Should You Outline Your Novel Before Writing?

After mulling over your next idea for a novel or short story, it may seem challenging to sit down and first create a detailed outline before jumping into it. However, is it necessary? In short…maybe. There are plenty of writers who can fly through a story without an outline sitting next to them on their desk, or open in a different tab. Others need more guidelines before doing so.

THE POINT OF AN OUTLINE

An outline can be very brief, consisting only of major character names, plot points, climax, ending, etc. No real in depth details, just a broad overview. Other outlines can be extremely detailed — noting the eye color of every character mentioned, how each chapter will play out, and so forth. Which style works best solely depends on the writer.

Creating an outline before writing maps out each point to hit and when. Ideally it is meant to keep the writer on track. It can also be beneficial if there are a lot of characters, or settings, involved. Unless you are writing your novel in one sitting (which I would applaud you for), it can be difficult to keep track of everything.

Of course, this doesn’t work for everyone. It can be thrilling to write without a guide and see where the story ends up.

WHO SHOULD USE AN OUTLINE?

Every writer is different, and there is no definitive yes or no answer to creating an outline or not. No one is going to penalize you for not writing one.

In my experience, my first few novels I did not use an outline for. Now I have a highly detailed, 10-page outline for my current novel. Why? Well, the novel I am working on is loosely based on a true story, which means I had to get all my facts in line before starting. I didn’t want to dive into the story and forget something halfway through.

However, I have also written novels where I had a broad idea and decided to just start writing and see where my creativity took me. Sure, you might end up not liking certain aspects or chapters, but that is what editing is for. In college, I was working on one novel that I ended up re-writing several times because I hated where it continued to go. It all depends which process works best for you.

If you enjoy being spontaneous, and letting your story dictate where it wants to go, then don’t use an outline. Let your creativity flow and see what comes of it! You can always go back later and revise if it didn’t end up where you hoped it would.

If you have multiple novels/stories you are writing at once, or have a large window of time to complete your novel, I would recommend trying an outline. I’ve found jumping back and forth between different stories can often get confusing and lead to mistakes in plot points, character development, point of view, etc. At least if you have an outline, you can refer to it if you get confused or don’t know where to go next.

Personally, I also think it is a good idea to keep an outline handy if you now you are not going to fly through this story quickly. If you take a break, you can come back and know exactly where you wanted to take your story to next.

Still on the fence over whether or not you should outline? Try writing one first. If you don’t like it as you write, simply scrap it. No one is going to hold you to it.

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