forum How Do you Outline?
Started by Kenny
tune

people_alt 62 followers

@time-is-a-circle

It depends on the person. I personally don't plan too often because it gets boring if I know exactly what's going to happen, but I do find it helpful to sort out bullet points. They can be little details or big details, but they're always in order and my goal is usually to use the first draft to figure out what happens between the highlighted moments. Then I use the following drafts to smooth it all out so it's less like steps and more like a ramp, if you know what I mean.

@Relsey

I am a big planner

  • Step 1: Character prep and theme
    I start with figuring out what kind of story I want to write, I think I want a nice, overthrow the machine story. Then I create a character for the story, my main cast, so My main character two solid side characters, and Love interest (You don't have to actually make them get together but when you're stuck it's a good side plot that you can cut out later if need be ), I might not end up using all of them but they are there if need be. Next I decide on the theme once I have the theme I can create the bad guy's, usually get a solid cast of villains made, I actually develop my villains more than I do my protagonists before I start writing because you won't have as much story time to develop the villain. Then I make a few NPC characters just so when the story needs another person I have one on hand to throw in. I know that's a lot but rihgt now they're little more than names, they don't need to be super developed.

  • Step 2: World building
    Next I figure out what the general workings of the world. So My theme that I came up with earlier is going to be kinda important for this, So let's say the theme is Let kids be kids. SO in this world, from the age of 10 up people have to work, their all part of a machine, they get taken away by the bad guy institution, Oh so it looks like this is a dystopia of sorts. Well if the kids are getting taken away why is that, What if a few decades ago the word was in ruin and one organization rose up saying they could make everything better, and they did, but they used Children to do so, Adults weren't working to fix things, and they refused to do so, but children, children were malleable and easy enough to force into doing work. So they do, and soon they grow more powerful, but now they're bigger more powerful, now they've taken over the government, those children they raised and used as slaves, their grown up now and all they know is the machine so the circle continues. Now this organization says, oh you know what raising kids is so hard, just give them to us and we'll take care of it. So people do, and then more do and then it's required to give up you'r child by the age of 10 but most people give the kid up at toddler hood. Now we have a backdrop, we have the beginnings of a story.

  • Step 3: Further Character development
    Now we're going to take those bare bones characters and flesh them out, toss them into this world, how did they grow up. So our Villains, they've been in the system sense Birth, they're parent runs the system, we have the person in charge of the main characters group of kids, we have the system the company it's self, the CEO of it or whatever, assign your villains to spots in your system.
    What about that main character, so he grew up on the outside world his parents actually raised him he's lived in a loving home with parents he's joyful innocent even, but growing up one by one he watched as his friends were taken away, until he's the only one left. Now we have the start of our plot.

  • Step 4: Basic plot
    This is when I start writing out individual incidents, so I'll have them written down as built points.
    Main character get's taken by the organization.
    Main character meets supporting cast
    Main character doesn't fit in, and sees that the kids look lifeless.
    Main character rebels
    Main character gains a following
    Main character escapes
    Main character builds up strength
    Main character brings down organization.

  • Step 5: Flesh everything out And write
    Now I add little events in between event's like in between the main character gaining a following and escaping there's a side quest with the bullies so on and so forth. Once I'm happy, I start writing, I may not even stick to every plot beat I'll move things around but it means when I'm stuck I can look back and say well this is where I want to get and here is how I get there.

This has been a run down of my process, sorry my example is so weird I came up with it on the spot but ugh yeah.