When Outlining:
I have been trying to make myself outline my wips for years now- with little success- until now. If you are someone who has trouble outlining, or someone who wants to give it a try, here are some do’s and don’ts that have helped me!
This is by no means a cure-all guide, it’s just what has helped me. So take what you need and leave the rest. :)
DO’s
DO keep it simple. An outline isn’t supposed to be anything other than the bare-bones of the sequence of your novel. Try to keep it limited and use notes for any details you must remember. This will keep it neat and provide lots of room to expand when you begin writing.
DO write what you know and fill in the blanks! (This is probably the tip that saved me the most from myself) Your outline doesn’t have to be perfect- especially when you’re first starting. Write the events you know will happen and place them in their approximate spots, then fill in any holes in your outline. (This is also great to weed out any plot-holes your story may have)
DO know your story structure. Work with the big things first. Determine your ending, resolution, climax, inciting incident, and beginning. Knowing the larger whole of your story will help you when you’re finding the route from point A to point B.
DO divide up your outline. Separating your planing into more digestible sections is essential to keeping organized. When I divvy up my outline, scenes are much easier to find. You could divide it up by: scenes, time changes, chapters, or any other unit.
DO color code! I was hesitant to use color coding in my outline, but I’ve found that it is saves a lot of time when looking for scenes, and having an idea of the flow of my story. It helps to break up the “bad” with the “good” scenes and maintain a good story flow. (Ex. I have a color for any “bad” scenes, a color for scenes involving my love interest, a color for my MC’s inner thoughts/feelings, this list goes on...)
DON’TS
DON’T sweat the small stuff. Your outline doesn't need all the details- thats what drafting is for. Keep it short and sweet with the most important and crucial bits only. It isn't called an "outline" for nothing. This is the lines of your story! Leave the shading and coloring for your draft!
DON'T stress about your story sequence. You don’t need to know everything in perfect succession- in fact that’s why you need an outline in the first place. Don’t stress about having plot/timeline holes, continue on your outline with what you do know and skip spaces. Whatever is missing will come to you eventually. (This also gives you more time to think through things and figure out what will fit!)
DON'T give up! Outlining is a long and hard process, but isn't without reward! Having an outline for your story is a good way to help prevent against inconsistencies, plot holes, and time gaps in your writing!
I hope this is helpful to any plotters developing an outlining style/process!
