Few people would start out on a cross country trip
without a map, so why would we choose to complete
something so complex as writing a novel without some
type of guide for the journey?
Already, I can hear the howl of outrage from those
who say they NEVER outline. But even those fortunate few
have a plan. They have the ability to hold complex ideas
in their mind, they scribble notes and jot down thoughts
while the story takes shape.
Most writers could shorten the time of that
difficult first draft if they took the time to prepare a
basic outline or working synopsis. The operative word
here is "working". Part of the resistance to outlining
comes from our fear that we can’t think up the story all
at once or that it will box in our creativity. The
secret is to dispel the idea that this step can be
completed in an hour or a day or a week. It takes as
long as it takes to do the job correctly. Give yourself
permission to think, then to come back and rethink.
Keep in mind that the outline is simply a tool,
not to be looked on as a constraint that we must
slavishly follow. The story grows and develops as we
write and takes us places we never originally dreamed.
The outline is a work-in-progress until the project is
complete.
So, you ask, if it’s going to change, why outline?
Speaking from experience, an outline serves as a beacon,
a ‘north star’ so to speak, that keeps us from getting
lost. It prevents the story from taking a wrong turn
that can result in months of wasted words and time.
Things to include in your
planning:
1 -
Create a working title. Often, you will
come up with a better title along the way, but a working
title gives your writing much-needed focus. As an aside,
the working title for "Price of Silence" was "McGregor’s
Garden". In the beginning, I believed it to be the
perfect title. I liked the subliminal message that Mr.
McGregor didn’t like rabbits in his garden, which tied
in so well at the grass roots level of the novel. In
fact, that’s why I named the fictitious community,
McGregor. But a thought nagged: my novel could
mistakenly be placed in the children’s fiction section
because of the likeness to the Peter Cottontail story. I
eventually had to let it go.
2 - Create a premise statement. Examples:
--Stable hand, BJ Kent, woos the boss’s daughter.
--McGregor residents take sides after Japanese-Americans
relocate near their town.
The premise boils the
plot down to eight or ten words that speaks to the heart
of the story. It also helps the writer visualize the
perfect opening scene. Usually, it is that moment in
time when an event happens that alters the dynamics of
the story. It’s that line drawn in the sand where what
went before and what happens after are irrevocably
different.
3 - List your major characters. Whose story
is this—who will be your point-of-view character? Who
has the most to lose? Maybe your story needs more than
one POV character. The litmus test: can this character
be in every scene? If the answer is no, then you need to
decide what other character or characters can best
provide the additional eyes for the reader.
4 - Picture the staging areas for your
scenes. All scenes over the length of the novel won’t
necessarily happen at one of these locations, but a good
number will. Scene locations from "Price of Silence":
the Breuer home, the feed mill, the Japanese work camp,
Robert Huff’s farm, Pastor Durfee’s home, and Rolfe and
Lottie Schmidt’s home.
5 - Roughly sketch the anticipated chain of
events. This step may take more time than the others.
Number each chapter and give it a one-sentence title.
Here, it’s important to know the genre in which you will
market your novel. Most genres today have a required
word count range. If in doubt, look at several novels in
your genre. How many chapters? Approximately how many
words per chapter? Then, map out the story progression
across that number of chapters.
Once you have the chapters numbered and labeled, then
comes the visioning process of possible scenes within
each chapter. Scrutinize each anticipated scene with
these questions: Why MUST this scene be included? What
role does this scene play in the forward advancement of
the story? What could/should happen next? Your biggest
mistake will be in not asking enough questions. The more
questions you ask, the better handle you will have on
your material when you start to write.
When your scene structures are in place, examine the
scenes within each chapter. On the one hand, each
chapter should be a dramatic whole, complete unto
itself, yet on the other, it must create anticipation of
events to come. Some rearranging of scenes within
chapters may need to be done to make this work.
6 - Write an ending statement. What is your
vision of how the story should end? What needs to happen
to tie up all the loose ends and bring a satisfying
close to the story?
As you write, understand and anticipate the fact
that your story will change. You will ‘discover’ the
heart of the story and be inspired by your own genius.
You write to uncover the story, to discover what happens
next.
Good luck with your outlining!
