THE SIMPLEST WAY TO OUTLINE YOUR NOVEL (pantser-friendly!)

Want to outline a novel without feeling overwhelmed? Maybe you’re a discovery writer or you just HATE PLOTTING and you want a simple, straightforward method of outlining that helps guide your story to success without taking all the joy out of the journey. If you can relate, today's video is for you!
A lot of writers ask me:
“Abbie, What is your very first step to writing a new story?”
“Do you create your characters first or do you outline your plot first?”
“Do you fill out all your character profiles and scene cards before you begin?”
“How long does my outline need to be?”
These are all great questions, and since my outlining process has evolved SO MUCH over the past few years, I thought now would be a perfect time to show you a behind-the-scenes look at my Preptober process.
In this video, I'm going to share with you the very first steps I take when I set out to write a new story. These are the methods that I am currently using and would recommend to any writer who feels lost and overwhelmed when it comes time to outline.
Grab a notebook and let’s dive in!
WATCH MY PREPTOBER TRAINING HERE → www.crowdcast.io/e/preptober
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✨ T I M E S T A M P S ✨
00:00 Introduction
01:44 Step #1: THE IDEA
03:14 My book pitch meeting
04:44 Step #2: THE ROUGH SKETCH
07:14 Step #3: BULLET POINT OUTLINE
11:14 Watch my Preptober live training
11:45 Subscribe for weekly writing videos! :)
________________________________
Subscribe for weekly episodes of #WritersLifeWednesdays and more #NaNoWriMo videos! Make Your Story Matter™ and make your author dreams come true… new videos every Wednesday.
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✨ A B O U T ✨
My name is Abbie Emmons I teach writers how to make their stories matter by harnessing the power and psychology of storytelling, transforming their ideas into a masterpiece, and creating a lifestyle that makes their author dreams come true.
Story isn’t about “what happens” - it’s about how what happens affects and transforms the characters. I believe that there is an exact science (a recipe, if you will) behind a perfect story. And if you know what ingredients you need, you can create your own perfect story with ease and confidence. That’s what we talk about every week on this channel - and if it’s something you’re into, be sure to subscribe and join this community!

[@tysonhooks9892]

My goal is to finish the novel that ive been sitting on for 5 years baking and planning it so I hope I can get it fully written in 30 days

[@ko-rika3452]

That sounds amazing! Good luck!

[@streetdance__girl9093]

SAME, this is the year! I've worked on my book for 2 years 🤩❤👌🏼

[@worthfightingfor2299]

You got this!

[@MariJadeWrites]

Good luck with it!

[@daydreamer5836]

@@streetdance__girl9093 me toooo 😭

[@Amy_Mi6]

And the Oscar goes to ... Abbie for her stellar performance as Abbie in "Abbie vs. Abbie" !! 😄👏 *please let this be a recurring segment -- it was highly entertaining* 👌💜🤗

[@worthfightingfor2299]

YESSS

[@jarmoliebrand2005]

As long as there are puppies involved, I’m in!

[@hannahentz2968]

Yes please!!!

[@AbbieEmmons]

**takes a dramatic bow** Thank you, thank you very much... ❤️😌 oh it definitely will be a recurring segment now! lol

[@Amy_Mi6]

🙆‍♀️🥳💃🤗💜

[@josephgilbert1864]

The "book pitch meeting" scene is EVERYTHING!!!

[@jasminepolanco3454]

Right?! We need more of these scenes, Abbie! ❤️

[@AbbieEmmons]

THANK YOU 😂😂😂

[@fusionburstofficial]

I was watching this video at 12:20 AM at night. I was already writing the 3rd chapter of my book(At more than 7,000 words already but currently in pause because I am dealing with school exams). I don't know what happened but I just opened up a doc file and just wrote the outline to my book in 30 minutes following pretty much this same format except for a few changes I made myself. At the end I was like "Wow, I finished it.". This video gave me like a sudden energy boost lol. Thanks Abbie!

[@NerdinessD]

so may I ask a question. I wonder is it a good idea to write during study breaks?

[@fusionburstofficial]

@@NerdinessD I would say no because writing a book can be very distracting while studying. I would say if you have sudden ideas you may note them down but not work on the book yet. You can easily get lost in thought while writing. I only wrote during study breaks when I had a long enough break(a couple of hours) or I have an idea thats amazing and I will easily forget it later so I write it as a note so I can add it later on.

[@NerdinessD]

@@fusionburstofficialOh thanks I've also thought of that. Yeah I'm not gonna do that anymore.

[@VioletScars1]

Hey hope your semester went well! I just finished my final and went back to doing my story outline and stumbled on here!

[@hilalkaragoz2814]

A newbie here 🙋🏼‍♀️ I see the stories in my dreams. I wake up with a whole novel already written in my brain with almost all the details. But I've never actually written one yet. I just noted the stories I find the most interesting and when I first started writing one of them, it was hard to follow along because everything flashed back to me and I wanted to get everything out at once. That's why I'm here. This is the first video I found of you and now I'm subscribed. Thank you

[@michaelcherokee8906]

I dont know if Im just an EXTREME case of a pantser, but even writing an outline like you gave as an example is significantly more than I know about the story most of the time. I know how it starts, a few events throughout the story, and I often know how the story ends, that's it.

[@valentinasteiner4746]

This is how I feel as well. Basically, you are making the outline along the way though. Once I finish, I have that rough outline and then the real editing happens. It's more work but I can't get through an outline because the story unravels as I write not before.

[@lexybaginsky]

You are not extreme. You are a normal pantser. It is only that planners just can't understand us. Pantsing is totally okay and as worthy and good as planning. Don't let anyone tell you differently, just write like you feel works best for you. Pantsers don't outline normally. They just run with the idea they have.

[@michaelcherokee8906]

@@lexybaginsky Oh dont worry about me, I am perfectly happy telling anyone who has an issue with an aspect of me or anyone else that cant be changed to take a real long walk on a rather short pier.

[@billyb4790]

I think I’m a discovery writer at heart. But it sounds like planners are more prolific overall. They seem to write faster and churn out stories a lot faster. I envy that in a way.

[@enycristieribeiro9824]

I never know how my stories ends, but in a few hours my characters have middle names and addresses. 😅

[@BKPrice]

I'm not a discovery writer because I feel like outlining takes away the thrill of writing. I'm a discovery writer because the beats and flow of the story are most clear through writing prose rather than descriptions. Having my characters in the field shows the pitfalls and dead ends my initial plans might have, and leads to some rather out of the box ideas that I would never come up with by outlining. Plus, as a fantasy writer, my story concepts can get pretty off the wall and I need to see them in action to keep them from getting out of hand. This is good advice but sadly I probably can't use it. Love your stuff, though, Abbie.

[@mjwritesbooks]

I really loved the way you worded this! As a new writer I haven’t quite discovered where I am on the discovery writer - plotter spectrum (probably somewhere in between), so I enjoy seeing the “why” that different writers have for the way they approach writing.

[@BKPrice]

@@mjwritesbooks Thanks, and I would say that you should experiment. I don't know that there's necessarily one way to do every story. There have been some where discovery writing didn't get me very far until I sat down and plotted out the story, even if it's barebones, in order to know where I'm going.

[@mjwritesbooks]

@@BKPrice I’m sure there will be tons of experimentation in my near future aha!

[@socman002]

With discovery writing, you will find stuff in the trenches of your imagination you never would have otherwise. This stuff can frighten a lot of people who aren't used to unconventional ways of thinking, and for others it will delight. Perhaps our goal as (discovery) writers is to turn this unintelligible creativity into something comprehendible, perhaps even conventional.

[@socman002]

​@@peanut3438 ​ @Peanut I don;t even know what 'unconventional' means, just kinda sounded cool. Guess I was meaning ... paths I wouldn't have found otherwise, that others might deem as non-sensical, unformualaic, or .... wierd. Prob why no one reads my boks ;) All the best, love the quotes.

[@emlearns]

The little sketch was my favorite part of the video. Made me LOL 😂

[@worthfightingfor2299]

THAT BOOK PITCH MEETING WAS EVERYTHING. 😂😍And seeing the example of that bullet point outline in action was sooo helpful!!! Like, it made me actually realize that the climactic confrontation doesn't have to be some gigantically huge thing. *smh* Really takes the pressure off. XD

[@AbbieEmmons]

haha thank you!! I'm so glad this video helped and inspired you! 😁 for sure, your climax doesn't have to be huge and dramatic. follow your heart ✨

[@lisavanhusen7483]

My favorite tip/advice video yet. The pitch meeting LOL! Love it.

[@rowenablackable]

STOP IT RIGHT NOW! I have been struggling with setting my outline for nanowrimo and Abbie uploaded outline video!!!

[@jarmoliebrand2005]

I have plenty of story ideas but so outlining is the next step I must take. There is another hobby that might help me to outline by stories: Lucid Dreaming. Knowing that you’re dreaming and being able to control dreams as a result. I would visit my characters and get to know them on a personal level, as if they were actually friends of mine. I think it would help with outline and character voice a lot.

[@peanut3438]

I don’t lucid dream, but I daydream a lot. Imagining characters in situations really helps flesh them out in your mind, but it’s important to put them on paper too so you see it more solidly and make even more connections. Writing stuff down in general is beneficial, really. It’s like another neuron connection path thingamajig where you realize logic holes or connections that you haven’t before. Good luck on your writing! God bless

[@elizabethsmith955]

Yeah, daydreaming is also helpful. It's like playing with dolls kind of.

[@ulyx9804]

Much appreciated Abbie. You've given me confidence like no other teacher has. I feel like I've learned something fundamentally new with your series compared to all others. Thanks for all that you do.

[@AbbieEmmons]

This comment brightened my day x10000! THANK YOU 🥰

[@adrianfisher3349]

It may not be the most efficient method but I'm working in my first novel. I'm starting off with an idea and then a general overview of the story. I then move on to the main characters for the story, even if they never actually appear in it as such, ie, memories of a loved one whos passed on, etc. I also work on character arcs. I then cycle back through the process again, this time adding in more detail than before and keep doing this until I'm happy with the result. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻 and good luck all 😊

[@Quantum_Bluntz]

I had no idea what NaNoWriMo was until I saw this video lol I just popped in because I need to outline a novel I'm working on. Thanks for the awesome tips!

[@Ruasack]

Would love to see more skits like that pitch meeting!!

[@violentends]

i’m so glad this came today, i need to do another outline for my book that i’m writing for nano so this is really helpful!

[@teabooksgirl854]

As a hard core discovery writer trying to get back into novel writing (I've never finished a novel before but want this time to be different), this was so helpful! Thank you so much!

[@AbbieEmmons]

I'm so happy this video (and method) spoke to you! Best of luck with NaNo! ✍🏼✨

[@robynevershed9292]

@@AbbieEmmons could you please help me with this method? I am having trouble doing it. Thanks.

[@munafausta327]

Oh my! Thank you, Abbie. Just thank you. I've been having a hard time trying to figure out how to go about outlining my story via the three-act story structure. But seeing how practical this video made it, I realize now that I have been overthinking. Just thank you, Abbie. You're an angel come to save me from confusion.😊

[@AbbieEmmons]

I'm so glad this video came at the right time for you! Believe in yourself and your story, you know what you're doing! 👍😊

[@AbbieEmmons]

I'm so happy this video came at the right time for you! Believe in yourself and in your story, you know what you're doing! 👍😁

[@moonlight_cat_27]

Hi, thank you for this! I’ve given up most of my old story ideas… they didn’t seem to work. Now, I’ve got a new idea! :) And this is my first NaNo, I’m so excited yet a little nervous.

[@MariJadeWrites]

Good luck with it, have fun writing the new story idea 😊

[@AbbieEmmons]

I'm so glad this video inspired you! Best of luck with NaNo, I'm sure you'll do fantastic! 👍

[@peanut3438]

It’s hard not to give up! Trusting in God helps me. Good luck with writing! Also to whoever’s reading~ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” ‭‭John‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭NIV “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬ “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭NIV ^w^ ❤️

[@gsswolf13]

I don't even own a laptop, so, it's been an overwhelming and daunting task to work on all of this by hand... but I don't think I'd be half as far along as I am without you. Thank you, again.

[@jagerbaby8628]

I HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH WRITING MY OUTLINE FOR 5 MONTHS, I HAVE NEEDED THIS!

[@Weird-Girl]

Yesss! I love it when I’m struggling with something writing related and Abbie just posts a video about that exact topic 😂 I normally love to have a 20,000 word outline because I need to see EXACTLY what I’m going to write since I tend to get blocked a lot due to having many interruptions at home. But for the story I’m currently writing for nanowrimo, it just wasn’t fitting right. It’s a romcom type story with its share of drama and serious moments, and my main characters are super chaotic and oblivious to the world around them, so they have a tendency to surprise me at every turn. If I plot that they’re going to kiss in x chapter, I can assure you it’ll happen anywhere but the chapter I plotted for because they write themselves 😂 So I needed to have a clear sense of direction, while not getting too detailed and still being able to shift things around. This bullet point outline is the perfect thing for this story. Thanks Abbie! Love your videos! 💕

[@AbbieEmmons]

I agree! It's very freeing to have that sense of direction, but you also let the characters write themselves 👏🏻 best of luck with your new novel!

[@Weird-Girl]

@@AbbieEmmons omg thanks for the reply! 💕 and yes that’s exactly it. I still needed an outline but it needed to be something more internal like this bullet point outline and not what I usually do which is plot out every single chapter down to the last detail 😂 thank you so much for the good luck wishes and good luck to you too with all your writing projects! 💜

[@shane5132]

Oh my God I'm so excited for the new character profile!! Honest to God, Abbie, before you, I was never outlining any of my novels (maybe that's why they were never completed) But now, I have become so dependent on outlines because I realised that I am a planner! Thanks a lot for helping me discover myself ❤️

[@AbbieEmmons]

THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY ❤️ you rock!

[@shane5132]

@@AbbieEmmons you rock too!

[@jenniferbrunson2949]

This is great writing advice for Nanowrimo and preptober

[@itsmelala1714]

The way you played the Abbie and Abbie meeting, so relatable with new stories!!! Also thank you so much for starting this Preptober series, I really hoped you would do it, because I love how you explain. I was worried you were too busy, but you never fail to get us content! Really needed this video 🥰

[@AbbieEmmons]

Haha thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. 😁 and so glad it helped you!

[@ashleycaralee1369]

Not me literally googling this ten minutes ago. Perfectly timed video! Thank you ahhh

[@maria-uy6wy]

This came in at the perfect time! I have started a new novel but I felt kinda stuck and didn’t know how to move forward with it… I’ve outlined the story in a few hours thanks to this. Thank you so much!

[@AbbieEmmons]

This comment totally brightened my day!! 🤩 I'm so happy this video came at the right time for you!

[@pilot750628]

Your videos are succinct, clear and always motivating. Every time I’m like “author goals!!” Love your work.

[@AbbieEmmons]

Thank you so much, Sarah! That means a lot 🥰

[@daydariftwalker]

Im halfway between a pantser and planner. I can’t do the rigorous outlines that planners make, but when I go in blind, I can’t visualize the story properly enough to follow it though, and I often end up dropping the project. The way I fix this is to write everything down in prose in chronological order and add as many ideas as I have. Then I set it aside and come back later to work out the plot holes. Once I’m done with that I start writing the rough draft. Essentially it’s a mini rough draft. It lets me look at the pacing of the story and the foreshadowing, while also letting me go with the flow. If you like this idea of writing, feel free to use it ^-^

[@stjuliaofavila]

I've never been so early to an Abbie Emmons video! This video looks awesome! Can't wait to watch this! Thank you Abbie! :D ~Lia Nicole (Devoted Follower of your Writing Advice)

[@Emma-cc1yn]

This is so helpful because my school is having a club to write a novella during November!!!!!

[@prajaktakarekar4742]

Very helpful for a messy mind like me who is still excited internally and planning ravageously her first book!!

[@Andreaccl09]

We definitely need more of "Abbie meets Abbie" xD

[@bea8839]

i usually write short stories but i strated the outline for my first novel yestarday and found this helpful video at the perfect moment thx so much!!!

[@queenorchid719]

This was so helpful! I never quite understood in school when they did the who/when/what/how/why story outlines in school, so this was a good explanation

[@LV-bk4it]

This couldn't have come at a better time - I've had this idea for a historical romance for a long time, one of heart-break and betrayal, while I've outlined another. Suddenly, three days ago, it was like I went into a trance and the whole premise, along with side characters, unfolded to me. It has been was amazing. I'm sure it was not a coincidence that I had a feeling of betrayal and extreme hurt because of actions my husband that led into this, just like the original story came because of the actions of my first husband. I'm trying to purge all of my thoughts into Scriver as I write this. There's nothing like experience to fuel writing. And, BTW, betrayal doesn't always mean adultery; it means any trust broken.

[@peanut3438]

One of the hardest things is in order to write well (or widely), you should live well (or widely) Dx I’m interested about your story, and I’m sorry to hear about your bad experiences. God bless

[@JezLerman]

This is genius. This clip changes everything. Goodbye, Idea-to-book overwhelm. BOOM. Thank you for posting this vital video, Abbie, pure genius.

[@gloryometere5547]

Thanks for this video. Just what I need.

[@raquellopez648]

Thanks for the wonderful video. I have to say this or I will explode, your space looks absolutely gorgeous and inviting!

[@Ivy_King]

The Abbie vs Abbie seen was epic 😂🎉

[@jupiter4334]

Oh my, this is soooo helpful!!! I'm so excited for this preptober series (even though I haven't chosen my nano project yet), I've been drafting for the past three months and I kinda miss outlining and that sparkling feeling of developing a new idea -- with all the freedom and the different ways it can lead you. As always, thank you Abbie for the amazing content! 🧡

[@AbbieEmmons]

Thank YOU! I'm so glad you're enjoying the preptober videos so far! 😘

[@delun11]

K, best writing related KZbin channel 😆

[@milomazli]

Lovely Abbie, this will be random: please do a makeup video of your signature look!! I LOOOOVE your many looks in the videos and I super wonder what eyeshadows you are using. And I am curious about EVERYTHING ELSE you use! Thanks for considering!!

[@GeorgiaPeach05]

Same!

[@HulluitsCece]

This is such a well needed book since I’m never prepared for when nanowrimo starts. But this vid came just in time, it’ll help me plan and plot before Nov comes along

[@sachinhalk494]

detail structured starting !thank you for this.

[@emileedawnfrench]

I love your pitch meeting😂please do this more often! You’re actually the best thanks for another great video (I mean video series-so excited)

[@m.ali2008]

Thank you very much you are my best teacher of the world your every word precious for me we have great respect for you thanks

[@choubatsu5860]

im finally gonna be trying my hand at writing a novel again for the first time in a couple years! ive been studying and writing short pieces all the way up to novellas for about 8 months and ive super improved! ready for this!!

[@liueasynm]

As a panster who had desperately wanted to outline, but never really knew how this was so helpful! It feels like my stories are a lot less messy and actually have a consistent plot. Tysm.

[@carolinasantos5696]

Thanks, Abbie. Im already anxious for the next video! It´s my first nanowrimo and here I come!

[@nicodiangelo9810]

OMG I love the sketch you did!!! LMAO you are KILLING it out here Abbie

[@Drewlaure]

Okay, this video helped me so much to put my idea into writing and get a basic outline. I'm working on a story of adventure, lover's quarrel and time travel. I enjoy creative writing, but never tried writing a novel until now. I'm excited to bring my characters to life! Thank you!

[@ericdark6183]

I feel this, for me it's writing in multiple notebooks over the few years I've known I wanted to write a book.

[@muthiar6451]

Been waiting this rough ver for so long and finally!! Thanks abbie. Imma fix my short story after this. Have a good day ahead🥰

[@gsswolf13]

Excuse me, Ms. Emmons? I Just wanted to say thank you. Genuinely, just thank you. I have had ideas for about 4 novels in my head for roughly 20 years. I don't have much money so I can't really afford Scrivener or these other tools you describe, but that isn't the point. I'm a visual artist who has been staring up at this... massive, intimidating wall and not sure how to get through. Most resources I've checked out are behind a paywall and inaccessible to me. I've tried SO MANY times to get even ONE of these projects off of the ground and, while I'm not there yet, your tools CERTAINLY are...more valuable than I can begin to express. Thank you. So VERY much for the content you put out on KZbin. I am genuinely, and humbly, VERY grateful to you.

[@theveggieviking8916]

I LOVE the mid lesson sketch. Really breaks up the 'info dump', illustrates your point brilliantly and is just fun to watch. Ive watched a bunch of your videos now n subscribed n I really hope to see more of these. That was great. :)

[@jasminejackson8113]

Ahhhhh! I was excited for your next video. Then I realized you posted this one only two hours ago! 😢❤

[@Miskahaila]

I've started writing June 2022, trying to pursue my love for books and english!!!

[@suikatasai8330]

That "orphanage for unwritten stories" description was so relatable! I need to get writing. 😅

[@peaceseeker7441]

Thank you for you tips Abbie, and I just wanted to say that you look beautiful.

[@superfluityme]

Watching this video I made a connection. When I travelled when young I would buy a plane ticket and that is it. Everything else on my journey I dealt with as it came about or I required it. I also do this when writing: writing is my plane ticket. I don't have a theme, I just start to write and a story develops. Then I have a rush of ideas as my imagination kicks in,. As I write them down a structure develops. The only reason I do this is that the story gets too complex to hold in my head. Imagine being able to hold all the complexities of a story in your head and letting your imagination just flow; how cool would that be.

[@lemonblue2387]

Love you SO much Abbie! I literally wait all year for your Preptober series' :D Thank you.

[@waynecliburn2749]

1st time viewing this today (25 Oct 2022) and have to say you have strong natural teaching skills; but, I think the "art of story" has made you equally impressive a talent as an actress by placing yourself in the story (somewhat). My own story (10+ years in the making as a newly available career #3) is in a computer folder titled "Novel to change the world" I am challenged in that I last read a work of fiction more than 30 years ago. I've recently finished "James Patterson: Stories of my Life" and got kinda inspired - he still outlines each book in pencil. You encourage better than his daunting examples.

[@fuindes_batwings]

You are a total lifesaver. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this!!

[@Musikchic47]

Hey this is sort of off topic of writing, but have you ever done a video on how you make videos? Your lighting, sound, everything is always done so well. That would be an interesting topic to cover :)

[@jamescarvey2133]

Thank you Abbie this video dispelled a lot of my internal conflict. Cumulative conflict which results from over processing. This video had so my, cutting edge and concise proposals 🙏🙏🙏🙏 Rock On !!!

[@lrhill84]

Thank you so much for not just saying "Here are the steps." but also "Here is an example of what it looks like to follow these steps." I am a very visual person and so just being told the steps I need to follow isn't enough. I need to see someone else follow them first so I have a map in my head to chart by.

[@raindaze2012]

Thanks so much for this, Abbie! I always find it so helpful when you give concrete examples of filling out the story outlines. It allows me to not overthink my outlines too much and get discouraged. Love your videos and so excited to Preptober! Can’t wait for more :)

[@tejaswinisureshkrishnan4228]

This is incredible. I'm gonna be watching this multiple times💗

[@elizabethbronson1126]

To be honest I am one of those prancer's, but I'm not so sure it's working out for me. I also get super distracted and procrastinate. I came across your video over a year ago in an English class and then I moved on. I'm currently in another English class and I really needed some direction for my story and then I remembered your videos. I am super glad that I found them on you tube because it's been a great help!!!

[@aaron6622]

I might actually have to read Tessa and Weston's Christmas story now.

[@blessingthegoat]

Abbie is by far the best novel coach I have seen in the past year of my life, so much a class skills amazing 👏

[@gabrielamendes2207]

I always gets confused in long and detailed outlines. I loved this more simple and direct approach of doing it!

[@DaltonKevinM]

I have the hardest time putting words together regarding a story without my characters taking the reigns from me. I am watching your video to learn how to improve my "middle"

[@medievaldruidess]

Thanks Abbie! You have helped me so much with my writing. xx

[@Queennumen]

Adding talking to herself PLSE I LOVE

[@ianhooper8609]

Hi I am loving this video! As you began describing the steps, ideas flooded my mind. I am starting with step 0, and will work each step one at a time. This is incredibly helpful! Thank you! And I am excited to see what the end product will be! Thank you for this video!

[@samantharose1001]

Thank you, Abbie, for the visual breakdown of the rough sketch. That's going to be so helpful for me this month! I already know a lot about my characters and the plot, but I want to use this exercise to better articulate what I think I know! :)

[@AbbieEmmons]

I'm so glad you found this video helpful and inspiring!! ❤️

[@viennabooks741]

This video was amazing! It was also beautifully edited, so much great info and hard work and you provide it to us for free, thank you so much!

[@ryanpeacock9004]

I've written like 500+ short stories and even got a few published. These were some great tips to help me improve my process!

[@marykedewitt1362]

Thank you for doing this!! Super helpful, its going to be my first Nanowrimo and even though I’ve watched all you older videos (which changed my life thnx) I’m curious to learn even more, especially if you’ve got new tricks 😉

[@catherinedean3796]

With your bangs, you bear a striking resemblance to Natalia Dyer and I am LIVING FOR IT 😍

[@reyofsunshine7171]

I'm so psyched to write now !!! I love this updated process . Can't wait to get home and get started . 🏃🤩🥳

[@AbbieEmmons]

YAY! ✨💃🏼

[@writerwannabe8778]

I love your new editing. It was also nice and funny to see a moment of you acting in the book pitching scene. I don't know if it's really about the acting for me, just that scene I liked. It adds something to your usual content.

[@Stormsong93]

That Abbie vs Abbie sketch had me trying to hold in loud laughter so early in the morning. You've earned a subscriber for your knowledge and humour. If I ever actually write a book some day, so much of the credit goes to you and your incredible channel. Chi miigwetch! (big thank you)

[@falakwrites8596]

Abby I LOVE YOU SO MUCH I've been struggling with choosing my project, but when I watched your video I realized I wanted to focus on Reckless Hearts. I really don't know why, I have stories with more details and scenes already written but I feel like Cassidy's story is dying to be out. I'm so scared yet excited. Exams are around the corner so I have no idea if I can do it but I want to join the journey so bad ahhh thank you

[@havvaalexander9520]

This was great. Thank you! I’ve been texting myself anytime the narrator of my to be Nano project pops an idea out. It’s incredible and fun 😊

[@shannoff24]

loved watching this video and I am so grateful for all the work that you put into this for everyone! Your channel will definitely be a place i go to for writing tips and advice

[@coveredgirldesign5414]

Thank you so much for this breakdown!!

[@samauthor342]

Dude! I absolutely love the way you share your knowledge in such an understandable way! My hero 😊❤

[@AbbieEmmons]

THANK YOU DUDE ❤️ that means so much to me 😊

[@Life0fBri]

Working on an outline for my next screenplay and feel slightly stuck.. so I clicked here for ideas/procrastination. Thanks, Abbie, the bangs look great!

[@coastalbeer]

"The Kid Gallagher Story " was written in 5 weeks. The Author was inspired by the legacy of Mark Twain. He grew up in the town that Mark Twain vacationed in! One of the most entertaining books I have ever read. Robert C. Bauer writes like no other!

[@britneypennington8502]

This was really helpful! I'm excited for this series 😊

[@ramantinuwal1810]

Best things about Abbie is that she gives examples

[@dionnem.pringle9796]

It took me 2 years, and I've rewritten it so many times. Thank you for sharing your process.

[@cosmicprison9819]

“In the end, he learns to trust Tessa’s love and see that he is already the person he wants to be.” I don’t know if you realised this, but this is an inadvertent insight into female psychology. “Men must become; Women just are.” A guy writing Weston would give him at least one thing he has to improve in - rather than just “overcoming his misbelief and ‘realising’ he’s good enough the way he is.” Because most likely, he isn’t. And the persistent idea that you are good enough the way you are (rooted in biology and evolution) is one of the factors, I think, that often result in passive and static protagonists, *especially* when those protagonists are female. The worst offenders in this regard are Twilight and Shades of Grey; but Tessa in 100 Days of Sunlight also shows these traits (she’s much more passive than Weston, up to the point where I sometimes thought this is actually Weston’s story, not Tessa’s). This trope goes back all the way to the old fairytales, such as Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty etc. It’s essentially what happens when you make the Damsel in Distress the main character of the story. Note that I’m only going off the first book and your rough sketch notes for the second one here; I haven’t read “The Best Christmas Ever” yet. But just working with these notes, the first thing I would have wondered about is what actual thing I could give Weston to improve about himself - and then, only as a *result* of this personal improvement, his feelings of inadequacy would go away. Obviously, Weston can’t just “regain his legs”. But if he does experience feelings of inadequacy, that’s a hint that there’s still something he should change about himself. If it’s all just in his head, he can come off as paranoid, because all he has to learn is that he worried about nothing. A common trope in my stories, I’ve found out (rather than planning this ahead of time), is that a male character fails to protect a loved one - developing doubts about his own capabilities and, his own value as a man as a result (because that’s closely linked to him feeling useful; women are human beings, men are human doings). Because he cannot undo his failure, the only way forward is to prevent further harm to that loved one in the future. But usually, the guy’s first response (the misbelief) is to try and avenge the harmed loved one, as if two wrongs could make one right. Of course, preventing further harm is still a good incentive to go up against the antagonist - but it’s a different one than vengeance (which has the primary goal of *causing* further harm, namely to the antagonist). In one of my (unpublished) fantasy stories, I deliberately set the bad guy up in such a way that it was impossible to defeat him out of vengeance (because he used people’s negative emotions as a magical weapon against them). But it was possible to defeat him as a precautionary measure, in order to prevent him from committing further crimes. This required the protagonist to abandon his emotional biases against the antagonist, and act more like an objective cop or judge, rather than like an avenger on a personal quest. Thus showing that the primary purpose of justice is to prevent further crimes, for the benefit of all of society; rather than punishment for the mere personal satisfaction of the former victims. Given that most physical fights between a protagonist and an antagonist effectively amount to vigilante justice, making vigilante justice adhere a little more to the principles of state justice makes it slightly easier to endorse. 😂 Especially if it’s in a case where the official court systems fail, because the offender has enough power to bend the law and its enforcement to their will. Linking this idea of “failing to protect” back to your story: Weston did get an opportunity to defend Tessa in “100 Days of Sunlight”, at the bookstore - and in that case, he succeeded. What if his feelings of inadequacy resulted from a novel instance (the inciting incident) where he *fails* to protect Tessa (someone trips him over, steels his synthetic legs etc., and thus, Tessa is on her own with whoever is bothering her)? Then she would actually have good reasons to feel unsafe around him, and to regard him as “useless”. Thus, if Weston starts believing Tessa might be “ashamed” of being with him, there would be more grounds to that than just “she might worry about the social stigma of being with an impaired person”. 🤔

[@jessierosales1039]

You are an excellent instructor. Thanks.

[@Ghostrob2023]

Good morning, Abbie. Thank you for your advice on how to create an easier way to outline the structure of your story using the 3 Act procedure. It's simple, easy and to the point with figuring out every part of your story before telling or writing it out onto paper or on the computer. Have a great day and God Bless!

[@nwaoriakuezinneada4391]

Hi Abbie, I watched this video and implemented it in my writing, it was so good and I also got a good review. The best part is that it's my 1st time and it was soo easy to get the outline done. Thanks Abbie🌹