How do you make your outlines?

[Leyelle]

For my novel "A Dozen Morning Glories" I started with my novel concept, and from there I had to figure out how it escalated.

Once I decided that, I started separating my notes chapter by chapter to figure out how to build it up to the climax. I usually go back over that several times to beef it up to make sure the climax will have the proper emotional "umph."

My ending really came last. After I knew what it escalated into, I had to sit down and figure out how the escalation closes itself out. I think the ending is usually the part I have the hardest part deciding on, anyone else?

[binahwrites]

the way I do it is that I think about the basics of the beginning and the ending and then I start to work on linking them for big projects that give me the flexibility of working on different things and not having to commit to one idea, after I start to work on chapters after the start of the story I can go back and see if it needs to be changed in some way.

there are probably better ways to do it but that one just happens to work for me

[Kittykir1129]

Hmmm... The way I usually work is I have a pretty decent idea for how the story starts, who my main characters are and a few key touchstone scenes. If I'm lucky that includes the ending, but usually not.

Then I write.

Usually about 50 pages in, anything really important I don't already know has turned up (such as villain motivations or key backstory).

Any upcoming scenes I need to reach my next major touchstone I can usually find by going over what I wrote before. I pull out things I randomly dropped in the narrative and can now play with. (No, very few of these 'playable' tidbits are planned.)

If I don't have any playables, generally I will either wing it (and come up with something I wasn't planning at all but it was amazing!) or I will make a list of possible things COULD happen in response to what JUST happened.

I don't do much outlining, in other words. I'm very much a discovery writer.

[aquashark]

For me i like to not think about how the novel is going to end and instead build my begining and present up with a few future events in mind of course. This means when i have mysteries and unawnsered questions i wont even know the awnser for i can fill in gaps later and slowly get through the story with a slow and steady pace.

Not only does it creature good content but also makes viewers give out lots of theories which can also become inspiration for me.

[ThunderChicken]

I created a text document that I can edit on my phone, my pc, my iPad… whatever I happen to be holding when inspiration strikes. Once I get to a place of time that I can integrate that inspiration into the story I add it to a second, more “full” document to write it into the rough script. Then I take the points of that rough script and turn them into text for the story.

[hamzeh-a]

pc games render, type and font, and script for everything else (track), like ai-ing a playlist

[TanyaBestLaidPlans]

I consider outlines to be MAGICAL, especially if you want to write an intricately plotted mystery or political story where all the threads connect at the end to be a huge payoff!

I also use outlines to sketch out promising story plots as very brief outlines. Outlining really is a great way to flesh out an initial concept without having to commit too hard to it... and even better, if an outline really works, you can flesh it out further to make a "skeleton" for your story that you can then drape flesh (i.e., actual scenes/words) on!

Outlines are magic and make the writing process so much easier -- and really help you figure out where you story is going.

I always use outlines for everything I write - whether it's Save the Villainess, The Villainess Wants Her Prince to Live, or even short-stories - because it really helps me keep my plot on track and gives me character arcs to write toward. Plus, since I primarily write romantic mysteries, outlining helps me make sure I embed the right clues in the right scenes to make a mystery consistent... and it helps me keep continuously developing the main couple's relationship as well!
There's a really useful book called "The Ten Day Outline" that I like and that goes into the outlining process in really great, pragmatic detail. If you're interested in outlining, I suggest giving that book a read!

[Leyelle]

yeah, I think outlines are essential for mysteries, or anything with time paradoxes lol

[skidiggy]

Your mileage may vary with this method, but I prefer to start with a theme, main characters, the story trajectory for each, and then... the calendar...

I made a six month calendar in Excel (using one of their free templates) and hashed out a rough sequence of events with main plot stuff in bold, and minor events in a regular font weight. The calendar evolves with the story, so I can keep track if/when I diverge from the initial write-up. Keeping a calendar handy also helps reference events in the past/future for math purposes. I keep track of everything from paydays and mortgages to character intros and adventures. Saves a TON of time on back-tracking.

[Lensing]

I work from big to small

Theme, Conflict, End

The outline is always based on that, then I add characters, the setting etc
The first thing I do is to try to tell the story in 12 comic panels. Panel
1 is the establishing scene, panel 12 is the end. That leaves me 10 panels
to write the story. The result has to make sense and the story has to be
understandable, that´s when the outline works. Using this method helps
me a lot to see my own flaws like not having a good conflict or end

[Leyelle]

paydays are something mentioned very rarely in my novels since both the leads have such unusual jobs, but it would honestly probably be a lot more relevant to "A Dozen Morning Glories" than I've made it so far. It's never crossed my mind to mention those details 90% of the time, but maybe I should sometimes? Leia and Riley are both unemployed highschoolers bumming off their parents money so...