We'll write out the outline going off the earlier work done.
Mindmap, Plot Outline: You can arrange these in any order you want. I usually write the outline adding these to the chapters I think they work best in as I go. Maybe after I'm finished the first draft of the outline, I would go back and add the ones I missed.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2 Prerequisites.
Chapter 3 Requirements.
Chapter 4 Forewarnings.
Chapter 5 Costs.
Chapter 6 Consequences.
Chapter 7 Dividends.
Chapter 8 Preconditions.
Chapter 9 Finds out what is going on.
There can be more than one of each that would be placed in different scenes. The "Finds out what is going on" would be more like Chapter 24+ for me usually.
I said I'd start the story with build up before where the dream came in at. I have to get to the point where the Captain's brain is altered, so I'll put that in outline first at 10 in Chapter 1 for now. Next, I have to figure out the steps to get to that part.
Chapter 1
name of chapter
Date #
1 Ship detects something moving along an intercepting path to them.
2 The captain is thrilled it could be humanities first interaction with a sentient life form.
They have been finding life on planets, but not intelligent life with civilizations.
3 The object stops in front of them and does nothing.
4 They scoop it up into the docking bay, and it just sits there.
They can't detect it doing anything. No radiation.
5 The Captain wants to study it with his own eyes.
Linn suggests since he is the Captain, that he does not. (Pay attention to mindmap for how a character should be. Avoids, helpful, hinders, etc.)
Crew member 1 backs away, he does not want to risk getting close to it.
6 The Captain insists on going into the docking bay.
Linn goes with him.
7 Try to build up tension, then nanites shoot out or something to infect Captain but not Linn.
8
9 (Might need to add end results of encounter in this Chapter, like rushing the Captain to medical bay. (Note: Add medical bay to spaceships description.)) (Forgot name for the ship.)
10 Nanites infect Captain. (Erase this place holder.)
Chapter 2
name of chapter
Date #
1 Temp Note: Have to come up with why Linn ends up in hydroponics bay.
Odd color lighting for the plants in bay.
2 Ugly alien shows up in hydroponics.
3 (Maybe add something here.)
4 Get Ugly alien talking so they have something to work with a computer AI translator.
5 Blah, blah, blah.
I name chapters. Sometimes I do it first, sometimes I do it after I see what the chapter will be about.
Chapter 1
Jack in the Box
Oct 31st 2101
Normally, I would complete the entire outline for a novel I planned to finish. Otherwise, I wouldn't actually succeed.
YOU ARE READING
My Process of Writing a Novel, Walkthrough
RandomStep by step I show you what to do to finish a story, from the first draft to final edit. You can do it the same as me, or perhaps you can take away ideas to meld into your writing process.
