Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [outline]

Questions concerning outlines for fiction or nonfiction.

68 questions
27
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7 answers

Outlining the climax made me lose interest in writing the actual story

I am a discovery writer. I wrote more than 50% of my first novel's first draft. I got really confuse about some aspects of writing, so I took a break and analysed my plot. I've started developing my world much better and made an outline for the…
Sangeetha
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10 answers

Act 3 totally broken...keep writing?

I'm ready to enter the final act, Act 3, of my (first big) story and by now I'm pretty sure I'll have to rewrite 50-70% in ACT 1 and 2. I outlined the whole story but it is clear that my main hero is boring, his motivations (and story arc) change…
Tim Dams
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14
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6 answers

Why are outlines so essential?

In my writing class, huge emphasis was placed on outlining the entire plot. Yet as I write it, things change dramatically, and I end up not following the outline. Is it bad to just go with the flow?
Penelope Smith
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14
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7 answers

I am overplotting my story - how can I figure out what is necessary and cut out what isn't?

I have recently discovered that the plot and cast of characters of my novel is so unbelievably complex that I am the only one who can actually understand it. I have too many characters, with too many subplots, and so many different events involved…
EmmieCG
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11
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8 answers

Good Outlining Solutions For OSX?

I write technical non-fiction and find that I cannot write well without first constructing a detailed (10-20 page) outline. Are there any good outlining solutions for OSX? Apps? Templates in Microsoft Word? Etc.
Wolf's Dilemma
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5 answers

Anyone has any super intense software for plot outlining?

Now, at the get go, I fully acknowledge that I have gone way over the top as far a story plotting goes, but I'm trying for something on the extreme end of epic and I have a legit obsessive compulsive personality problem so at this point it cannot be…
Patroclus
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11
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3 answers

How to distill a plot into a logline?

A logline is a one to three sentence summary of a story, used to pitch a script to producers and other buyers. It should contain: the protagonist the goal of the protagonist the antagonist the stakes of failure Obviously the logline must hook the…
user5645
9
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6 answers

Best free writing software?

I can't afford much right now, so I am looking for free writing tools that can help me. I already have Microsoft Word, but am looking for something to outline with. I am also interested in anything else to help me or motivate me. I have ADHD and…
Jade
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8
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7 answers

What do I do when I know the general summary of how a scene goes but I cannot figure out precisely what the character say?

I have a number of scenes in my story that involve two or more characters talking to each other about various issues, many of which wander into semi-philosophical discussion regarding some of the general themes of the story (e.g., the arguments you…
user2352714
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1 answer

Show outline or table of content using presets in Scrivener?

Google Docs has this neat feature, where an outline is generated based on the text you've set to a specific style, such as title or heading: Word has a similar feature. Is there a way to generate an outline like this in Scrivener using presets as…
user23083
8
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6 answers

Should I be able to 'feel' my outline?

If I am writing a book, and my primary goal is creating a strong emotion in the reader, should I be able to 'feel' that emotion in the outline phase? My goal as an author is creating a strong emotion, whether it be melancholy, triumph, dread, etc.…
William Oliver
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3 answers

Outlining Structures for Romance Novels

I'm familiar with the 12 step outline process for heroic fantasy novels, but is there an equivalent outline structure for Romance novels? By this I mean novels like those produced by Nicholas Sparks, not highly erotic adult novels.
AndrettiMilas
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7
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3 answers

What should be put on scene notecards? (for novel writing)

Once, a while back, I tried to use notecards when noveling to organize and develop my novel. The idea (a fairly common one, I believe) was that each scene is noted on a notecard, and you can then visually order them and add/remove scenes; it creates…
Patches
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5 answers

Where to go next in the writing process?

I'm a new writer, have been working on a novel length piece of work for the past couple of years, and I have always been the kind of person to just "wing it" and see what happens. After completing yet another draft of this book and feeling terribly…
Bridgebot101
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3 answers

Outlining A Novel - How do you make it less of a slog?

I've seen this question asked before but many years ago and no doubt much has changed in terms of software. I find that a book comes together much faster and with a more coherent structure if I outline it. However, I find outlining a dull and…
GGx
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