I have found that Outlines are very important if I ever expect to finish a writing project. I tend to have a very short attention span. When I start a story, I will loose interest in it if I start to loose my direction. So I will sit down and write an outline in one sitting. If it is good, that is awesome. If it not so good, I can always think upon it and make it better. Then when I am happy with the story arc, I will sit down in front of the computer and start writing.

How do I outline?

I start with the main points of each chapter. I think that each chapter should have a shift (something exciting or unexpected) to keep the story moving forward. I will write that shift down in the main outline points.

When I have those main points I will add sub points that contain how to get from one shift to the next. This usually includes the action, dialog, descriptions, introductions of new characters and so on.

On a separate page I will make an outline for the main characters and try to hash out their back story. This will help me get more acquainted with the characters and figure out the best way to present them to the reader.

I will even briefly outline what might happen in future sequels. This will allow me to add some really strong foreshadowing to the first novel. Then the reader will get excited when they pick it out later on down the road.

Outlining is a great tool. You don’t have to stick with your original outline when you are writing the story, but it is definitely a good I idea to know where you are heading before you go there.

See More Writing Tips.

If you have other ideas on how to find story ideas, write a comment. I would love to hear how you are inspired.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 6th, 2007 at 12:01 am and is filed under Writing Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.