So far, we’ve isolated our idea (one that came after hours of thinking and worrying, and pulling out our own hair, giving up, and then, when we thought all hope lost, getting slapped across the face by the shower muse) and done/organized our research (at least the stuff we know we’re going to need. There will probably be more later).

Now it’s time to OUTLINE YOUR BOOK.

For those of us who outline anyway. As I mentioned last time, most writers fall into one of two basic categories: plotter or pantser (as in, flying by the seat of), though some are combinations of the two, and most of those lean at least a little more one way or the other.

If you’re a pantser: go about your business and may the shower muse be with you. Maybe consider writing the ending of your book first so you have a stationary target to hit with that volley (as the writing teacher who gave me this piece of advice explained, the end can change as many times as it needs to or you want it to, but you need some sort of goal so you don’t wander off into the hinterlands, never to return).

If you’re a plotter, you have several options. You may need to try a few before you find the one that works best for you. The amount of detail you choose to include is 100% up to you from loose association to scene-by-scene breakdown.

The Outline

You’ve undoubtedly done an outline on some previous occasion, probably a paper for school. Probably a million papers for school. Outlines are essentially lists organized into headings, subheadings, sub-subheadings, and so on (again depending on how much detail you want to include). Sections are marked with either numbers or symbols. An outline can be done in analog (if you choose this option, make sure you snap some pics in case something happens to your notebook) or as a digital file (whichever word processor you use almost definitely has an outline function) saved on your local drive and on some sort of cloud storage system.

The Murder Board

Not literally. Well, maybe figuratively literally if you’re writing a murder mystery or swords and sorcery wherein someone is going to take a battle axe to the skull. If you enjoy crime shows or conspiracy stories, you’ve probably seen some version of a murder board on your screen: the white board with pictures of suspects, the connections between them marked in some fashion, and any supplemental materials relevant to the story (maps, leaves, location shots, etc.) around the margins.

As with the outline, a murder board can be analog or, if you have Scrivener, digital; there are pros and cons for each. If, like me, analog is your preference, it’s probably easiest to write story beats on note cards and tack them to the board in chronological order – you can always move them if you need to add or subtract. You can also tack the supplemental stuff to the edges of the board.

The cons: you have to have somewhere to keep it, and physical murder boards aren’t portable, though you can always keep a picture of each update on your phone. Digital murder boards are more portable, but you have to scan supplemental stuff and keep them in a separate file. Not the end of the world – you can always put notes of what’s where and relevant to a given beat on your digital note cards… but it does mean you need a decent scanner.

The Mexican Wrestler Wheel O’Monomyth

In Wonderbook, author Jeff Vandermeer expands on Joseph Campbell’s “hero’s journey” by creating a luchador version. He divides the story into three main parts (separation, initiation, return) and then breaks each of those down into smaller chunks that mark important events in the monomyth such as: refusal of the quest, the road of trials, the ultimate boon, and choosing to return. I used the diagram and format Vandermeer suggests to outline the novel I’m currently working on, pairing each subdivision with a story beat or important event. It’s the most specific I’ve seen in an outline for a while, and this may very well be my new go-to method.

There are essentially an infinite number of ways to outline: folders, a binder, a notebook with a bunch of sections. Sticky plastic geckos. Darts. As with the pantsers, that “write the end first” thing is extremely useful for plotters and for the same reason: it gives you a goal. The goal can move. Disappear altogether. Get bent, fall over. But you’re much more likely to get through the slog of the middle if you have an inkling of an ending in mind.

I know. I know, you’re ready to write. We’re getting there, I promise. Next week, we’ll talk about the beginning, the hook, the peek or line that draws the reader in.

Until then, happy organizing!