This Writing Hack Will Fix EVERY Problem in Your Book

Are you ready to revise your novel, but feeling overwhelmed by all of the issues in your draft? It may sound too good to be true, but I know a simple writing hack that will fix EVERY problem in your book - and save you hours of time in the process. Today, I’m revealing exactly how you can use this amazing writing trick to quickly spot and address issues with your novel’s pacing, structure, character development and more.
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GREAT BOOKS ABOUT WRITING/PUBLISHING:
Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer / amzn.to/3VE8dtt
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody / amzn.to/3Vyk2Bn
Before and After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum / amzn.to/3Z4at03
SOME OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS:
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones / amzn.to/3vvWItt
Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips / amzn.to/3CFz4Pt
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid / amzn.to/3CjFFi5
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MORE WRITING ADVICE:
5 Scenes to Cut from Your Novel NOW: • 5 Scenes to Cut from Y...
The ONLY Way to Plot a Novel (It’s Easier Than You Think!): • The ONLY Way to Plot a...
The Ultimate Guide to Revising Your Novel: • The Ultimate Guide to ...
HOW REVERSE OUTLINING CAN FIX YOUR NOVEL:
05:35 - Balancing POVs/storylines
06:30 - Improving pace
08:02 - Identifying outlier scenes
08:55 - Tracking character development
10:07 ­- Incorporating themes and motifs
ABOUT ME:
My name is Alyssa Matesic, and I’m a professional book editor with nearly a decade of book publishing and editorial experience. Throughout my career, I’ve held editorial roles across both sides of the publishing industry: Big Five publishing houses and literary agencies. The goal of this channel is to help writers throughout the book writing journey-whether you're working on your manuscript or you're looking for publishing advice.
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[@samfowler2073]

Before: This has gotta be click bait After: Well slap me with a salmon and call me Keith, that's not a bad idea

[@DejanOfRadic]

My reverse outlines look like I am trying to solve a conspiracy theory, taped to the wall in dozens of pages, strings connecting scenes lol

[@AlyssaMatesic]

Love this!

[@MrNedinator]

i think that means you're doing it right! :D

[@krampus5531]

Jesus, thats exactly my problem XD

[@TanyaStrongBooks]

I did this totally by accident. But I love all your ways to use it to figure out problems

[@GhettoFabulousLorch]

I arrived at this idea from an oblique angle. I'm actually a pipefitter/welder as my day job. In the trade, sometimes you prefabricate spools together in a shop to be sent out to the field. You build according to a print but after you finish the piece you draw what is called an "as-built" which depicts what it says. I took the logic behind that and applied it to my writing. Glad to see that I happened upon an actual technique.

[@Wordsmiths]

This is great. Glad you shared this. It's a helpful alternative metaphor. I like the "engineering twin" that NASA builds for every space probe: if something goes wrong with the one that's a million miles away, they can fiddle with the engineering twin right there in their lab, and figure out how they might fix the distant one. Same with the reverse outline and an "as-built"!

[@VinnyTheory]

As a KZbinr myself, I’m realizing this is similar to making a video. After you film all of it and sequence it together, you basically have to reverse outline in order to trim the video down to only its most important parts

[@vultureiraq1168]

I was going to do the 'reverse' outline method cause I am a pantser 😊 and your sooo right! Even if you 'plan' a story to go a certain way, it doesn't go a certain way as a pantser even though I don't 'plan' exactly on a outline i still feel i'm planning on my story out especially when I daydream about it. Thank you, I currently hit 25k in my draft for my fairytale story and im still on ACT 1, haha! (Its supposed to be a novella but if it can end up being a novel thats okay too)..

[@kiwifruitkl]

1:48 Skip to the main point -- Reverse outlining

[@IchNachtLiebe]

I appreciate your videos. I've been tackling my first novel over the last few months averaging 70 hours per week. I've been running a fine comb through every word. Your videos, though simple, address steps of the process that many other channels don't. Plus. You seem to address each subject very quickly and effeciently. I've watched some of your old videos too and your video skills are definitely improving with practice.

[@amelialeonard6855]

Ahh found this video at the perfect time, I just finished a draft and need to fix a ton of things and I was actually considering doing a reverse outline so this was very helpful and kinda my "sign" to go for the reverse outline hehe I would love to see a video with a deeper dive on reverse outlining techniques and processes!

[@AlyssaMatesic]

So glad you found it helpful! Let me know how it goes for you!

[@campwriter9289]

Wow I actually do this! I don’t really outline, but once I’ve written a good amount of the book I always do this, even the colour coding. I also print out a simplified version and stick it on my wall so I can refer back to it. And another thing that helps me is I tell myself out loud the story (my kids think I’m crazy 😅) I talk through every scene, including character state of mind and motivation. I always pick up on potholes, places where I can foreshadow and it also helps me to flesh out the characters. Great video 😊

[@r.brooks5287]

My scenes are very different lengths, how are you showing in your reverse outline how long in word count/pages it takes to cover each point? I feel like I'm missing something really obvious.

[@Wordsmiths]

@@r.brooks5287 Maybe you don't need to know how long the scenes are? Just write a one-sentence summary of each one and see how the scenes work together, like Alyssa says? Scenes are like flagstones, they can be different sizes and shapes as long as they lead from one to another and get the reader from the beginning all the way to the end without meandering too much along the way. You might discover that one or more of your long scenes should actually be more than one scene... or not. I don't know. Scenes should be as long as they need to be, as long as they still work.

[@Wordsmiths]

aha! I've used this for years, it's super helpful. I learned it was called a "working synopsis" (as opposed to a promotional synopsis or a query synopsis for an agent) because it shows how all your scenes are actually working together (or not working) with a one-sentence or two-sentence summary of each scene. This is a great description of the process and its strengths! I used to use 3x5 cards or a spreadsheet for this, but now I use Plottr. A slide deck might work well too... that would be a whole lotta slides though, for a book-length manuscript. I'd use Plottr or just go back to physical 3x5 cards, at this point.

[@freedomthroughspirit]

AhI I was wrong. I was guessing it was going to be taking a break from your work to step away and come back with "fresh eyes" later OR reading it aloud to yourself. Thanks for more great content, Alyssa! I don't understand how your channel subscriber numbers aren't much, much higher already. Excellent. Thanks! 🤩

[@AlyssaMatesic]

Those are both excellent tips as well! Thank you for the kind words!

[@lacinaranjo4229]

YES to deep diving!!! I just got my second query rejection (I know, I know, 2 rejections is NOTHING in the querying world and I should expect many more, but it’s everything to me 😭😭), so I will take every in-depth that I can! Thank you for these videos!!

[@lewiscrow]

I did this last year with one of my WIPs, without realizing what it was called. I have to agree, it was very helpful in recognizing scenes/characters that didn't move the story along and could be cut.. I'm definitely glad I did it.

[@JustClaude13]

The reverse outline sounds really promising. I already need to make a new beat sheet, since the novel I wrote "evolved" considerably during the writing. At least two new plot points developed late in the writing that will need to be added in to the earlier sections so they don't just appear out of nowhere. I do have a few slow and boring chapters in the beginning, but I can't cut them because they establish the main character's issues and circumstances at the beginning. I need to find a way to make her more dynamically active in those chapters so it feels like she's progressing toward her goal.

[@Cacachica69]

I just want to say I tried this for one chapter and OMG I was skeptical but it helped me write so much better!! I am somewhat half of a planner/panster but I do have trouble getting a point across and making it flow well instead of it being messy. But reverse outlining actually helped me articulate my point/lead my plot better. Thank you!

[@AlyssaMatesic]

I'm so glad it worked for you!

[@NovaKirsch]

Love all the videos, and the helpful insights/information you give. But I think your dog steals the show. Love it!!!

[@coffeshrap]

Come for the writing advice stay for the background doggo

[@scifidesign2]

I have been doing this for years, but I call it a storyboard. When I have written a chapter I keep a documented account of what the chapter is about.

[@ericswart2719]

One of my favorite TV series is Babylon 5. It’s because they do stuff in the first season that seem superfluous but have major ramifications in seasons three and four. The Saw movies also do this effectively. I have scenes in my book that seem unnecessary but will matter in later books. What’s the suggestion on cutting vs keeping them?

[@mercycunningham2813]

I really love that they basically reveal how it all ends in episode 1. Hm, if those scenes are just for foreshadowing and nothing else but necessary for later I'd try to multipurpose. Maybe you can use them for worldbuilding or to tell something about the characters?

[@jeanpascalmonzies8592]

Great advice!!! It's funny I was actually doing this already but for some reason I was calling it a sinopsis instead of a reverse outline. I am almost done and I can see how this is going to help me organize my book scene by scene in a more cohesive manner. I am happy that I figured this out on my own and this video is confirmation that I am on the right track. Btw my book is in Spanish but these concepts are the same no matter what language you communicate in. Thanks for the great video!

[@tywrb5184]

The main problem i have with writing is continuing my stories😭😭

[@Gene1969]

This might sound silly but ask your main character what is the next story. It's their story after all.

[@IchNachtLiebe]

It's a bigger task than it seems. I've written 80% of my novel but I have edited it so many times I can't even count. At first I was just improving grammar and fixing punctuation but my recent reread have been about fine tuning every sentence to matter. Where writing 70k words might take 100 hours, fine tuning and correcting 70k words to a degree that you're left with a professional looking piece of work might take 500 hours.

[@Gene1969]

@@IchNachtLiebe I knew a guy who edited his book over nine times! Don't go crazy in the editing. Get it to where you are satisfied and send it!

[@IchNachtLiebe]

@@Gene1969 My process has become more efficient ad I've worked more on this project. I was very rusty. But my later chapters are taking much less time to edit because I have less mistakes in the first place.

[@Gene1969]

@@IchNachtLiebe That's fantastic! Enjoy the process. I'm rooting for you.

[@knghtmajic]

As a Pantzer, I would love a deep dive into Reverse Outlining.

[@krampus5531]

Reverse outlineing is the reason i'm in this very sticky situation in the first place lol.

[@clairemckenna4445]

Oh! I do this all the time after finishing (or being close to finishing a book). It's good to see there is a name for it, and not just being overly pedantic!

[@xChikyx]

I actually have thought about doing this before. I didn't know it was a thing people do tho hahah the color coding thing is an excellent idea! I'll defimitely do this as well I would like to see more of this topic for sure

[@OtakuOG]

THANK YOU!

[@leezapaints]

I'm excited to see this video because I am working on what I realize now is a reverse outline! I took a break from my book for many years and got back into it last year. I decided to plot everything out to make sure I know what happens and that it makes sense. Thanks, Alyssa!

[@AlyssaMatesic]

It's such a great idea to use reverse outlining to reacquaint yourself with an old project! Good luck with your book!

[@leezapaints]

@AlyssaMatesic Thank you so much! It's the first of four in a series and it had a lot of Easter eggs, so it was necessary for continuity and remembering everything! lol

[@blt2421]

That's what I do! I didn't have a name for it, though. I do this on file cards, making it easy to move things around, group scenes, figure out where to add/eliminate scenes, etc. Color coding for different POVs, settings, time periods, etc, and laying out the cards accordingly make it easy for me to visually judge balance, pace, and anything else. It really is that easy. I'm a plotter, so I work off my existing plotting file cards and add/subtract/adjust as needed. Great video. Thank you!

[@giovannijacobs4496]

I am looking at the sixth book in my series of seven books. It's going NOWHERE. Frick. it's screaming at me and I'm screaming at it.

[@mercycunningham2813]

In that case: You have 1 minute. What's the worst thing that could happen to your protagonist?

[@troydaum4728]

Thank you so much! This video is so timely. I started working on an outline of my book but wasn't sure what to do with it. The color coding based on plotlines, character development, and theme is brilliant. It is helpful to be able to visualize how balanced these various aspects are. I would love to see more videos like this about outlining, structure, and organization :D

[@philm9593]

I have to admit I've never heard the term reverse outline before. Sounds useful. Thanks for the tip.

[@FrankCraven-jk3sv]

-Love the way she says, 'button' !

[@johnricciardelli9579]

Thank you! Very helpful since I'm making major revisions.

[@joseflores2184]

The latest draft I did was made easier by identifying each chapter with a different color . This helped to prevent the me from feeling I was drowning in ocean of words . Also made it fun to track rearranging and transplanting paragraphs.

[@RoxanaLine]

This is a great video, Alyssa!! Thank you so much for the tips. ❤ I actually do color coding for my characters’ POVs in my notes too 😅

[@danielclarke7036]

I started doing this a couple months ago to try and help me write my synopsis. I didn’t know it was such a hack!

[@76kilosofshade81]

Such a good idea. I'm doing this now, using the plot grid method (in Excel) as I write draft 2. Mostly just basic info now but I'll go back and re-do when I'm re-reading the draft next month.

[@arzabael]

Thankk youu misss Alyssaa ❤

[@rowan7929]

Great timing. Just going through the second draft and already made big changes. Either I describe too much or said the same thing in a different way. And other things that need to be looked at.

[@amaranvandermeer5615]

Yes please, an in depth video would be great! Very usefull advice. Thank you Alyssa!

[@tj3603]

Curious advise, definitely going to try it with my current project. Thank you!

[@craigmcmahan1315]

Background music seems to be from an old analog tape that has somehow warped. Would help if you had a digital version that sounds much clearer. Might also help to not have the background music run during the entire video. I'm one of those people who finds hearing a musical phrase over and over rather tedious. Otherwise, I appreciate your content. Quite interesting.

[@marias8007]

This is a great idea! Thank you, ill give it a go

[@AlyssaMatesic]

Awesome - let me know how it goes for you!

[@marias8007]

Do you think this would be a good step to include at the structural edit stage? I'm doing somewhat of a structural edit and this feels like a useful process to include@@AlyssaMatesic

[@simsimahmadi9133]

For panser like me, also a useful tool😊

[@cptnchordophone]

Thanks for all the content you put out! I found myself doing this exact kind of thing recently using notes on each scene in scrivener. I just completed the first draft of my first fantasy novel, currently sitting at around 200k words. I was told by lots of people (on reddit) that this word count puts me in the "auto-rejection zone" for a debut author. In your work with publishing companies did you find this to be true? It's a pretty large source of anxiety for me currently and you seemed like the person to ask! Once again, thanks for all the videos you've made, they're an amazing resource of information and have really helped me feel more prepared for parts of the writing process I was unclear about.

[@TaxiMathGirl]

Thank you! I inquired about help with answering beta reader feedback: this feels like two stories. This video is helpful. I would love to see a deep dive.

[@andrewmurray7052]

Hi Alyssa I loved your content I have a question. I am a writer and I wondering does every chapter have to have conflict? I have done this 😅 I have a character who is fun to write for while my other characters pov is harder. Maybe I would try this 😁 plz do a vídeo on reversed outline techniques

[@americanopinions9929]

Will a "Reverse Outline" for my non-fiction medical/health book work as well? Thx, Ed

[@mangymako]

I totally accidentally did this already. The color coding was huge.

[@R.W.D.-vs8xl]

I'm not entirely clear on two things: 1. what's the best time to start one? and 2. what's "reverse" about it, exactly? Thanks

[@AlyssaMatesic]

Hi there - great questions! I suggest starting your reverse outline after you have a completed draft of your book and are ready to start revising. That's why it's called a "reverse" outline - instead of outlining before drafting the book, you draft the book first and outline after (in reverse order). I hope that helps!

[@tearstoneactual9773]

Okay, this is a nice abstract theory discussion. It doesn't actually show/teach *how* to do a reverse outline. Do you start with your last scene and work backward? Do you start with your first scene and work forward? Like... this just creates more questions and/or confusion. This is only the theory portion. The Tell portion. Now we need the Show portion. (Tell, Show, Do model) Preferably with multiple examples, not just "Oh here's the latest thing I'm working on."

[@Wordsmiths]

That would make for a pretty long video. I hope she does a deep dive on this at some point, but until then, experiment with different ways to do it. Start wherever makes sense to you. I start at the beginning and create a card for each scene as it comes up. But you could do it "in reverse" and work from the last scene backward toward the first scene! The term "REVERSE outline" refers to the fact that you're making an outline AFTER you've written the draft, rather than before you write the draft. You don't need to do the actual outlining in any particular direction. One reason she didn't do much prescriptive "showing" might be because there are so many different "right" ways to do it. "To each his/her own." But having said that ...a deep-dive video on this, like you describe, would be great!

[@tearstoneactual9773]

@@Wordsmiths - My questions weren't for my benefit. I know what a reverse outline is. I've done a few, and I've reverse-outlined the same story three different ways before. I also can do a regular outline. Or *no* outline.

[@uncleanunicorn4571]

I do have a main character whose point of view dominates much of the story, The other points of view are there to add suspense to the main plot line, I may need to further develop them. But the galaxy is in a lot of danger, So I want to limit lengthy navel gazing.

[@greggorsag9787]

As a confirmed pantser, this sounds a bit like snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. I’m done, right? I think I’ll just turn my pants inside out instead. Maybe that’ll help. (Just kidding 😂 Mostly.)

[@andeeharry]

I believe this is clickbait again. Reverse outline? Why don't you call it like it is, 'Structural editing'

[@jimmymulherin4505]

Her dog is totally bored with her writing videos.