How to Outline a Novel
Determine the opening scene., Come up with an inciting incident., Identify the main conflict., Determine the rising action., Identify the climax., Finish with a resolution.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine the opening scene.
A narrative outline can help you break down the plot of your novel and make it easier for you to keep track of each element of the plot.
Start by determining your novel’s opening scene.
This scene should establish character, setting, and a conflict or problem that is plaguing your main character.
The opening scene will be the start of your first act and help to immerse your reader in your story.For example, you may start with a scene that introduces the reader to your main character and the setting of the novel, such as “Susan Miro who lives in seclusion in the jungle.” You may then note a problem or conflict facing your main character, such as “Susan is struggling to survive in the jungle alone with very few supplies.” -
Step 2: Come up with an inciting incident.
The inciting incident is the problem or conflict that sets your main character on a specific path.
This incident will then tie into the main conflict, allowing your reader to feel more tension as the story goes on.The inciting incident in your story may be the arrival of a new character that throws your main character off balance or a sudden change in the main character’s surroundings that leads to a conflict.
For example, you may have an inciting incident in your story when Susan gets an unexpected visit from the daughter she never knew.
This could then lead into the main conflict of your novel. , The main conflict should be intense for the main character and create a big issue that the character has to address or deal with in some way.
Some writers call the main conflict the point of no return for the character, where they must take action and make a decision.For example, you may have a main conflict in your story where Susan has to decide to leave the jungle and live with her daughter in the city.
This could create feelings of confusion, anxiety, and tension for both characters. , The rising action in your outline should look at how the character acts after they have been confronted with the main conflict.
There should be obstacles or challenges for the character during the rising action that make it difficult for them to achieve a goal or stick to their decision.
Having rising action will help to up the stakes of the story and encourage the reader to keep reading.For example, you may have rising action where Susan fails to get a job in the city and does not seem able to bond with her daughter or her daughter’s lifestyle.
There may be a series of small incidents in the rising action that make Susan feel upset, anxious, or confused about her situation. , The climax of the story is perhaps the most crucial element of the plot.
It should be the most intense and important moment for your characters, where everything in the story comes to a head.
The climax may be dramatic and intense or it may be more subtle.
Either way, it should be the moment where the character is feeling the most emotion and the stakes are the highest for the story.For example, you may have a climax where Susan gets lost in the city and almost gets mugged.
She may then have an emotional breakdown and tell her daughter she needs to return to the jungle. , The final element in your narrative plot outline is the resolution.
You may have falling action after the climax that then leads into a resolution of the conflict for the characters.
The falling action may include the results of the climax.
The resolution will tell your reader how each character ends up dealing with the climax of the story.For example, you may have falling action where Susan goes back to the jungle and tries to go back to her old way of life, away from her daughter.
The resolution of the story may then be the daughter’s decision to live with Susan in the jungle and adopt a more traditional lifestyle with Susan. -
Step 3: Identify the main conflict.
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Step 4: Determine the rising action.
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Step 5: Identify the climax.
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Step 6: Finish with a resolution.
Detailed Guide
A narrative outline can help you break down the plot of your novel and make it easier for you to keep track of each element of the plot.
Start by determining your novel’s opening scene.
This scene should establish character, setting, and a conflict or problem that is plaguing your main character.
The opening scene will be the start of your first act and help to immerse your reader in your story.For example, you may start with a scene that introduces the reader to your main character and the setting of the novel, such as “Susan Miro who lives in seclusion in the jungle.” You may then note a problem or conflict facing your main character, such as “Susan is struggling to survive in the jungle alone with very few supplies.”
The inciting incident is the problem or conflict that sets your main character on a specific path.
This incident will then tie into the main conflict, allowing your reader to feel more tension as the story goes on.The inciting incident in your story may be the arrival of a new character that throws your main character off balance or a sudden change in the main character’s surroundings that leads to a conflict.
For example, you may have an inciting incident in your story when Susan gets an unexpected visit from the daughter she never knew.
This could then lead into the main conflict of your novel. , The main conflict should be intense for the main character and create a big issue that the character has to address or deal with in some way.
Some writers call the main conflict the point of no return for the character, where they must take action and make a decision.For example, you may have a main conflict in your story where Susan has to decide to leave the jungle and live with her daughter in the city.
This could create feelings of confusion, anxiety, and tension for both characters. , The rising action in your outline should look at how the character acts after they have been confronted with the main conflict.
There should be obstacles or challenges for the character during the rising action that make it difficult for them to achieve a goal or stick to their decision.
Having rising action will help to up the stakes of the story and encourage the reader to keep reading.For example, you may have rising action where Susan fails to get a job in the city and does not seem able to bond with her daughter or her daughter’s lifestyle.
There may be a series of small incidents in the rising action that make Susan feel upset, anxious, or confused about her situation. , The climax of the story is perhaps the most crucial element of the plot.
It should be the most intense and important moment for your characters, where everything in the story comes to a head.
The climax may be dramatic and intense or it may be more subtle.
Either way, it should be the moment where the character is feeling the most emotion and the stakes are the highest for the story.For example, you may have a climax where Susan gets lost in the city and almost gets mugged.
She may then have an emotional breakdown and tell her daughter she needs to return to the jungle. , The final element in your narrative plot outline is the resolution.
You may have falling action after the climax that then leads into a resolution of the conflict for the characters.
The falling action may include the results of the climax.
The resolution will tell your reader how each character ends up dealing with the climax of the story.For example, you may have falling action where Susan goes back to the jungle and tries to go back to her old way of life, away from her daughter.
The resolution of the story may then be the daughter’s decision to live with Susan in the jungle and adopt a more traditional lifestyle with Susan.
About the Author
Hannah Howard
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