Book Outline

Most popular posts

An image of footballers all watching in amazement as a soccer ball flies into the goal, to invoke the theme: "equipped with these tools, any author can achieve their writing goals and stun those around them."

Writing Goals

What are your writing goals? Do you have dreams of winning the Pulitzer prize? Writing a bestseller or an Academy...

Prehistoric cave archeological cave carving of six men in a boat used to symbolize the deep meaning of a 6-word memoir

6-Word Memoir

Writing a 6-word memoir might feel impossible at first, too restricting, maybe even unfair. You might think, How do you...

Painting escaping criticism by Caso utilized here to suggest a feeling that learning constructive criticism and how to employ it appropriately will allow the author to escape criticism effectively

Constructive Criticism

One of the most important skills you’ll learn as a writer is how to take constructive criticism.  Feedback is an...

Pictured: a café that has a sign out front that employs alliteration and immediately evokes a strong feeling that answers any reader who asks the question: "What is alliteration?"

What Is Alliteration? (And How to Use It in Your Writing)

One of the best pieces of writing advice I ever got was: read your work aloud. When you do, you...

A child feeling sand for the first time is one of the images we understand to be evocative of sensory details.

How to Use Sensory Details in Your Story

Your goal as a writer is to immerse your readers fully in your story, to help them experience what it...

An evocative image that suggests to the writer reading this blog that good screenwriting classes should evoke a sense of childlike learning joys.

Screenwriting Classes: What to Look for

Whether you are new to the craft of screenwriting, or perhaps stuck somewhere in the middle of your manuscript, the...

Featured image for character outlines with two outlines of people dancing by the beach in red to depict a visual importance that exists naturally in all mediums
Blog
Alan Watt

Character Outline

Master your character outline by connecting internal dilemmas to plot beats. Learn to challenge false beliefs and drive true transformation.

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Image for pantser blog--woman writing in a serene café environment
Blog
Alan Watt

The Pantser Method: Writing Without an Outline

Learn how to hone your strengths as a “pantser.” Discovery-based writers often succeed with creative freedom and spontaneity, but successful narratives still require an underlying structure of character transformation to avoid losing direction.

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what happens next
Blog
Alan Watt

What Happens Next?

The first step in creating a fully alive story is imagining the world. This simply means envisioning your characters in relation to

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Recent posts

What makes a good story is suggested by a fourth piece of four quadrants slotting neatly into a missing gap — suggesting that the key to a good story comes from the hand of the writer.

What Makes a Good Story? The Four Elements

This is a question that can often lead writers down the wrong path. Many try to answer this through the...

Featured image for character outlines with two outlines of people dancing by the beach in red to depict a visual importance that exists naturally in all mediums

Character Outline

Master your character outline by connecting internal dilemmas to plot beats. Learn to challenge false beliefs and drive true transformation....
Someone measuring a piece of leather on a marketing board to visualize the question of "book outline: where do I start"

Book Outline: Where Do I Start?

Transform your draft with a book outline. Learn 5 proven methods to map your character’s journey, master story structure, and...
Image for pantser blog--woman writing in a serene café environment

The Pantser Method: Writing Without an Outline

Learn how to hone your strengths as a "pantser." Discovery-based writers often succeed with creative freedom and spontaneity, but successful...
dramatic opening

How to Outline a Dramatic Opening

Structurally, a dramatic opening functions as a hook. Emotionally, it needs to do more than just attract attention. When an...

thematic statement

What is a Thematic Statement? Examples and Writing Strategies

 Your story’s thematic statement is the central argument that drives your narrative. Writers sometimes obsess over their plot to the...

snowflake method

The Snowflake Method of Outlining

Writing a story can sometimes seem overwhelming. Think of your favorite books. You can tell when a writer has put...

in medias res

What is “In Medias Res”?

Some stories drop you straight into the middle of chaos in the first scene, giving little to no explanation. This...

synopsis examples

How to Write an Effective Synopsis 

Previously, I unpacked the theory behind synopsis writing, explored the mechanics of what makes a synopsis work, and defined its...

novel outline

How to Outline Your Novel in 5 Steps

Each writer has their own process. Some writers (often called pantsers) believe that outlining their novel limits their creativity, while...

Synopsis

How to Write a Synopsis that Grabs Attention

A synopsis might sound like just another item on your never-ending to-do list, but it’s actually one of the most...

The Value of an Outline

The Value of an Outline

What’s the point of an outline? Whether consciously or not, every writer is in search of a process. A lot...

Outlining The Dramatic Question

Outlining: The Dramatic Question

Your characters are a function of the plot, archetypes that constellate around the dramatic question. Story is essentially an argument...

what happens next

What Happens Next?

The first step in creating a fully alive story is imagining the world. This simply means envisioning your characters in...