by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I’ve mentioned before (in 2019) that it’s very helpful for outliners to hold onto their outlines instead of trashing them. I find them very helpful cheat-sheets when I’m about to discuss a book with a book club or at a library.
But I’ve recently found another great use for my outlines for those of you who use them. I almost always write short, no matter what project I’m working on. I like to bump up my word count, but not at the expense of my story. In other words, I don’t want to just add a bit of fluff to the book.
What I’ve been doing lately is to use my outlines to find areas of my story to revisit. For my last book, I realized from re-reading my outline that I’d introduced a small thread about one of the supporting characters and then never followed up on it. It wasn’t necessarily something that had to be followed up on (it wasn’t a loose thread, in other words), but I think when I revisited the subplot later in the story, it probably gave readers more of a feeling that everything was getting wrapped up.
Before, I’d been brainstorming completely new subplots and character development bits to fill in the plot. I found, after re-reading my outline, that just wasn’t necessary. And it was a lot more relevant than coming up with something new for my readers to follow.
Another benefit: sometimes it’s easier to catch minor inconsistencies and small plot holes in the outline than it is in a 200 page draft.
I feel I do need to make a proviso here. My outlines are long. . . they average 35 pages and take about a week for me to write. But I think the same benefits could be had with a shorter document, as long as you outline subplots as well as the main plot.
That’s my tip for today, but I’m interested in hearing from you. Have you come across any writing-related tips lately that work for you?
A Quick Tip for Outliners: Share on X
Very clever! My outlines are shorter but very detailed. It would be easier to catch problems there rather than in the story. And yes, I save them.
They’re so useful, aren’t they?
That is a great idea for using an outline, Elizabeth! I do outline my books, and that works for me in terms of consistency, plot development and the like. But I hadn’t thought of using outlines that way. Very good idea! I also think outlines are useful when you’re prepping anything promotional (e.g. What part of this story really pops, so that I can put some emphasis on it for promo?)
Smart idea to use an outline to help with promo! It’s the crux of the plot, after all…makes sense!
Thanks for the outlining tips. I only outline the major points before I start writing and fill in the rest on the outline as I go. I’m just finishing a manuscript and will check to see if my outline helps me figure out the plot threads I never finished. Thanks.
Hope it helps, Natalie! Congratulations on finishing your project!
I like the way that you think of ways to better the writing process, and you share your ideas with others! Thank you!
Teresa
Thanks for coming by, Teresa!
Makes me wish I was an outliner!! Both of those are really handy tips. Alas, my brain refuses to work that way and I’ve learned to embrace the way it does prefer to work :)
Definitely better to stick with whatever works! That’s the most important thing. :)
That’s a good use for outlines. They can also help with the back cover synopsis or even the synopsis sent to a publisher. It’s easier to see the basic, important parts then.
They can really be used for a variety of different things.
These are great tips. I bet an outline would be helpful when writing those dreaded synopses, too. I found a great piece of software for outlining, and use it all the time for books and screenplays. And no, I earn nothing to recommend it. The price is right. It’s easy to use, and the support is amazing. If you’re a plotter, check it out at https://plottr.com/.
Exactly! It pretty much *is* a synopsis. I turned one of my outlines in to Penguin once *instead* of a synopsis and they seemed fine with that (I was already under contract, though, so can’t recommend that practice to others!)
I’ve heard great things about Plottr! Thanks for the rec.
I used to say I wasn’t an outliner because I don’t outline, per se. What I do is a chapter by chapter synopsis broken down into beginning, middle and end…which now that I think about it…that’s an outline. LOL
It sounds like a *great* outline!
Hi Elizabeth – I have lots of ideas scattered around with links or thoughts – I just don’t develop them into blog posts … but can see your approach makes sense – and interesting to know you’re writing short stories as well – an anthology in due course perhaps. Cheers Hilary
Many of my books are practically in novella range when I finish the first draft!