How Long is Your Outline?

[Greybeard]

Are you an author who creates an outline before writing? If so, how long is your typical outline for a novel?

 

[Fodwocket]

Tis a tricky question to answer. I'll start out with something just a few pages long, and as I go I'll expand it, so the outline for the novel I'm writing now ended up at over 20 pages - roughly a paragraph describing each scene. I actually write the story in the same file, and delete each outline paragraph as I write the scene it corresponds to, which will sometimes be similar and sometimes go off in unexpected directions. Because of that I'll have to add extra scenes, and so the outline will grow. So it's a very fluid thing for me.

But yeah, initial outline a few pages, final outline 20+.

 

[Chilari]

Generally 2 or 3 pages, but in the course of writing I write notes and thoughts in other documents about changes to the outline (which I then neglect to update in the outline document) and I generally end up with about 15 pages spread across 2 or 3 documents, not all of which is to the point - some is about what themes I want, or character development, or a particular scene, etc.

 

[BeigePalladin]

I don't often write up an outline, and if I do, it's not very long. I know my plot, and I write from that, and I like the freedom to edit it at will without having think about the percusions of the change

I've done it once, and I think it's 4 pages, but I didn't follow through that project, so yeah

 

[Map the Dragon]

For novel one in my series I wrote the outline on what amounts to the space of a common napkin. I had the plot stored in the recesses of my cobwebbed head. I knew where I wanted to go (for the most part), and I let the rest find itself in my daily typing.

However, as I get more engaged with the rest of the series, I am finding that outlining is becoming a more important element. There is so much more at stake with five books coming together as one story, and outlining seems to be doing the trick. For Book 2, I currently have about 3 pages of outlining material.

 

[TWErvin2]

Three or four pages in a spiral notebook. Some notes added to remember to include or highlight later on, maybe up to six then. I write semi-large and I leave a space or two to add clarification or more information later.

Basically my outline equals mile markers in the plot. Getting from A to B to C to the end.

 

[Telcontar]

The outline for my first book was about 2500 words or so. The book is 160k at finished length. It's the only outline I've ever done so I don't know it that'll be typical for me, but it felt about right. It had main plot points and characters, and the occasional 'fun detail' that I didn't want to risk forgetting (despite my opinion that if I forget it, it couldn't have been that great in the first place).

 

[drkpyn]

I use a Word document of about 3 pages to keep track of major plot points. I usually summarize entire chapters into about 10 word descriptions. The outline is usually no more than a few chapters ahead of where I'm at in the story. An Excel spreadsheet helps me manage characters and places. I've found that I write a lot more smoothly when I'm not trying to stay within guidelines I've set for myself beforehand.

 

[Joe the Gnarled]

I use a system of 3x5 index cards. On one side of the card I write how I want to influence the reader (make them like this character, make them fear for that characters life, ect). On the other side I write how I can make those things happen (in other words what happens in the story) Doing all this on flashcards gives me flexibility to rapidly change things around in my outline if something is not working.

 

[CicadaGrrl]

I use three elements: The gigantic metal board, Inspiration, and the notebook.

The gigantic metal board is exactly what it sounds like. I nailed a six by three foot piece of sheet metal to my office wall. I have a billion little magnets on it. As scenes or elements of the book occur to me, I scribble them on scraps of paper and stick them on the board. Then when I have a full board, I start to arrange the elements into chronological order. When I have an order, I move to Inspiration (a teaching program that allows you to map, concept or cluster brainstorm, and outline. You can even move your document from one to the other and back again with the click of a button). I map out each scene with a cluster map. I also map out worlds and characters both on sheets and on Inspiration or sheet metal.

Then I use scene sketches (I made them up). It's a bare bones dialogue and relevant actions with omniscient third person (I write in limited in the actual story) of feelings and thoughts. I jot these in my notebooks. To start with, I sketch the most important scenes in the book, or in the books backstory (esp. relevant if your characters have shared histories).

Then I start writing. Before I write each scene, I sketch it in my notebook. Then write it.

So none of that is exactly outlining, but it is my plotting process.

 

[Ophiucha]

Depends, I suppose. My first, true outline is what I like to refer to as 'draft one', which is about one hundred and ten pages. After that, I sit down and write out worldbuilding, character notes, etc. based on where I want to take my story from what it first was and what I know it could be. Those are malleable and ever changing with each draft, but the notes for my current story are about 28 pages, most of which is just worldbuilding, but there are about 6 pages for story outlines and character information.

 

[Waltershores]

I usually just write a quick paragraph of what I want to happen in each chapter. Once I do that I just sit down and write until I can't write anymore.