01-15-2023, 03:05 PM
Before you start writing a story, it's often a good idea to outline it, so that you know where you're going with it. However, outlining can be tedious - especially if we have a great story idea that we're eager to start writing! Fortunately, plotting your story doesn't have to be tedious - and, in the above video, Abbie Emmons explains a process for outlining your story quickly.
The first point she makes is: your outlining should serve you, not the other way around. Once they've created an outline, a lot of writers feel trapped in it: they feel so boxed in by it that the writing process no longer feels creative. However, that's not the point of an outline: if you find that it's stopping you from writing the story that you want to write, you can go back and change it. But it probably won't require too much changing, because it involves three simple steps:
- Premise. What is the idea that you want to write about? Chances are, you already know - in which case, move on to the next step:
- Protagonist. Who is your main character, and what are the important things about them? For the purposes of the story, the three most important things you need to figure out about your protagonist are: their desire (what do they think will make them happy?), their fear (what stops them from pursuing their desire?), and their misbelief (what do they mistakenly believe about the world, based off their fear?)
- Story structure. For example, many stories follow a three-act story structure. In the first act, they get pushed outside their comfort zone, making a decision based on their misbelief. Then, in the second act, they go on their journey to pursue their fear-based goal, encountering obstacles as they go. Finally, in the third act, they experience a dark moment - but this will also serve as a 'eureka' moment that crushes their misbelief, and leaves them ready for the final confrontation. (Of course, you don't have to use this outline, but it is an example of a tried and tested one that gives you something to work with!)
So, how much outlining do you do? And do you have any additional tips for it?
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