How to Magically Outline Your Novel... (So It Practically Writes Itself)
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- UPDATE: You can STILL grab the Free Workbook that goes with this video, but I am updating the links. Right now you can download a copy here: dl.bookfunnel....
Or visit our website: misquepress.com
Novelists, if you are writing your novel without this AWESOME outline, you're probably struggling WAY more than you need to... and missing huge plot holes. This will help you nail that novel with a strong and dynamic internal structure.
Link is gone. Inspired by Trisha Slay for the Copy and Paste Addicts.
Act. I
1. Opening Conflict
2. Protagonist shown in daily life, before the transformation.
3. Opportunity for change.
4. Resistance to the opportunity.
5. Point of No Return - Opportunity Accepted.
Act. II
6. Entering the New Situation
7. Meeting friends, enemies, romance;
Trans-formative Experiences.
8. Problem brings them together.
9. Problem drives them apart.
10. Crisis Hits!
Act. III
11. Terrible Secret Revealed or Attack Starts.
12. All Seems Lost.
13. Self-Sacrifice or Symbolic Death
14. Final Showdown
15. Conclusion - Wed or Dead
Thank you for typing that out.
thanks!! :)
thanks a lot for typing it out!!!!
Thanks for posting that. I just revitalised my novel and block inducing plot hole with this. I'm guessing that 'pantsing' it just isn't my thing. I just need to get past my fear of the technical aspects and start writing again. Then worry about grammar and extraneous commas in the editing process.
This is pretty much the same at the hero's journey that can be found in all writing books with slight variations. Works well though, I used it for 2 books.
Hi Tara. Please never think you aren't reaching people if RUclips progress is slow. It's 2024 and I'm only now finding this video, and it is tremendously helpful to me, so thank you so much! 💕
Helpful hint to the commenters below or anyone who watches this video after me. Yes, the link to download her worksheet no longer works. However, after watching the full video, I feel fairly confident that anyone can create their own version of her worksheet. Just start at 9:19 and copy down all 15 "beats" leaving plenty of space between each beat (ends 12:42). Save the file. Now you have her worksheet. You can go back to listen to her explain each beat after you have saved your own version...possibly add some notes. You can type your novel's beats after each item and save under a different file name (so you can reuse the worksheet for another project) or, if you prefer to plot with a pencil, print it out and get going. Honestly, I think she has a very good plotting system here so don't let the minor annoyance of a broken link deter you from using her process.
Thank you. Ive used this method for many of my books and it helps me decide which direction i want to go with them and gives me some clarity involving the plot.
Thank you so much!!😍
Thanks, Trisha! ^_^
The link works again, and you get so much more than a beat sheet/outline template out of it. It's a full workbook. You can get it in PDF or epub. Sadly the PDF isn't form-fillable.
Omg this video has utterly given me a clear focus on the direction of my novel 6 or so years in the making (which I truly feel has a concept, epic scope, and memorable characters) that I know, if written "correctly" and to my full capabilities will become a best seller! Every one of these beats has been addressed in my novel, it was figuring out they occured in that gave me the most grief.
This is awesome!! Have you published the novel yet, how did it go?
Starts at 9:52
Ily pll Thank you so much! I left because of the long introduction but came back and found your comment. :)
Ily pll this girl talks too much
+Anas Mubaideen
I think the introduction was pretty good. It has to be verbose because she explains WHY plotting works. Patience is a virtue, especially for an aspiring writer :)
+Anas Mubaideen What you say, sorry i fell asleep at 1.02. lmao.
+joirjoja1 Maybe you can get a refund.
Love it. Especially the part when you speak of dividing the beats into action and reaction chapters. ABSOLUTELY GREAT INFORMATION AND INSIGHT. Thank you....
The best part of this video is not the information but your almost childlike enthusiasm throughout. It is quite charming and contributes to how well you get this lesson across. I loved your account of your early SUCK-O novel written on the fuel of pure inspiration. Great Story! I am sure it was probably at least a good first rough draft for something better. I hope you developed it, or some portion of it. :)
Are you Agent Scully's stunt double?
This is one of the best how to videos on writing that I've seen for outlining a screenplay or novel. Thank you so much for this information! Great job! I hope you do more writing videos - this type of video can really save a lot of valuable time! Thanks so much!
Writing my first novel, this has helped a bit, thank you. I gave my book to an avid reader who reads fiction every day and he's been a great source of constructive feedback. Give a book to readers who are not your friends to get the best comments both good and bad. I try to write a story that I would want to read and im ok with this because I think writing is ultimately an act of self indulgence. I notice writers like to talk about thier work and pretend its all for reader but I know now that its really for themselves but modified to make it more palatable for a larger audience.
Or:
Act One: Boy meets Girl
Act Two: Boy loses Girl
Act Three: Boy gets Girl again.
When I realized the site was disabled I simply paused the video and wrote the outline in 10 minutes! To those of you who can't even figure that out, or too lazy, how do you expect to write a book? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Awesome info! Just what I needed!
The link works again, and you get so much more than a beat sheet/outline template out of it. It's a full workbook. You can get it in PDF or epub. Sadly the PDF isn't form-fillable.
Outlining was (and still is) always the hardest part of writing for me. I just wanted to jump into the story and write without any planning, exactly how you described it.
I am SO thankful for this video. You opened my eyes and now I have to overcome my stubbornness of "binge writing without any plan" as I like to call it.
EDIT: I just wrote my first outline and I came up with a plot that's so vivid in my head that..... idk.
I never had a plot that was planned so good. The ideas flowed like a waterfall. THANK YOU!
Love this. Im adding this into my outline method! 🥂 Hope everyone writes marvelous books with genius plots!
This video has helped me more than any other video on novel writing. Thank you.
This make a lot of sense! I'm going to have to try this - outlining has seemed so challenging to wrap my mind around in the past, but you've explained it very simply for even a new writer to understand, so thank you!
Stephen King is one of those rare people that doesn't believe in outlining. He thinks that writing a story is like "uncovering a fossil buried in the ground."
Interesting insight--might explain why a lot of his endings fall flat....
+Ray Rogers It does, and I agree with you. If an author wants to "take a journey" perhaps they should read someone else's story instead of jeopardizing the integrity of their own.
But King is King. An editor reads his finished draft and tries to find any reason at all to publish the book. With an unknown author, the same editor reads the unknown author's finished draft and tries to find any reason at all to reject the manuscript.
Then why is his estimated net worth a whopping 400 million? Must be all them endings falling flat. :/
The promised detailed comments:
1) You can always use the story you were inspired for as a rough copy :D You don't have to nix it completely! I'm sure it'll be amazing after a few rewrites!
2) I do think there are some people who can churn out pretty good stories naturally without studying their craft, although most of those people improve greatly upon rewrites and edits, turning a good story into a great story. My brother is one of those people. He wrote a decent first draft. His second and third drafts . . . wow . . . just . . . wow. Personally, I was an OK writer before I began studying literature, but it is true that the more I work at it, the better my writing becomes. After having 1) read a lot and 2) listened to writers talk about writing, I improved my own writing by learning from my experience as a reader and their experience as writers.
3) I'm a terrible outliner - I usually begin an outline, but get so into it that I start on my story before I finish the outline :P Honestly though I don't think an outline is absolutely necessary (although it helps): sometimes a bad first draft can serve the same purpose as an outline
4) Your experience reminds me of Gustav Flaubert's - he was a romantic "pantser" but his friends hated his romantic writing, so he sat down and wrote a book (the famous Mme Bovary) that he found tedious to write, he wanted every word to be perfect and well studied. He found he was better at writing the "tedious" sort of book than the the easy one.
5) I think the reason artists don't take art as seriously is because its something that we do because we enjoy it: it doesn't feel like work, it feels like fun. In my case I have to get a different job to PAY for my artsy-ness rather than the other way around (using my . . . "art" . . . to pay for my hobbies :P)
6) I'm switching from "pantsing" to outlining at the moment, actually. The problem is I'm afraid that the stories will be more formulaic if I follow an outline structure.
Thanks for making this video! I never heard about this kind of outline before. As I watched this I found that these steps almost mirrored a book I finished a few months ago. It's nice to see I was doing something right! haha
After 3 minutes, I haven't hear a word about what to do...sorry to be critical but it's boring and I'm quitting after 4 minutes
you said the same thing about an Ellen Brock video. the problem is your attention span, not them.
This could have been a 5 minute video if its creator was more familiar with the concept of "economy of words." But then again, they're a novelist, so perhaps it's no surprise that they like to drag things out as long as possible. :)
I totally agree Lisa and Pixxel. I'm at 8 minutes and still nothing but angst. Land the plane already!
lldocter Its... boring at first but once she makes her point its a good one
Too much repeating. Just get to the nuts and bolts. I don't mean to be rude, honestly, but...
She's the first person I've seen speak to my delusions,lol I think the turning point for me is that since writing is my craft, and like a good mechanic or carpenter, I need to have the best quality tools for the job and keep them in working order by honing, oiling and learning the most efficient way to use them.
Where I'm at is that I needed NOT to have an outline in the beginning, but, now, I need to outline what the story has become. lol
+Arletta Sloan Check out The Story Grid. They have a 5-part series of videos under Black Irish Books (I think), but just search for The Story Grid. I told someone else it's reverse outlining on steroids, and is a little overwhelming, but if you want to objectively step back and look at what you've actually written (rather than what you think you wrote), I highly recommend. Also, website has book, in form of posts, for free, with additional materials not in book, and spreadsheet author used for review and use. Good luck!
I don't know your email, nor can I find your Facebook page, so I'll just comment here.
Reading is my passion and had read some really popular writer's books, like Suzanne Collins, J.K. Rowling, Veronica Roth especially Cassandra Clare. I started writing after I finished reading roughly ten series, but sucked real bad. But then, I was halfway through the second book, seven hundred pages and roughly two hundred thousands of words written when I realized my mistake and learned things the hard way.
That's when I saw this awesome video. You're a savior in terms of novel writing and I sincerely wished that I had found your videos earlier, because the 3 Acts were exactly what I needed and looking back at those series I adored, most of them followed your flow.
Once again, thank God for the chance to have a look at your videos, I really learned a tonne.
...and that's even more than a TON!
:D
This video changed my life. Writing this after eight years of having watched it.
your video was so important to me, I could see my first book totally structured in the bit you 've mentioned. But I really realized I did it totally unconcienciously, and I'm stuck with my new book, and this structure will be so helpful. Thank you. It's pit but I could not take the workbook, I simply couldn't find it. Thanks.
This has actually helped me a lot and ive been stuck on this for years. Thank you!!
Thank you Tara. I am going to share this with my 11 year-old. She has some of the same self-image characteristics that you had. There is divine inspiration for some, but the rest of us need structure. ;-)
What I'm scared about outlines is that I fear I will give up on my story in the middle and all my outline work would be wasted and my creativity isn't used
+Charlotte A. The thing about creativity is that we are afraid that it's a scarce resource. It isn't. We're scared we'll run out of ideas. We won't. It's just the opposite. Creativity is one of those things that grows more abundant the more you spend it. So never worry about wasting work or wasting a story. There's no such thing. Even wasting time shouldn't be a worry, as long as you're writing *something*. Because that means you're learning. Even stories that peter out in the middle aren't wasted. You might come back to it later, you might figure out how to fix it, you might use it in a future book, or ...worst case scenario... you've made yourself a better writer just by writing. Outlines often fail at first because outlining, too, is a skill we need to practice. But don't fear you'll waste your creativity. It's inside you and it won't dry up.
+Tara Maya "HELP! I'M DROWNING IN MY OWN IDEAS!"
+isectoid
"Start with a part;
Take action on a fraction;
Jot down a dot;
Some words, like water, flow,
but others must, like steel, be wrought."
Instead of trying to wrestle with all your ideas at once, or make any one project perfect, let yourself work on just a small part of an idea, and let it be imperfect and incomplete...but do write it down. That will close off some possibilities (for this particular story, at least) and force you to narrow your choices. Ironically, that should make it easier to go on.
Tara Maya First off: from the view of the annotations box this comment is a mess, I can't read it.
Second: I was joking.
+Tara Maya Brilliant Response! Would love to get a look at the outline. Sending email now. Thank you
taramayastales.blogspot.com/2012/11/how-to-create-three-act-beat-sheet.html
Here is a copy of her outline.
Thank you!!!
Thanks :)
toahordika6 Thank you, very much!
+toahordika6 Thank you so much!!
These are some very useful tips. It really makes it easy to move forward. I had already started writing a story before seeing this video and noticed I naturally started the first two steps and was gravitating towards the latter steps. What this did was help to formulate the structure in more concrete terms so that as I go, if I get stuck, I can fall back on these steps.
Thank you.
having a mapped direction, such as a line by line chapter outline makes writing SO EASY! The story can change as you write and generate ideas. But if you have a story direction it flows and the book gets done!
Dear Tara ,
I would like to thank you very much , because I really do relate to this , " a true genius never needs to study his art " , your video helped me so much , I think all my Talent and creativity will now be set free because of you , I will study the three acts that you have explained ,
By far the biggest challenge in writing is to actually get yourself to write consistently. At least, that's how it is for me.
Everything else can be studied, and there are as many ways to plot a novel as there are writers - perhaps more. I, for one, really like Dan Wells's 7 point method for structuring a story, but many will prefer to discovery-write the whole thing and revise heavily afterwards.
This is still one of my favorite videos with concrete and practical advice on help with getting one's rear in gear with writing. Thanks so much!!
strangely enough, my outline already followed this pretty closely, except for the part about something driving then apart. That would add a level of intrigue. thank you for the video and tips!
Thank you Tara. I enjoy listening to you. I am a foreign listener and apart from a great advice I simply enjoyed the way you speak English. It is so clear and beautiful
My original structure was like this, about 30 chapters or 4-5 arcs, but has evolved a bit into 6 arcs-38 chapters and follows the 3 act story structure. Expansion by leeway of the content. Lemme know how yours goes! Working on the first draft!
As you explained the beats I was flooded by ideas of how to fill them in. It was all there, it was just never given true structure. I have thought the same way, too stubborn to be "taught" how to write my novel, but as it picked up steam I realized I would need some direction and outside help to be successful, and in this short video you managed to give m3 a huge piece of advice! Take care and thank you!
this video references a workbook which is no longer availble for download:
"This LeadPage is unavailable because the account which created this page was disabled!"
I just wanted to share with you that I was looking for help to shape my novel, because I was having some issues with the core part.(I know where it starts, I know where it ends, but was not sure of the middle), and I found your video, this video. Some of the situations mentioned in the outline match my own situations, other's don't. But what I found, what I wanted to share with you, is that your outline just structured my head and helped me get to an idea that fulfilled the needs of my character, and I'm so grateful for that.
Also, loved hearing your experiences.
I've been on a project for awhile and stared developing my story structures and outlines. This video helped me bunches! Thank you.
She's very enthusiastic, but she doesn't really start saying much helpful (unless you need to be convinced that an outline is a good idea) until around 6:11. - The referenced worksheet is unavailable for download. Clicking on the link causes a message to appear stating that the account was disabled.
Here's a few more numbers. Before I point out how small a novel can be let me explain why I'm doing it. It comes down to the idea that writing a novel is akin to running a marathon. Having an outline is like creating a map so you know where you are going along the way. What I'd like to add is the idea that writing a novel doesn't need to be that daunting. In this video she says the average novel has about 90,000 words. Ok lets use that number in a different way. If each (8.5 by 11) type written page holds 1000 one thousand words then the average manuscript printed at that size would only be 90 pages long. Go to any book store and use a ruler to see how large the average paperback novel is. You will find it's only 4 by 6 inches with a total writing space of 3by5. I've done the averages and basically the ration is 4:1. For every 8.5 by 11 page of written text you end up with 4 pages of finished novel. So if you're writing about 30 chapters then each chapter would only have to have about 3 or 4 pages (just like she said).
LONG STORY MADE SHORT GETTING THE PROJECT DONE ISN'T AS COMPLEX AS YOU MIGHT THINK.
I hope this has been encouraging. (that was the spirit or intention at least)
OMG this video is amazing! With those acts I realized for the first time that I DO have a mostly complete outline! I kept stumbling around thinking that I know nothing about my story when in reality I just didn't know how to write it down...
This was immensely helpful. Thanks to your video, I was finally able to begin working on my outline, which I had been putting off for weeks!
I'm glad I found this video, I'm 17 but I've been planning my novel in a small journal that I carry around daily. It really helps to stay organized for me since I'm writing from multiple perspectives and that Act stuff in the video is how I've been planning it all along before watching this XD
Sincerely appreciated the advice given here for aspiring writers. Will definitely use many of the ideas presented in my upcoming work. Thank you!
Thanks for posting that video! REALLY helpful!!! I am DEFINITELY not seat-of-the-pants for a novel. Articles in a magazine maybe... a chapter, maybe. But I have to organize it. I have an epic log-jam of ideas (the opposite of writers block) BUT it is an EFFECTIVE writing-stopper nonetheless. It gets little press, but can you imagine looking at someone, having everything to say, and being unable to speak or even begin? No one will stand there if your way of speaking is novels. You have to write them. I am mostly afraid to start writing because I won't be able to stop -- it all vies for my pen and I just end up convulsing on the floor with brain storms. I can't get started! With a magical outline, I can send the ideas down the flume in an orderly fashion. Invaluable. This is the year I begin to speak.
Tara! Love your videos! Only just found them! Can you please, please, put the Workbook back up? I NEED it! Thanks, Ra!
Very very wonderful and informative! This is a great format for making sure that the flow of the story meets it's minimum requirements. Thank you for sharing that with us! You are awesome!
I was disappointed that not only was there no live link, there's no information to your website, your published works, or update to this video or your channel. There's so much potential here.
This is a really good outline. I hated the beat sheet before this video because it seemed really lame and simple, and just boring, but the way you explained it is so much better. Thank you for your time--now onto your other tutorials! :)
Excellent! I like your style and the way you express yourself.
I have never tried following an outline. I think the hardest thing for me is having a beginning, middle, and end in mind to create one. When I have an idea for a book, I am in the dark as to how and where it will lead me just as much as the reader who is reading it. I can't outline what I have not thought up, contrived or visualized. That being said, I like the layout of the three acts you show in the video and from reading the comments below decided more importantly I need Scrivener. Thanks for the video and the tips!
Tara... thank you! This was sooooo helpful... you are a great teacher... I've had my ideas for years... and now... I'm gonna do it.Thanks again!!!
i was studying this today when a new comic called "The Royals-Masters Of War got delivered today. When i started reading it lo and behold it followed this outline to the LETTER! It was so obvious! you should check it out just to see a small story follow it. So thank you, i shall be using this for now on.
The problem I have with this method is that not every successful story falls into the parameters that are set by these plot points.
I tried to use outlines serveral times. the only problem was that I got bored and wiritng the book didn´t feel exciting for me. I was frustrated because I read Elisabeth Georges Book about writing and she recommended to outline verything. But than I stared to watch serveral Interviews with professional wirters and found out: there are plenty very successful writers that don´t use outlines: Stephen King and Lee Child are only two exampels. Now I write without outline. I enjoy it more and it just works much better for me. I think it´s a question of what kind of a personality you are. Very nice video anyway!
I just discovered this video and this outline will help. I think part of my problem was I had trouble with figuring out how to outline my novel.
Like she said everyone, the link was unfortunately temporary. It looks like a lot of you are posting asking for it, but from what I can tell, a year has passed and that link is gone for good.
Fortunately...She gave you everything you some pretty essential information. The outline is called the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet, it is used by novelists and script writers alike. That means there are a lot of other people out there who have something to say about it, so Google it, Google images for visual diagrams, and search for it on RUclips. Use your creativity and be resourceful, the internet is a big place and there are many polished writers out there willing to hand you all the help and free tips...All you have to do is google the BLAKE SNYDER BEAT SHEET.
Genuinely not trying to be captain obvious here or be snarky, I believe in all of you. Structure is important, and the sooner you find a guideline to work with, the more efficiently you'll slam that story out of your head, and the less time you'll waste staring at a blank word processor like a deer in headlights. Time is everything. Master it.
Oh my gosh, you ARE my new best friend! ;)
Well, I wrote down word for word the Acts: 1 thru 3, along with your additional comments that you added for each one. I will be applying what I have to the outline in hopes it pans out to a full novel. Thank you for the video. PS...you look so familiar. Useful tips and captivating enthusiasm &^D
Thanks... just what I wanted,,, been looking for this tip for years...
Thank you so much for this video, you're such an inspiration and now I feel like I could actually write the novel I've wanted to write for years now! I'm definitely going to try to find and read your books, and I'm so excited for the future now ^.^
I needed this. Thank you so much. Where can I find the worksheet? This outline format is amazing. Thanks again.
The book I've been meaning to write is non-fiction, but until you explained how to describe the events as they took place that was a tall order; thank you very much!
Before watching this ... Aristotle and Menander have given some clues about the five act comedy.
According to Aristotle in one particular text, it is all about Desis and Lysis - tying together and unravelling to let lose.
And somehow this applies to Menander's five acts?
One analyst came up with this : Menander's comedies really have eight parts.
The main desis and lysis are complicated by each part having a subdivision in desis and lysis (2 > 4) which in turn are complicated again into a third level of desis and lysis (4 >8).
1 desis
2 lysis = desis
3 desis
4 lysis = lysis = desis
5 desis
6 lysis = desis
7 desis
8 lysis = lysis = lysis
BUT lysis 2 and desis 3 run parallel in act 2, so do lysis 4 and desis 5 in act 3, so do lysis 6 and desis 7 in act 4, while act 1 = desis 1 and act 5 = lysis 8.
That is also an outline - and perhaps as able to be varied as the one given here.
Wow, Tara! This is great. Thank you.
A bit long but she's animated enough to keep my attention. Great information for new writers.
I have just begun listening to your tutorial
I mean this as a (HUGE) compliment: you look just like Sailor Moon!!!!!
Sorry for not commenting on the content but wow, I've never seen anyone who actually looks like her without a wig on or anything . . . That's quite awesome :D When I was little she was my biggest hero :D
(I will watch the whole video. I feel like I owe you a comment, and I am in the story outlining process now :D)
you have the most striking bright blue/aqua eyes. I don't know if they are contacts or not but they are very pretty (just sharing info. of what I thought, not hitting on you) Some great information here
Thanks for the outline...it said sold out, but enter your email and you will get a copy to download in pdf.
The account is disabled so is there another way to download your worksheet?
Found this video through an 'Up next' link on youtube. So glad I did.
Thank-you! :-D
_Writing by the seat of my pants_ describes nearly all Fanfiction :P
Sometimes it leads to never ending stories, that just goes on, and on, and on ...
And I've gotten stuck on my attempts at writing, partially because of blocks, but more often than not because I lose coherency or the overview.
Needless to say, I didn't outline.
In my latest attempt I seem to be unconsciously following this beat sheet, but again, now I know why that one is stuck as well, not really knowing where to go next, even if I have a good idea where the journey will end. I'm definitely going to try to outline it using this.
If it can help others, I went ahead and created a basic *_Scrivener_* template on this beat sheet. It is simply just the three acts with the headings shown.
dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/10561661/Fiction/Scrivener/ScrivenerTemplate-Novel-3Acts-15Chapters.zip
Unzip it, and in _Scrivener_ under New Project, select the Options and import Template
+Asbjørn Grandt : Thanks for doing that!
if you follow all the steps youll end up with a huge cliché
Wow, this was a great video. I am in the same boat she was. I struggle with reading and studying the craft. I know it is something that I need to do to become a better writer.
Good video, thanks. Only minor point I would make is that in 2016 people would expect this video to be about 5-8 minutes long, with faster delivery and every pause edited out. Tough to do, but worth it :-)
"What I'm scared about outlines is that I fear I will give up on my story in the middle and all my outline work would be wasted and my creativity isn't used." Let's take a look at your writing, right here. The only thing I see, wrong with your writing is your confidence in yourself. ""What I'm scared about outlines is that I fear I will give up on my story"Change that to: 1. I Love writing my outline, first! When I write my outline, new ideas come up.
OMG, she does look like an elf. Thank you! You helped me.
I am so happy I stumbled upon this video! Such important information. Thank you thank you!
Great video! I had to laugh because I realized I covered all of the beats in the first quarter of my book!
your link sent me to some other website, I bought your eBook, good stuff!!
Nice video, really helped me get my ideas flowing in the right order....keep up the good work!
Many thanks!!!!!!!!!!! Cant wait to apply this to my story! Good by writers block! Once again THANK YOU!!!!
Thank you sooooo much! This is the most amazing advice I have found on RUclips.
I totally agree with mastering your craft.
She looks good.
Thank you for the excellent advice! This will definitely help me plan my novel.
Thankyou! I've been looking for this kind of advice for a while an this is exactly what I needed
Here is my question -- I am a natural pantser who does not have a knack for instinctive plotting. So, I'm a pantser who d*mn well needs an outline. I've written a great deal of background stuff on my genre cozy mystery, but didn't pay that much attention to my murderer and how he was found out. So, I am glad to have my people, my settings, but I am digging from the bedrock up on how to make them work with my murderer. And, no, I cannot turn a series character into the murderer, because my series characters have to continue through 5 books. Whew!
I'm more the exact opposite: I like to obsessively map out every detail I can. The problems are obvious including: too much rigidity strangles creativity (2) what happens when the story veers from all that detailed work? (3) It's nearly impossible to plan everything out. This is why I like to call my style of work "story engineering."
How can I download your worksheet?
I wonder if shes still writing. This video is what i needed!
If we think about it, the first person on earth to write the first story had no one to study or observe. Yet they were naturally able to compile a book. Can we then say that it is not "always" necessary to study others for you to be 'naturally' talented in story telling?
First writing was not intended as an entertaining story. Record keeping came first, grammar and rules develop and then a series of trial and error until a well written book arrived.
L.J. Brood LOL! Have you read the first novel ever written?
+L.J. Brood Yeah, but their stories probably sucked! lol
+L.J. Brood They did not write stories....they told them. Often around a fire, which if you have ever gone camping you know adds drama. Even in Shakespeare's era stories were told....through play's. Remember, most of the population couldn't read or write. Have you read anything from before the 1700's, entertaining they're not. But the writers were all educated....so they did learn to communicate.
The first book was probably eased into it without a plot, but just guessing
Re my novel: I have a huge mind-map - marking out how the scams developed and lead to crimes of fraud, and murder. I have the characters (with detailed bios ready) but I am concerned how to let out the clues for the reader to solve the crimes yet keep the suspense and thus the readers attention. I would love the free book you mentioned too (if still available) Thanks
Thank you kindly and greatly for this tutorial.
Nice structure. Go to the point a 09:14.
My biggest hold up is premise!
I'd have to disagree on outlining. My college professors told me it holds me back. Though, I gained an idea from this video. I have one trilogy and two other novels. They are kind of like Anime written in a book format. So it's weird.
Would like to download for the workbook but no link.....please help.