How to Expand an Outline Into a Novel

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Write about a specific theme in your outline.

   You may have had a specific theme in mind when you started writing the outline for your novel.
   
   Or you may realize you are interested in a particular theme only after you have finished your outline.
   
   Read over the outline and pick out moments or sections that seem to speak to this theme.
   
   Then, write down scenes or character moments that are about these theme or that connect somehow to this theme.For example, you may notice the theme of “female friendship” keeps popping up in your outline.
   
   You may then write a scene between two female characters that explores this scene further as a way to start your novel.
2. 2

   Step 2: Expand a character in the outline.

   Another option is to pick a character that you are interested in or curious about in your outline and expand from there.
   
   Perhaps you are itching to dig deeper into your main character’s perspective.
   
   Or maybe you want to start with exploring a minor character in a specific scene.
   
   Focusing on a particular character can make starting your novel less daunting and allow you to lean on your outline to help you chart what happens to this character.For example, you may decide to focus on a supporting character in your story and expand them on the page.
   
   You may have a note in your outline, “Father character who is distant and closed off to the main character.” You may then think about why the father character might be distant and closed off as well as why the father character treats the main character the way he does.
   
   You may also try exploring the backstory of your main character.
   
   Think about your main character’s life before they entered into the action in the novel.
   
   You may write about their childhood or adolescent experiences.
   
   You may explore formative moments in their life that brought them to where they are at the start of the novel. , You may have brief notes on the setting in your outline, or notes of several different settings that appear in your outline.
   
   Take one of those notes and expand on it.
   
   Write about the objects in the setting and how it feels to be moving in the setting.
   
   Use sensory details like how it smells and how it sounds to explore the setting more fully.You can also place your main character in the setting and have them interact with the setting on the page.
   
   Think about how your main character might describe the setting to someone else and how they might feel walking around in the setting.
   
   Put their body in the space and explore how that feels for them.
3. 3

   Step 3: Explore a setting in the outline.

Detailed Guide

About the Author