Outline Buddy

You've just booted up OutlineBuddy V1.0! Please have a notebook and a pencil handy, or some other way to take notes. (This program will not record information for you.) Be prepared to take extra time to expand on whatever you feel is important. Maybe get a snack or a beverage. Ok, all set? [[Yes -> Setup 1: What do you want?]]

First and foremost, your story should be interesting to //you//! Why do you want to write a story? If you don't have something in mind for this one, ask yourself what you think will keep you interested in writing this story. Here are some examples for why you might want to write a story. '' In order to share your wisdom with the world! As a vehicle for rad fight scenes! To entertain your daughter who is studying abroad in Seoul. To explore a type of character you adore. To invent and work with complex and beautiful fictional world.'' Don't be shy, I'm a computer program, so I won't judge you! Write your answer down somewhere that's easy to see. Next, we'll take a look at characters and setting. Which would you like to address first? [[Characters -> Setup 2&3 Characters]] [[Setting -> Setup 2&3 Setting]]

Your characters will be the primary actors in your story, largely responsible for driving the changes that combine to create ''plot!'' They are also going to be important points of emotional connection with you the writer, and your readers. Do you already have any ideas for characters? [[Yes -> Characters 1]] [[No -> Characters 2]]

Your setting is more than just the physical environment in which the story takes place. It's the social structures, the spiritual truths, the economy, and the culture. It's the climate, the ecosystem, the history, the way the mountains look at night. And it's the way that all these things interact with each other. Do you already have any ideas about the world of your story? [[Yes -> Setting 1]] [[No -> Setting 2]]

If you haven't already written your character ideas down, do that now. What draws you to these characters specifically? Try to find the aspect of each of the characters you've thought about that you consider most essential, whatever about them is ''magnetic!'' That is the character's //heart!// Everything else about them can be built around it! Don't get attached to specific ideas right now, it's early days yet. Look for opportunities to make your characters more vibrant, more interesting! Try to write enough about one character to satisfy your immediate curiosity about them. Leave space to add to them when the need arises. Finished? [[Yes -> Characters 3]]

That's no problem! You can get some basic character ideas written out now. Look back at the reason you're writing this story. What kind of character will help you achieve what you want to? Is there any quality that your first character absolutely //must// have? What kind of person, in what kind of situation, is poised to be caught up in the ideas and action you're most interested in? Can you include aspects of yourself, another fictional character, or a person in your life? Try to get the ''bones'' of your character down. You can write as little or as much as you want here, but make sure you're satisfied before moving on. ''Make sure'' that your characters aren't defined by superficial things like proffession or hair color. You should know what's in their hearts. (Hair color and proffession can work if they matter deeply to a character, but there needs to be a reason.) Finished? [[Yes -> Characters 3]]

Now you have at least the basic outline of one character! That's great! People are to some degree defined by their relationships with those around them. Ask yourself if anything about this character implicates another. In order to function fully in your story, do they need to have a lover, a friend, a rival, an enemy? Who else is around them? If you already have some ideas about your setting, consider the kinds of people that would live there. Are any of these people striking you as interesting? If your setting is different from where you live, what would living there do to //you?// What does it do to your characters? Finished? [[Yes -> Characters 4]]

Do you have all the main characters you'll need, or at least their foundations? [[Yes -> Characters 5]] [[No -> Characters 6]]

Ok, remember, you're characters don't have to stay as they are now, so leave some room to expand on them! Now, if you've already visited the ''Setting'' section, you can move on. Otherwise, head there now. [[Setting -> Setup 2&3 Setting]] [[Move On -> Setup 4: Changes]]

So you don't have all the characters that you'll need for the main plot... Is there anything specific that you feel like you're missing? Do any of your characters need to be tweaked in order to fill in the gaps? Look back at your reason for writing this story. Is there a way in which your characters are failing to serve it? If you're stuck here, try to take a break. Maybe act out or write some conversations between the characters you have. Try to make whatever changes you need to. Finished? [[Yes -> Characters 5]]

The plot of any story is made up of the changes in its characters, setting, and how the two interact. Having completed the sections on plot and character, you most likely already have some ideas about how these things with change throughout the story, but if you want some prompts to help you solidify your ideas, click here. [[Figure out some changes -> Changes 1]] If you've got your basic ideas ready, feel free to move on. [[Move on -> Changes 2]]

If you haven't already written down your setting ideas, do that now. What about your setting sparks your curiosity? Which aspect of it promises to have the most depth? Which facts or ideas about your setting are fundemental? Which ones will change other things about it. Write these down somewhere easy to find. For example, a fantasy story might take place in a world where the geography is in constant flux, mountains moving around, forests growing in only hours. That's going to change almost every aspect of a character's life. They might have to constantly travel to avoid being caught up in the changes. This is the sort of thing you should keep an eye out for. For another example, a more realistic story might be set in a city with a center of government. Do protests ever get in the way of traffic? Maybe there's a local bar called "The Governer's Favorite" that the current governer has never been to. Finished? [[Yes -> Setting 4]]

Well, what kind of place are you interested in writing? You can consult your goal for this story. Think about a setting which will help you get what you want out of writing. If you already have characters, you can also consider what kind of place they are likely to exist in. If your characters don't fit the setting you want to write in, (for example they're all cowboys, but you're writing a story set on mars,) don't worry. You can change the characters to fit, or just create a world in which space cowboys exist. How different from your own environment is this setting? Focus on the differences, and ask yourself which are most important. Build your setting around those, and let them guide the process. Once you've got the ''core'' of your setting, even if there isn't much detail, feel free to move on. Spend as much or as little time here as you like. Finished? [[Yes -> Setting 4]]

Now that you have some ideas about your setting, take a step back. If you had to describe this setting to a friend in ten words or fewer, what would you say? Write that down. (If it's too complex to fit in ten words, that's ok, just make sure you get the most essential ideas across.) Are there any areas of your setting that you are sure you will need to develop further before you start writing? Mark those sections down, or take some time to dive into them now. If you have characters already, consider how they interact with the setting. Were they raised there? Did they move there recently? Where do they like to spend time? Is there anything about your setting that any of your characters would want to change? Is there anything they will be forced to confront? Finished? [[Yes -> Setting 5]]

How do you want your setting to //feel?// In visual media, things like color pallate and art style are used to define the aesthetic identity of a work of fiction. You can do the same with sensory description, as well as with the content of your writing. (Take, for example, steampunk fiction, which is both a genre and an aesthetic.) In order to get an idea of the mood, tone, and feeling of your story, think about works of fiction in writing, or other media, that are similar to the story you're thinking about creating. If you can have any of those things in front of you to look at, do that too. What makes these works feel the way that they do? Are there any techniques or ideas that you could use in your own writing? Finished? [[Yes -> Setting 6]]

If you've already gotten your characters more or less sorted, feel free to move on. If you haven't, use the link below to go to that section of the program. [[Move on -> Setup 4: Changes]] [[Characters -> Setup 2&3 Characters]]

Different characters and setting elements in your story will change to different degrees. In most stories, the main characters change the most, and often the setting changes according to their actions, (or sometimes in order to force them to act.) If that's not what you want to do, that's fine! You know best what you should do. Take a look at your settings and characters. Do you see any aspects of them that seem ''unstable'', or ready to change? For example, a character pining after somebody who doesn't return their affections probably isn't content to remain that way. They might try something extreme to get their crush's attention, or give up and take a trip to Europe to find themself. For another example, a city flying in the sky is just //asking// to come plummetting down to earth. A hidden treehouse is waiting to be discovered. This kind of narrative potential energy is what you should be looking for. Try to identify one or two arcs of change and identify them as primary. These are the ones that will drive your story, so write them down. Finished? [[Yes -> Changes 2]]

If you haven't already, write down the changes that your story will follow, that will drive most of the action, or that most of the action will drive. (That is to say, either the characters will act to try to make these changes, or these changes will result in character actions.) Looking over these changes, do any strike you as uninteresting? Do you think you could make any of them more interesting? Do you feel as though something is missing? Don't worry about it right now, you're about to have an opportunity to fix that. Now, we're going to take a closer look at how your characters and setting are going to change individually. Pick whichever you'd like to work on first. [[Characters -> Changes 3: Characters]] [[Setting -> Changes 4: Setting]]

Characters are complex bundles of stuff, and that's great! It means that we can have them change in a lot of different ways, enough to fit any situation or kind of story. I like to think of characters as having layers. (Like ogres.) 1.//The character's nature. Who they are on the most fundemental level. What defines them?// 2.//The character's beliefs, ideas, and feelings. The processes in their mind which drive their actions.// 3.//The actions that they take, the persona that they present. This is how an outside observer would see them.// ''Bonus Layer'' //In written fiction, we have the ability to selectively reveal information to the reader. This can give rise to situations in which the reader understands a character's nature and their actions, but not the thoughts that drove them to those beliefs, or any other combination. Play around!// So when we think about how characters change over the course of a story, we can think about changes on any one of those layers. Changes in a character's nature will need to be spread out over a long period of time, or spurred by an intense event to be believable. Changes in a character's beliefs are easier to pull off, if you can put them in a situation that would change their point of view. This kind of change is suitable for shorter sections of a story, or shorter stories. Changes in the reader's perception of the character go along with any actual change in a character, but they can stand on their own as well. If a character doesn't change at all, as long as the reader learns something about them that changes the way they see them, that's enough for a plot. Take a look now at your own characters. Try to establish what lives in their layers. Once you've got that, consider which ones change, and how they change. How long do you think each of those changes will take, in story time? That will help guide you as you outline the plot. All finished? [[Yes -> Changes 5]]

The world of your story will probably change in two ways. ''It will change based on your characters' actions.'' ''It will change independent of your characters.'' ("Your characters" here meaning the main group. Anyone you wouldn't give a name isn't included.) The changes that occur in your setting despite, or without input from your characters makes the world of your story feel more alive, more like a real place. These changes will probably affect your characters in some way, sutble or obvious. You can parallel these changes to the ones that go on //within// your characters if you want to be ''Literary.'' An example of an independent change in a story might be the zombie apocalypse in //The Walking Dead// or the changing seasons in //Stardew Valley.// The changes that your characters create with their actions, intentionally or not, will be important to making them feel as though they have agency. In a very simple story, the character driven changes in the setting are in that character's favor, and independent changes work against them. In a more complex story, multiple characters might be working toward conflicting goals. Independent changes might make it harder for everyone, or only some of your characters. Now take a look at your setting. How will it change on its own? How will that affect your characters? How do your characters change the setting? Does it change in the way that they want or expect? Do they even realize that they are changing it? Write down whatever you think of. All finished? [[Yes -> Changes 5]]

Where to next, captain? [[Character Changes -> Changes 3: Characters]] [[Setting Changes -> Changes 4: Setting]] [[I've done both -> Changes 6]]

Phew! We've got all the setup done! We're about to start putting everything together into a plot outline, so consider this an ''intermission.'' In the next section, you'll start to nail down the specifics of your plot. It won't take as long as you might think. After that, you'll look at the first draft of your outline and see if there's anything that you want to change. When you're finished, you should be ready to get into writing. (Although if I were you, I might leave that for another day.) Ready to keep going? [[Yes -> Plot 1]]

A plot can be broken up into scenes. A screenwriter might use the term "beats." You don't need to outline every single scene of your story. When you actually get down to writing it, details that specific are likely to change as you have new ideas. In order to outline the plot, though, it's a good idea to have some essential scenes in mind to guide your hand. You're putting some dots on the graph so you can connect them. Start at the top of a fresh page. It's time to brainstorm scenes! Let your creativity run wild, you don't have to use everything you come up with. If you already have any ideas about scenes to include, write those down first. Look at the changes that you've marked down as important. Think about the moments in which those changes are moving fastest. If nothing comes to mind, ask what specific events could move the changes along. Write these events down. Look at the reason you're writing this story. What kinds of scenes will help you achieve that? If you're trying to write a book to inspire a revolution in the working class, for an ambitious example, you might want to include a climactic scene with a rousing speech delivered by a character your readers will already be invested in. Write down any ideas that come to mind. Look over your notes on your setting and characters. Do any cool images jump out at you? Is there some set piece that you really want to get to show off? A dramatic costume change? A heartfelt apology that will make the reader cry? Jot down your ideas. Now take a look at the scenes you've come up with. Note the ones that you think will be most interesting, exciting, or important. See if there are any scenes that could be combined without losing effect. All finished? [[Yes -> Plot 2]]

Now that you've got some ideas for your scenes, we're going to sort them into acts. There are conventions for what acts are 'supposed' to look like, especially in film, and you should look into it if you're interested, but there's no need to do so. Ready another blank page, and mark sections for your acts. I suggest using ''beginning,'' ''middle,'' and ''end.'' If you want more acts than that, you can simply number them ''1'' through ''X,'' however many acts you want. You might also want to reserve a part of your page labeled ''undecided,'' for scenes you're not ready to place. Now go through your list of brainstormed scenes and copy any that you're interested in using over to one of the sections on your other page. If you're having a hard time figuring out what to put where, here are a few questions you can ask yourself. //Does this scene bring a character further out of their normal life and into the plot?// If so, it might belong in the ''beginning.'' //Does this scene mark the end of one of the major changes?// It might belong closer to the ''end.'' //Does this scene get the characters deeper into trouble or make the setting less safe or stable?// Consider placing it in the ''middle.'' Do you have things mostly sorted? [[Yes -> Plot 3]]

Take a look at the foundation you've just created for your outline. Does any part of it look particularly sparse? Different writers have trouble with different parts of their stories, but many people have trouble figuring out what happens in the ''middle.'' If there's any section of the outline that you don't think you have enough material for, or if it just doesn't feel right, click the corresponding link below. [[Beginning]] [[Middle]] [[End]] If you're all set to move on, click below. [[Move on -> Plot 4]]

The beginning exists to grab your readers' attention, introduce them to the world and characters you've created, and set the plot in motion. A traditional beginning sees a main character's regular life disrupted, and forces them to begin the journey of change that will continue through the story. You don't have to follow tradition, though. Any kind of event can start off a story, as long as it has enough of an effect on the characters to make them act differently than usual. Look at your characters, specifically whichever one you think will be introduced first. What is their life like before the story starts? What kind of event could change that? Could that event also push them toward engaging with the things you want to include? Look at your setting. Is it changing in a way that will affect the characters? What could be an early signal of that change. Could that spark action in your characters? If none of this is resonating, ask yourself if you're thinking about the story beginning too early. Don't start the story too long before something interesting happens. If there isn't anything worth writing about in the moment you're thinking about, move the beginning further into the story. As long as there's nothing before it, a reader will read it like a beginning. Finished? [[Yes -> Plot 4]] [[Need to work more on the middle or end. -> Plot 3]]

The middle can be hard to come up with a specific purpose for. If you view a story as a single, long arc, then the middle will likely be the longest section. It could really be as long as you want. Think about a serialized TV show like //One Piece// or //Breaking Bad.// In either example, you could extend the middle as long as you liked. The trick is that something always has to be changing in a meaningful way. A well crafted story might stretch its changes even across its length, so that you can always see something moving toward the finale. If that's too hard, though, there's a way to cheat. It's the same strategy that those serialized TV shows use. They nest shorter plot arcs inside of larger ones. Every episode might have its own story, and that story contains some piece that furthers the overarching narrative. If you don't know how to keep your middle interesting, try and think up a few smaller arcs that might be interesting to explore. Maybe one of your characters really wants a pet puppu, and you could spend a little while watching them try to adopt one despite being hindered by their intimidating bulk and monstrous silhouette. Perhaps before your heroes can put a stop to the war that ravages their homeland, they must gain a seat at the bargaining table by making a powerful ally. If your middle section is still looking empty, don't worry about it. It's the easiest part to fill in later. Finished? [[Yes -> Plot 4]] [[Need to work on Beginning or End. -> Plot 3]]

The ending is all-important in fiction, because it decides how the story will be interpreted. It literally has the last word. You might have thoughts about what your story means, but the ending really decides. Consider this: If //Othello// ended after the Turkish fleet was destroyed by a storm, it wouldn't be a tragedy. If any work set in world war one had its plot extended to the rise of Nazi Germany, it would turn into a bit of a downer. Without its ''themes'' and ''focus'' on certain characters or things, it wouldn't make sense for a story to end at all. In order to figure out what should happen at the end of //your// story, ask yourself what central question it is trying to answer? What uncertainty keeps the readers reading? Your story might be formed from a string of these, but if there is one single question that lasts from the beginning until the end, write it down. The ending should answer that question, even if the answer is "who can say?" or "The world may never know." Many stories will end with the death of a character, the completion of a goal, or dramatic change in setting or situation. If your plot is driven by unstable elements that want to change, then what kind of event would eliminate that instability? Write down some ideas. Finished? [[Yes -> Plot 4]] [[Need to work on Beginning or Middle. -> Plot 3]]

Now that you have a list of scenes written out, the only thing left to do is connect them. Look at each section, and find or invent a scene that you think could lead into the next section, or follow from the previous one. For example, a character might propose to their love interest, committing fully and moving from the beginning into the middle. The same proposal might mark the beginning of a story if it will be rejected, or if the engagement will be particularly frought. It might mark the end if getting engaged was the goal all along. These transition points are often the most dramatic. They should mark big steps along your arcs of change. Now try to start looking for cause and effect between your scenes. This will help you decide what order they happen in. If it makes sense for a certain scene to lead into another, you can draw an arrow between them, or just write them in sequence somewhere else. If there are scenes that you're having trouble connecting to others, consider what might happen between them that could bridge the gap. Write new scenes as you see fit. Try your best to link everything you have so far into one string of events. If there are blank spaces, mark them so you can find them again. All finished? [[Yes -> Revision 1]]

Now that you have a good outline, you //could// start writing right this moment. But what if it could be even better? In this section you will look over your outline and refine. You could repeat this section any number of times, but after a while it wouldn't be worth it anymore. I recommend making one to three careful passes at it. The revision method that I'll be walking you through works like an accordion. You compress your outline, then expand it again, and so on and so forth. Why don't we get started? [[Why don't we? -> Revision 2]]

We're going to start with the compression phase. Look over your plot outline, and run through every event. Touch each one and imagine writing it. Imagine what a reader would see in their head when they read it. Is what you're seeing interesting? Would you want to read a book with that scene? If the answer is no, then mark it with an X, highlight it in red, or somehow make it clear that it doesn't belong. (We're doing this instead of actually deleting them.) Don't hesitate, even if you //need// this scene for the plot to work. Better to have an interesting but broken story than a cohesive but boring one. Go through your outline again, (you don't have to if the scenes are still fresh in your memory,) and this time look for scenes that aren't contributing to any kind of greater story. Ask yourself if anything is different after the event than it was before. If the answer is no, then mark it differently, with a circle, highlighted in blue, etc. Finished? [[Yes -> Revision 3]]

Now its time to address those scenes you marked. Will start with the scenes that you like, but that don't change anything. (The second group you marked.) Pick one to start with. The first order of business is to figure out why you like the scene so much. Is the reason ''architectural?'' Do you like it because it fits elegantly into the puzzle of the story? Is it a much needed slow moment after an action scene? Does it foreshadow something to come? If so, ask yourself if there's some way it could move your characters or setting toward their destination without compromising its other purpose. Remember, the change can also be in how the reader percieves the characters or the world. Can you use this moment as an opportunity to show the audience something they didn't know? Is the reason ''aesthetic?'' Do you like it because it sets an interesting tone? Does it show off a cool image? Does it use poetic language or interestingly textured prose? If so, is the tone that this scene sets consistent with the mood of the characters, or the mood you expect for the reader? Why does this moment feel this way? Can you combine the aesthetic of this scene with the action of a scene that does advance the plot? Is the reason about your ''characters?'' Do you just want to spend time exploring their dynamic? Giving the reader a chance to hang out with them? If so, is there any way that the character interaction you want could take place alongside something else? Does it require a low pressure situation, or could it happen while they're sneaking into a pirate stronghold? Could you move it to the subtext of another, more practical conversation? Finished? [[Yes -> Revision 4]]

Now, for the first set of scenes you marked, those that might be integral to the story, but don't really interest you. You might have fixed some of these already by combining them with scenes from the previous section. If so, great! Take a look at those that remain. Pick one to start with. Identify the plot essential component within the scene, and write it down elsewhere. Besides that, is there anything else that the scene absolutely must accomplish to function in the story? Write that down as well. Now, can you imagine another situation in which all of those necessary things could happen? Is there a more interesting way to check all those items off the list? It's possible that the scene is falling flat because there is no obstacle to the characters. Consider if there's an opportunity to introduce tension between characters, or play off of some that already exists. Is there an interesting way to make trouble for your characters here? If this event is something that could happen without your characters trying very hard, or without anything interesting being presented to the reader, consider writing it outside of a scene. For example, you could include the information in dialogue after it's happened, with characters mentioning the events. You could tell it via narration instead of showing it in a scene. If you choose to do this, mark it as such. Finished? [[Yes -> Revision 5]]

It's time to expand your outline again. Get a blank page and try to position it so that you can see it at the same time as your existing outline. Before we get started, look back at the reason that you're writing this story. Look at the changes that you've written down. Is anything missing in your first outline? Is there anything you would like to add? Keeping that in mind, write your revised outline from the beginning on the next page. Pull from the scenes in your first outline, making the changes in them that you planned in the last two sections. Some parts of your outline will stay the same, but a lot of it will change at least slightly, so be on the look out for continuity issues and missing pieces. You might have shortened the outline a little bit in the last phase, so if there's anything you'd like to add that you didn't have room for before, consider doing that now. Finished? [[Yes -> Finished.]]

Congratulations on completing these outlining instructions! You should now have a workable outline for your story. If you're interested in revising again, [[click here -> Revision 1]] to return to the beginning of the revision section. Before you close this program, remember, even the best outline will change as you write. Whether you have to re-work an entire section, or just a few scenes, don't be afraid to diverge from the outline when it feels like that will produce a better story. Thanks for using me! Feel free to call again if you start a new story.