Why you should outline before jumping into your story
Does this sound familiar: you’ve just thought of a great idea for a story, and you can’t wait to start writing. The last thing you want to hear is, “WAIT! You need to stop and make an outline!”
But if you want to have a story with no plot holes, a process with no writer’s block, and still get to be wildly creative, then an outline is the best thing you can do for your future self.
TIP: If you really can’t wait to get writing, then go ahead and get the first words down onto the page with the understanding that you’re going to go back and make an outline once that initial burst of creative energy has softened.
So, why do you need an outline? Because outlines help you:
Build story arcs
When you jump into writing a story, it can be hard to think ahead and explore all of the ways your story could turn out. You may find yourself having to do major rewrites and deleting thousands of words.
Plan character development
Character development is just as important as a story arc. Your characters should change as the story flows.
Protect yourself from writer's block
When you have a well-planned outline, you’re never left wondering what happens next because you already know where you are in the story and what comes next. If you do find a chapter challenging to write, you can skip to another and revisit the one you’re stuck on later.
An outline is like the basic build of a house, with all of the walls and rooms in place. Anyone who walks in can see where the vision behind the house is going, but it’s plain. That’s where your story comes in as the finishing touches to make it become a home and come alive.
Another way to think of an outline is like a page in a coloring book, vs. just a purely blank page. When you see an un-colored page with the outlines, you have some idea of what the picture will be, and it’s up to you to decide how to bring the design to life. However, if you just have a blank page, it can feel daunting and end up with something that has less of a vision than the already outlined coloring book page. When the outline is there for you, then you get to add the magic by choosing the colors, the shades, etc.
Some writers feel restricted by the idea of an outline, but the opposite is true. By thinking big during outline creation, then honing the idea, the writer is free to have creative expression and clearly showcase their vision without changing the integrity of the story.
Author R.L. Stein explains in his Masterclass that every book starts with an outline so detailed that it’s what he sends to his editor before even starting a book. They go back and forth on the outline, and then there are minimal edits at the end.
Imagine how much time and headache it will save you to adjust an outline instead of a fully written and edited draft? You’ll also be able to see the bigger picture at a glance, so you can spot areas where new changes may affect the story further down the line.
It can feel fun and freeing to start writing a story and see where it takes you, and if that’s your method, you’re not alone. Stephen King also follows this style of writing, as he talks about in his book “On Writing.” But know that this will result in more time- and labor-intensive edits down the line.
If you want to try writing an outline, but don’t know where to start, choose a tried-and-true story structure like Save the Cat to get started. This is an especially good idea if you’re a new writer who is grappling with story structure in general. There's a reason these structures have been used time and time again, and it’s because they work. Like with the outline, you can still add your own flair to it as you go.
So the next time you start writing a story, after you’ve got that initial brainstorm on paper, give an outline a chance and see how it changes your writing process.
