Preparing An Outline Is

A Blueprint For Success

Outline Elements

A common mistake aspiring authors and poets make is to begin writing before they prepare an outline. Whether the genre is long fiction, non-fiction, short stories, or magazine articles, a roadmap of some sort is essential. Working without an outline is akin to a builder starting construction without blueprints.

Many fiction and poetry writers swear that preparation of an outline inhibits the creative process. They insist the story flows best if they have no preconceived idea where creative thoughts will lead. This process can be effective for seasoned writers, but beginners should consider preparing at least a “mental outline,” if not a written one, to guide organization of the text.

An outline doesn’t have to be formal. I scribbled the outline for this book (chapter headings) on folded sheets of torn paper while awaiting the arrival of a playwright in Mill Valley, California. Within a few minutes, the backbone of the book was created. Since then, revisions have been made to embellish the text, but the outline has never varied.

An outline should be well defined. Meat from the bones of the outline—manuscript text—will flow more freely when you have an established direction. This requires a clear understanding of the message to be conveyed through the story. Accomplishing this goal will take time and considerable thought.

Jeffrey Deaver, author of the best-selling Bone Collector, is an advocate of outlines. “I sit down with a very rough concept of the story,” he stated, “and then over the next eight months, I do a very elaborate outline . . . That’s my full-time job doing the outline for six or seven days, eight to ten hours a day.”

Once the outline is completed, Deaver permits it to settle in a manner similar “. . . to the ritual with baking a cake.” “You let things solidify,” he explains, “and then you go back and look at it.”

Outline forms vary, but the standard practice is to utilize chapter headings with abbreviated text describing the chapter content. The chapter headings will become chapter titles when the book is completed. They provide readers with a guide to the text.

The outline will dictate the means by which the story unfolds, whether in chronological order or through other storytelling alternatives. Never forget the reader demands entertainment, excitement, and information unavailable anywhere else. The last thing you can afford is to be boring, confusing, or predictable.

The Prologue, if there is one, or the first chapter if there is no Prologue, must be strong enough to hook the reader. When considering storytelling alternatives, determine the most compelling moments within your anticipated text. They may occur in the initial stages of the story, in the middle, or toward the end. This text should be the leadoff man, so to speak, the foot soldier to set up the remainder of the book. Potential purchasers may turn to the Prologue and/or Chapter One to check the beginning of the story. If they’re hooked, the book is sold.

Teasing readers with an episode of the story without revealing the entire mix of events or characters has proven successful for many authors. To determine if that style will suffice for you, test it. Consider providing just enough information to hook the reader. Once the material is fashioned, begin the story in chronological order and move forward. Flashbacks are said to be the work of the lazy man, but millions of authors have utilized this mechanism.

Creative revision of the outline, again and again, will produce a solid foundation upon which a successful novel or work of non-fiction can be built. Patience and hard work pays off.

Like fiction writers, many poets view preparation of an outline as akin to blasphemy. They say the words simply flow, and the creative process would be blocked if they took the time to outline their intended message. If this is the case, then there is no need to labor over the blueprint for the poem. But many poets also swear that by jotting down a few thoughts about the intended poem, they can organize their thoughts to better stay on course.

Research

Thorough research precedes preparation of a competent outline. This involves entering the world of the library and/or the Internet. The former is still the staple. The latter is beneficial, though research undertaken in cyberspace should be scrutinized, since much of the information is faulty.

This became apparent to me while I was writing the book, Miscarriage of Justice. On several web sites and in articles discovered through various search engines, miscellaneous material about Pollard was available. When it was cross-referenced, however, contradictions appeared. The saving grace was reading books on the subject and speaking with individuals who possessed firsthand information.

Being accurate is essential to works of non-fiction, but a fiction writer must be accurate regarding background material. Credibility is the issue. An aspiring author can’t afford to locate an Apache Indian in Sedona area, Arizona, only to discover it was the Hopis and the Navajos who settled there.

Consider quotes contained in reference material with caution. What someone said is only accurate if the source quoting the reference quoted them correctly. Much misinformation has stockpiled based on one person’s misquote being quoted as if it was gospel. To determine accuracy, question, be curious, and tape record interviews with the person being quoted. Truth is a wayward child, especially when authors and members of the media are consumed with the trend toward “Infotainment,” a questionable blend of news and entertainment.

Readers notice errors. After my book, Bury Me In A Pot Bunker was published, a golf historian in Vancouver wrote a three-page letter questioning certain text. To my chagrin, several of his comments were worthy. I added them to a list of typographical errors in anticipation of a second printing. When mistakes are noted, the author or poet’s duty is clear. Admit the mistakes, thank the reader, and make the corrections.

Interviewing

Interviews supplementing research are an art form. Several superb books discuss the subject. There is even a college course titled, “How to Interview.”

The key to successful interviewing is the ability to listen. Those who do often gather information others miss. Remember the Bible quotation, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”

Observe selected interviewers on television and note a common error. They have a set of questions in mind, often sequenced by number. No matter what the interviewee says, the interviewer asks the next question without following up or deviating from the predetermined order.

The savvy interviewer listens and varies the question order according to the response from the interviewee. The interviewer may return to the question list, but only after a thorough discussion of facts disclosed by the previous answer.

By varying the questions, an interviewer keeps the interviewee off guard. More important, good listening impresses interviewees, forming a bond of trust that often results in the interviewee disclosing facts they may have otherwise withheld.

To gain a sense of the art of interviewing, note the tactics employed by Ted Koppel, Charlie Rose, Oprah Winfrey, and Larry King. The latter is a master of the follow-up question, since he listens carefully to answers being given by a guest. King leans toward the person, indicating a genuine interest in the interviewee.

Author John Irving (Cider House Rules) believes listening is essential to the writing process. He stated, “A writer is a vehicle. I feel the story I am writing existed before I existed. I am just the slob who finds it, and rather clumsily tries to do it . . . As a writer, I do more listening than talking. W.H. Auden called the first act of writing, ‘noticing.’”

While detailing the essentials of prose, Jack Kerouac also spoke of the ability to listen. He stated, “Be submissive to everything. Open. Listening.”

Tape-record interviews whenever possible. Taking notes is important, but tapes ensure accuracy. Tapes are undisputed evidence of the conversation if you are questioned later regarding book quotes.

Finalizing the Outline

Your initial outline may not be the final one. As the process continues, the outline may change several times as you consider different storytelling options.

Beginning writers ask if the outline should be two pages or two hundred. There is no stock answer, since each outline differs according to the writer’s preference and the material. Some writers only require chapter headings to guide them; others, several paragraphs of key points to remember.

Within each chapter, include catch phrases that will trigger creative thinking when the writing process begins. As the days pass, you may add or delete material, but unless you completely alter your chosen storytelling method, the overall structure of the book should not change dramatically. Watch the flow of the material and note whether each chapter feeds off the preceding one.

Never be afraid to mix the material around like a good Greek salad. To gain a clear understanding of the essence of the outline, read it aloud. If continuity is a problem, set the outline aside for a day or so. When you read it again, you will have a fresh perspective.

The chapter headings and snippets of anticipated text for the outline of Book I of the book, Code Of Silence were a result of numerous re-writes. After more than one hundred drafts, part of the outline read as follows:

Prologue

Frank Ragano meeting with James Hoffa—July, 1963. Discussion of JFK assassination by Hoffa—order from Hoffa to Ragano that mobsters Santo Traficante and Carlos Marcello oversee plot to kill JFK. Ragano informing Traficante and Marcello of Hoffa order. Ragano mention of lawyer Melvin Belli to Traficante.

Book I

Chapter 1— Preliminaries

Opening of Ruby trial—Dallas—March, 1964. Descriptions of Belli and Ruby. Information on Dallas and trial judge. Discord with Kennedys by labor and mob. Belli participation in Trial of the Century.

Chapter 2— Ruby’s Lawyer

Belli famous cases—San Quentin convict, artificial leg trial, breast disfigurement, fattest man in the world, Willie Mays v. San Francisco Giants trial. Description of Belli offices.

Chapter 3— Young Belli

Belli background, Sonora to San Francisco. Years at Berkeley, world traveler.

Chapter 4— Ruby’s Lawyer

Belli’s famous cases—fireman, Horace Fong, Belli flamboyance, fascination with fashion. Belli relationship with actor Errol Flynn. Adventures in Europe. Belli the ladies man. Belli’s first marriage. Belli and the media.

The outline for my work of fiction, No Peace For The Wicked was a work-in-progress for almost a year. The book was based on a true story so the challenge was to pace the text so the characters hooked readers. This was essential, since the story was character driven.

When the outline was completed, a portion of it read:

Prologue

Ike Fellows’ release from jail. He is hounded by an out-of-control cop determined to send him back to prison. Ike slithers through the streets intent on making it home safely.

Book I

Chapter 1— Call For Help

Embattled attorney Luther Parsons receives call from friend Sonny in Arizona. Must decide whether to return to Ohio or continue his sabbatical from legal woes and personal problems.

Chapter 2— Ike’s Journey

Background re Ike—disclosure of Elephant Man’s disease, absence of education, family history, trouble with the law.

Chapter 3—The Lawyer

Background re Luther Parsons, family, law school, rise to prominence as a defense lawyer. Hint of trouble with a case that may lead to disbarment proceedings.

Preparing an outline for a poem or a collection of poetry requires imagination and thought. Like an artist who has a message in his mind, the poet must be creative, innovative, and precise regarding the words that fill a verse. A client of mine decided drafting an outline made sense because she was concerned her thoughts would ramble and lose their potency. Her outline was written in pencil on the back of an envelope. For the poem, A Day To Remember, she wrote:

Where have I come from?

Where do I want to be?

Why that is important to me.

How I will stay the course?

How I will be remembered?

Why I care.

When finalizing the outline, be clear and succinct. Referring to it when the story begins to meander is a lifeline to writing success.

Summary

The outline is the blue print of the mind.

Writing without an outline inhibits the writing process.

When researching facts, check the validity of the source.

Interviewing is an art—be a good listener.

Continually check the outline during the writing process to make certain you are on track.