Outlining your novel might sound like a daunting task, especially when you're staring at a blank page and juggling endless ideas. But with a structured approach, you can break this seemingly massive task into manageable, daily steps.
In this 30-day plan, you’ll go from a rough idea to a fully developed novel outline. This post allows you to have a plan but if you're struggling with the details, you can get the 30-days Outline Workbook. You'll find more informations, questions, check lists and cheat sheets.
Days 1–3: Finding Your Story
Before you dive into scenes and characters, you need to figure out what you’re writing about. These first few days are all about discovering and shaping your story's core.
Day 1: What if?
Every great story begins with a question. Think of a bold "what if?" that sparks your curiosity. Write down as many "what if" questions as you can. Don’t judge them, just generate. Choose the one that excites you most.
Day 2: The Premise
Now refine that question into a short, compelling premise. Your premise should include a protagonist, a situation, and a challenge or goal. For example:
A rebellious teen discovers she's the heir to a crumbling magical kingdom and must decide whether to fight for it or destroy it.
Keep it under 2-3 sentences. The goal is clarity, not perfection.
Day 3: The Summary
Expand your premise into a one-paragraph summary. Think of this like the back-cover blurb of a book. Introduce the main character, the setting, the conflict, and the stakes. This helps you visualize the scope of your story.
Days 4–8: The Overview
You’ve got your story’s heartbeat. Now, let’s start fleshing out its bones.
Day 4: A List of Scenes
Write a bullet-point list of any scenes that come to mind. Don’t worry about order or logic. If you see a climactic battle, a romantic rooftop moment, or a betrayal in a courtroom, write it down. Aim for 15–20 potential scenes.
Day 5: Better Scenes
Now go back and build on those ideas. Ask yourself:
- What does this scene do for the story?
- Who’s in it?
- What changes by the end of it?
Tweak your list to focus on the scenes that move the plot, reveal character, or escalate tension. You can use the ABT structure to help you.
Day 6: A Character’s Arc
Pick your protagonist and sketch out their internal journey. Where do they start emotionally, mentally, or morally? Where do they end up? This arc is your emotional throughline. A strong arc gives your plot meaning. A redemption arc is quite popular but you can find many others.
Day 7: The Theme
What is your story really about? Redemption? Power? Forgiveness? Write down a theme or central idea you want to explore. It will help guide decisions about plot, character, and setting.
Day 8: The Conflict
Every great story needs conflict. Identify both internal and external conflicts:
- Internal: The character’s fears, flaws, or desires.
- External: The antagonist, societal pressure, or natural disasters.
Pinpointing conflict gives your story tension and stakes.
Days 9–16: The Characters
Characters bring your story to life. These next days focus on getting to know them inside and out.
Day 9: Appearance
How does each major character look? Go beyond eye color and hair. Think posture, wardrobe, facial expressions. Visual details can reveal personality.
Day 10: Personality
Is your main character bold or cautious? Logical or emotional? Use personality tests (like MBTI or Enneagram) if it helps. Define quirks, habits, fears, and desires.
Day 11: Backstory
What events shaped this character before page one? Do they have a tragic backstory? Consider their family, trauma, victories, and failures. This backstory doesn’t all need to appear in your novel but you should know it.
Day 12: Strengths and Weaknesses
Characters must be balanced. Give your protagonist notable strengths and flaws. Maybe they’re brave but reckless. Or loyal but naive. This complexity makes them human. Think about fatal flaws as well.
Day 13: Dynamics
How do your characters interact? Sketch out key relationships: allies, enemies, mentors, rivals. Conflict or chemistry between characters drives the plot forward.
Day 14: The Antagonist
Give your antagonist depth. They should believe they're the hero of the story. What do they want? Why do they think they’re right? Do they belong to a certain villain archetype? A strong antagonist elevates the entire story.
Day 15: Minor Characters
Build out your cast. Create 2–5 secondary characters that fill out your world and challenge the protagonist. Avoid making them cardboard cutouts, give them goals and traits of their own.
Day 16: Checklist
Run through your character sheet. Do all major characters have a goal, arc, flaw, and motivation? Are there any gaps? Fill them now.
Days 17–23: World Building
Even contemporary stories need solid worldbuilding. Time to make your setting feel real.
Day 17: Cities and Countries
Where does your story happen? Sketch out major locations: cities, towns, forests, galaxies. Give them distinct features: architecture, climate, culture.
Day 18: History
What major events shaped your world? Wars, revolutions, inventions? This historical context shapes your characters’ views and the current conflict.
Day 19: Magic
If your world includes magic or supernatural forces, define the rules. Who can use it? What are the limits? Magic should feel consistent and integrated, not like a cheat code.
Day 20: Species
Are there non-human characters or creatures? Describe their appearance, customs, and roles in society. Give them depth, not just weirdness.
Day 21: Custom
What are the traditions, holidays, and taboos of your world? These small touches add authenticity and texture.
Day 22: Social Organization
Define the power structure. Who’s in charge? Is it a monarchy, democracy, or tribal system? How does class, race, or gender play into this?
Day 23: Religion
Is there a belief system? How does it affect daily life, politics, or conflict? Whether your world has gods or is deeply atheist, faith (or lack thereof) shapes cultures.
Days 24–30: Final Outline
You’ve done the heavy lifting. Time to shape your raw material into a working outline.
Day 24: Narrator
Who’s telling the story? A first-person voice with emotion? A distant third-person observer? Choose the narrator that best serves your story’s tone and intimacy.
Day 25: Point of View
Decide on your POV strategy: first person, third limited, omniscient? If using multiple POVs, define who gets which chapters and why.
Day 26: Outline
Now, take all your notes and list your major story beats. Use whatever method works: three-act structure, Save the Cat, Snowflake, etc. Just make sure you have a beginning, middle, and end.
Day 27: Chapters and Scenes
Divide your outline into chapters. Each chapter should contain 1–2 scenes. Jot down what happens in each scene and why it matters.
Day 28: Chapter Plan
Create a brief outline for each chapter. What’s the goal? What’s the conflict? What changes by the end? This helps you stay on track while drafting.
Day 29: Scene Plan
Dig deeper into individual scenes. Write a few lines about setting, mood, characters involved, and the emotional stakes. Great scenes are mini-stories.
Day 30: Complete Story
Read your entire outline from start to finish. Does it flow? Are there gaps? Strengthen weak points, rearrange scenes if needed. By the end of today, you’ll have a roadmap ready to guide your writing journey.
30-DAYS NOVEL PLANNER
