About a month ago, I purchased James Patterson's Masterclass. The class has not one, but two sections about outlining. Mr. Patterson swears by it, and makes a strong case as to why it's necessary for all writers. Included in the class is the outline for his book Honeymoon.
Now I should start by saying that it's long (27 pages to be exact), and it was definitely intimidating at first. Mr. Patterson is pretty vague when it comes to how to actually write the outline, so it was a bit daunting to actually begin.
Once I began writing, however, it wasn't hard. I wrote and wrote and wrote. Patterson explains that the point of the outline is to establish the story. So that's what I did.
Believe me when I say, it feels absolutely amazing to get the story down and see it all on paper. (There may have been some paper-smelling, no regrets. There's absolutely nothing like the smell of fresh ink on paper.)
James Patterson spends 3 months working on an outline. I know what you're thinking. Three months?! I had the very same reaction. That is until I reread my outline and went to work editing it. I scrutinized and scribbled notes all over until some paragraphs were hardly recognizable...and it felt great.
I have this habit where I "talk out" the novel to myself. I basically brainstorm out loud and work through plot points. By doing this, I suddenly realized that my ending was all wrong.
The best part about outlining is the flexibility. You can change plot points and huge conflicts without feeling like you're wasting months of work. I was able to fix the ending without losing months of work. It also made parting with the original ending far easier.
Below I've
📍Just Write: Don't worry about being perfect. The flexibility of the outline will allow you to change anything that doesn't work. Write whatever comes.
📍Take Your Time: The more time you take on your outline, the easier it will be to write your actual novel. If it's fleshed out enough, it'll prevent you from writing yourself into corners. It won't cure writers' block, but it will definitely help.
📍Plan It Out: As I said before, your main goal is to write the story down. Think of your outline like your novel's roadmap. It'll guide you through the plot and keep your writing concise.
📍Have Fun: The most important part is to have fun! Outlines are always changeable, so let yourself get lost in the story.
Going in, I had my doubts about outlining. Now, I can't imagine writing any other way. 📚
