Writing Tips

Outlining/Plotting

I saw a movie once at a theater with a lot of action and breathtaking special effects. But an hour and a half later, when the movie ended, I left the theater asking myself what the movie was about. Yes, I walked away clueless.

The same thing has happened to me with novels. I have read stories with excellent grammar and vivid descriptions, however, I felt lost and did not know where the story was going. Without a plot, the story falls flat.

A critique partner informed me I am a pantser because I wrote my last two books without a roadmap or a plot outline. That got me thinking. I did not want to fly by the seat of my pants anymore, so I investigated plotting/outlining.

After extensive research, I discovered more than I ever wanted to know about the subject. My mind could not digest all the information about outlining, plotting, and story mapping.

• A Disturbance and Two Doorways
• Dan Harmon’s Story Circle
• Dean Koontz’s Classic Story Structure
• Fichtean Curve
• Five-Act Structure
• Freytag’s Pyramid
• A Hero’s Journey
• In Medias Res
• Kishōtenketsu Structure
• Red Herring Structure
• Save the Cat Beat Sheet
• Snowflake Method
• Story Spine
• The 7-Point Story Structure
• The Flashcard Method
• The Three-Act Structure
• Tragic Plot Embryo

Not everyone can outline a story. It takes a certain type of discipline.

That said, sketch out a plot outline in your head or on paper before you write your story. The plot outline is your story’s roadmap.

Some writers use a combination of the plot structures I listed. For me, the five-act plot structure seemed the most straightforward method. All story plots have a beginning, a middle, and an end. But there is more to the plot structure than that.

• Exposition/introduction
• Rising action
• Climax/turning point
• Falling action
• Resolution/denouement

Some well-known authors don’t even bother with outlines. However, having an outline will provide you with useful benefits.

• Assist in the research
• Facilitate speedier writing
• Provide a sense of direction
• Saves editing time
• Prevent plot holes
• Improves character development
• Accelerates story pacing
• Enables time tracking, which avoids extensive rewrites

This is what the Freitag Pyramid outline/plot graph looks like. The Freitag Pyramid has a beginning, a middle, and an end. But there’s more in between. The rising and falling action ties everything together.

You can use the following five-act plot structure elements with the descriptions as a template. Just fill in the bullet items with essential information and expand them before starting your first draft.

• Introduce the protagonists. (Who).
• Set the scene. (Where)
• Set the time period or circumstance. (When)
• Introduce the central conflict “exciting force” that causes the character to act, “Inciting Incident.” (What)
• Describe the event/incident that sets your book’s premise in motion.

• The main conflict/obstacle begins with the primary character that he or she must resolve.
• Every conflict/obstacle is a stepping-stone that leads to the story’s climax.
• This is where the story can take a different path, or a secondary conflict/obstacle can arise.
• Introduce secondary characters to assist or complicate the main character’s goal. The conflict could affect a single or multiple characters.
• Build towards the climax, focusing on the main character and their new world.
• Placing the main character in difficult situations will build tension and conflict.
• It is acceptable to have questions not answered until the end of the story.

• This is the crucial point when the protagonist deals with the results of the events/conflicts. This is the moment that the reader has been waiting for and is unsure where your story will go next.
• In the climax, everything changes in the story. The main character makes a life-altering decision. This could be a low point for the protagonist.
• Depending on the story, the protagonist does not always decide. (Plot twist.)
• The story can take two different paths: One, the story can build from bad to worse and end with a tragedy. Two, the story can build from bad to good and end with joy. For good or ill, this is where the characters have a change in fortune.
• This is where all the different subplots and characters converge.

• These actions occur immediately after the climax, with detailed consequences—good or bad—that the characters must confront.
• This is the time to resolve conflicts and subplots, so your story doesn’t feel rushed in the last few chapters.
• As a result of the protagonist’s decision, the conflict gives way to resolution during the falling action. This is where you tie up the loose ends and tension dissipates.

• The resolution is the end of the story, which tells what happens to the characters after resolving the conflict. You can also introduce a plot twist before resolving the conflicts the main character or the antagonist confronts.
• The tension has peaked, but tension is still high here because the characters must decide what path to take.
• Some stories have happy conclusions; others have sad endings.
• If there is a series, this is the place to introduce a cliffhanger, leaving the reader eager for the next story.

After several attempts at outlining, I ended up with a routine that works for me.

• Open a blank MS Word document and start with chapter 1.
• Add a few blank lines and list five or six writing points. Don’t worry about perfect sentences. These writing points roughly lay out the contents of the chapter.
• Do this for all the chapters.

Outlining your complete story makes it easier to spot plot issues or missed time markers. You can fine-tune your outline until it has a smooth flow.

When the outline is finished, expand each of the writing points into several paragraphs or pages.

• Ensure the story’s plot has a smooth, meaningful flow
• Track the characters and the story’s timeline