TAP034, From Idea to Outline: How to Outline a Novel (Part 1 of 3)

The Authorpreneur Podcast - Writing & Self Publishing Tips

Since 2014, I've written two novellas, one short story, and two full-length novels, three of which I have self-published. One novel is being rewritten because I wanted to change a story device and plot thread. For me, this second storyline was unrealistic and painted the character in an unprofessional light, thus creating a sense of trust with the reader. I needed the character to be seen as trustworthy for the reader. The second full-length novel is waiting for its turn to be published. After I wrote that novel, I realised the story occurred further on in the series. Between 2011 and 2014, I wrote screenplays, then changed to writing novels when I discovered self-publishing.

But enough about my writing journey.

About this Episode

In this episode, I will discuss how I go from a story idea to a fleshed-out outline. I know this is obvious, but this is my process instead of 'the way to outline a novel.' This process has evolved since my very first novel. As I wrote the next story, more steps were added to my intricate outlining approach. After publishing my first novella, in 2020, I added another step to my outlining process, but I will share this in a separate episode because it's a huge step and needs a detailed explanation.

This episode is not scripted because I want it to be a chat about how I outline a novel. In saying that, I have compiled a list of steps and broke down exactly how I outline a story. Each of these steps has a bullet point list of notes to help me stay on track. I'm sharing this with you so you know that I've thought about this episode in detail. Because there is no script, I'm not sure how long this episode will be in terms of minutes. Depending upon the length of the show, I may choose to divide this up into two or three parts, which I will release weekly. The one thing I do know is this first episode will focus on how I create a basic outline, and the subsequent episodes will focus on the steps that make my outline more of a zero draft.

So stay tuned for all of this and much more.

Podcasts, Books, and Tools Mentioned

Check Out the Show Notes

The Previous Episode

Writing a Short StoryUsing Story Cubes and a Massive Tea Haul | BTS Vlog #8

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TAP007

TAP008

Evernote

Scrivener (MacOS) *

Scrivener (Windows) *

Psychology of why people commit murder | ABC News Australia

Psychology of why people commit murder | Mysterious Matters Blog

The Making of a Murderer | Psychology Today

Elizabeth Craig: 15 Tips for Writing a Murder Mystery

Am Writing Fiction Community by The Authorpreneur Podcast (Facebook Group)

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