How to outline a novel // writing tips for authors

Welcome back, fellow authors! In this video, I'm sharing some of what I've found really helpful in plotting and outlining my novels before I begin the writing process.
There is no right or wrong way to write a book. It's all about what works best for you!
I love sharing what I discover through trial and error, and I hope this inspires new ideas for you.
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• How to outline a novel...
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[@bymegangrant]

Thank you for watchin How to outline a novel // writing tips for authors!

[@alananimus9145]

I like the idea of visualizing a story as a graph but I don't like the steep incline to fall off. Stories should have ups and downs and the visualization should reflect that. The novel should have peaks and valleys. Each of the four acts should have peaks and valleys. Every chapter should have peaks and valleys. Step 1 Act I Novel Setup Act II Novel Confrontation Act III Novel Climax Act IV Novel Resolution. *Step 2* Each Act of the novel should have it's own four Act's. *Step 3* Each chapter should have three of the four acts with the fourth act being in a different chapter. For example Chapter 1's fourth act takes place in chapter 4. It doesn't have to be done exactly this way. Another way to do this is to get flash cards of at least 4 different colors, lets say Act I is blue, Act II is pink, Act II is green, Act IV is yellow. Then Act I gets its own Scene; blue, pink, green, yellow. If you combine this with a "murder board" you can easily move around the cards.

[@bymegangrant]

That's a very interesting approach! Thank you for sharing it. :) @@alananimus9145

[@cassiediaval2340]

This is literally the first planning guide I have seen which made me like my story for quite a long time lol. I have written over 5 stories in a span of 7 months, and at the end of each, I was bored cuz I just planned a lil too far, I didn't hate my stories, I just was bored was it.

[@bymegangrant]

I hear you!!!! It's hard writing a book. It's a huge commitment and by the end, you can feel so tired. I'm glad you found this helpful!

[@michaelhenry9473]

Ok. This is the first writing video where I learned something and watched the complete video…. Encouraging you to keep making videos, very good job. I’m Subscribing.

[@bymegangrant]

That means SO much to me! THANK YOU! I love talking about this stuff. xoxo

[@KatAdVictoriam]

As a Pantser, who is now committed to Plotting/Outlining before writing anything - Thank you! This video is really helpful. I need visual aids, rather than just a bullet-point list or spreadsheet. Great video!

[@bymegangrant]

Woohoo!!! So happy to hear this, and thank you for the kind words. This approach has helped me SO much.

[@alexburke1720]

Thanks, I look for a walk-through like this. but a lot of people think it's in nessisary then follow trends giving advice you find in 12 other videos. Can't search for a video like this either because you just get arbitrary rules to write videos you have to untangle yourself. Tbh I just have a hard time connecting these individual things i study a lesson at a time or explore my experiences on. on top of the writing blocks you described. Things like character and plot and arcs and when I should start worldbuilding, fleshing, defining and getting out of my own way. To continue: Mind bottles Like what Is my process? but also why can't I imagine more context surrounding my scene/consept. I could be further along as a writer but you know how awful things get. An analogy of, making a crap drawing gulping as you finish. Then on review you see nothing and everything wrong because you put in the work and you managed your best. no more is coming to light now. You find your skill is nothing near the masterpieces you have trouble fathoming. To end the analogy, you visit KZbin for the experienced eye on those masterworks. An answer: try again, make it with experience' in mind this time. "Ploish your prior effort when you find more worth to it. Or flutter along to the next word exchange."

[@tonyaroche7733]

Wow. Something actually clicked for me while watching this. I really appreciate how you broke down your process. Thank you. I’ll be rewatching. 🙂

[@itsmaovinnehere]

thank you for these tips! im a beginner writer and non english person, but i still want to make my own story book :)

[@bymegangrant]

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!

[@vastvideos7212]

I'm both a plotter and panser. I have a 5 act outline,written in 3rd person omnipotent with over 30 developed characters,I got a good overall thought out story, although I feel overwhelmed being my first book and attempting to follow the formula of rules for writing.i got tons of great ideas I don't kno how to articulate 😂🎉

[@bymegangrant]

Woohoo! That's a LOT! But you know, just take one little step at a time. You'll get there!

[@markusher1621]

Some great points here - thank you! As someone (attempting) to write my first novel, your point about over-planning and “boxing yourself in” really resonated. I’m definitely a planner/big picture person by nature and one of my issues is the dreaded “paralysis by analysis”. I’ve absorbed a lot of frameworks for novels and screenwriting and feel I have a story idea that moves me, but I can never seem to get down to point of just writing. Any suggestions? Should I just start writing anything (even if it’s bad, perhaps?) just to get going?

[@bymegangrant]

Hey! Thank you for the comment, and HOORAY! You are writing your first novel! That is so exciting. This is just my two cents - everyone is different - but if paralysis by analysis is getting the best of you, maybe try committing to sitting down and writing just one chapter, or even one scene. Just to get SOMETHING concrete down on paper. Know what I'm saying? It can be anything, even something that happens later in the story. I feel like if you can kind of overcome that hurdle in even a small way, it'll be really empowering and the writing will flow better. :-)

[@markusher1621]

@@bymegangrantthank you so much for your quick reply. I’ll try your suggestion and pick a couple of the scenes to write. I’ll let you know how it goes!

[@bymegangrant]

@@markusher1621 You're welcome, and yes, please do keep me posted! You're going to be great. :-)

[@livechangechallenge]

Hi Megan, I’m planning my very first book and am so glad I came across your channel 😊.

[@bymegangrant]

Oh my gosh!!! This is so exciting - congrats. :-) You'll have to keep me posted on your journey. I hope you have a ton of fun and enjoy the creative expression.

[@livechangechallenge]

@@bymegangrant Hi Megan, I definitely Will and will for sure be a regular in your comments. Love the real practical value you bring ☺️. Many thanks, Adele

[@MissMimimimi]

This was really informative - thank you! Please may I request a video on how to write strong main characters and antagonists?

[@bymegangrant]

Thank you so much! Oddly enough, I'm talking about developing characters in one of the next videos. :-)

[@rosesofebony]

The way you outline your novels is fascinating. Splitting the second act into two parts makes sense. I hadn't heard of pinch points before, and I don't think I would like adding details to a Spreadsheet or notecards. I would love to hear about how you come up with an MC sometime.

[@bymegangrant]

THANK YOU!!! Yeah splitting it into two parts helped me so, so much. It got me unstuck. I hear you - the spreadsheet just overwhelmed me. Different strokes for different folks! I can definitely do another video on MCs! Character development is so fun to me. It's almost like making new friends (or enemies - hehe!).

[@rosesofebony]

@bymegangrant I would love that! I always heard if you make enemies with a writer in real life they'll k*ll you off in a book. 😂 I would love to see what you think goes into a good villain. I find so many in novels to be flaaaaat. The best villains in my opinion are the ones that elicit both sympathy and hate.

[@bymegangrant]

@@rosesofebony YES! That's the trick. Making it so that readers still find a way to empathize with them, no matter how awful they are.

[@stratocruising]

Hemingway, sitting in a bar in Key West, drinking beer with some friends. A guy comes up, asks Sully, the machinist, to talk to him at his table. Sully goes over, listens, then shoo's him away, goes back to his beer. Hemingway asks what the hell that was about. Sully tells him, "He wants to break into the bank and needs me and my cutting torch to get into the vault. Everyone knows I've got the only cutting torch on the island. hell, the cops borrow mine when they need one. They'd come in, see the cut bars and come after me." Hemingway wrote "To have and Have Not" based on that idea. You get ideas from watching life all around you and thinking about it.

[@bymegangrant]

omg that is so cool@@stratocruising

[@stratocruising]

You're a lefty. Sinister ideas come easily to you, don't they.

[@bymegangrant]

MWAHAHAHA! YES! Kidding.