Back to routines

Outline a Book

by CoreCommander Creative Production › Deep Drafting

90 minutes 6 Steps

  1. Premise

    • The premise in one sentence
    • Who it's for
    • What changes from the first page to the last
  2. Three-act skeleton

    20 minutes

    The beginning, the turning points and the ending, in a paragraph each.

  3. Chapter list

    30 minutes

    Break each act into chapters, with a working title for each.

  4. Break

    10 minutes
  5. Chapter one-liners

    30 minutes

    For each chapter, one line on what happens and one on why it matters.

  6. Check for gaps

    • Does each chapter change something?
    • Is the middle sagging?
    • What do you need to research?