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Outlining - The Writer’s Playground The more we write, the more serious are about our writing and the more it seems like work. However, outlining is the writer’s playground: an area untouchable by any editor or inner muse killer. It’s the cool spring on a summer’s day, it’s the chocolate bar during your diet and most importantly; it is yours and yours alone.
Outlining a Novel – Advanced Part II Get out your advanced papers from yesterday and study them as well as your bubbles from day one. Yesterday we approached the question “What problems will my tiger face?”. Today we are going to learn how to implement the other questions into the chapters and work out whatever problems may arise. The other questions we need to face are: “Where would my tiger go?” and “What would my tiger see?”. These questions are going to help add flavor to your setting. Instead of a boring city and zoo we can spice things up a bit. The first question is “Where would my tiger go?”. My answers were: zoo, city, restaurant, bath, get hair done, dance club, play golf. We already the zoo in the first chapter so that can be deleted. Next, I need to connect the dots and pick places that can connect with each other. They all seem to connect except for “dance club and “play golf”. While I can probably incorporate “dance club” into the story, the tiger may have to go outside the city to play golf. This is where you must decide if your character is going to venture outside your chosen setting. Since I haven’t outlined anything beyond chapter four, it’s best to delete this for now but leave it in the back of my mind for later. In chapter one, we explained where the tiger begins and why he starts his journey. In chapter two, we show how foreign city exploration is. Therefore, in chapter three we can begin to show the places he explores and what happens in those places. My choices are: restaurant, bath, get hair done, dance club. What would be the next logical step? He’s a tiger. He’s new to the city and new to meeting people. It would seem he would do something familiar and take a bath. Write that down first. After his bath, let’s say he gets hungry as typical tigers do. We can place him in the restaurant next. Our next two choices are: get hair done and dance club. These two are equally the same because it would be something out of character for a tiger. What order we write them down as doesn’t matter. Therefore, we are left with something pictured below: 
Next, connect the plots as we did yesterday in chapters one and two. 
Continue this until you have filled up chapters 1-4 with the rest of your questions. When you’re done, you should have an idea where the novel is headed. Keep this piece of paper in a folder (I always keep a dedicated folder for my novel to keep notes in) as you’ll need it while you go along. When you’re finished outlining all the questions, begin writing on the chapters. Remember, this is a rough draft and anything can be changed, moved or deleted. Problems in the Outline Sometimes no matter how much we try, things don’t go the way we planned. This is typically true in writing. You are bound to hit brick walls, even when you outline. Here are the most common problems and how to face them: * Unable to make the transaction from one plot point to the next If you can’t connection the plot points with action, connect them with dialogue instead. * Plot points in chapter 3 no longer work with chapter one Trying rearranging or deleting the plot point altogether. Sometimes it may help to do another bubble outline to see if you can connect the dots logically. If not, it may be a sign that the plot point should be deleted from the story. * I have thought of a new scene or problem but it seems like it should go between chapter one and chapter two. If I had the point to one or the other, it will just bulk up the chapter and lose the reader That’s okay! Change chapter two to chapter three and bump up the rest of your chapters. Then, plot out the new chapter two. * I can’t seem to write my story in the way I’ve outlined That’s also okay! Outlining is just a guide or cliff’s note version of your novel. As you get to know your characters, your plot points may change slightly or completely. During the first draft of my novel, I often have to change my outlines 2-3 times. Homework Finish outlining the rest of your bubble papers and address any problems as described above. If you feel daring, start chapter one from your completed outline. After you finish the rough draft of your first chapters, restudy your outlines and bubbles. At this point, you can use the same process for the rest of the novel. No one has commented on this article. |
