Almost every writer has an opinion about outlines. Some writers swear by them. Some hate them. Many writers are baffled by them.

As National Novel Writing Month approaches, many writers will find outlining a key ingredient in the recipe of finishing their novel in a month.

1. Outlines are a Road Map

Very few people would jump in a car to take a long journey with no concept of destination.

Writing a novel without some sort of outline is like deciding to take a vacation and jumping in the car with no plan. There might be some awesome sights seen along the way but there are also many avoidable challenges.

Outlines, at a minimum, should show the author the direction they want to take. It is the map equivalent of saying one wants to visit Disneyland and planning a trip with that destination in mind.

Before sitting down to create the roadmap for your book you should understand your end goal. Not just for the story but for the journey you want your book to take. For more thoughts on writing end goals read How to Organize Your Writing  Project.

2. Outlines Don’t Have to Be Too Detailed

Many writers feel that outlines will restrict the adventures they can take on their writing journey and they fear they will miss exciting roadside attractions on their quest to the destination.

Outlines can be minimalistic with a beginning, key scenes, and end noted in bullet points. It can equally be a detailed excel sheet describing every planned scene and listing who is present in the scene and what the goal of that scene is for the novel.

3. Detours Are Okay

Once a writer maps out the outline they can still take detours along the way if a new idea strikes them or if they stumble across a better road to take as the story is unveiled.

Outlines are tools, not contracts. Writers shouldn’t adhere to them to the detriment of their stories but they are a good way of keeping the writer focused on where the story is intended to go and to get the writer back on track after a detour is taken.

4. Genre Matters

Most genres have a built-in road map that writers of the genre should follow. Writers who plan to self-publish can deviate a bit more from genre norms but they should still be aware of them so that their audience is satisfied.

For example: in a romance novel, the characters who will fall in love must meet. They must spend time developing a relationship. The relationship must blossom and then there must be an incident that threatens to tear the couple apart. Finally, the couple must come back together and there must be an indication that the couple will live happily ever after. Even if a writer only plots out these points of their romance they are more likely to stay on their story’s path than an author floundering around with only the goal of a happily ever after somewhere near the end.

5. Map Out the Characters as Well as the Plot

Many writers assume outlining only involves planning the plot but that does them a disservice.

The plot is important and understanding where a story goes is extremely valuable for discovering a story but plots without characters don’t come alive. When an author outlines they should include the character arcs along with the plot. This allows them to write character growth and to map that growth along with the map of the plot.

Outlining is a valuable skill even when an author isn’t trying to write a novel in a month.

Once you’ve completed your novel, InstantPublisher can help assist in completing the book publishing process.

InstantPublisher offers a wide variety of self-publishing services including book printing and binding, interior book design, and custom book covers.

For more information about self-publishing services visit our website at https://www.instantpublisher.com. You can also call 1 800 259 2592, fill out our online contact form, or send an email to questions@instantpublisher.com.

By the beginning of March, most authors have given up on their New Year’s resolutions to write a book and publish their own book. Maybe you don’t think you have enough time, or that things have gotten too hectic at home or work, etc., but these are just excuses. Maybe the real reason that you have given up is that the goals you set for yourself were not realistic in the first place. How do you set realistic writing goals for your book? Getting answers to the following questions is an excellent place to start.

1–Who Are You Writing For?

Figuring out who the audience is for your work can help you focus and identify what kind of information the audience is looking for (non-fiction) or what the reader expects to see (fiction). Thinking about every aspect of your ideal reader is essential. Here are a few things to think about when identifying the audience for your book:

• Age
• Gender
• Education level
• Hobbies and personal interests
• Favorite books and authors
• Occupation/Income Level

Even if you are not sure who your ideal reader might be, take a guess—the more specific your ideal reader profile, the better. You can always refine your description as you write.

2–Why Are You Writing the Book?

This is a question that is often overlooked when beginning the writing process. Still, it is crucial because it closely ties to your motivation and the objectives you want to accomplish by writing the book. Here are a few examples of reasons:

• For your personal satisfaction
• To create a family history for a small group of family and friends
• To share an account of your personal experiences so that others may learn from them
• To reach #1 on the New York Times Bestsellers List
• To share your knowledge and build a platform for the professional speaking circuit

The reasons are as unique as each individual starting out on their book-writing journey.

3–What Critical Information Should Be Included in the Book?

For non-fiction books, this is easy. If you have a clear idea of what your project is about, you will probably know what questions need to be answered by your book. You will know the people, the places, or events involved with the book’s subject. You may also need to research specific information to help support the overall thesis of the book.

For fiction, this is a bit more subjective. But readers, especially readers of genre fiction, have certain expectations when it comes to story. Readers of science-fiction novels expect futuristic technology, aliens, robots, and spaceships in the story. Many types of romances need to include a “happily-ever-after” ending. For fiction, a lot of this information depends on the specific type of fiction you are writing. Read several books similar to the kind of book you want to write to identify these expectations.

4–How Much Time Can You Devote Toward Writing Your Book?

This is extremely important and one of the questions that writers often fail to answer realistically. It is unrealistic to say that you can write four hours a day, seven days a week, if you have a full-time job, four kids, and two dogs. But you may be able to dedicate 15 to 30 minutes each day for your writing project.

Another approach is to ask yourself: “What am I willing to give up to write this book?” This might mean giving up your nightly Netflix watching or reducing the amount of time you spend socializing with friends, on social media, or aimlessly surfing the Web. In order to take your writing seriously, you will need to make sacrifices to do so. If you are not willing to make these sacrifices, you may not be serious about writing a book.

Answer These Questions at the Beginning of Your Writing Process

Spending 15 minutes freewriting answers to each question is a great way at the start of your writing project to focus on it and give you direction on what goals you need to meet to finish your book. Getting this information down on the page is one way to clearly define what you want to write about and make your writing goals realistic and achievable.

Allow InstantPublisher to Publish Your Book Today!

Once you have written your book, reach out to us. We are a full-service self-publishing book printer, and we also provide a variety of publishing support services such as book manuscript formatting, custom book cover design, and bookbinding. For more information, call 1-800-259-2592, fill out our online contact form, or send an email to questions@instantpublisher.com.