Comparing 30-Day Novel Outline Plans
Posted on July, 13 at 11:57 pm
I’ve mentioned this here before, but not in too much detail. When I launched this blog, I was nearing the end of one 30-day novel outline program for my book with a working title Sarah. With that novel outline (which finished up this past Saturday), I followed the plan detailed in First Draft in 30 Days. I’m currently outlining another novel, Three Weeks, very loosely following the guidance in Book in a Month.
Obviously I’m not going to be able to accurately compare the two methods, given that I’ve heavily adapted the current program to fit my own needs, working style, and comfort level (as mentioned in a previous post, I actually expect to finish the current outline in about a two-week period overall instead of the planned 30 days).
I think the biggest lesson of all of this is that, the more comfortable you get with the outlining process (this is my third novel outline), the quicker you’ll get through the process - you sort of streamline things in your own way. While it’s not the takeaway I was hoping to pull from this experiment, it’s a good one, and I’m happy with the progress and the fact that the experiment forced me to work productively on my projects rather than just telling myself “someday I’m going to start working on this novel idea.”
If you want to read my original review of each of these books, they’re currently published at All Book Marketing, with some details on why I wanted to test the programs in the first place.
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Three Weeks Novel Outline - An Early Finish?
Posted on July, 11 at 11:45 pm
I poured through the rest of the 30-day plan’s worksheets and steps from Book in a Month today. As mentioned before, the plan is designed to help you outline and draft your novel, although right now I’m only using it for outlining Three Weeks.
I scrapped the character note cards I was going to be using tomorrow, and instead created larger character sheets. I also deviated a bit more from the plan (again, because this book has an odd structure), and created my full set of outline sheets (the final outline will be around 78 pages).
I’m at the point now where I’m feeling ready to move on with that outline (which is really just expanding upon each of the scene card sections I’ve already done - the whole story is already mapped out) as soon as my character info and some very minor research is taken care of. So let’s look at it this way: I used the book as a “guide,” and created my own plan based on my style, my story, and my comfort level with the outlining processs. I’ll be working on the character details (many of which are already mulling around in my head) and the research this weekend. I doubt I’ll need more time than that. As things look now, I’m thinking I may actually have the outline completed by the end of next weekend. No promises obviously, but that’s what I’m shooting for - about two weeks to finish the full outline.
This is one of the reasons I’m glad I played with two other outline processes previously. The process is faster, because I’m getting a bit more used to it. And in the end, I think that’s really the point - find what works for you and what lets you work most efficiently. I seem to finally be finding that.
More updates as I move along with this. Wish me luck. I’ll be beyond thrilled if this project gets finished up early. 
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Three Weeks - Novel Outline - Day 3
Posted on July, 11 at 4:03 pm
As expected, yesterday’s “scene cards” took more than one day (given that I used 17 instead of 10). Yesterday I took care of the first 10, and today I finished up the remaining 7. I also managed to get through Day 3’s tasks - a research list and an At-a-Glance outline. Given the way my cards pretty much already serve as a full plot outline, I really don’t see myself using the at-a-glance outline much, if at all, but I decided to go ahead and put it together anyway.
Tomorrow will be a long day - that’s where I have to map out my characters. I won’t be following the character worksheets exactly as in the book (some info I just don’t need for the minor characters for the shorter story elements) - so they’re being broken into three groups (my lead and one other character), the men she has these failed relationships with in the sub-stories, and then minor characters (some of whom carry through the book, and some who don’t). Again, it’s possible this will take longer than the one day, given that there are quite a few to go through with the format of this book being somewhat non-traditional.
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Three Weeks - Novel Outline - Day 2 and Plan Deviations
Posted on July, 10 at 1:01 pm
I mentioned yesterday that I wouldn’t be following the Book in a Month plan exactly as it’s laid out in the book, so today I’m going to talk a bit about how I’m altering that plan to meet my needs for these 30 days, and more specifically how that will affect my use of “scene cards” - today’s focus.
The plan suggests creating 10 scene cards for the ten primary scenes in your book. As mentioned in my last post, that’s not quite possible for Three Weeks, due to the format - it involves an opening, and end, and 15 stories in between.
Realistically, I know that 15 sounds like a lot. I would be very much surprised if I didn’t end up with more like 10 - 12 when I actually draft the manuscript. The outline will focus on 15, and then I can whittle it down if needs be, incorporating the best elements of the cut portions into other outline areas if possible.
So rather than 10 scene cards, I have 17. They focus on story segments rather than “scenes” - the 15 stories, opening, and ending. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get them all done today or if I’ll need a second day. Either way, it will take as long as it takes, and I’m sure I’ll make up the extra time elsewhere.
What I’m doing is this: I took the basic scene card elements the book suggests, and turned them into note cards for each section (using 5×8 cards). It covers things like the characters involved in each story segment, settings there, etc., as well as sections for the segment’s intro, Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and section closings for me to jot down any specifics. Essentially, when I’m done with this portion, I’ll already have a basic plot outline for the entire book - cool, right? Then I’ll move onto things like character details, further setting details, props, etc.
A bigger deviation is the fact that the book is designed to be used in a few ways, including drafting an actual rough manuscript. However, I’m only using it to create a novel outline.
My biggest mistake in using the First Draft in 30 Days method was that I started out trying to follow the plan in an exact manner, which just frustrated me and didn’t adapt to my needs and how I work. So I’m being extremely lenient in my use of Book in a Month. There are already things in the plan that I don’t plan to spend any time on, because they won’t fit well with the book format or because I have other ways I like to do certain things. But I’ll be progressing through it as close to the plan as possible, and I’ll be using many of the worksheets and tools included to see how much they simplify the process.
So that’s the plan for today - get through at least half of these 17 “scene cards.”
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Three Weeks - Novel Outline - Day 1
Posted on July, 9 at 6:20 pm
Today I began work on my second novel outline of the summer - for a humorous piece I’m calling Three Weeks.
When I detailed my progress on the previous novel outline (which I’ll finish cleaning up on Saturday), I didn’t give many details about the actual story. I’ll still be somewhat vague here (not so much to protect ideas, but more because the ideas constantly morph during the outline process - what I have in mind now may very well not be what I end up with when it gets down to details).
For this outline, I’m using the worksheets and plan in Book in a Month. I won’t be following it exactly due to the nature of this novel (which is broken down into 15 separate stories), but altering it to fit my needs for this project. Either way, it’s another 30-day outline program I’m testing out (to compare with the previous one). I may work 30 consecutive days on it, or I may take a short break here and there, but either way, 30 working days and this outline should be ready to be used in a solid draft.
Background on Three Weeks
One of the best things about this book, especially compared to the last, is that it won’t require a lot of research. There are a lot of autobiographical elements (not quite, but we’ll get to that), and a lot of common sense.
The book involves a young single woman on the verge of turning 30. She’s alone, frustrated by that fact, worried about the stigma attached to single women over 30 (despite the claim of some that “40 is the new 30″), and she’s looking back on past relationships.
She notes that a lot of “relationships” only lasted a few weeks before things went sour - where her interest or her partner’s interest diminished. Obviously we’re not talking about serious relationships here, but rather the fleeting kind; the “learning experiences” that most of us go through at least a few times in our life.
The book will go from introducing her and setting a somewhat lighthearted and cynical (yet hopful) tone to 15 separate stories of relationships-gone-bad - each within a period of three weeks. The reminiscing is a means for her to explore how these relationships have changed her ; helped her become who she is “today.”
Each relationship will focus on one specific “type” of man that we may or may have not experienced for ourselves - from the “bad boy” types to mama’s boys to the brainy types, and how relationship problems are both similar and varied no matter what “type” of person you’re with.
The stereotypes will be exaggerated of course, given that we’ll be going for humour here. Essentially, it’s a story of self-discovery and realizing that hindsight isn’t necessarily always 20-20.
The Personal Side
A lot of character elements of my protagonist will mirror my own life. Being that this kind of story can take place anywhere and to anyone, geographically it’s going to occur in places I’m familiar with (figure the Philadelphia area for the most part).
While I won’t be basing any of the men directly on my own exes or others that I know, I will be pulling inspiration from my own past relationships - little things that were done or said for example which didn’t seem terribly amusing then, but which are quite funny looking back.
I was also the “den mother” type with my friends growing up - the one everyone came to with guy problems or when they needed relationship advice. So I have plenty of horror stories mulling around in my head regarding broken hearts and damaged egos. They’re all going to help me in developing these 15 three-week relationships.
All of this “real life” experience will save a huge amount of time on research, which is one of the reasons I ultimately opted to go with this story before the other dark novel concept.
The Progress
Today was Day 1 of the program. I had to write a one-sentence story summary, and a short story idea map. Both were done with no problems, and it feels nice to have something actually on paper (well, on index cards technically).
Last night I went through and put together all of my note cards / worksheets for the first 10 days, which will make life easier as I move along.
Tomorrow I already break a little bit from the novel outline plan in the book. It suggests creating 10 scene cards for primary scenes in the story.
Given the setup of this book, I’m going to have more work to do, which may very well put me a bit behind schedule early on (but this program has days with time specifically for catching up, so I’m not worried about it).
I’ll share some more details tomorrow about how I’m deviating a bit from the 10 scene card plan.
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Moving on to a New Novel Outline
Posted on July, 8 at 12:45 am
I’m happy to say that tomorrow (technically later today at this hour), I should be finished up with writing the outline for the novel I’m referring to here only as Sarah. I still have four days left of my 30-day plan to clean that outline up, fill in any holes, etc., so it’s not quite complete - I’m in the home stretch though.
That means it’s also time to start thinking about the next novel outline (remember: I outlined Sarah using the plan in First Draft in 30 Days and will be outlining another book using the plan from Book in a Month as a means of comparing the programs side by side).
Right now I’m torn. I was originally planning to work on the book I’m referring to here as Fairy Tale for now, but I’m not so sure anymore. That’s probably the book I know the least about. Yet, it’s the most similar to the outline I’m finishing up, making it better for comparison purposes.
The other option I’m considering is moving on with 3 Weeks - one of the two lighter books planned. This is the one I’m leaning to right now, because I was thinking a lot about it yesterday - I had a strike of inspiration, and came up with a slightly different plan for the book’s style that I’m really looking forward to playing with.
My concern is that both of these options involve multiple stories in some way (and I don’t mean subplots), so I’m not sure how well they’ll adapt to the novel outline process. I’m sure I can make it work. Right now I’m leaning towards 3 Weeks, but I’ll confirm that probably in about a week (maybe two) when I’m ready to move on with the next outline (taking some time after this week to finish up an e-book first). I think that one is going to be both depressing and a hell of a lot of fun to write, and I find that possibility irresistible.
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Keeping Track of Subplots While Outlining a Novel
Posted on July, 7 at 7:31 am
I’m nearly finished outlining a novel (this will be the second completed novel outline with a third starting in a few weeks). The first novel was outlined using The Marshall Plan
During the outlining process, one of the most difficult things for me is keeping track of all of the plot lines. That’s the main plot, the hero’s/heroine’s subplot(s), any romantic subplots, and subplots of additional characters. It’s easy enough to set the goals, and even work out how I want each character to get from point A to point B. The tough part is working it all in within the chronological order of the story as a whole, while remembering not to ignore any one plot line for too long.
One of the best things about playing with these various novel outlining plans is that they approach it differently. They don’t always work for me as the authors intended, but they let me find out what I’m comfortable with - all methods can be adapted to fit your work and writing habits.
For me, the key is to plan out my plot lines and viewpoint characters for scenes before I write or even outline the scenes - In other words, if I know I’m going to have 50 scenes, I can map out beforehand who the viewpoint character will be for each (and the corresponding plot line) before I have any idea what the scene will actually entail.
That might seem strange to some, but it’s perfect for me. It forces me to think about characters I might otherwise forget to focus on for a while. And I don’t find it rigid in the slightest. If, when I’m mapping out details in a scene, I realize the story couldn’t logically move on to the next viewpoint character in my scene list, I can simply re-arrange some things or add a scene to bridge them (that’s the beauty really - once you know they should be a focus somewhere near there, you can move them around a bit without letting the story line go stale).
I’d love to hear how others track the subplots / story lines in their novels through the outlining process. Do you simply outline it, and then go through to track the plot lines to make sure everything’s resolved, or do you prefer to lay things out a bit more up front to guide you in brainstorming scenes through the course of the story?
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Setting Up a Book Writing Schedule with Multiple Projects
Posted on June, 27 at 10:56 pm
One of my biggest problems in any type of writing that I do is the fact that I have an endless supply of ideas that I want to pursue. Given that there are only so many hours in a day, writing books and e-books can feel like an impossible feat.
So I’m going to kick off this blog by giving you a vague list of the book and e-book projects I’m working on, or that I plan to start working on within the next several months, and talking about the strategy I’m hoping will allow me to pursue my writing to my fullest potential.
Types of Books and E-books
I’m primarily a business writer, but also want to move into some fictional projects to let my creativity flow a bit more.
I’ve been (very slowly) working on a nonfiction book for probably around two years now that’s related to my work. I’ve also fully outlined one novel, which I plan to make some changes to, but ultimately finish, and I’m in the middle of outlining a second novel now. I’ll be outlining a third later this summer. It might sound like too much fiction at once, but the first novel was outlined and shelved for a few years, and the other two outlines are a part of an experiment I’m doing - testing methods from two authors claiming to teach you how to draft or outline a novel in 30 days (more about that in a later post).
On top of that, I write e-books. I published my first in late ‘06 I believe, and loved the experience (and of course the payout, considering it only took me a few hours to write in full). I have several e-books partially written, but my primary e-book focus will be a series I’m doing as a guide for Web writers.
My Projects and Ideas
I’m obviously not going to go into a lot of depth about plots and characters here - partially because I want to protect the ideas until at least the rough drafts are all finished, but more because those things keep changing in this early phase.
Here is a list of what I’m currently working on:
- Sarah - Sarah is simply the first name of my heroine in the book I’m currently outlining. I don’t have a working title in progress yet, so for now it will be referred to as “Sarah’s Book” or something similar. It’s a fantasy horror novel. I won’t go into the sub-genre. I’m not even 100% sure that I’m comfortable with that genre classification yet. I’m outlining this book as a part of an experiment, using the method detailed in First Draft in 30 Days.
- Creative Self Promotion - This is the nonfiction book I’ve been working on for a while now - it simply hasn’t been a priority time-wise enough for me to make a huge amount of progress lately. Most of my work on this project is still in the interview phase - reaching out to music industry contacts from previous work. To sum it up in my early “elevator speech,” I suppose you could say “it’s a book about what musicians can teach business executives about using creative self promotion through online marketing and PR channels and social media to turn customers into ‘fans.’”
- Web Writer’s Guide to Launching a Successful Online Writing Career - This is an e-book, and will be the first in a series of e-books targeting Web writers (and tied to my blog at WebWritersGuide.com). I’m hoping to either finish it, or at least a good portion of it, this weekend. Material was written for a larger e-book previously, and I broke it down to create the series, so much of the writing is just a matter of expanding, adding examples, etc. Some of the previously-written material has also been broken off to be used in subsequent e-books in the series.
Here are the other projects I’ll be starting hopefully within the next several months:
- Fairy Tale - I don’t really know how to describe this just yet beyond that basic term, so that’s what I’ll be referring to it as when I post updates on my progress. This is another novel, and the second that I’ll be outlining while comparing the 30-day plans from two authors - in this case using Book in a Month. It’s another dark story, possibly bordering on the horror genre, but I wouldn’t quite call it that. It’s not a traditional fairy tale. It’s not really a “twisted” fairy tale. And it’s not simply an updated fairy tale. It’s not exactly a fairy tale at all - more of an “anti-fairytale” - so just bare with me on the labeling for now.
- Dark Mystery - Again, there’s currently no working title. This is the one that was fully outlined previously (using The Marshall Plan, which I loved working with). It’s been shelved for a few years, and I plan to start revising this outline while I work on the fairy tale outline later this summer.
- Web Writer’s Guide E-books - As I already mentioned, some of the content for these is already written. I’m not going to go into them each separately. Right now the other planned e-books in the series will be The Web Writer’s Guide to: Finding Online Writers’ Markets, Networking Your Way to Higher Paying Freelance Writing Jobs Online, Making Money as a Professional Blogger, and Writing and Selling E-books and Reports. When those e-books are finished, I’m planning to continue the series with other titles, perhaps moving into specific types of Web writing for those more advanced in their careers.
- Indie Black Book Series - This is a series of books I’ve been planning to write and self-publish for several years now (although I may release them as an e-book series or report series instead, because frankly there’s a better profit margin). They will be short books on various indie music marketing and publicity issues or artist management issues (I initially worked exclusively in music PR, so it’s a topic near and dear to my heart, and one where I still have a very strong built-in audience). I’m planning at least five titles in this series, and this is possibly the lowest priority project at this point in time.
- Daughter - This is another one where what I’m calling it here probably won’t make much sense until it’s finished and I open up more about the content. As you may have noticed, all fiction projects previously mentioned are “dark.” This will be a humourous book - I hesitate to call it nonfiction, but until I delve deeper into it, that’s what I’m going to call it.
- 3 Weeks - This will be a vignette-style piece, also on the humourous side. To be as vague as possible, it will deal with the topic of failed relationships (I know - that’s isn’t saying much).
There are a few other e-book projects that have been started, but they’re more “permanently” shelved for now, meaning they’re not something I want to start researching, outlining, or drafting within the next few months. I’ll bring them up down the road if and when I decide to add them to the list of things worth pursuing.
Setting Up a Writing Schedule
So is there any way to realistically approach several long-term writing projects at once (on top of running my business, dozen or so websites, and my freelance business writing career)? I’m sure gonna try!
Right now I have three “active” projects. I think that’s a good number to work with. It isn’t entirely overwhelming, and gives me enough diversity that if I don’t feel like working on one thing, I have other options that might appeal to me in the moment.
I’m expecting the first novel outline to be finished in early July (you can track my progress on my book marketing blog - I’ll be charting progress on the second outline here instead). I’m also expecting to soon be finished with the first Web Writer’s Guide e-book.
When those two projects move out of my “working list,” I’ll be adding the second outline (after a week or two off between them) and editing the novel outline that I completed for the dark mystery a few years back.
So that’s the plan for now - stick to three if possible, and substitute one project in for another. If I find that I just can’t seem to get into one of them, I can move it to the dormant list and stay productive overall by “upgrading” another project in its place.
Wish me luck! And more importantly, if you’ve ever had to juggle multiple book and / or e-book writing projects, please share some words of advice or war stories about how you survived.
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