How to Outline a Novel in 7 Steps [+Free Template]
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Try for freeA novel outline is a map for your story, highlighting the main events along the way. It captures the building blocks—plot, characters, scenes—and lays them out in a structure you can follow, shift, and build on. Done well, it turns a vague idea into a working blueprint.
Outlining doesn’t replace writing but makes it more focused. The outlining process doesn’t have to be rigid or exhaustive—just structured enough to give your story shape and direction.
At a minimum, your story plan should answer these questions:
- What is this story about?
- Who drives the story and how do they change?
- What events move the story forward?
- How do subplots and themes connect to the main arc?
Some writers outline before writing a single sentence. Others use it to reshape a messy first draft. Either way, learning how to outline a novel helps you write with direction and ensures thorough character development, avoiding getting stuck in the middle. By the end of this guide, you’ll have everything you need to start outlining your novel with confidence.
How to Outline a Novel
Even discovery writers, who prefer to explore their stories as they go, can benefit from a loose structure that helps track scenes, subplots, and turning points. There are several ways to outline your novel, but you should choose a method that works for you. Let’s walk through five tried-and-true outlining methods:
Step 1: Choose a Novel Outline Type
Here are five popular formats writers use to get their ideas on the page:
The Synopsis Outline
This is a brief, high-level summary of your novel in 1–3 pages. It contains major plot points, characters, and emotional turning points in a few paragraphs.
Best for: Writers who want a bird’s-eye view before going into the details.
Example: If we write F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby as a synopsis, it’ll look like this: Nick Carraway moves to West Egg. He meets Gatsby, who is obsessed with rekindling his romance with Daisy. Escalating tensions leads to Gatsby’s death and Nick’s disillusionment. The story ends with a reflection on the American Dream.
The Beat Sheet
This is popular in screenwriting, not just novel writing. It breaks the story into 12–15 major story “beats” or key moments (e.g., inciting incident, midpoint, climax). It’s great for pacing and structure. You can also use it to find weak spots in your arc before drafting.
Best for: Writers who like having a clear list of important story moments, like in fast-paced or plot-driven stories.
The Scene List
This format lists each major scene or chapter in order, creating a detailed outline with brief notes on setting, characters, conflict, and purpose.
Best for: Writers who prefer to work in sequence or want to see how the story flows.
The Mind Map
This is less structured and more visual, allowing for more character work. A mind map connects places, characters, themes, and events in a branching format. It’s ideal for brainstorming or organizing complex interconnections.
Best for: Non-linear thinkers or writers working with layered, multi-threaded plots.
The Snowflake Method
Author and writing coach Randy Ingermanson created this method as a step-by-step guide. Here, you expand a one-sentence premise into a full story outline by layering the details in stages. Start small, then build out the plot, characters, and scenes in a structured way.
Best for: Writers who want to grow an idea step-by-step.
Example: Let’s build Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice using the Snowflake Method:
Start with a one-sentence summary – A sharp-witted woman clashes with a proud, wealthy man, only to discover love where she least expected it.
Expand it into a one-paragraph summary – Elizabeth Bennet finds herself amidst society, family pressure, and her own pride as she spars with the aloof Mr. Darcy. After their initial misunderstandings, both grow in humility and self-awareness, and their initial judgments give way to mutual respect and affection.
Turn each sentence in the paragraph into a paragraph of its own – From then on, you can develop detailed character profiles and build a scene-by-scene structure.
If you’re writing a new novel and you’re still not sure which of these blueprints to use, start with a scene list—it’s flexible, easy to rearrange, and works well with any genre or writing style. You’ll refine it as you go deeper in your writing process.
Once you’ve picked the right format to organize your thoughts, the next step is defining the main idea that will guide every decision you make.
Step 2: Define Your Novel’s Premise
Before outlining scenes, define your premise. It’s your story’s north star.
A premise is a one or two-sentence summary of your story’s core idea, stakes, and conflict. A strong premise grabs readers with a clear, specific idea and shows what’s at stake. It also sets the stage for better writing and revision. If it’s too vague or passive, your story risks falling flat.
Let’s compare:
Weak premise: A girl has powers and goes on a journey to learn about herself.
Instead, tell the reader which girl, what powers she has, what the threat is, and why they should care.
Strong premise: A queen flees to the mountains after her powers freeze the kingdom, only to realize that isolation won’t protect the people she loves. (Disney’s Frozen).
Weak premise: A guy falls for a girl, but there’s so much stopping him from being with her.
Here, there are no stakes, conflict, or urgency, so it makes the premise generic.
Strong premise: A nerdy comic book store clerk falls for a girl, only to learn he has to fight her seven evil exes, including her new telepathic boyfriend, to be with her. (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World).
Your premise answers four fundamental questions:
- Who is the story about? (Your protagonist).
- What do they want? (Their central goal or desire).
- What stands in their way? (The conflict or opposition).
- Why does it matter? (The stakes—what’s at risk if they fail).
Try this: Write your premise as if you’re pitching it to your future reader. If it is unclear, your outline will drift.
A clear premise helps you build stronger plot points later, making each scene feel earned.
Step 3: Develop Your Main Characters
A great novel lives and dies by its characters.
Before you build your plot or break your story into scenes, figure out who your main character is, and how they change. Readers don’t stick around to follow events; they care about the characters involved.
When you outline with character development in mind, your plot becomes more emotionally resonant and believable to your readers. Develop your characters by following these steps:
Know Who They Are—And Who They’ll Become
To outline a strong character arc, start by identifying who your protagonist is at two critical points: the beginning and the end of the story.
- What do they believe about themselves, others, or the world at the start?
- What if your protagonist makes the wrong choice halfway through—how does that change the arc?
- What is that flaw, fear, or false assumption?
Then, consider who they’ve become by the final chapter.
- What have they discovered, gained, or lost?
- How have they grown or failed to grow?
It’s not just what happens in your story that matters—it’s how your character changes that gives it meaning.
Take Jane Eyre, for example. In the beginning, Jane is meek and uncertain of her worth, struggling against rigid class barriers and the weight of early trauma. By the end, she asserts her independence and chooses love on her own terms—her arc moves from powerlessness to self-possession.
Ground Characters in Reality
Even fantasy characters should feel grounded and believable. That doesn’t mean they have to be realistic—it means they should act in ways that make emotional sense to the reader.
Pull from life. That elderly man at the bus stop who whispers to his coat. The coworker with three opinions and no volume control. The friend who acts tough until someone says “I’m proud of you.” You can even pull from pure imagination. But they need dimension. Give them contradictions, quirks, and blind spots. Show what they hide from others and what they hide from themselves.
Step 4: Choose a Story Structure
By now, you’ve chosen an outline to organize your ideas. But to give your story shape and flow, you also need to choose a story structure. These two tools work together but serve very different purposes.
Outlines organize your ideas—scenes, characters, themes. Structure shapes how those ideas unfold. Your outlining structure will act as a map to pace your narrative and track your character’s growth. The right structure also supports smoother writing flow.
There’s no single structure that works for every story. But most successful novels follow a recognizable framework. These are three of the most reliable options:
The Three-Act Structure
This structure divides your story into three sections: the beginning, the middle, and the end.
Act One introduces your protagonist and their world, then disrupts it with an inciting incident.
In Act Two, the conflict escalates, the stakes rise, and your character faces challenges that push them to grow.
By Act Three, the story reaches its climax and resolution—your character either changes or fails to change.
For example, in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games (Book 1 of the trilogy), Act One ends with Katniss volunteering. Act Two follows her through training, alliances, and survival in the arena. Act Three builds to her final act of rebellion, which changes everything.
The Hero’s Journey
If your novel is about personal transformation or a journey of identity, try the Hero’s Journey. Each stage of the Hero’s Journey aligns with key plot points that reflect internal change as much as external action.
This structure draws from mythology and follows a character who leaves their familiar world, undergoes trials, and returns changed. It begins in the ordinary world and then introduces a call to adventure.
The protagonist resists that call until a mentor helps them cross into a new world. Along the way, they face challenges, reach a crisis point, and emerge transformed.
In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Bilbo starts in his quiet Shire. When Gandalf calls him to adventure, he’s reluctant, but later joins the quest, survives ordeals, and returns home braver, wiser, and forever changed.
The Seven-Point Structure
Created by author Dan Wells, this structure takes a mechanical, plot-focused approach. It starts with a “hook”—who your protagonist is before the story begins—then moves through key turning points, pinch points, and a midpoint that shifts the story’s direction. It ends with a final plot twist that leads to the climax and resolution.
This method works especially well for genre fiction and stories with complex plot points that need a reliable structure.
Example:
In A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, Feyre begins as a desperate hunter. The midpoint reveals her captor’s true nature, and the story builds to her final act of sacrifice and transformation.
Whatever structure you use, the most important thing is to give your story shape, momentum, and a clear path from beginning to end.
Step 5: Break Down Your Structure Into Scenes
Once you’ve chosen your story structure, the next step is to break it down into scenes. Each part of your novel should either advance the plot, develop a character, or shift the story’s mood.
When planning scenes, make sure each one builds on your story’s key points; the moments that drive character change or raise the stakes. This will save you time during writing and editing.
Start with your major plot points—the inciting incident, midpoint, and climax—and then build outward into supporting scenes. Some writers prefer using sticky notes to rearrange beats and scenes during early drafts.
Include the major details as you go: whose point of view it’s in, what conflict drives it, and what changes by the end. This approach not only helps prevent pacing issues and flat chapters, but it also gives you the flexibility to rearrange or revise your story without losing track of the bigger picture.
Step 6: Layer In Subplots and Adjust Pacing
Once you have your main plot, you need additional scenes in subplots and to fine-tune your pacing. They deepen your characters and highlight your story’s themes, but only if you weave them into your outline earlier, not later.
In The Hunger Games, Peeta’s alliance with Katniss is a subplot that tests her trust issues and supports the main arc of survival and rebellion.
To do this, map out where each subplot starts, how it ties into the main story, and what effect it has. You will find that some subplots unfold more naturally when shifted to other scenes or layered into quieter moments between major beats. A strong subplot can even reveal something unexpected that will surprise your readers.
As you review your outline, watch for pacing problems. Too many slow or intense scenes in a row will sap your story’s momentum.
A well-structured outline keeps the story flowing, with a balance of tension and quieter moments that build toward a satisfying whole.
Step 7: Revise and Refine Your Outline
Once you finish your outline, take a step back and look at it with a critical eye. This is a part that tests your patience as a writer. But look at it this way: you’re not fixing mistakes (at least, not yet), you’re only making the story stronger. This is because scene changes matter to both the plot and your readers.
From your opening hook to your last scene, review for purpose—does it move the plot, develop character, or shift tone? Then zoom out to assess the big picture: Are your turning points well-timed, the climax earned, and the midpoint meaningful?
If you notice gaps between your major plot points, cut, reorder, or combine. If anything still feels off, revisit your premise or character arcs.
You can also check out The Four Stages of Editing: Making the Most of Your Draft—we’re discussing it now in Discord.
Outlining is your chance to catch weak spots in logic, motivation, or pacing before you invest months (or even years) in writing. The more you revise and tighten your structure, the more confident you’ll feel when you start writing—with a solid outline behind you.
The Benefits of Using a Novel Outline
Here’s what a solid story outline can do for you:
It Keeps Your Plot Fresh in Mind
Writing a novel takes time. Life can get in the way, or your ideas can shift. But an outline gives you something to work from—so you’re never staring at a blank page, lost. You can stop writing for a week and still come back knowing what happens next.
You Can Write a Stronger Synopsis
If you’re querying agents or submitting to publishers, you’ll need a synopsis. An outline makes that easy because you already know your key points, turning points, and character arcs. So instead of trying to reverse outline your novel into a summary, you only need to condense your roadmap.
It Makes Genre Hopping Less Intimidating
George R. R. Martin once said, “I think there are two types of writers, the architects and the gardeners. The architects plan everything ahead of time… The gardeners dig a hole, drop in a seed, and water it.”
If you’re thinking of writing outside your usual genre, a blueprint gives you the structure to do it with confidence. If you’re a “gardener,” outlining doesn’t force you to abandon that. It gives you a frame to grow into, so the story doesn’t wander. If you’re more of an “architect,” then the structure lets you design a story with clean arcs and satisfying turns before you ever start writing.
It Frees You to Be Creative Within a Framework
Outlining doesn’t kill spontaneity. It gives you a safe space to take risks, test out cool ideas without derailing your entire story. It’s like scaffolding; it supports your creativity instead of caging it.
You Can Finish
This is the big one. Over 80% of adults want to write a book but only 3% ever get to finish their draft. However, writers who outline are more likely to finish a draft. Because they know where they’re going, they won’t stall at Chapter 7 or rewrite Act Two five times.
Browse through these book writing templates to help you shape your blueprint around the kind of story you want to tell.
Pros and Cons of Outlining a Novel
Final Thoughts
When your outline is strong, your story writing stands taller, and the easier it is to keep your readers turning the page. Every writer’s process is different, and that’s okay. Your structure can (and should) evolve as your story grows.
FAQs
These are some of the questions many writers have on how to outline a novel.
What are the 7 steps to outline a novel?
Start by choosing an outline format that fits your process, then define your story’s premise. From there, develop your main characters, select a story structure, and list out your key scenes. Focus on your main character’s arc and major plot points. Once the foundation is in place, you can layer in subplots, adjust pacing, and revise to ensure everything connects and flows.
How to outline a novel for beginners?
Start simple. Choose a basic structure like the Three-Act format, write a one- or two-sentence premise, and list out your key scenes. Focus on your main character’s arc and major plot points. You don’t need to outline every chapter; just enough to guide your writing with confidence.
How long should an outline for a novel be?
There’s no fixed length. Some writers use a one-page summary. Others build detailed scene-by-scene breakdowns. A solid book outline gives you clarity; it doesn’t need to be exhaustive. Aim for something you can reference and revise as you draft.
Do I need an outline before I start writing?
It’s not mandatory, but it helps. Some writers outline before writing to avoid getting stuck. Others outline after the first draft to fix structural issues. Both approaches work. An outline is most useful when it builds momentum and keeps your attention on what matters next.
Is there a tool that can help me outline a novel?
Yes. Squibler offers free templates and a visual outline editor that helps you organize scenes, develop characters, and choose a structure that fits your story. Writers can move from idea to finished draft without losing track of the big picture.
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