Hello, my pretties!
We've spoken at length about how to create the foundations for a pen name before you've added words to the page—what goes into your author name, how to identify your brand, and how to determine what readers will expect based on your book's genre. Now, it's time to lay the foundations for the most important part of your book business: the books themselves.
Outlining is a word that can strike fear into the heart of even the most enthusiastic writer. Some of you love structure. Some of you break out in hives at the thought of it. Most of us sit somewhere in between, wanting guidance through our draft without feeling constrained or bored about knowing each twist and every turn before we can write them.
Here's the truth I've learned the hard way: Outlining is not about control. It's about support.
As I revisit the concept of outlining for my new pen name project, I'm doing so with far more kindness than I once did. Early in my career, I believed that real writers simply sat down at a blank document and produced brilliance. When that didn't happen, I assumed the problem was me.
It wasn't. The problem was expecting inspiration to do the job of structure.
Outlines exist to help you get from beginning to end without losing your way. They are especially useful when motivation dips, life intervenes, or self-doubt starts whispering unhelpful things.
Without some kind of roadmap, even talented writers can end up wandering in circles. You may write brilliant scenes that lead nowhere. You may reach forty thousand words and realize you have no idea how to end this thing.
Structure through outlining prevents that particular brand of heartbreak.
But fear not, pantsers; I am here for you too.
No Right Way to Write
When outlining, some writers like detailed beat sheets. Some prefer loose signposts. Some outline a few chapters ahead of where they are and adjust as they go. There is no single correct outlining method; what matters is choosing a level of structure that helps rather than hinders your creativity.
By nature I am a panster. I hate structure; it’s like being told what to do. I've tried multiple approaches over the years. Each has merit, and none is universally right. And I have found that my preferences vary from project to project.
In many ways, genre shapes the kind of structure you need. For Romance, I've found that knowing the emotional beats matters more than plotting every scene. When do the characters meet? What creates the spark? What forces them apart? What brings them back together? Those anchors are enough to help you through your first draft.
For Mysteries, the structure needs to be tighter. In theory, you need to know your crime, your clues, and your reveal before you start writing. Otherwise, you risk creating a puzzle that doesn't solve. I will admit, though, that I am more inclined to let the story unfold and never know the murderer until the last quarter. That’s what keeps me intrigued. The rest is only loosely plotted when I start.
Outlining After the Fact
If you've already written a draft, outlining can still help in the editing process. Reverse outlining, where you summarize each chapter after it exists, is a powerful way to spot pacing issues, missing beats, and sagging middles.
Take a fresh document. Write one sentence per chapter describing what actually happens—not what you intended, but what's actually on the page. You'll see patterns immediately: three chapters of introspection in a row, a major plot point that gets buried, or a subplot that starts strong and then vanishes.
Those patterns will make it easier to know where to focus as you start revisions.
The Creative Freedom of Structure
Most writers don't realize until they try outlining that it does not kill creativity. It protects it.
When you have the scaffolding of a story in place, your mind is free to focus on voice, emotion, and character. You're not using mental energy trying to figure out what happens next. You already know. Now you can focus on making it sing.
Remember, too, that an outline is allowed to change. It is a working document, not a contract. You are not failing if you deviate. I’ll admit that lesson took me way too long to learn. When I did, some of my best scenes came from veering off the outline. But I could only veer effectively because I knew where I was supposed to be going.
Closing the Quarter
As we close this first quarter of the year, notice what we've been doing together. We've been laying foundations. Identity. Genre. Naming. Branding. Direction. Structure.
The writers who succeed long-term aren't always the fastest or the most talented. They're the ones who built systems that support their creativity rather than exhaust it.
That, my pretties, is how sustainable writing careers begin. How you build that system is down to you; it’s only sustainable if it fits your preferred writing style.
Reflection Exercise
As you think about your own story and the amount of structure you may need during the writing process, ask yourself the following questions:
- How do I currently feel about outlining?
- Where in my writing process do I tend to get stuck?
- What level of structure might support me rather than restrict me?
- What would “just enough planning” look like for me?
Try to create a plan for outlining your draft that provides a level of structure and direction while still leaving wiggle room for creativity and discovery during the writing process.
Reality Check-In
I've been experimenting with a hybrid approach to outlining for my Romance series. I'm not doing a full scene-by-scene outline, but I'm not flying blind either.
For book 1, I've mapped out the major emotional beats on index cards. First meeting. First kiss. First conflict. The dark moment. The resolution. I'm leaving room between those beats to discover character moments, subplots, and the smaller scenes that give a story texture. But I always know which emotional milestone I'm writing toward next.
This feels manageable. I have enough structure to avoid panic but also enough freedom to surprise myself. I'm fifteen thousand words into the draft now, and so far, the outline is holding up. Some scenes have shifted, but the emotional arc remains clear.
Next month, we'll talk about the actual drafting process. But for now, I'm grateful for the planning work I've done. It's making the writing itself feel less overwhelming.
Happy writing,
Susan
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