Since we're coming up on our next outline revision soon, I thought I'd put this out there for your consideration.

If you're having difficulty with outlining, give this a try. Read a book, preferably in your genre. While reading, outline it in a notebook or on your computer. Make note of when the scene changes, how the author handled time shifts and character interactions. Break down the beats of each scene.

I know we're all crazy busy, so if you don't have time to tackle a novel in your genre, try a smaller book. Even a teen novel like Goosebumps. Something you can comfortably read in an afternoon.

If you don't even have time for that, watch your favorite movie and outline as it plays.

When you're done, you'll be able to see the flow of the story in outline form. You'll see how many scenes your author put in their novel, and how those scenes transitioned into each other. You'll also be reading not to get into the story, but to better understand the structure of the book. By taking notes, you won't get as drawn in and forget the purpose behind reading it.

Be it a book, a movie, or a simple TV show, they all have something to teach us about the greater and smaller movements in the books we plan to write next month. Take some time to hear what they have to say.

Thank you,
Dana