How to Outline a Novel: 60 Index Cards Method

I used to be very against outlining books– novels– because I thought they had to be PURE and free-flowing and not sticking to any formula. But in 2009, at the Hawaii Writer’s Conference, I attended bestselling author William Bernhardt’s how to outline a novel seminar. He said he couldn’t teach us the poetry of writing, but he could teach us the structure. (Yes, this was one year ago and yes, I am just now writing a blog about it.)

The structure are the bones on which the flesh hangs. It may seem counter-intuitive for a creative person to do a technical exercise, but it makes So. Much. Sense.

I will share with you this method of outlining a book or screenplay as I’ve used it, minus Bernhardt’s entertaining delivery and graphics. (By the way, Bernhardt also gives workshops).

I then used this method to help me write my second novel. Results: It took about six weeks to write a draft of the novel I felt comfortable showing my agent (working full-time, pretty much). Granted, I’d been thinking about the idea and characters for about a year, so it was ready to flow. I’m also sharing here additional methods to help you outline a novel. This also works for outlining screenplays, including TV pilots.

How to outline a novel or screenplay in 60 Scenes 

Most novels have about 60 scenes and three acts (like a screenplay). So, feel free to use this method to outline a screenplay as wellThe acts are a “series of sequences that culminate in a major turning point in a character’s life.” I wrote that down because Bernhardt said it twice.

• Acts I and III have about 15 scenes each.
• Act II is the longest, at 30 scenes.
• Some novels have more scenes, some fewer. Some even have four acts.

Basic instructions for outlining a novel or screenplay:

1. Get 60 index cards out. If you’re extremely ambitious, you can give each storyline or character their own color. You may also work with Post-Its and a wall or a poster board, so you can rearrange them easily; or in your favorite project management or brainstorming tool (Miro, for instance; or FinalDraft or Scrivener all have outlining features/virtual Post-It notes).
2. Write out one scene per card. Include notes for  subplots, when characters are introduced, whose Point of View it is, etc.
3. Arrange them in an order of deepening intensity.

Okay, so what do you do if you don’t have the whole story worked out yet? And you don’t quite know what it is? There are a few different ways to work out your story.

Working out your story

Let’s say you have a concept and a character and maybe the inciting incident, but you don’t really know what else should happen. I have a couple of suggestions.

Snowflake Method:

This is something you can use in conjunction with this index card method. How it works, basically, is you write a logline:

When Dorothy considers running away from home to escape a troublesome neighbor, a tornado hits, thrusting her into a magical land, and she must learn the true meaning of friendship and courage so she can find her way home again. 

Basic, one-or-two-sentence description. Then you expand that description into a paragraph, then a page, and keep going.

Therefore, but

This is another useful way to bang out your story outline. Every piece of plot follows as a logical result of a previous action. So:

Dorothy wants to run away from home. Therefore she embarks on the road. BUT a tornado suddenly hits, and therefore Dorothy returns. BUT the tornado lifts up the house and therefore takes Dorothy to Oz, therefore killing a witch and earning the celebration of the locals. Therefore the locals help Dorothy begin her quest to return home. BUT the witch’s sister, the Wicked Witch of the West,  is angry that Dorothy killed the Witch of the East so THEREFORE the Wicked Witch of the West tries to capture Dorothy. 

Give it a try!

Story vs. Plot

As you consider your plot, make sure you consider your story as well. Author Lisa Cron has a great definition of the difference: plot consists of all the events that happen (house falling, etc) while story consists of the emotional arc (Dorothy learns that she should stay and work out problems instead of running away).

The plot events you choose should work to drive the character to your final objective for them and reinforces your story’s themes. So, don’t send your character on some random side-quest; make sure that each event forces the character to grow or face their fears. For example, you could say, “Dorothy sets out to see the Wizard THEREFORE she decides she needs a new dress THEREFORE she goes shopping” and it would make sense, action-wise and plot-wise, but not story-wise.

Brainstorming scenes

If you’re having problems with choosing scenes, then I recommend writing like 200 possible scenes that could happen in your book or screenplay. Don’t censor yourself. Include the dress buying. Then you can go back and select scenes that may work for your story.

The micro of scenes

Now that you know what’s going to happen in your book or screenplay, start writing out scene outlines. Each scene is an event that changes the character’s situation in a meaningful way.

• Every scene needs something to happen.
• Each scene produces a change achieved through conflict.
• Each scene shows how the character responds under pressure.

If the scene does not meet these criteria, take it out.

Also keep in mind:

• There should be a sense of acceleration as the story continues
• The obstacles should get more intense and the conflicts should escalate

Characters:

1. If you have multiple points of view, have the important events happen while with the main character.
2. There should be a complete change in situations and should seem complete and irreversible. The protagonist should not be the same person at the end as he or she was in the start.
3. Now, go back and take out the things that don’t help achieve these goals. Keep the things that do.

How to decide the plot points for your book

Decide where the following plot points for a book are and mark them on the cards.

1. In Act I, mark what is called the Inciting Incident: an event that radically upsets the protagonist’s life and instigates the journey to the goal or desire. It sets the world into chaos, and the protagonist spends the rest of the story trying to set the world right. This is also the only time you get to have a completely coincidental out-of-left-field thing happen.
2. In the middle of Act I, mark Plot Point 1. (PP1 for short). Plot points are big events that stimulate interest and make the reader think about the themes or plot.
3. Plot Point 2, the next big event, comes near the beginning of Act II.
4. In the middle of Act II, create the character’s Turning Point. This is when the character starts to overcome his flaw while dealing with a horrific event.
5. The CLIMAX is comes near the end. “Don’t climax too fast,” Bernhardt warned. All the divergent subplots and plot must come together.
6. The denouement is a quick wrap up. Don’t drag it out.

Also: You are allowed to break all the rules. Novels tend to be more complex than screenplays. You could have 4 acts! You could go back and forth in time! Or have two timelines. It’s all up to you.

The plot outline looks something like this:

You can use something similar to note your character’s emotional journey. For example, in Act I maybe they’re timid and fearful and you want them to be brave by the end. Note that on here or in a different document.

Mind you, outlining a book or screenplay won’t make your characters automatically interesting or improve your writing style. It won’t allow you to force bits of plot in just because it’s convenient or gets your character to the next plot point.

But it does force you to keep things simple, and focus only on important points of theme and plot.

Outlining a book or screenplay could change every time

Every writer I know has their own method for thinking through the plot. What works with one piece may not work with the next. You may receive a full-formed Venus of a book out of a dream; you may need to spend a few months outlining and writing a first throwaway draft to tell yourself a story. 10 books in (as I update this in 2023) I find myself using a slightly different method each time.