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Sizzling Story Outlines: How to Outline a Novel or Screenplay, Always Know “What Happens Next” When Plotting a Story, and Finish a Draft Without Freaking Out
*** VOTED #1 PLOTTING TOOL by WritesWithTools.com ***
Say Good-Bye to Half-Finished Drafts (Or Half-Finished Outlines!)Does this scenario ring a bell?
When you started to write your novel or screenplay, the words and ideas flowed freely.
But then…they slowed to a trickle.
What happens next? How to take your characters from A to B?
You didn’t know. You ran out of steam.
Net you wrote thousands of words that went nowhere. Your story notebook had to be abandoned. *ouch*
Happily, it doesn’t have to be this way.
Imagine Your Writing Life Without the Frustration of False StartsYou can avoid getting stranded in the middle of outlining a story (plotters) or writing it (pantsers).
Instead of getting stuck, you can keep your story moving.
Instead of watching weeks go by, with nothing being written, you can watch your word count grow in leaps and bounds.
Instead of panicking at the sight of the blank page, you can bask in the glow of typing THE END.
How?
By doing some simple prep work in advance.
This writing guide will show you what to do, step by step.
Here’s an overview of the path you’ll take to make writing fun again…
In Part I, You’ll Vet Your Story Idea…Not all ideas are worth the time it takes to marinate on or outline them—let alone finish a draft based on them.
That’s why you’ll develop your story idea first, to make sure it has the 6 components that all compelling stories share.
This way, you’ll know it has
substance to sustain a full-length draftappeal to attract an audience to itIn Part II, You’ll Build Your Story’s Structure…This is where you’ll shape your idea into a well-plotted story, with structural markers to write toward.
(Think of it like creating your own novel outline template or script outline template.)
Now, you won’t get stuck. You’ll know where you’re headed; you’ll have purpose and direction when you write.
Are you a pantser? Good news! There’s still plenty of story left to discover.
You can stay close to your characters and “pants away” between each structural signpost—while knowing your story won’t end…well, in a dead end.
Are you a plotter? Then continue on…
In Part III, You’ll Generate ALL the Plot Points in Your Story (Plotters Only)…As a plotter, when you sit down to write, you want to know exactly what you’re going to write about because
makes writing less stressful for youhelps you maximize your writing timeThat’s why, when plotting a story, you need to know what happens between each structural turning point.
That’s what you’ll figure out now. You’ll use a radical new outlining method to plot out your entire story in as little as 2 hours.
It incorporates a simple technique Stanford researchers have concluded can make you 60% more creative (on average).
After You Read This Writing Guide, You’ll Never Look at Outlining a Novel or Screenplay Outlines the Same Way AgainNo matter your writing style, you’ll know how to make outlining work
Say Good-Bye to Half-Finished Drafts (Or Half-Finished Outlines!)Does this scenario ring a bell?
When you started to write your novel or screenplay, the words and ideas flowed freely.
But then…they slowed to a trickle.
What happens next? How to take your characters from A to B?
You didn’t know. You ran out of steam.
Net you wrote thousands of words that went nowhere. Your story notebook had to be abandoned. *ouch*
Happily, it doesn’t have to be this way.
Imagine Your Writing Life Without the Frustration of False StartsYou can avoid getting stranded in the middle of outlining a story (plotters) or writing it (pantsers).
Instead of getting stuck, you can keep your story moving.
Instead of watching weeks go by, with nothing being written, you can watch your word count grow in leaps and bounds.
Instead of panicking at the sight of the blank page, you can bask in the glow of typing THE END.
How?
By doing some simple prep work in advance.
This writing guide will show you what to do, step by step.
Here’s an overview of the path you’ll take to make writing fun again…
In Part I, You’ll Vet Your Story Idea…Not all ideas are worth the time it takes to marinate on or outline them—let alone finish a draft based on them.
That’s why you’ll develop your story idea first, to make sure it has the 6 components that all compelling stories share.
This way, you’ll know it has
substance to sustain a full-length draftappeal to attract an audience to itIn Part II, You’ll Build Your Story’s Structure…This is where you’ll shape your idea into a well-plotted story, with structural markers to write toward.
(Think of it like creating your own novel outline template or script outline template.)
Now, you won’t get stuck. You’ll know where you’re headed; you’ll have purpose and direction when you write.
Are you a pantser? Good news! There’s still plenty of story left to discover.
You can stay close to your characters and “pants away” between each structural signpost—while knowing your story won’t end…well, in a dead end.
Are you a plotter? Then continue on…
In Part III, You’ll Generate ALL the Plot Points in Your Story (Plotters Only)…As a plotter, when you sit down to write, you want to know exactly what you’re going to write about because
makes writing less stressful for youhelps you maximize your writing timeThat’s why, when plotting a story, you need to know what happens between each structural turning point.
That’s what you’ll figure out now. You’ll use a radical new outlining method to plot out your entire story in as little as 2 hours.
It incorporates a simple technique Stanford researchers have concluded can make you 60% more creative (on average).
After You Read This Writing Guide, You’ll Never Look at Outlining a Novel or Screenplay Outlines the Same Way AgainNo matter your writing style, you’ll know how to make outlining work
- GenresWritingNonfiction
278 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2015
119 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 26, 2023
I've read A LOT of books on story structure. I can be obsessive, and I love plotting. I often incorporate bits and pieces from a structure book into my own process as I evolve. I read this particular book years ago, and I was just thinking about how I never left a review. This is one of the top two structure books that stay in my thoughts as I plot. The other one is Save the Cat—and that says a lot about the high value I put on this book. This book is insightful and original, while building on popular techniques that work. If you're considering it, just read it.
April 3, 2016
This is the best story outlining/structuring book I've ever read! D'Costa makes story outlining extremely simple as he clarifies story structure concepts and points out connections between structural elements. The hands-on approach of this book (action steps) enabled me to plot my next book as I read this one, and I felt as if I were taking an actual class in story development. I plan on reading every one of D'Costa's writing guides.
June 1, 2020
First two thirds worth your investment
For new writers like me the first two thirds of this book are great as an adjunct to other books on genre and story. I’d recommend you read this in conjunction with Save the Cat and the relent movies/novel companion guide. Sizzling Story Outlines helps you understand what your plot points and bears need to be in the context of the story you want to tell. Matched to one of Snyder’s story archetypes, you’ll be well on your way to getting your structure right and your first draft pumping.
The last third of this book is devoted to what the author calls the walkenwrite method, which is a brainstorming methodology the author swears by but won’t work for all.
While I wasn’t enamoured with this section, I do recommend this book for those writers seeking to nail story structure.
For new writers like me the first two thirds of this book are great as an adjunct to other books on genre and story. I’d recommend you read this in conjunction with Save the Cat and the relent movies/novel companion guide. Sizzling Story Outlines helps you understand what your plot points and bears need to be in the context of the story you want to tell. Matched to one of Snyder’s story archetypes, you’ll be well on your way to getting your structure right and your first draft pumping.
The last third of this book is devoted to what the author calls the walkenwrite method, which is a brainstorming methodology the author swears by but won’t work for all.
While I wasn’t enamoured with this section, I do recommend this book for those writers seeking to nail story structure.
February 14, 2020
Useful
First half is useful and I learnt something. Swcond half was a bit confusing so I didn't focus as much. Overall, I will practice what I learnt and see if it makes a difference.
First half is useful and I learnt something. Swcond half was a bit confusing so I didn't focus as much. Overall, I will practice what I learnt and see if it makes a difference.
February 10, 2024
Useful book to Kickstart outlining
The author has found all the right pain points and addresses systematically. Easy to understand and the action points at the end of each chapters are good to retain.
The author has found all the right pain points and addresses systematically. Easy to understand and the action points at the end of each chapters are good to retain.
December 30, 2022
Best outlining book I have read so far! Thanks to this book I almost have a complete finished outline, and before reading this book I only had an idea of how my story would begin and end.
March 12, 2017
Although part of a 3 (4?) part book series, this book makes a great standalone reference for writers, like myself, who struggle with making outlines that are efficient and workable. As the author states, knowing "what happens next" is crucial to completing your story not just letting it float around in your head all day but actually sitting down and writing it out. Strategies and tools you need to accomplish your goal of completing your novel can be found here. This makes a great addition to any struggling writer's tool box.
October 21, 2016
I started to read this a while ago, and could not get through it … I admit, I wrote harshly my thoughts about this. Upon a second chance read (I started reading it without knowing that I had read it before) I found this to be a perfect guideline for outlining a novel. I do not know what the me from 120 days ago was thinking or going through, but the me of today read through this in a week and I found every step to be thoughtful and thought provoking as well as a well explained guide through the story structure process. This will definitely stay in my book pile to reference in the future until this becomes ingrained into my process, or I find a better way, which is doubtful. Hopefully my poor review from before did not dissuade anyone from reading. If so, I was wrong. So very, very wrong. a sleeping agent.
March 29, 2016
I think the author did a great job explaining the outlining process. She made it look doable.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews