Young Writers Society

Ok, So I have a novel thought out in my head. I need the best and most effective way to Plan/Outline.

I want to try the Index Card Outline but I need more info on that, it would help if you knew anything on that.

Thanks
-WanaBe

Snowflake Technique

Phasing

Key Scenes

Story Question

Try those on for size.

[s]BlackGhost[/s]

Heh I dont know if this will work but Ill try it.

Working title:

“Type” of novel best suited to this idea:

___Mainstream (Describe):





___Category (Genre): check one (or more, if the idea might cross genre lines).
___Romance ___Western ___Fantasy ___Action/Adventure
___Mystery ___Horror ___Science Fiction
___Other Feel free to type in a different genre if you feel yours is missing. Know what readers want to see in a genre before holding yourself down to it.

(Describe):





Main Characters (list only up to three major characters)

Character #1—the protagonist (the hero or heroine of this story)

Name:

Primary Goal:

Most notable personality trait(s):

Character #2—the antagonist (the main “opposition” character)

Name:

Primary Goal:

Most notable personality trait(s):

Relationship to protagonist:

Character #3—a major supporting character

Name:

Primary Goal:

Most notable personality trait(s):

Relationship to protagonist:

Setting(s) (If your novel has multiple settings, list only the two main ones)

Setting #1:

Time frame:


Reason for using this setting:



Setting #2:

Time frame:

Reason for using this setting:





What is the main complication of the story (the central problem that must be solved by the main character)?









What are the primary obstacles preventing the main character from achieving his or her goal?







How is the story resolved for the main characters (how does it end)?





Take the rest of this page to summarize in present-tense narrative, your story idea.

I honestly don't think that there is a "best" one. You just have to fiddle around and see what's best for you. I kinda made up my own, and the ones I find online never work for me.

WHat I do is come up with the story, and then write the start. If I'm going to keep writing, then I figure out what'll happen, which means, doing a list of all the "scenes." It goes like this:

Cal meets Jenna.
Ashley gets raped.
Cal returns to hometown.
Tom meets Ashley.
Cal calls Ashley.
Lunch.

I have enough freedom to do what I want with each of the things that'll happen, and let my characters develop on their own as I go on, but I have enough planned out so that I keep writing and not abandon the project. Sometimes I figure out who the narrator is going to be in different scenes, sometimes I write dialogue from a part I haven't written yet so I can remember it when I do, sometimes I add parts on a whim, specially flashbacks or Into The Mind Of... sections, monologues that sort of thing.

These outlines are usually on my notebooks and shit. And if I'm writing comics or scripts then I do make a much specific outline, specially for comics, where I consider what happens in every page and sometimes every panel before I write it up.