Learn how to write a novel outline that organizes your plot without killing your creativity. Discover flexible methods, simple templates, and tips for beginners.
If you want to write a novel, you’ve probably been told one thing repeatedly: “You need an outline.” But the moment you sit down to outline, your creativity freezes—or worse, you abandon the idea entirely.
You’re not alone. This is a common hurdle for participants in challenges like National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), where the pressure to produce 50,000 words in 30 days often clashes with the pressure to plan them effectively. Many writers feel paralyzed by the blank page, terrified that a wrong turn in the plotting phase will ruin the entire book.
Real writers openly admit that outlining can feel restrictive, confusing, or unnecessary. Some claim it kills the “magic” of discovery. Others say it’s the only reason they ever finish a novel, citing it as the roadmap that prevents them from getting lost in the “mushy middle.”
“The truth is simple: there is no single correct way to outline a novel.”
In this guide, you’ll learn how to write a novel outline that supports your creativity instead of suffocating it, using methods that real writers actually use. We will explore the psychology behind planning, the tools that make it easier, and the specific steps to build a structure that bends but doesn’t break.
What Is a Novel Outline (Really)?
A novel outline is not a rigid rulebook, and it is not a promise you can’t break. It is also not a test of how serious you are as a writer.
Many beginners mistake an outline for a contract; they believe that once they write “Chapter 4: The Hero Kisses the Villain,” they are legally bound to write that scene. This mindset is the primary killer of creativity.
“A novel outline is simply a thinking tool. Its purpose is to help you organize ideas so writing feels clearer instead of heavier.”
It reduces cognitive load. When you are drafting, your brain is trying to juggle dialogue, sensory details, pacing, and word choice. If you are also trying to figure out “what happens next,” your brain creates a bottleneck. An outline removes the “what happens next” variable so you can focus on the art of prose.
Your outline may take the form of:
- Short bullet-style ideas converted into sentences.
- Loose scene descriptions written in plain language.
- Brief chapter summaries.
- Notes kept in a separate document.
- A rough sketch that changes constantly as you write.
Visual thinkers often use mind-mapping software like XMind or Miro, or physical corkboards with index cards to move scenes around spatially. This allows for non-linear thinking, letting you see connections between the beginning and end that you might miss in a standard document. We guarantee you this: an outline only works if it works for you.
Do You Actually Need to Outline a Novel?
This is one of the most debated questions in fiction writing, and the honest answer is that it depends entirely on how you write. The writing community generally divides this spectrum into three camps: Plotters, Pantsers, and Plants.
Writers Who Outline First (Plotters)
If you feel anxious starting a novel without a plan, outlining may help you write with more confidence, avoid major plot holes, and understand where the story is heading. Many writers who outline first prefer to map out chapters or major story beats before drafting.
This does not mean the outline is perfect or final. It simply provides direction.
Famous authors like J.K. Rowling are known for using this method; her handwritten spreadsheet for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a famous example of detailed column-based plotting. In her spreadsheet, she tracked the timeline, the main plot, various subplots, and even mystery clues across the chapters. This ensures that when a gun is placed on the mantelpiece in Chapter 3, it actually goes off in Chapter 20.
While some writers swear by complex systems like the Snowflake Method (designed by Randy Ingermanson, which starts with a sentence and expands into paragraphs) or Save the Cat (a screenwriting structure adapted for novels by Jessica Brody), you do not need to start with something that technical to be effective.
Dedicated software services like Plottr, Campfire Writing, or Novel Factory cater specifically to this style, offering timeline features, character arc trackers, and drag-and-drop scene ordering that visual plotters find indispensable.
Writers Who Discover the Story While Writing (Pantsers)
If outlining kills your motivation, you may prefer to write first and edit later. Writers who follow this approach often discover characters and plot naturally as they draft and fix structure during revision rather than before writing. Many successful novels are written this way, and you are not doing it wrong.
Stephen King is the most famous advocate for this “discovery writing” style. In his memoir On Writing, he compares stories to fossils found in the ground; the writer’s job is to excavate them, not construct them. He believes that plotting forces characters to do things they wouldn’t naturally do.
However, “pantsing” comes with a cost. Without a map, you are more likely to write yourself into a corner or produce a draft with a “sagging middle”—where the plot loses momentum because the destination is unclear.
“If you choose this path, be aware that you may need more robust developmental editing services later to tighten the narrative arc once the draft is done. You are essentially trading ‘pre-production’ time for ‘post-production’ time.”
The Hybrid Method Most Writers Actually Use
Most writers do not follow one extreme or the other. Instead, they use a hybrid approach that combines light planning with creative freedom. This is often referred to as “Gardening” (a term popularized by George R.R. Martin)—you plant the seeds and provide the trellis (structure), but you let the plant grow naturally.
You might know that your characters need to get from Winterfell to King’s Landing, but you don’t know exactly what conversations they will have on the road until you write them.
This method usually involves creating a loose outline to get started while allowing room to change direction during the writing process. Notes often replace strict plans, giving structure without limiting creativity.
If you are a beginner, we recommend you start here because this approach provides enough guidance to move forward without blocking your ideas. It offers the safety net of the Plotter with the spontaneity of the Pantser.
How to Write a Novel Outline Step by Step (Flexible Method)
Step 1: Start With a One-Paragraph Story Idea
Begin by writing a short paragraph that identifies who the main character is, what problem they face, and what might change by the end of the story. This paragraph does not need to be polished or final, as it exists only to give you a starting point. This is often called the “Elevator Pitch” or the “Logline.”
If you can’t summarize your story in a paragraph, you likely don’t know what your story is about yet. This summary acts as your North Star. When you get stuck on Chapter 15 and don’t know what to write, you look at this paragraph to remind yourself of the core conflict.
- Example: “A young girl in a dystopian future volunteers to take her sister’s place in a televised fight to the death. She must navigate political intrigue and physical danger to survive and spark a revolution.” (Based on The Hunger Games).
- Example: “A hobbit tasked with destroying a powerful ring must journey across a dangerous land, battling external monsters and the internal corruption of the ring itself, to save his world from darkness.” (Based on Lord of the Rings).
Step 2: List the Big Story Moments
Next, write down the major moments of your story, including the opening situation, the key conflicts or turning points, and a possible ending, even if that ending feels uncertain. Keeping this step simple helps you avoid overplanning too early.
Think of these as “tentpole” moments holding up the canvas of your story. If you study story structure (like the Hero’s Journey or the Three-Act Structure), you will recognize these as the foundational beats. You don’t need all of them, but having these three to five anchors will prevent your story from collapsing.
Using the Star Wars: A New Hope example, these moments would be:
- The Inciting Incident: Luke buys the droids and sees the message from Leia. (The event that disrupts normal life).
- Crossing the Threshold (Plot Point 1): Luke leaves Tatooine with Obi-Wan. (There is no turning back).
- The Midpoint: They rescue the Princess but get trapped on the Death Star. (The stakes are raised; the hero shifts from reactive to active).
- The All Is Lost Moment: Obi-Wan dies. (The hero loses their mentor/support).
- The Climax: The trench run to destroy the Death Star. (The final battle).
“By just identifying these five points, you have technically outlined your entire book. Everything else is just connecting the dots between these poles.”
Step 3: Expand Into Scene or Chapter Notes (Optional)
If it feels helpful, you can expand your outline by adding short chapter summaries, listing important scenes, or noting emotional and character shifts. If this step begins to feel overwhelming, you should stop. An outline should make writing easier, not harder.
This is where you bridge the gaps between your “tentpoles.” If you know your hero starts at home and ends up in the villain’s castle, Step 3 asks: “How do they get there?”
Some writers prefer the “Index Card Method” here, writing one scene per card (physical or digital, using tools like Scrivener‘s corkboard view) so they can shuffle the order if the pacing feels off. Each card should answer three questions:
- Whose viewpoint is this?
- What happens? (The Action)
- How does it change the story? (The Consequence)
If a scene doesn’t change the story or reveal character, the outline helps you spot it early so you can cut it before you waste time writing it.
Step 4: Keep a Separate Notes Document
Maintain a separate document for character motivations, worldbuilding details, random inspiration, and dialogue ideas. Keeping these elements outside the main outline prevents it from becoming cluttered and intimidating.
For fantasy or sci-fi writers, this document often becomes a “Series Bible.” You can easily manage this using free tools like Google Docs and Microsoft Word (using the Navigation pane), or specialized writing software like Scrivener, Dabble, or World Anvil.
World Anvil, for instance, offers advanced worldbuilding templates for tracking lore, maps, and timelines, allowing you to link your outline to articles about your magic system or political factions.
This separation is crucial. Your outline is for plot (what happens); your bible is for context (why it happens). If you try to jam 500 years of history into your chapter outline, you will lose the thread of the story.
Bonus: A Simple Novel Outline Template
If you are looking for a quick “fill-in-the-blanks” structure to get you started immediately, you can use this simple novel outline template. This is adaptable to almost any genre, from Romance to Thriller.
- Protagonist: [Who is the main character? e.g., A retired detective with a drinking problem.]
- Goal: [What do they want externally? e.g., To solve one last cold case to prove he’s still capable.]
- Inner Need: [What do they need internally/emotionally? e.g., To forgive himself for the partner he couldn’t save.]
- Conflict: [What is stopping them? e.g., A corrupt police force, a missing witness, and his own addiction.]
- Stakes: [What happens if they fail? e.g., An innocent man is executed, and the detective drinks himself to death.]
- Inciting Incident: [The event that starts the story. e.g., The innocent man’s daughter knocks on his door.]
- Rising Action: [List 3 major obstacles they face. e.g., 1. Losing the evidence. 2. Being framed for a crime. 3. The witness is killed.]
- Climax: [The point of highest tension where the hero faces the villain. e.g., A confrontation at the abandoned shipyard.]
- Resolution: [How the story ends and how the hero has changed. e.g., He solves the case and pours his whiskey down the sink.]
How Detailed Should a Novel Outline Be?
There is no correct length for a novel outline. If outlining drains your energy or makes you avoid writing, you have likely gone too far. If writing feels chaotic or directionless, you may need more structure.
“Your outline should reduce resistance, not create it.”
Some outlines are 30 pages long (common in thrillers by authors like James Patterson, who outlines every single scene in detail before writing prose), while others are written on a single napkin or a sticky note.
A “Skeleton Outline” might just be a list of 10 chapter titles. A “Comprehensive Outline” might be a 5,000-word document that includes snippets of dialogue, setting descriptions, and sensory notes. If you are writing a complex mystery, you generally need a detailed outline to track clues. If you are writing a character-driven literary romance, a simpler emotional roadmap might suffice.
Common Mistakes Writers Make When Outlining
Many writers struggle because they treat their outline as unchangeable, try to make it perfect before writing, copy another writer’s method exactly, or spend weeks outlining instead of drafting.
This latter mistake is often called “Worldbuilder’s Disease” or “Productive Procrastination.” This is when you spend so much time creating the history, currency, language, and rules of your world that you never actually write the story. You convince yourself you are “working on the book,” but you are actually avoiding the hard work of drafting scenes.
Another mistake is “low stakes” outlining. This happens when your outline lists events (“They go to the store, then they go to the bank”) but lacks conflict. Every entry in your outline should imply tension. Instead of “John talks to Mary,” write “John tries to convince Mary to lie for him, but she refuses.”
We recommend you remember that outlining only counts as progress if it actually leads to writing. If you find yourself stuck here, consider hiring a book coach or using services like Reedsy to talk through your plot blocks with a professional.
What to Do If You Hate Outlining
If outlining feels impossible, you can outline only the next three to five chapters instead of the entire book. This is sometimes called “Headlights Outlining”—like driving a car at night, you only light up the road a few feet ahead of you. You know your destination (California), but you only need to see the next curve in the road to keep driving safely.
You can also write a first draft and outline afterward. This is called “Reverse Outlining,” and it is a powerful technique for the revision phase. After you have vomited out your first draft (the “Zero Draft”), you read through it and write down what happens in every chapter. This reveals where the pacing drags, where plot threads are dropped, and where characters act inconsistently.
You are allowed to adapt the process to how your brain works. If typing an outline feels too formal, try using dictation software like Otter.ai or Dragon NaturallySpeaking to simply “talk out” your story ideas while walking or driving. Sometimes, speaking your plot out loud helps you hear the rhythm of the story better than staring at a screen.
Can You Change Your Outline While Writing?
Yes, and you should. Most writers revise their outlines as characters evolve, new ideas appear, and better plot directions emerge.
“Your outline exists to serve the story, not control it.”
Imagine you are writing a heist scene. Your outline says, “They blow open the safe.” But when you get to that scene, you realize your main character is too quiet and stealthy to use explosives; it doesn’t fit their personality. You realize it would be much more tense if they had to crack the lock manually while the guards walked by. Change the outline!
Rigid adherence to an old plan often leads to “forced” writing that readers can detect. If a character “wants” to do something different than what is in the outline, follow the character.
“The outline is a map, but the territory is real life. If the map says there is a bridge, but you arrive and find a river, you don’t drive into the water because the map said so—you build a boat.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you write a novel without an outline?
Yes. Many writers do, while others prefer to outline after completing a first draft to check for pacing issues. This is perfectly valid, though it often requires more time in the editing phase to fix structural problems that an outline might have caught early.
Is outlining bad for creativity?
Outlining only becomes harmful when you force yourself into a method that does not suit you. It should act as a safety net, not a cage. If you feel bored writing a scene because “you already know what happens,” try focusing on how it happens—the dialogue, the sensory details, the subtext. That is where the real creativity lies.
Should beginners outline more or less?
Beginners usually benefit from light outlining rather than rigid plans. A simple roadmap prevents the common “Act Two Slump” or “The Muddy Middle,” where many new writers get stuck around page 50 because they have used up their initial exciting idea and don’t know where to go next.
How long should outlining take?
Outlining can take anywhere from an hour to a few days. Spending weeks is usually unnecessary unless you are writing a complex historical or high-fantasy epic. If you have been outlining for a month and haven’t written a scene, you are likely procrastinating.
What is the best software for outlining?
There is no “best” software, only the best one for you. Scrivener is the industry standard for comprehensive planning. Plottr is excellent for visual timelines. Google Docs is perfect for simple, accessible collaboration. Notion has become popular for its customizable databases. Use whatever offers the least friction between your brain and the page.
Final Thoughts: Find the Outline That Works for You
If you want to write a novel, you do not need a perfect outline. You need a useful one.
Some novels begin with a detailed plan, while others begin with a single idea and grow through discovery. We recommend you experiment, stay flexible, and remember this:
“The best outline is the one that helps you keep writing.”
Do not let the preparation become the procrastination. The world needs your story, not just your outline. So, grab a notebook, open a blank document, or lay out your index cards, and start mapping your journey.
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