How To Outline Your Novel Part 4

So, this will be the catchall post. To start at the beginning, here are the links--intro, Part 1 (The Hero's Journey), Part 2 (How To Beat Out Your Novel), Part 3 (Snowflake Method). 

There really aren't any more big methods with names. I know people who outline with index cards or post-it notes and stick it up on a wall or whiteboard. That way they can move things around more easily. 

There are software programs out there to help with outlining. Who would have thought? :)

Here are some other great links to give you an idea of other ways to outline.

How To Write A Novel by Glen Strathy

Writer's Digest Novel Idea Summary Sheet--Blank Novel Outline

Outlining Your Novel by the Creative Penn

Writing A Book: 5 Step Method by Mythic Scribs

Novel Outlining 101 by Paperback Writer

Plotting With A Purpose by Paperback Writer

Plot Outline in 8 Steps by Glen Strathy

And here's an interesting article from the New York Times for the discovery writer side.

Joe R Lansdale--A Fresh Discovery, Three Decades In the Making

Frantically, when you look at everything, it can be a bit overwhelming. I began this journey with an idea of what I might use to outline my novels. The more I've learned, the more I realize that I really am not an outliner. There's too much of the discovery in me. So, for those of you who can outline your entire novel before you even write it, (I can think of a few authors off the top of my head) more power to you.

For me, I can't process things that far ahead. Here's my comprimise. I'm about 3,000 words into a new WIP. I know where I'm starting, and I have an idea of where I'll end. The middle is up in the air. However, it's been helpful for me to have the Beat Sheet in front of me to keep me on track, or rather to remind me of what needs to be in the story for sure.

Annette Lyon and Elana Johnson said they write their first drafts, and then fill in the outline to make sure they aren't missing anything. They are able to spot holes pretty quickly. I think this is how I'm going to do it. It makes sense to me. I have my roadmap, but I don't have to decide right away how I'm going to get to the end. For me, this is a really exciting new journey. We'll see how it goes and adjust on the way.

Ultimately, you have to find what works for you. Don't be afraid to take something and make it yours, afterall, isn't that what we do on a daily basis? I'd love to hear about what is and what is not working for you. I'll keep you posted on my progress as well. In the meantime . . .

HAPPY WRITING!

Outlining Part 3--The Snowflake Method

Welcome to Part 3 of my outlining saga. If you'd like to look back at how it all began, here's the intro, along with Part 1 (Hero's Journey) and Part 2 (How to Beat Out Your Novel).

Now, for today I'm going to be talking about the Snowflake Method. From what I gather, there's 10 steps.

1) Write a one sentence summary of your work
2) Expand that sentence into one paragraph about your work
3) Using step 1 & 2 as a guideline, write a on page summary for each of your characters
4) Take each of your sentence from step 2 and expand them into a full paragraph, making sure all but the last sentence ends in disaster. The last sentence tells you how the book will end
5) Write a one page description of each of your main characters and a half a page for the minor characters in your work, character synopsises
6) Now take your one page plot synopsis (step 4) and expand it into a 4 page synopsis
7) Take your character synopsises and create a full blown character chart
8) With your four page synopsis, write a list of scenes you'll need to turn the story into a novel
9) Begin writing a narrative description of the story
10) Write the first draft

This is really bare bones and may not make a lot of sense. There is a great website that details each step a lot more, here, but this is the basic idea of the snowflake method. You start with a big piece of paper, like you do a snowflake, and you cut, trim, pull, splice, and create a beautiful snowflake in the process.

I can see how some of these steps can help me flush out my stories faster, but all this research is still leading me to one conclusion. You have to do what works for you. I think I'm still going to pick and choose what I think will help me out the most.

Here are some other posts about the Snowflake Method. Some are personal experiences with the method, and others are informational. In the meantime, Happy Outlining!

http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php
http://www.ehow.com/how_6737829_write-novel-snowflake.html
http://caethesfaron.com/fiction-friday-how-im-writing-my-latest-novel-using-an-outline
http://jordanmccollum.com/2009/10/pros-cons-snowflake-method/

Outlining Part 2--How to Beat Out Your Novel

By Bonnie Harris

So, my journey to figure out how to outline continues. If you missed my intro to this journey, you should check it out, as well as Part 1.

This particular process I learned about at the LDStorymakers conference this past May. Elena Johnson shared how she’s adapted the Blake Snyder method for screenwriting to writing novels. I thoroughly enjoyed this class and learned some very valuable points. Here are my notes, (hopefully they make sense) as well as some links that may help.

Elana Johnson

Beat Out Your Novel (Adapt to how you write)

write the book out, then do the outline or beat it out

do a mix

For this presentation, I read, pored over, and loved SAVE THE CAT and SAVE THE CAT STRIKES BACK both by Blake Snyder. There is a third book in the series, SAVE THE CAT! GOES TO THE MOVIES, which I have not read as it seemed more for screenplays and less for general structure and writing.

That’s right. Structure. Seems strange in this class that’s sort of against outlining… But structure is necessary!

You can only take so much weirdness at one time. 

Three Acts, Fifteen Beats, One Board

ACT 1

• the world as your hero knows it (normal)
• theme stated—choices, careful what you wish for
• a catalyst pushes us into Act 2, MC freely chooses to move to Act 2

ACT 2

• Antithesis to Act 1—the normal world turned upside down

Start with 2

Opening Image

starting point

“before” snapshot

intro MC

Closing Image

proof that change has occurred

give yourself a destination

Opening and closing should be OPPOSITES

a plus and a minus

showing dramatic change from beg to end

SET THE MAJOR TURNS

Break into 2

moment we leave the old world

must be DISTINCT

hero must decide

Midpoint

an “up” or a “down”, false

stakes are RAISED

no turning back

pace increases

Break into 3

use B story characters

fusion of B story and hero finding a solution

synthesis at hand

Acts should stay the same length, Act 1 (25%, 50%, 25%)

ACT 1

Opening image 

Theme state

Set-up

Catalyst

Debate

Break into 2

THE BLAKE SNYDER BEAT SHEET*

PROJECT TITLE:

GENRE:

ESTIMATED WORD COUNT:

1. Opening Image (1): the normal world, characters

2. Theme Stated (15):

3. Set-Up (1-30): hook the reader to continue, can use relationships, worlds, events, plant flaws in characters that will change @ end, intro most characters in A story,

4. Catalyst (36): the world explodes, something that shows their different, forces characters to change, not good news, what leads the hero to happiness

5. Debate (36-75): do I go? do I stay? fear of the unknown

6. Break into Two (75)

7. B Story (90): love story, get to know person, doesn’t always have to be romance, relationship story—emotional story, provides a breather

8. Fun and Games (90-165): promise of a premise, get to see what you promised readers, must deliver

9. Midpoint (165): false up or down where they succeed or collapse, answer question are you real hero or fake hero? not one scene—many pages

10. Bad Guys Close In (165-225): bad guys regroup and send in the forces, doubt desinagrates bad guys team

11. All Is Lost (225): false defeat, looks like they’ve lost, something about dying, whiff of death, takes away mentors, could be secondary characters

12. Dark Night of the Soul (225-255): dark before the dawn, in the moment they have no idea what to do, utter defeat

13. Break into Three (255): blending of two worlds, new way of thinking, new hero, new person

14. Finale (255-330): Gathering the team—he’s alone, gather the team, break him out, rallying of allies, amend things, usually a plan

Executing the plan—they might actually do this

High Tower Surprise—finds out the bad guys knew he was coming, no princess in tower, reason the plan false, plan may actually be a trap, whatever hero has done may not be enough

Dig deep down—the whole plan is revealed, hero gets new plan, not exactly what reader expects, no back-up, go into new world with faith unseen

Execute the new plan—the answer comes from a place that we all hope exists, hero trusts themselves enough to use what we hoped was there, then he wins

15. Final Image (330): hero in new world, opposite of beginning

1. Beat Sheet—can switch with write novel (good driving destination)
2. Write novel
3. Board it out—flip over paper
4. Revise

Stories that have all fifteen beats are what we want to keep reading and watching

The 15 beats can use for synopsis

Act 1 can be used for query letter

*Adapted for novels from www.blakesnyder.com by Elana Johnson.

Happy Outlining & Writing! :)

Outlining, Part 1--The Hero's Journey

The Hero’s Journey

Welcome to part 1 of my journey to outlining. If you missed my intro, take a look here.

The Hero’s Journey is one type of outline that I have taken classes on several times. It has always made sense, but I’d never understood how to apply it to my writing. Honestly, I wasn’t ready for the information.

Now, the more I learn about the Hero’s Journey, I can see how it can be useful in my writing. However, everyone is different and you have to find what works for you. I, myself, thought that this would be the method I would try. After the last conference I attended, I’m not so sure about that. I think I may use bits and pieces from a few different methods and make my own.

So, I am going to share my notes from the most recent class I attended on The Hero’s Journey from Annette Lyon (Thank you Annette for a great class!) at the LDStorymakers conference in May, as well as some links at the bottom of different versions of the Hero’s Journey.

Hero’s Journey

Annette Lyon

The Hero

• audience has to ID with him/her
• hero must grow
• involved in most of the action
• Must have a flaw
• must sacrifice—maybe even be willing to sacrifice his or her life

The Mentor

• teaches the hero
• often gives hero a gift
• motivates hero—may calm fears of give them a kick in the pants
• can be a shape-shifter

Threshold Guardians

• Anything/one who stands in the way of your hero
• person, event, physical object
• blocks hero’s way
• tests the hero
• can be good or bad

The Herald

• issues the Hero the challenge
• announces coming change: all is not well
• gives Hero motivation to go on the adventure
• person, object, or event

The Shape-Shifter

• not what they appear to be
• revealing “real” self creates big change.
• good or evil
• can be combined with another character

The shadow

• the villain
• tests hero’s abilities/worthiness
• forces hero to rise to the challenge
• often appears beautiful
• elegant or good
• Often a shape-shifter

Trickster

• comic relief
• brings things into perspective
• often a sidekick to Hero

The Ordinary World

• whatever status quo
• into story question
• foreshadows special world
• meet the Hero & problems

Call to Adventure

• herald (in object or character to)

Refusal of the Call

• hero refuses the call
• why: fear or other excuses, maybe noble ones

meeting with the mentor

• usually before the hero’s commitment
• gets story moving
• provides hero with training and/or helpful object that will help in the quest

crossing the first threshold

• leaving ordinary world/entering special world
• shows hero’s commitment to quest
• for reluctant hero: quest is pushed on him
• first threshold guardian
• life will never be the same

tests, allies, and enemies (bulk of the story)

• hero adjusts to the New World
• hero gets tested in many ways
• hero meets people (often in “watering holes”) must determine enemies vs. allies
• gets sidekicks
• gets rival

approach to the inmost cave

• hero prepares for test, which will get him ready for the final ordeal
• illusions, threshold guardians
• hero uses lessons learned to get through
• often enters a NEW special world

The Ordeal

• Hero’s final exam
• hero battles shadow
• hero faces greatest fears
• hero shows what’s been learned
• hero must be willing to sacrifice something huge and/or die
• hero often appears to die, or something or someone does die

Reward—seizing the Sword

• hero captures or finds the treasure (elixir) or accomplishes whatever th point of the quest was
• celebration (“campfire” scenes)
• epipany: hero understands something he’s learned

The Road Back

• not in a lot of stories
• hero heads back to ordinary world w/elixir (object, wisdom, etc)
• shadow may not be totally defeated, could still try to defeat the Hero
• common time for chase scenes
• hero runs into setbacks

Resurrection

• hero has an ordeal that pushes him to the limit-often showdowns w/villain, a death and rebirth scene, etc
• the ordeal has changed the hero in some big way, and we see that change in the resurrection scene
• often the climax-hero overcomes final problems, defeats villain

Return with the Elixir

• the story’s wrap-up denouement
• characters receive rewards or punishments
• wrap-up of plot threads, but often a surprise shows up
• circular vs open endings
• hero may leave; no longer belongs
• elixir may be knowledge gained

So What?

Applying the H’s J to YOUR story

• what’s your genre
• character-type holes
• moving the plot
• boosting conflict
• developing characters

See you next Saturday!

The Hero’s Journey: Summary of Steps

The Hero's Journey Outline from the Writer's Journey

The Hero's Journey from Read, Writer, Think (interactive)

To Outline or Not To Oultine, What a Question

I never outline. I hate it. My husband would tell me to not use the word never because it rarely is accurate. Well, I can honestly say, I NEVER outline. Even in school, when an outline was required for a project, I would finish the assignment first, and then write the outline. I haven’t figured out if that’s because I never really understood how to create one or I didn’t know what I wanted to do or the real reason I never outlined.

Many workshops I’ve attended have talked about two kinds of writers, discovery writers and outliners. I most definitely would be a discovery person. There is a certain thrill to sitting down to a blank screen and letting the story flow, having only a general idea of what I think might happen. For the most part, I know how I want to start and where I am going to end, but the middle . . . who knows. That’s where to fun is, in my opinion.

In one of my novels, I had a character literally (well, literally as in the story literally) walk into a scene. My heart pounded, I sat up straight, and cocked my head as I asked, “Now who are you? And what role do you play in this story?” It was so much fun to see this character develop and weave through different scenes and I get chills even thinking about it. :)

Part of me thinks that outliners look down on discovery writers. That most likely is my own assumption, and assumptions always get me in trouble, but for a long time, that’s how I’ve felt. All those outline, Hero’s Journey, Snowflake method type blogs or workshops I’ve sat through, I’ve listened only half-heartedly because after all, I know my style and it’s not outlining. I will NEVER use an outline.

Well, . . . *clears throat* . . . here’s where I watch the pigs fly across the room or eat my shoe or whatever other cliche you’d like to insert. Since I’ve become a mom, I have found my time somewhat preoccupied and my writing time, shall we say . . . limited. I know, crazy, right? Who would have ever thought. (Those of you who smiled at me when I was talking about how I’d still have time, feel free to say, “I told you so.”) 

I am beginning to see how an outline might actually be beneficial. It will help me use my time more wisely so when I do end up with a block amount of time to write, I’m not staring at the computer screen, watching the time tick by, and freaking out that I won’t be able to get my fabulous idea on the page before it leaves because I might not remember it later.   With an outline, I have the fabulous idea already mapped out and can refer back to it whenever I need to. I’m hoping lightning doesn’t strike. :) That’s not to say that I am jumping right in on the outlining bandwagon, but I am very eagerly going through all my notes, trying to find the outlining method that will work best for me.

I have an idea of what I’m going to try to use, but I’d love to hear what your favorite methods are. I will share what I know (and what I research) of those methods in future blog posts. Then if you are a discovery writer who might want to venture over to the world of outlining, you’ll have some different ways to choose from.

In the meantime, Happy Writing!