Week Two

The Outline

Ideas can be like a bunch of wild toddlers running in all different directions at once. They are all still growing and need the same special attention. But how do I contain them to protect them while giving them enough room to become what they are meant to be? How do I combine my ideas and construct the novel without stifling my own creativity?

I have always shied away from outlines since every poem or story I have written has been written based on a single thought. A novel  to me is like several ideas combined to create one body. With that being said, I found that an outline is a mandatory step to starting my first novel. Here are a few methods I've used while creating my outline:

1. Plan the outline - Before I started my outline there were a few elements that I needed to consider.

• Main Plot - this is the main conflict for the main character (s)
• Theme - if there is one phrase or word that can describe the story, it's the theme
• Sub Plots - these are other conflicts that arises with the main plot in progress
• Obstacles for protagonist - the protagonists NEEDS obstacles, the harder the better
• Main Events - these are the main parts of the novel that gradually takes the reader from one point to the next

2. Creating the Outline - This is the method I used when creating an outline to match my writing style.

• I first tried a timeline method where I created a table that contained 4 columns, they were Timeframe, Main Plot, Sub Plot and Characters in Scene. This allowed me to place the main plots and the subplots in the timeframe when they were to happen and I was also able to identify which characters would be in these scenes. 

         

•  I soon found that the timeline method did not suit me since it did not leave me much room to make changes. Therefore, I am currently working on a different outline method where I write a paragraph describing each chapter. I am also refraining from putting too much detail into each chapter so that I can give my creativity enough freedom to expand during the writing process.

Overall, I found that creating an outline will help me in avoiding dead-ends and also allow me to remember to wrap up sub plots. Outlines are a good way to maintaining control over the project while leading me in the right direction.