One of my younglings came to me this morning to show me the outline they had written for a book report I had assigned to them. While very neatly written, the content was basically an outline of an outline. It carefully detailed the steps one would take to write an outline with the glaring omission of the actual book report content. After reviewing with them what makes a good outline and sending my youngling back to their desk for a second go at it, I realized that a lot of people struggle with outlines.

Outlines exist to help you figure out plot, character arcs, and story flow. A detailed outline means a stronger story, but don’t let that intimidate you! My advice is to start small, like a stick figure sketch. You don’t even have to use complete sentences at first, just jot down the raw ideas you have for your story and where you think it’s headed. Once you have a stick figure, start “fleshing out” the outline by adding some muscles. Again, no need for complete sentences. Answer basic questions such as what your characters look like, or the type of environment around them.

Your muscley stick figure will now need some added details like clothes. This is where the plot really comes into play, and you may find some of the details aren’t matching up. That’s ok! That’s exactly what an outline is for. It’s important at this stage to take your time and ponder on the things that may not be working or the ones that really excite you. The final step is to give that now-developed stick figure a face. We’re talking intricate details. A petite nose on a buff body builder may not fit. Again, take your time. I know a lot of new writers worry if their daily word count isn’t met, but a successful day in the writing world can include figuring out a major plot point or even gaining a deeper sense of your protagonist’s voice.

Once you have a solid outline, the story will flow much easier than without one. Whenever I’ve come across a section of writing where I find myself struggling, I’ll go back to my outline and usually find I’ve missed a crucial bit of information that, without it, was keeping me from visualizing the story. That’s ok too. No one’s perfect, and I know I’m not the only one who’s had a great outline only to find my characters decided to switch things up a bit. If ever that occurs, go back to your outline and fix those bits. Then stand back and check to make sure those edits didn’t knock anything else out of balance before continuing your writing journey.

My uncle was an old-school professional painter for many decades, and there’s a piece of advice he gave me that I’ll never forget. He said, “Painting is the easiest part because all the hard work was done during the days it took to prep the walls.” I think an outline is very much the same.