Outlining Plot

I have a somewhat messy process for creating an organized plot outline, but it ends up being organized nevertheless.

You might be more of a panster with your writing, and that's okay.

Whether you outline before writing or not, outlines are practical, especially if you're about to rewrite your novel.

Some say it kills the process of creativity, but I believe that enhances it. How many times have you been stuck on what you should write, or when a certain scene you have in mind should occur? Probably more times than anyone is willing to admit.

1. First, I list all of the characters that are important to the plot.

2. I list their goals, wants, and what they stand for as people.

3. I figure out what the character arcs should look like based on their major flaws.

4. I write down what kind of plot I think the story should have. There's a lot of sources online where you can find high-risk plots, action plots, romance plots, etc.

5. I list the events of the main plot.

6. I plot out the events of the character arc(s)

7.I make sure to incorporate the character arc(s) of the protagonist(s) into the main plot.

8. I plot out all of the subplots. Separately.

9. Then I incorporate the events of the subplot into the main plot along with the character arcs.

10. Then, I read over it and organize it further. I'll even color-code different plot points using different colored gel pens.

11. Tada! You've got your plot outline!