What is the best way to outline a novel?
TL;DR: There is no single correct way to outline a novel. Common methods include the three-act structure, Save the Cat beat sheet, Snowflake Method, and scene-by-scene outlines. The best approach is the one that helps you finish your book.
Some writers outline extensively before drafting (“plotters”), while others discover the story as they go (“pantsers”). Most authors use a hybrid approach—combining structure with flexibility to guide their writing without limiting creativity.
Full Answer:
Outlining is one of the most personal decisions a writer makes, and the debate between plotters (who plan before they write) and pantsers (who discover the story through drafting) has been a staple of writing culture for decades. The truth is that most successful authors use some version of planning, but the depth and format vary enormously.
At one extreme is the detailed scene-by-scene outline, where you write a paragraph or more describing every scene before drafting begins. This approach is common among thriller writers, mystery writers (who need to carefully manage clue placement), and series authors (who need to track continuity across multiple books). A detailed outline for a 90,000-word novel might be 5,000–10,000 words of scene summaries, organized by chapter.
The three-act structure provides a lighter framework. You identify your major turning points (inciting incident, first plot point, midpoint, crisis, climax) and perhaps sketch the key scenes that connect them, then let the details emerge during drafting. This approach gives you direction without constraining the moment-to-moment writing decisions.
The Save the Cat beat sheet (adapted for novels by Jessica Brody from Blake Snyder’s screenwriting framework) specifies 15 narrative beats with approximate word count placements — opening image, theme stated, catalyst, debate, break into two, B-story, fun and games, midpoint, bad guys close in, all is lost, dark night of the soul, break into three, finale, final image. Many writers find this level of specificity helpful for pacing, especially in genre fiction where reader expectations for story rhythm are well defined.
The Snowflake Method (developed by Randy Ingermanson) starts with a single-sentence summary and progressively expands it — to a paragraph, then a page, then a multi-page synopsis, then individual character sheets and scene lists. Each step adds detail to the existing framework. This is useful for writers who find blank-page outlining overwhelming.
The “pantser” approach — writing without a plan — works for some authors, particularly literary fiction writers and those who find that rigid outlines kill their creative energy. Even pantsers, however, usually develop an informal sense of direction: they know roughly where the story is going even if they have not written it down. Many pantsers revise extensively after the first draft, restructuring and cutting material that did not serve the story — in a sense, the first draft functions as their outline for the second.
Most authors land somewhere in the middle — sometimes called “plotsers” or “plantsters.” They might know the beginning and ending, sketch a few major turning points, and leave the connective tissue to emerge during drafting. The method should serve your creative process, not constrain it.
If you’re organizing a complex outline across chapters, using a dedicated writing platform for authors can help you manage structure, notes, and revisions in one place without losing track of your story.
Sources: