8 Essentials for Outlining Your Novel or Script
There's no one-size-fits-all approach to writing story, but having nowhere to start can be intimidating. Whether you're a panster or a plotter, novelist or screenwriter, these eight essential story points will help you define the heart of your story and build your conflict towards the most emotionally satisfying climax.
Each lesson will go over one of the eight essential story points, putting it into context within a three-act structure and giving you tips on how to utilize it for your unique story. You will also have the opportunity to see how these points have been used in successful stories of varying genres. Your class project will be an outline of your own story, using these eight points.
No story, however, is 100% plot-driven. Character must be taken into account as well! For the best results, pair this course with my other writing class, Making A Hero: Protagonist Development for Film & Fiction.
Your class project will be an outline of your novel or script using the eight essential story points within a three-act structure, as listed below. Complete your project by following these two steps:
Outline Template - copy & paste this into your project:
ACT I: THE SETUP
ACT II: RISING CONFLICT
ACT III: CLIMAX & RESOLUTION
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Remember: you don't have to fill these out in order! This can be as messy or as clean a process as you like. Once you've posted your outline, you can always go back and change it! Writing isn't so cut and dry as finishing a check list. As you develop your characters, your plot will change as well – and vice versa. You may think your story incomplete, or too rough to put online. Post it anyway. This will help you defeat the blank page and the lie of writer's block. Just write, and have confidence that it will solidify into something blissful.
Disclaimer: I adapted this course from a wide variety of tips and tricks presented by other authors and teachers. It is my personal approach using what I've learned, and I suggest you develop your own approach as well. For more sources of information, I highly recommend the following books:
Rebecca is a freelance photographer, graphic designer and author, with experience in marketing, videography, and more. When she crawls out of her introverted Hobbit-hole, Rebecca …