How to Write Killer Outlines for Your Fiction Stories (Without Getting Bogged Down)

A killer outline is a perfect recipe for your creativity to blossom when you zoom into individual scenes.

Fiction storytelling without an outline is like travelling in an unknown territory without GPS.

Just to add, not all who wander are lost.

Creative writing is an elusive process, and sometimes, you stumble upon gold just because you dared to wander.

Here’s why we need an outline.

Many writers struggle to organize their ideas. A solid outline helps you keep your story on track from start to finish. Once you have those pieces, you can focus on individual pieces, considering their short stories by themselves and making them shine.

Imagine different pieces of your story in a grid view. I can picture 80–90 different grids filled with interconnected events in my story. I’m almost salivating just thinking about it.

Because I won’t waste time wondering what comes next in the story.

And if you’ve ever written fiction, you know how helpful it is to know what happens in the next scene while you’re still working on the scene before that.

One of the most underrated advantages of writing an outline is that it lets me balance action, dialogue, and descriptions. I can spend time pacing my story and making sure there are no dull moments or rushed scenes.

Extremely Underrated Pre-Outlining Process

Just like we don’t jump into the story when we get an idea, we also don’t jump into the outline when we have a story.

Before you start outlining, you need to set yourself up for it. And this is my favourite part because I love to play dirty.

Here’s what I do before I outline my stories:

• Brainstorming:

Jot down every idea you have for your story. Do not filter, judge, or think; just write whatever comes to your mind.

Think about the characters, settings, and major events. Don’t worry about organizing these ideas yet.

For every scene, have at least 20 options—go wild!

• Research —

If you’re writing sci-fi or about a topic you don’t understand well or have not had enough exposure to, do your research now.

Honestly, if you ask me, I’m not a big fan of the research process, and I don’t spend a lot of time here, but it’s an important weapon to have in your arsenal because it helps with confidence.

I won’t say no to research if I’m writing a story like Interstellar.

• Define Your Goal —

Why do you want to tell this story?

What do you want your story to achieve? Understanding your story’s goal will guide your path towards outlining and make your narrative more focused.

Now, here’s one thing a lot of beginner writers do: They try to answer these questions “perfectly.”

There is no word called “perfect” in the creative world.

Answering these questions will give you a headstart in thinking in a certain way.

This entire process is basically priming your mind to write this story you want to tell.

• Know Your Characters —

Create basic character profiles for your main characters. Don’t dig too deep at this point. A simple way I use is I try to write down three aspects of their life -

1. Professional Life — What do they do for a living? (if they do something, that is)
2. Personal Life — What are their relationships like? With family, friends, and romantic.
3. Private Life — What does my character do when they are alone in the room? What are they like? (go wild here).

That’s it!

This will give you enough material, and your brain must be craving to start writing.

But wait, we need to finish the outline first.

Create A Killer Outline — Part I

If you thought we’d create a killer outline, you were right. But I want to expand upon what I meant by “killer” here.

Create with an open mind. Without preconceived notions about the ideas, you’re about to put in your outline.

Once done, feel free to kill the ideas that do not work.

An efficient, creative process is one of reiteration. Expanding upon how to create your outlines effectively:

• Think in terms of dramatic headlines—

When I think of a scene without getting into the details and nuance of that scene, I prefer to distance myself and see how I can talk about this scene using a dramatic headline.

I try to create a headline that would make me click on it and read it if I read it in a newspaper or tabloid.

Because I know the kind of writer I am if a headline demands drama, I will add some drama for the scene to live up to the expectation. This way, these headlines for all the scenes become my North Star for writing effective scenes.

• Define the Structure —

Rather than attacking the entire story — break your story into four parts:

1. Act I — Then divide Act I into four parts
2. Act II (Part I) — same for Act II (Part I)
3. Act II (Part II) — same as above
4. Act III — same as above

When you divide your story in smaller bits, you let go off the overwhelm that’s looking for every opportunity to bog you down and throw you into the tunnels of procrastination.

I divided Act II into two parts because Act II is the place where most writers give up on their story, and the biggest reason is because it takes up the most space in your story.

To resolve that problem (at least in my head), I divide Act II into two parts and going forward, I’d divide it into smaller digestible parts.

• Outline Major Plot Points:

A plot point is when your story takes an irreversible turn and will never be the same.

Like the inciting incident towards the beginning of a story that sets the adventure of your hero in motion.

Apart from the inciting incident, all the other plot points do not have to follow exactly what’s written in the writing manual, but these are great milestones to have so you can voluntarily inject some energy (a fresh breath of air) into your stories.

The other few plot points are the mid-point, the plot point 2, the climax and the resolution.

But I don’t want to dig too deep into those because you can find them online. I’m trying to write this article with stuff with my perspective on it.

• Break Down Into Scenes—

For each major plot point, list the specific scenes required to reach these moments and give each scene a dramatic headline.

One way I try to work through these scenes is to make sure that if you put the dramatic headlines of all the scenes in chronological order, you’d be able to form a narrative just out of those headlines.

This helps when you start writing the scenes, as those headlines become your North Star—but there’s one more thing that happens here—when you start to see the narrative flow of your headlines, you’ll initially see some gaps.

As you fill in those gaps, you’ve already started working in the writer’s mode—you’ve transitioned from the outline to the writer’s process.

But don’t just start yet. Prepare yourself because this is a long game; you’ll need your outline to cushion you when you fall.

Creating a Killer Outline — Part II

• Character Arcs:

Map out how your main characters will evolve throughout the story. Consider their starting points, the challenges they’ll face, and how these experiences will change them by the end of the story.

A character arc is a change we notice in a character if we can juxtapose their first and last scenes next to each other.

Every story is about change. So, why treat your character arc as a story in itself?

Break down the character evolution into four acts.

Write it down, even if the change is subtle. What’s the protagonist like in Act 1? What are they like in Act 2, part one, and then in Part 2 and Act 3?

The story’s events cause change/ evolution in your character and make the character arc happen.

If you know what those changes are (even if they’re rough or just first thoughts), you’ll have a better chance of coming up with ideas that can help you write events that push your character into that change.

• Fill in the details:

Include subplots, supporting characters’ backgrounds, and key details about the setting to add layers to your outline.

This step allows you to weave some complexity and depth into your story.

Layers are added one by one. You don’t have to bring in all the layers in a single iteration. Once you have a scene and revisit it the next day, you’ll hopefully see it with a new perspective.

Now, not every perspective is good for your scene, but a fresh vantage point helps you see the scene in a different light, which can be helpful.

My simple rule of thumb is not to give the protagonist what they want in any scene—it's as simple as that.

I add the obstacles and the magnitude of the dilemma that the protagonist is facing every time I revisit a scene.

• Review and Adjust:

With all the pieces in place, review your outline as a whole. Check for pacing issues, plot holes, or character inconsistencies. Adjusting your outline here is easier than rewriting large portions of your draft later.

There are many ways to outline a story, and some tools can make it easier. Here are straightforward techniques and tools you can use:

Techniques:

• Snowflake Method: Start with a one-sentence story summary. Expand it step by step into a larger outline, adding character and plot details each time.
• Three-Act Structure: Divide your story into three parts: the beginning (setup), the middle (action and development), and the end (resolution).
• Character-Driven Approach: Build your plot around your characters’ decisions and changes. Useful for stories focused on character growth.

Tools:

• Scrivener: Writing software that helps organize notes, research, and drafts. Good for detailed outlines.
• Trello: A project management tool you can use to sort story elements on boards, which is easy to rearrange as your story changes.
• Plottr: Designed for story plotting, it lets you visually map out timelines and character arcs.

Using these techniques and tools can help streamline your outlining process, making it easier to structure your story.

Last

Once you have a solid outline, it’s time to start writing.

Here’s how to use your outline effectively:

• Use It as a Guide: Your outline should guide your writing, helping you know what to write next. Don’t be afraid to deviate from it if new, better ideas come up—and they will, as that was the whole purpose.
• Allow for Flexibility: As you write, certain plot points or character arcs will change from what you had previously imagined. Be flexible and update your outline to reflect these changes.
• Check Off Scenes: As you complete scenes or chapters, check them off your outline. This helps you track your progress and stay motivated. Rather than focusing on what’s remaining whenever I see my progress, it helps me move forward with greater momentum when I see the tick marks on my scene checklist.
• Revise Your Outline: If major changes occur in your story, revise your outline. This ensures your story remains coherent and focused.
• Balance Detail and Creativity: While your outline provides structure, allow yourself creative freedom in writing each scene. The outline is there to serve your creativity, not constrain it.

Using your outline effectively can make the writing process smoother and help ensure your story stays on track.

I hope you find the story you’re looking for inside you.

Until next time,

Ciao!