essential purposes, following either the minimalist or maximalist crowd.)

Here are my top tips for organizing and using your outline notes, however few or many they may be.

1. Organize the Notes as You Go

Outlining Your Novel Workbook software

Here’s the thing about piles upon pile of rambling notes that circle around randomly: they get to be a mess quick. This is especially true if you outline longhand like I do (if you’re interested in following my outlining process in a tidy digital approach, check out my Outlining Your Novel Workbook software ).

The trick is to organize your outline notes  as you’re writing them. Use color-coded highlighting systems to file your ideas for easy reference later. If you’re writing longhand, transcribe regularly (especially if, like moi, you can’t read your own writing after too much time passes). This will save you a  ton of work in the interim between outline and first draft. You can thank me later.

2. Buy Scrivener

You can, of course, write and use even the most complex of outlines  without Scrivener . But this powerhouse word processor for writers just makes everything so much easier. With its opportunities for folders and files and sub-files, among many other organizational gadgets, its a huge step up from juggling your story’s outline and first draft between separate Word files.

By the time I’m ready to write my first draft, I will have used Scrivener to organize my outline notes scene by scene, along with many sub-folders for reference material that includes everything from research notes to costume pictures to character interviews to the random bits of story info I call “orange notes” (because of the highlighter I use to color-code them).

This way, if I find myself needing to break concentration to check something, I don’t have to go far. With everything at my fingertips, I can quickly check myself, then jump back into writing.

3. Block Out a Beat-by-Beat “Storyboard” for Each Scene, But…

Now that we have our outline notes set up and optimally organized within Scrivener, what’s the best approach to referencing the notes without bumping out of the writing zone every five minutes?

Each time I begin writing a new scene, I review my notes and create a sequential list of everything that needs to happen in the scene. The list I used for the scene from  Wayfarer , in the original section of this post, started out something like this:

• Will is dizzy as he runs home across the field.
• He trips and vomits.
• He tries to get into the house, but his reflexes are too fast.

In essence, I’m creating a non-visual storyboard, with each beat blocked out.

4. … Don’t Do It Until the Last Minute

You’ll note I do this storyboarding whenever I’m ready to start writing a new scene. Feasibly, you could go ahead and write up the complete beat list for every scene before you start the first draft. This is an approach I consider with every book I write—and one I always reject.

Because my memory is faulty. I write best when I know  what I’m writing. If I have to take a little time at the beginning of every scene to think my way through my scene outline, then I know my head will be in the right place. If I merely scanned a beat list I might have written  months ago, I would inevitably miss some important moment on the list and end up constructing the scene inappropriately.

Writing up each scene’s beat-by-beat sequence refreshes my memory and lets me take full advantage of all the notes and ideas I labored over when in the outlining phase.

5. Paste Your Beat List Directly Into Your Scene Doc

Once I’ve knocked out my beat list, I put it in the main body of my scene’s Scrivener file. I position it on the screen so the first item of the list is just above the bottom of the screen, directly in my line of sight. This way, I can easily glance down and reference the beat I’m working on.

As soon as I finish the beat, I’ll delete it, which raises the subsequent beat into view. Sometimes, of course, I won’t need to reference every beat. I may write several beats before needing to look down and check my progress.

This approach allows me to focus on bringing to life the first draft’s causes and effects  without having to constantly click out of full-screen mode to make sure I’m adhering to the logical progression I already worked out.

Is this the most elegant approach to dealing with maximalist outline notes? Maybe not. It does require a little extra work before each scene. But over my years of outlining and writing almost a dozen novels, this is the method I’ve found most useful. It helps me make full use of my outlines and, as a result, allows me to write relatively clean first drafts from a place of uninterrupted creativity. As far as I’m concerned, that’s win-win!

How you outline, how much you outline, and how you use your outline when writing your first draft are all deeply personal parts of the writing process. Only you can figure out the nuances that will position you to write your best novel. But these tips may help you decide your own personalized tricks.

Wordplayers, tell me your opinions! Do you outline upfront? Has it been a challenge for you to figure out how to use your outline when writing the first draft? Tell me in the comments!

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K.M. Weiland is the award-winning and internationally-published author of the acclaimed writing guides Outlining Your Novel , Structuring Your Novel , and Creating Character Arcs . A native of western Nebraska, she writes historical and fantasy novels and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

Stimulating and helpful, as usual. Thanks, Katie. For my next historical novel, I have a spreadsheet of dates of historic events interspersed with fictitious story events, plus several ‘background’ docs about the real and fictitious characters, etc. And I have some scenes sketched out in Scrivener. My problem is that I don’t yet know in what order to place the various scenes for best effect. I’ve come to realize that strict chronology is probably boring. Do you advise writing scene by scene and later rearranging them for maximum suspense, or deciding the sequence up front?

I’ve always had best luck writing the book in its intended sequence, rather than hopping around. Foreshadowing and other subtle techniques develop more organically when the book is written in order.

I’m just learning Scrivener. What a powerhouse! I probably won’t use all its whistles and bells right away, but I’m excited to be able to use it, especially the cork board. I love 3X5 cards! I’ve struggled with outlining my whole life-hated it in school. But, I can certainly see the advantage of using it, especially as I’ve experienced the dreaded question: “Now, which character was it way back in chapter (which chapter?) who threatened her with the butcher knife?” Then the hunt is on, using the find, going back to the beginning to make sure I don’t have 2 characters saying the same thing. Oy vey! Thanks, Kate for a very clear and informative post. I never miss yours!

Scrivener’s Keywords function is fantastic for keeping track of which characters/settings/props/subplots/thematic elements show up in any given scene.

Very helpful. I have found that when working on the first draft, I need to know my characters well, especially my Antagonist, and how everything will turn out in the end. Other than that, the details fill in by themselves. I do write a lot about my story, mostly to discover the theme, but I don’t know if you would call that an outline, because it’s mostly unusable and all runs together. My “outline” is what you described at the top. I don’t do scenes until later, and I have a single sentence for each plot point. Thanks!

” I don’t know if you would call that an outline, because it’s mostly unusable and all runs together.”

Hah. I totally call that an outline. That’s an exact description of my early sketches, before I finally pull it together in a linear scene outline.

I like the idea of a beat sheet. Having all the answers ready and waiting sounds like such a time saver for a first draft. Thanks for sharing your process.

I like time savers. 🙂

Bravo! Again!! I have been struggling with this question, trying several different routines, and I have not really tackled that beast. I will give your technique a try. Obviously, writing a 100K +/- tome over several months can be taxing, let alone the editing phase. How many times do we want to read our entire work of art. Tips and tricks (one bite at a time) are the only way one can hope to successfully complete the task. Many thanks, as always!

“One bite at a time” is an excellent mantra for writers. Any work of fiction, but particular one as long as a novel, can sometimes seem like an insurmountable task. But it really is like eating the elephant–one bite at a time.

This post was SO helpful for me, thank you so much!

So glad it was useful!

Hi katie, Thanks so much for this article, I’m currently developing my trilogy and have the same problem as the guy who wrote to you so I have devoured this post! I really love #5 because I hadn’t thought of that and have now began setting up my scrivener to ”flow’ when I’m writing. I’m so excited to write now, I was beginning to dread it because of all the notes I’d made. Debs

The last outline I wrote, for the Dreamlander sequel, was the most complicated outline I’ve ever written. I even had myself linking between Scrivener docs to indicate foreshadowing plants and payoffs, just to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything or creating plot holes. It *did* feel a little overwhelming sometimes, but using this trusty method let me break everything down into very manageable pieces when it came time to do the actual writing.

I am somewhat of a neophyte and early in my writer-to-author journey. Therefore, I am hesitant to offer anything even resembling advice. So, let me label this post as, “in-my-experience-only”.

Matt Powers asks a great question. He quite nicely summarizes several questions on problem areas I’ve had on organization with physical notes, plot progression, and outline-to-draft transition. And, as usual, KM comes up with an awesome reply.

My only comment would be she needs more emphasis on how her own software helps a writer stay organized well before the outlining process begins in earnest. The workbooks could replace the software, but reorganizing and rewriting in long hand would be a mess. So, in my experience, read her books on story structure and outlining; use her software to organize all your story’s details and characters; then use Scrivener to write your scenes.

Over the past 18 months I’ve read and tried several approaches. I’ve settled on the approach above because it works for me. Here’s why. Once I have the plot well thought out, I can start describing what each scene is intended to tell reader. It also helps me avoid writer’s block because I know what to tell the reader and when.

For what it’s worth . . . in my experience only . . .

I should have included this link:

Thanks, Richard! It’s great to hear that you’ve found the Outlining Your Novel Workbook software useful. 🙂

Get out of my head!

Your posts have an almost frightening tendency to tackle exactly whatever issue I’m chewing on at the time! And this one was very helpful once again.

I also tend towards “maximalist outlining” (in large parts thanks to your other great articles) and now translating the resulting Series Grid into a decent first draft has been quite a challenge. Though I’ve spent so much time poring over plot- and character-arcs, actually writing the scenes and characters sometimes feels almost weirdly “out of touch” with my original vision… As if I have the skeleton of my story set up with the outline, but right now I’m just randomly tacking on misshapen bits of meat like Dr. Frankenstein, and for now the creation looks nothing like a passable story. I guess it will require quite a bit of “cosmetic surgery” later down the line, i.e. revision….

…but somehow I’m weirdly okay with that, and I feel almost empowered that I’m not letting it hold me back. Almost looking forward to polishing it eventually! 🙂 (passing the 50.000 word mark today!)

So for now I think my own take away (in addition to your excellent tips) is: revisions may be “blech”, but for now my goal is to HAVE something to revise in the first place 🙂 Thanks again and keep these amazing posts coming!

I’m glad you posted this. There’s always a balance, for all writers, between wanting to write as perfectly as possible in order to avoid revisions and not letting perfectionism or revision-avoidance stall you out in the first draft. Sometimes writing a messy first draft is absolutely the best approach. Better to finish a messy novel than not finish at all.

Yeah, that “stalling” was exactly what was my problem in previous “first drafts” (technically, the current manuscript is more like a fourth first draft 😛 ). But at some point I realized that I kept stalling and abandoning the novel at roughly the same point, just before the middle part. I had the beginning, I knew what would happen in the end, but the road there was entirely unclear. -> Read all your articles, began obsessive outlining! Now at least I know exactly where I’m going and how 🙂

What you’re illustrating here is a wonderful example of why authors must observe their own processes, identify the roadblocks, and figure out how to break through. Just because one writer says the process should work one way is no guarantee that it works that way for another writer. We all have unique challenges in getting the words on paper to make sense.

Love this post. I love Evernote for digitally ordering my notes Since I always have my phone with me, if something pops up on my head, it’s very easy to just put a note in a stack and add tags to it.

I’ve always felt a little wistful that I’ve never gotten around to using Evernote. But my process works without it right now, and as I always say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! But from everything I’ve heard, Evernote seems to offer some of the same easy organizational options that Scrivener does (thought without the word processor features, of course).

I have a general outline when I start. I fill in some of the details later. Sometimes I change things, and I want the flexibility.

Art is always and ever about finding the perfect and personal balance between order and chaos.

Thumbs up! I know I’ll need to refer to this article again when I’ve finished reading and start to apply the lessons you gave in Outlining Your Novel and the Workbook. Thank you very much!!

Thanks for reading! Have fun with your outline. 🙂

I’ve recently become okay with my writing-with-no-outline (or pantsing) ways. I discovered I simply can’t figure out what happens until I write it in the first draft! Thank you for acknowledging that we all write differently and that’s okay.

But yes, I revise A LOT.

There are tricks and tools that affect every part of the process. But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that we produce something other people like to read. 🙂

I outline moderately for a few weeks but when it comes time to write I toss it aside and never look at it again. I have to write to understand what I’m writing about and to nail down theme and some of the plot points. The me who does the outline is not the me who does the writing, and it’s important to recognize what i might like in an outline doesn’t always work for me while writing.

That’s interesting. What is your purpose for starting with an outline when you know you’re going to set it aside?

It helps clarify thoughts and general plot direction; it gets me started. But I can’t figure it all out until I begin writing – actively thinking it through. Like maybe in my outline of The Great Escape I’ll envision Steve McQueen getting shot after an early attempt. “Ah, this sets the stakes”. But then as I write it I will realize that McQueen embodies the spirit of resistance and can never die and that will start changing the story. But I won’t know that til I start writing.

Yeah, if outlines have you killing the Cooler King, stick with pantsing. 😉

Hi, I just wanted to comment that I more or less use your #5 idea most of the time when writing now–that is pasting notes into the document. When I’m actually working on outline and prep, I go through a fresh-copy notebook of notes I’ve culled from all the plot & structure studies I’ve done over time. Then I fill in my thoughts for the current book project and paste my new notes into the the pertinent scenes of my WIP. Sometimes I will even give myself directions like “This is the mid-point.” It makes for a document that seems bulky to start with, but really helps the flow as I go.

One of the features I love in Scrivener is the ability to create files within folders. I use the files for chapters, which are contained within folders pertaining to the structural parts (1A, 1B, 2A, etc.). It makes everything so much easier to access than back in the old days when I wrote my manuscript all in one big Word document.

Thank you for the post. Extremely helpful. This has always been a major struggle of mine; translating my outline into a first draft.

My goal with outlines has always been to smooth the transition of the various necessary parts of the creative process–particularly the logical parts versus the straight-up creative parts.

I could probably write an entire blog post in response–I may have to do that! 😉 But for now, I’ll try to condense.

I consider myself more of a plotter than pantser, because IRL I like to plan ahead for everything and pack for every contingency. But my writing process has evolved over time to mesh both methods together.

The reasons for your incredibly detailed outlining — I’ve never heard of any prewriting so intense! — are the same for why my method is so minimalist: 1. “I want to write a clean first draft (because revisions:blech).” I feel that my writing has evolved enough that if I visualize a scene in my imagination, then I can capture it pretty well, enough for a clean rough draft. I used to love the revision process, throwing down anything in that first draft just so I could get to the second draft’s revising magic. I think that stemmed from my inferiority complex that my first draft couldn’t be worth anything. But I’ve learned so much that, while still needing revisions and editors, I know that even my rough draft won’t contain much crap.

2. “When writing my first draft, I want to turn away from my logical brain and immerse myself utterly in the imaginative dreamzone space of my story.” I see your overly-detailed prewriting as already being in the imaginative space and now this rough draft is actually more of a second draft. I personally feel like this kind of visualizing the scene that you do in your outline would stifle my actual writing–I would already be striving for that perfect phrase or searching for the perfect synonym with the right rhythm.

But, it works for you, and that’s perfectly fine. One thing I have learned is that what works for one writer doesn’t necessarily work for another writer. Just because Stephen King writes every single day doesn’t mean I have to. My creative brain needs a sabbath, a rest of at least one day a week to recharge. The same goes with outlining. What works for one writer doesn’t work for everybody.

My process is more of a bulleted list of beats, how to get the characters from the beginning scene to the resolution. Then I reorder, add in subplots, and insert each of these phrases or sentences into separate chapters. I keep my notes highlighted in my document so that I never start a new chapter with a blank page. This is usually enough to stimulate my imagination to visualize the scene enough to start writing. If I can’t visualize a particular scene that day, I go on to the next. I skip around and write what I’m in the mood to write, not necessarily from chapter 1 chronologically until I reach The End.

This is great! Thanks for sharing.

This: “I see your overly-detailed prewriting as already being in the imaginative space and now this rough draft is actually more of a second draft.”

100% accurate! I often think of my scene outlines as very rough first drafts. They’re just not written in “prose.”

Nice post! I really like the idea that nobody’s really a 100% plotter or 100% pantser, but that they rather fit somewhere in the continuum between the two extremes. The outline for my 99k-word debut was 17k words, broken out by time, location, POV, setting, scene (goal, conflict, disaster), sequel (reaction, dilemma, decision), and foretelling – so I’m much closer to the plotter end of the spectrum. While transitioning from a structure-level outline to a scene-level outline, the rule I give myself is to detail out that scene (plotting) until I’m confident I can start writing those eight or ten pages (pantsing).

“The rule I give myself is to detail out that scene (plotting) until I’m confident I can start writing those eight or ten pages (pantsing).”

This is exactly what I do as well. My goal is basically to try to answer any questions I know will need answering if I’m going to be able to write the scene smoothly.

I’m an accidental plantser and will continue things this way with this first book. I can’t wait to be able to buy Scrivener and try it out I’ll admit I’ve gone to the website and drooled over it, it looks amazing.

For now, word-pad will have to do when on my pc and when on mobile the color note app, and then the character planner app will have to do. I have so many files on color note like the ghost, a to-do list so I don’t forget important things like killing the flashbacks, repairing the dialogue, reminders to have the main pov use her powers more as after chatter two she stops. Another note to secure a website. Another note with the god’s names as I often forget them, the worlds name too.

Merrly’s life goal, plot hole fixes, world-building bits that need tweaking, plot goal, plot hole fix, notes about the first plot point, a full note (folder) just for the antoganists.) Reminders to slash the word count, story questions that I think readers might ask and I need to answer, their wants and needs. It goes on and on 😛 Learning how to organise ourselves when writing is a tough still. Hea.

I think you’re smart not switch word processors midstream. I waited to start using Scrivener when I started a new project, which turned out to be a good plan–for me anyway.

This is the article I’ve been hoping for! I knew what was always causing me to be stuck, but I could never put it into words – until I read this article! I do a lot of extensive research while “cherry picking” what I’m going to need for my books, then I isolate it all in one main binder. I have struggled with the problem of trying to plot and create at the same time. This article was eye-opening and I now see how I can move forward creating stronger tighter scenes and working more productively. THANK YOU!!

I find I definitely work best when I’m able to separate the aspects of the process into distinct chunks–logic and creativity being the broadest categories.

Loved this–another great and useful post!

Glad you enjoyed it, Daniel!

I enjoyed this post. Index cards and port-it notes are my best friends when outlining. Not a fan of Scrivener. There has to be a user-friendly alternative to it.

Scrivener has steep a learning curve, but it’s totally worth it, IMO.

I find outlines extremely overwhelming, but necessary, so thank you for sharing your process. I dream of someday working through outlining and drafting with confidence—but I think it’ll take a few go arounds before I’m there.

Confidence comes with experience. You might find this post encouraging: When Does Writing Get Easier? The 4 Steps to Mastery .

Hey guess what––our schoolteacher was recommended to read an article of yours and when she didn’t know who you were, I told her all about you and how you know who I am! I just thought that was pretty cool. You can say “hi” to my class and I’ll send it to all of them if you want. 🙂

Hah, cool. 🙂 A big “hi” and “happy writing” to your class!

Again, this is so timely! I started my first draft a couple of weeks ago, and this is really helpful/

I organised my notes in OneNote, because I already had it on my computer and phone. I use a scene outline and an extended summary of my story to write my first draft.

I am a recovering perfectionist who never before finished a first draft because it was never good enough. This time, my goal is to finish that first draft, no matter what. So I decided to write it with a nice fountain pen in a notebook. So far, it works. I keep writing, and I make notes in a seperate notebook. like ‘page x: more foreshadowing’ or ‘page y needs more description’.

In the beginning, I literally told my inner critic: yes, you are totally right, this is far from perfect. I hear you, but right now I have to finish this thing and once I finished it, it is your turn. In the meantime, I make notes of what you say.’.

Writing is hard sometimes (because of said perfectionism), but it is also a lot of fun right now. Thanks to your books and this website 🙂

“In the beginning, I literally told my inner critic: yes, you are totally right, this is far from perfect. I hear you, but right now I have to finish this thing and once I finished it, it is your turn. In the meantime, I make notes of what you say.’”

I totally believe in this. The inner critic isn’t necessarily an enemy. Often, as long as its not coming from a place of shame, it’s very helpful in its ability to spot problems.

My inner critic weirdly took the voice of my protagonist. Now he’s the one pointing out flaws in the workings of the secret spy organization whose mess he got tangled in. That kinda makes it feel like not something to be ashamed of, but someone criticizing things in-world.

I love my inner critic because it not only asks a question but poses a solution. Every time I feel like things are getting a bit wonky in my first draft, my inner critics there for me. The problem is making sure the inner critic doesn’t drown you in a sea of your own criticism

Katie, you may have just changed my life. (Again)

I love love love the writing-with-the-beats-on-the-page trick. Easy way to keep headed in the right direction while not getting bogged down with too many notes. Reminds me of using daily affirmations and goals, but just, you know, for writing instead of life.

As always, thanks!

Plus, it’s very satisfying to watch the beat list slowly diminish as you delete the ones you’ve finished!

Very helpful post, K.M.! A couple questions for you: first, why don’t you just transcribe all of your notes digitally from the get-go… Is it because you’ve trained your brain creatively over time to “spew” it all down on paper first? Second, in Scrivener, do you create a master scene doc that acts as your whole story, or do you create individual scene docs and then combine them at the end into one whole piece which eventually becomes your novel?

There’s just something about writing longhand that I really enjoy for the raw creative stages of outlining. I think it’s partly that my writing is so sloppy–in comparison to the cleanness of typed text–that it gives me more freedom from perfectionism at this stage.

I create individual files for each scene, both because this makes it easy to access everything when writing and also because I would have to do that eventually anyway when formatting the e-book.

Sure, I can dig that. The process is so interesting to hear since we all arrive at it differently. I think my own anal retentiveness prevents me from writing on paper (scribbles out misspelled word then rips up paper because it’s too “messy” ;-D) Ah, okay makes sense. How do you manage labeling the scenes though, and what if you add a scene to the mix that wasn’t originally in the plan as you go along?

By the time I get to the first draft, I rarely add new scenes. I did add one to my last WIP though. I did a little sketching to figure out what needed to happen, then just stuck in a new Scrivener file. When adding or rearranging scenes in my notebook, I use 3×5 cards in a WriteMind Planner to indicate new scenes. The pages pop in and out, so are easy to rearrange.

That’s a pretty sweet little tool!

Scrivener or the WriteMind Planner? They’re both great. 😀

Another great post!

I stumbled around, and arrived at the same basic process, especially in regards to the beat sheet for each scene. I don’t do detailed MRU, but do note each actor’s emotional responses. In addition, I record three things before starting to actually write the scene. First, I make myself explain how the scene moves the plot forward. Second, I note how the theme will be evident. Finally, I list any foreshadowing that needs to be included to set up future scenes.

I feel it works well, though it’s surprising how often I deviate from the plan. When the first draft of the scene is done, I go back to a copy of the original beat sheet and resolve any deviations.

All of this is great–and very important. I tend to do most of this “checklist” stuff earlier in the outlining process, so it isn’t as obvious by the time I get to the beat list–but hopefully it’s all still there!

I’m definitely a plotter and usually write extensive outlines. I’d go as far as to say the outline was really a first, handwritten draft, sans setting and dialog. It worked well on my first 2 novels (romantic thrillers). The outline for my 3rd book wasn’t as complete, but it didn’t seem to hurt my process, so, for my 4th manuscript, I chose to outline only minimally, and it’s pretty much stopped me in my tracks.

There’s enough to follow along, but not enough just to sit there and expand as I type my real first draft. Strangely enough, I find it harder to write now that I’ve read countless books on craft, predominantly yours and James Scott Bell’s. Sometimes I think my gut works far better than my brain. Book #5 will definitely be well and fully plotted. That’s if I ever finish #4.

There are fleeting moments when I think, “Ah, I’ve totally got this writing thing down now. I don’t need to outline anymore.” Fortunately, my good sense takes over before I get too far. :p

To me, an outline is like a sketch, and the first draft is the first layer of paint over the sketch. My outlines are left “sketchy” so I put them directly into the draft and build upwards.

I know a lot of writers write lots of material then cut back, but my revisions tend to be a building process, adding rather then subtracting.

I hate the idea of bringing darlings into the world only to kill them. It happens, sometimes, when I give too much character backstory.

It is interesting to think of getting lost in an outline because I write outlines to compartmentalize and avoid getting lost in the draft. I like the idea of a beat list, if the outline is too complex, but I think my outlines are not much more elaborate than a beat list. If my outline were going to be so complex as to require breaking into a beat list, though, I would likely need a beat list to create the outline.

I’m a special case, with a very limited memory. I have to break things into small parts to handle them. Unlike an actual canvas and painting, in writing, it’s harder to look back at what is done without having a big brain to store all the information in memory.

I need the sketch of the whole thing laid out, and the piece of the sketch I’m working on right in front of my face to keep on track. It’s interesting to see how others approach the problem, though.

“Sketches” is exactly the word I use for my early outlining phases.

Love your ideas and your blog. However, being old school, I like to stay in close touch with my work. I use Word. That’s all. I’m sure many other tools mentioned are useful. It was no problem for me to use your advice in this post with my 3″ x 5″ cards, color markers, and Word.

Word’s good too. I used it for years. Still use it for a lot of things, actually.

Thanks another helpful post from you. Can you clarify exactly what you mean by a beat. Apologies if it has been covered in a previous post

A beat is a moment in a story. It’s something that happens on a small level. For instance, each of the following are micro-beats:

*A cowboy walks into a saloon. *Orders a beer. *Notices a stranger watching him. *Tells stranger to mind his own business.

Thank you Matt Powers for asking this questions! And, thank you K.M. Weiland for addressing it! This post came at a great time for me as well.

After working through the process-outlining, structuring, and character arcs (even using your Scrivener Tutorial which is great)-I still struggled with what to write. I craved more. I think the beats idea will help.

The issue I’m also having is I seem to be writing what I’ve heard called “White room syndrome.” I don’t seem to be able to write very much emotion either. I’m telling myself it’s okay. Maybe it’s just the way my brain is wired (as an INFJ maybe). I can go back and add description and emotion, like in layers, during the second draft. If I do it now, I spend the good part of a week on one chapter and still come up short with word count and emotion.

So, for now, I feel I just need to get the story down. Plus, I’m new to writing and maybe I’ll get better with experience. Thanks again.

Both avoiding white-room syndrome and adding emotional details were things I had to learn consciously as well.

I think about my stories for so long before I start my first draft (months) that I would just jump right in. I’d have a pile of handwritten notes on scrap paper where I’d jot down ideas, good plot points I thought up while doing something unrelated to writing, or books I found and wanted to read for research. They were disorganized and I’d just read through them before I started writing or pick them apart when I wasn’t sure where to go next.

I wrote down the major structural moments (once I found them on the scrap paper notes) but never did a scene outline because I’d thought about the book so many times by the time I started writing I thought I’ve got this. But daydreaming is extremely different from writing. I found that I would get stuck when I reached a point in the story I hadn’t thought about or a point where I couldn’t bridge the gap between two scenes and that led to discouragement. So after a while, I thought maybe if I had a roadmap to this story I wouldn’t get stuck in a ditch because I would have spotted that ditch a mile back. So I read your outlining series, I took notes on your outlining series, and I reread your outlining series. I found it extremely helpful! So I sat down with my manuscript and wrote a scene outline and when I reached a scene I had skipped I brainstormed what should happen next and wouldn’t move on until I had something. But going back to create a scene outline for a story you’ve already written wasn’t as easy as it sounds. It was better to have it than to not, but I’ll never do that to myself again.

I’m starting a new novel idea and I’ve been trying to fill the plotholes upfront by asking questions but I’m not sure if I’m asking the right questions. I’m kinda wandering about my story world like where do I start. I try to follow any question that arises down the rabbit hole, but I’m worried I’m not seeing all the questions I should be asking myself about the story. I’m trying to get past what’s on the surface, do you have any pointers or tips about specific questions we could ask ourselves to explore our story more deeply in the early stages? Because I discovered when I have found the right question the answer normally fits nicely into a slot I’d yet to fill.

The big questions to ask are always those that that have to do with the main structural beats, what connects them, and how your character arc and theme are emerging and tying together with the plot. I have a list of questions at the end of the posts in my series on story structure and character arcs . They might be a helpful place to start. And, of course, I also have workbooks for both structuring and character arcs .

Main structural beats. For example, how did the characters first find themselves engaged in the story at the inciting event? What are all the choices the protagonist could make at the third plot point and how can I “cut the loose threads” so the choice I write isn’t second-guessed by readers wondering why the protagonist didn’t do this instead? So simple but I could not see through the forest until you said that. I swear you’re a writing Merlin Katie Thank you.

I have both of your workbooks, I’ll dive into structuring your novel this weekend. But creating character arcs is my favorite because once I’ve outlined the character arcs I magically have my story structured as well. But since I haven’t settled on names or started character interviews I’ll stick with the structuring workbook.

Glad to be of help! 🙂

This is great, thanks for another brilliant post.

I outline like crazy, but turning that outline into a first draft has proven at times problematic, since I outline in a mind-map and then transfer it to dot points in the chapters, and then write the scenes in the chapters.

This has led me to be a very poor estimator of how big each scene/chapter will be, which has resulted in structural issues, missing the spot for the Inciting Event, Point of No Return, etc.

What I think I need to start doing is to write scenes, and then arrange those in Chapters at the First Draft stage. Dunno. Maybe it’s just the noob missing the mark, and that sort of judgement will come with experience.

Anyway, anything that can help turn that outline into a sensible first draft is much appreciated!

Have an awesome day 🙂

I recently stumbled upon a process like this. I gathered some ideas for how to tweak it from this post, though. (By the way, I use Scrivener.) Thanks!

I kept reading about outlining, even downloaded your book and workbook (which I’m still working through) but wasn’t really sure what a novel outline looked like. I still thought of outlining the way I learned in junior high: I, then A, B, C; then II, A, B, C and so on. Wish I had learned this method before I ever started writing novels. Now I’m on my second novel without having done an outline first. I think outlining is better for me than being just a pantster. Thank you so much for all you do for writers.

Katie, thank you for this. Of all the areas in the writing process this transition from outline to draft is the most difficult for me. I’ve spent enough time outlining and reflecting on my outlining process that I can see where my process differs from yours. I’m going to go try the list of beats (at the last minute, of course).

I’m amazed at how much thought you’ve given this. Your approach is great, I will try it with my own draft right now, thanks!

I’m still getting the hang of this, but this works so far.

Priests try healing her from the “infection” > heal > fail > It (has a name but don’t want to leek a spoiler, lol.) *waking from this and VERY pissed > Foreshadow: dark shadows start creeping again this time from Murrain ooh! *beep* the vines! they were taken out in the last revision search for them.) >After, fight the guards come out use level 10 silver runes on her and bring her to the dungeon. > It goes back to sleep exhausted complaining about wasting energy.> M. finally (maybe) reveals why she needs to go home. She still doesn’t fully trust Parcival or Han.> …. and that goes on for a couple of paragraphs.

That’s just one chapter. This isn’t set in stone but does help me remember why the characters are doing what they are doing. Along with reminders to do, add or take out things. When I’m gone too long as life get’s in the way I’ll forget what the whole dang goal for that scene was in the first place. Ugg.

Sorry a typo meant to say – that’s just part of one current chapter. This is sure as heck better then just winging it how I did before and ending up with umpteen chapters that spin around doing nothing.Not all “going by feel” is bad I get some of the best scenes and dialogue that way (my favorite anyway) but they still end up in the darlings folder to try and reuse later in a place that fits.

I’ve been attempting to write novels for far too long to admit without ever completing one. I was a pantser. It was a wonderful exercise in creativity and fun. Inevitably, every single story fell flat and eventually, having no structure or any sort of emotional heft to carry them, they died a lonely digital death. More like a coma really.

Having just found this article today, in 2022, and having purchased your novels and some of your instructional works prior to finding this article, I’d like to tell you that I think you’ve helped me.

I’ve been working on a new novel for almost two years now. It’s the longest streak I’ve devoted to a single work in my 56 years. I thought I’d share a little of what I’ve done and I think I can heap a bit of praise on you because I’ve just finished an outline for the first time, ever.

I have to say that I agree with your assessment, in this article, that outlining, and truly all creative endeavors, are subject to each person’s individual processes and idiosyncratic nature. It took me a dozen attempts to outline. I read and watched more articles and video tutorials than I can count. Eventually, I came to know that, like songwriting for me, outlining is a wholly unique process that I would have to create for myself.

Doing this required me to accept that I could do it. That I was capable of creating a system that would work for me. That said, it took years of failure before I finally found my process. I don’t write every day, or in any way that’s consistent. Life has never been conducive to having alone-time, and I can’t write with anyone else around. Otherwise, I think I’d have figured this out several years ago, when I first decided to give up pantsing.

I’m a very detailed outliner, as it turns out. The more detail I allow in my outline the more entertained I am when I’m creating it. That makes it easier to stick with. It’s also easier to find flaws, and that makes it very easy to pivot to new ideas and make changes prior to devoting months of intense effort into 90K to 120K words. I’ve done that. I’ve written 120K words in a manuscript, pantsing the entire way, only to end up with a muddled, flat, and incomprehensible telling of something that no longer resembled my story or anyone else’s.

I think watching your videos, read Outlining Your Novel, Structuring Your Novel, and Creating Character Arcs, 5 Secrets of Story Structure, and while I’ve read books by others like Larry Brooks, Martha Alderson, and the list continues, I think your work has led me to my current success,

I won’t know for sure until I get through the first draft, but I have nearly 60K words in my outline. Most of it it is very descriptive and instructional, and while it will be reworded and expanded upon, most of it will be part of the first draft. Hopefully, this limit the amount of wandering I will do as the pantser in me takes over, to fill in the blanks.

So glad you’ve found the info helpful! Congrats on your progress. 🙂 And thanks for taking the time to comment!

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• University of Memphis Libraries
• Research Guides

CJUS 3130: Research Methods

• Critical Book Review Guide/Rubric
• Required Readings/Books
• Topic Selection Guide
• Annotated Bibliography Guide/Rubric
• Thesis Statement Guide/Rubric
• Research Writing Assignment Rubric

Sample Guidelines for Critical Book Review

• Interlibrary Loan

Preliminary Considerations

First, one must understand that a critical book review is not a book report (a summary of the contents of a book). A critical book review is a vehicle for examining and discussing issues the book itself raises or fails to raise. One writes a critical book review for the benefit of those who might not presently have time to read the book but who nevertheless need to learn more about its basic approach should they desire to read or study it at a future time. The job of the book reviewer is to inform these readers concerning any merits and/or shortcomings the book may have. From information based on a well-written review, the reader may conclude that this book is either indispensable or inconsequential.

Components of a Critical Book Review

A. Give complete bibliographical information at the top of the page (title, author, publisher, place of publication, date of publication, number of pages, and name of reviewer).

Use the following format:

Toward Rediscovering the Old Testament , by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, l987. 250 pages. Reviewed by Randy C. Slocum.

B. Briefly state the reason this book was chosen for review. State the author's credentials (education, place of employment, previous achievements, etc.) as a preface to giving the book a serious hearing. Biographical information about the author should be included only as it demonstrates the author’s competency to write the book. Within the context of the paper, do not use titles (Dr., Rev., etc.). In most brief reviews, you will likely need to limit the introduction to one or two paragraphs.

C. Briefly (in one or two well-written sentences) summarize the thesis of the book. This is a crucial step because the thesis contains the reason why the author produced this particular book (there may be dozens on the market with similar subject matter). The thesis will state the author's basic presuppositions and approach. The critical nature of the book review will then grow from the reviewer's conclusion that the book does or does not achieve the author's stated purpose.

D. The main body of a critical book review will be concerned with "thesis development." That is, did the author achieve the stated purpose? In this section the reviewer will inspect each of the chapters of the book to see how the thesis is (or is not) developed. If the author makes progress and develops the thesis convincingly, providing adequate information and statistical data, the reviewer says so, providing concrete examples and citing their page numbers in the text.

Given the limited amount of space in a brief book review, footnotes should not be utilized. Quotations or ideas taken directly from the text should be followed parenthetically by the page number of the quotation. The abbreviation for page(s) (p./pp.) should not be used.

Rainer argues that evangelistic churches should focus on reaching youth (20). Indeed, he writes, “Many churches fail to recognize that adolescence is a critical time of receptivity to the gospel” (21).

If the thesis is poorly developed or if the examples are inadequate to support the assertions of the author, the reviewer will point this out as well. Most critical book reviews will contain both praise and criticism, carefully weighed and balanced against one another.

Remember the purpose of a critical book review is not to provide a summary of the book. You may assume that the professor and the grader know the contents of the book.

Questions the reviewer will seek to answer in this section might include:

• Is there an adequate, consistent development of the author's stated thesis? Why or why not?
• What is the author’s purpose, i.e., what does he/she hope to accomplish through this book? Does the author accomplish the purpose? If so, how does he/she do so? If not, why not?
• Does the author approach the subject with any biases, i.e., do the author’s theological, experiential, philosophical, denominational, or cultural perspectives influence his/her conclusions?
• Does the author properly support his/her thesis? Does the author adequately consider and refute opposing viewpoints? Is the book limited in application to specific types of churches? Is the book relevant to contemporary culture?
• Does the author have to resort to suppression of contrary evidence in order to make the thesis credible (slanting)? If so, what additional evidence would weaken the case? • Is the thesis sound but marred by a flawed procedure?
• Is the author's case proved, or would another thesis have been more appropriately chosen?

E. Finally, a summary section should be attached. How does this book differ from other treatments of the same subject matter? What is unique and valuable about this approach as opposed to the others? Would the reviewer recommend this book above others? Why or why not?

This final summary should include the major strengths and weaknesses of the book and evaluate its value for readers who may be interested in that particular field of inquiry. Your primary purpose in this section is to respond both positively and negatively to the book’s contents and presentation. Needless to say, this response should be more in-depth than, “This book is a good book that should be recommended reading for everyone.” On the other hand, “This book is a lousy book not worth reading” is also inadequate. Central to this is the basic question of whether or not the author has achieved the book's stated purpose.

Answer questions such as:

• What are the strengths of the book, i.e., what contributions does the book make?
• Why should a person read this book?
• What did you learn from this book?
• How might you apply the lessons of this book in your ministry context?
• Would you recommend the book to other ministers? to seminary students? to laypersons? Why, or why not?

Do not allow your response to this question to become lengthy (for this paper is not primarily an evaluation of your ministry), but do make some application.

Throughout your critique, be specific in your evaluations. Do not just tell the reader about the book; tell and show the reader with concrete examples from the book. As previously suggested, include page numbers when making specific reference to the book.

F. The length of the review should be between five and seven pages, double-spaced.

Style Issues for a Critical Book Review

The following guidelines are included to counter common style errors:

A. Utilize this suggested outline to guide your book review, but do not include the specific subheadings (“Bibliographical Entry,” “Summary of the Book,” etc.) in the essay. The brevity of the review demands a smooth flow from one section to another without including the subheadings.

B. Use first-person sparingly; however, you may use “I” when referring to your opinion of a text.

C. Avoid contractions in formal writing.

D. Use active voice as much as possible.

E. Be clear and concise. A brief review allows no room for wandering from your objective.

F. Use your spell-checker, but do not trust it. A spell-check will not catch the error in such sentences as, “The whole church voted too pass the amendment.” Use your eyes as well as your spell-checker.

G. Proofread your paper. Finish the paper, and proof it. Lay it aside, and proof it again at a later time. If you do not catch your errors, someone else will. 

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