5 Steps to Building an Outline for Writing a Novel by author Casey Griffin

by S.P. Sipal

We have a wonderful Craft of Writing post for you today about the benefits of outlining and how to do it. Casey Griffin, who is celebrating a new release, is here to show us how. Check out her SECRETS OF A RELUCTANT PRINCESS below!

5 Steps to Building an Outline – By Casey Griffin

The most important tool that I’ve learned to use as a writer is the outline. The more organized you are while writing the story, the less time you waste rearranging chapters and writing scenes that will ultimately not make the final cut. Or if you prefer to just let the words flow and edit afterward, then an outline will make the editing process a lot smoother. So it doesn’t matter if you’re a pantser or a diehard outliner, at some point in the process of writing a novel, you’ll need to use this tool.

Whether you use an outline before you write your first draft or after, it will save you time and prevent you from pulling out your hair. If you want to be a full-time novelist, the more efficient you are, the more novels you produce, which will keep your name out there more regularly, selling more books, gaining new fans, etc, etc. So how do create an outline (and keep those luxurious locks)?

1. Make a List:

You’re not going to know exactly what your novel looks like at first, so jot down anything at this point to get those ideas flowing.

Start by listing the events you want to take place in your novel
Keep the ideas general, mostly descriptions of relatively major events
They don’t necessarily have to be in order at this stage
Use as few words as possible to convey the idea (it’s very basic at this point)

2. Organize into Sequence:

Now that the general story is in front of you, it’s easier to logically work through the book, to see where plot holes lie, or if, logistically, certain things just have to happen before others do.

This is the time to rearrange the events of your story
Sticky notes or cue cards work great for this stage.
Write down each major event on a separate piece of paper or cut up the list you already have
Now rearrange them like puzzle pieces until it all fits together the way you want in order to form the bigger picture.

3. Flesh out into Chapters:

Now that you have your sequence of events in order, you can group them together into scenes or chapters. It’s not always as easy as having one event per chapter. This part can really make or break your pacing.

Group the events together to control your pacing. Something needs to happen in each chapter to move the story forward.
Make sure each chapter doesn’t end on a “yawn” moment. Leave the reader wanting more with a cliffhanger.
You may find you need to go back to step two and rearrange the events
Make it realistic. Some events are so huge that it might take two or three chapters just to cover what’s going on (like a battle scene). Or maybe you’ve got one little event that might only take three pages to get through. Only your outline can tell you what feels right to you.
It’s amazing how freeing it is to use separate pieces of paper, because you can move them around and it doesn’t feel permanent. Besides, if a chapter just isn’t working, you can completely jumble the order and you might discover a whole new (and inspiring) way to write your novel.

4. Add in the Details:

Let’s face it, there’s no way you’ve made it to this point without getting distracted by all the shiny details, the wonderful gems that spark your excitement to just get started already! You don’t want to ignore these because what if you forget them by the time it comes to jotting them down?

Any time throughout the outline process you can jot little details down as they come to you, but set them aside until this stage
You can keep it simple like “red dress” as long as that will jog your memory, or it can be a detailed four-page conversation that you just had to write down when inspiration struck.
Now simply insert them into the scenes that you imagine them happening in
You may want to start saving these notes in a word document on the computer. It makes it easier to find them later, and you can save your progress in case a strong wind comes through and blows your outline away.

5. Do it All Over Again:

The outline process isn’t something you do just once. I find I have to revisit it over and over again. It’s especially useful to go over if you come across “writer’s block” or if you’ve taken a brief hiatus from your project.

An outline is never set in stone. It can be revised as often as you find the story needs it. It is a guideline, a tool. It’s not something that should hinder the creative process, but rather help focus it. So use it over and over again in any way that works best for you.

Remember: the outline never lies. If you skip certain parts, it might be because you’re afraid of the truth, like there’s a gaping hole that you want to ignore. But your outline can help find and solve those problems long before you fall headfirst into those holes.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Secrets of a Reluctant Princess
by Casey Griffin
Paperback
Entangled: Teen
Released 3/7/2017

At Beverly Hills High, you have to be ruthless to survive…

Adrianna Bottom always wanted to be liked. But this wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. Now, she’s in the spotlight…and out of her geeky comfort zone. She’ll do whatever it takes to turn the rumor mill in her favor—even if it means keeping secrets. So far, it’s working.

Wear the right clothes. Say the right things. Be seen with the right people.

Kevin, the adorable sketch artist who shares her love of all things nerd, isn’t exactly the right people. But that doesn’t stop Adrianna from crushing on him. The only way she can spend time with him is in disguise, as Princess Andy, the masked girl he’s been LARPing with. If he found out who she really was, though, he’d hate her.

The rules have been set. The teams have their players. Game on.

Purchase Secrets of a Reluctant Princess at Amazon
Purchase Secrets of a Reluctant Princess at IndieBound
View Secrets of a Reluctant Princess on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Casey Griffin can often be found at comic conventions on her days off from her day job, driving 400 ton dump trucks in Northern Alberta, Canada. As a jack of all trades with a resume boasting registered nurse, English teacher, and photographer, books are her true passion. Casey is a 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel finalist, and is currently busy writing every moment she can.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

S.P. Sipal

Published in fiction and non-fiction through essays, short stories and a novel, Susan Sipal lives in rural North Carolina with her husband, two children, one dog, three cats, and too many squirrels for the dog to keep up with. She has presented multiple workshops, both at home and abroad, to help writers develop their craft as well as analyze the mysteries of Harry Potter. You can follow her on Twitter @HP4Writers, or on her blog at HarryPotterforWriters.blogspot.com.

Post © S.P. Sipal and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: Mar 24, 2017

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: Casey Griffin | Craft of Writing | Outlining

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p>
<p>Your main character needs to be:<br />
• Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br />
• Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br />
• Active enough to drive the story<br />
• Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p>
<p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />

The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p>
<p>But your theme needs to be:<br />
• Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br />
• Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br />
• Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br />
• Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p>
<p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />

The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p>
<p>In general, your plot should:<br />
• Hook readers fast<br />
• Build tension that a child can follow<br />
• Create page turns that feel natural<br />
• Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p>
<p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.

The Arms of your story are the side characters.

The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p>
<p>Your setting should:<br />
• Make your character's world feel real<br />
• Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br />
• Connect different scenes and moments organically<br />
• Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p>
<p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black.

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