Writing Life
Initial Outline
by Charol Messenger on 06/30/10
It's a beautiful sunny day in downtown Denver. After my morning walk with my Yorkie, watching him zestfully chase after a sheltie playmate, I spent the rest of the morning novel editing in my homegrown backyard aspen forest. It takes me out of the city and houses that surround me, to a place of breezes and bird song... except shorter stints of work out there on really hot days, like today. So here I am... HOT! For you.
One of the most frequent writing issues I see in manuscripts from new writers is the need for clear organization (reading flow). Writing an outline first creates a clear organization for the contents. It also signicantly simplies the process of writing a first draft. With an outline, all you have to do is fill in the blanks.
Once you know your topic (you're clear about it) and have a "working theme" and "working title," the easy way to write is to start with a bare outline. (You can change it as you go. Writing is an organic process. As you write, you think of better ways to do it. So the outline may evolve. That's okay. It's just to get you started.
An outline actually works for anything you want to write: nonfiction, memoir, novel, screenplay, even short stuff like articles. An outline is an easy place to begin shaping the content of what you want to say.
Don't worry about getting your Initial Outline just right, in ideas, content, or even the format on the page. Start with basic talking points. Do not try to cover everything in one book. Choose a single dominant topic - for this project. That gives you even more projects to publish, each with a unique angle (look at authors who publish numerous books, each has a different slant). So don't try to say everything in this one book. It's too much for the reader to absorb - and it's much easier to write and finish a single focus.
Initial Outline: Keep it simple. You may have Parts (sections), Chapters within parts, and Subheadings within chapters. (For a more extensive outline, if it flows easily, you may add details under each subheading topic.) Title each element (briefly): Parts, Chapters, Subheadings. Additional details under the subheadings may be one or two sentences. You can do more if you wish, but don't feel like you have to. There are no hard rules. Do whatever generates creative flow.
In the next phase of developing your "outline" you will flesh it out. This is where you fill in specifics. However if you get caught up in the flow, go with it. I find that the more regular daily time and attention I spend on a particular writing task, day by day it gets easier, until it seems as if suddenly the ideas snap into place. Just like anything else in life, the more we give it our attention, the more natural the practice becomes.
Each Part is an overview topic. The Chapters within each part break down the discussion into smaller bites. Within each chapter, there are probably Subheadings to further organize the contents. Under each Subheading go the details (specifics).
In single-spacing, do a simple outline (not Roman numerals, keep it simple):
Part Title (flush left, may be caps, bold, anything you wish)
Chapter Title (space down, left indent)
Subheading (break-down topic, further left indent)
Two or three short statements of the primary discussion. May go over one line. Again, further left indented so the discussion structure is visible at a glance (this helps you to organize your thoughts and where to position your information).
Another Subheading (ditto)
Another Chapter Title (continue and repeat format)
With this simple visual structure, all you have to do is "fill in the blanks."
The titles for the parts, chapters, and subheadings are not permanent. Just as with the book, these are "working titles" to create a mental order for what you will write. Actually, writing the outline is the first phase of the writing. You have already begun!
Following is a sample rough outline (unfinished! a book I have drafted). To condense the space in this blog: my Part titles are flush left, larger, in color, and bold. However, I have put the rest in paragraphs: Chapter titles in initial caps, separated by periods; and a few Subheadings (break-down topics elaborated in the book) inside parenthesis and separated by commas - just to stimulate ideas for your own project.
Once you start your own outline, don't sweat it. As with brainstorming the book's central theme and idea - also brainstorm the initial outline. Just let it roll. It doesn't have to be perfect. This is the first step to writing your first draft.
MY OWN SAMPLE FIRST DRAFT OUTLINE:
General Self-Editing Techniques
How much editing is good editing? Wordiness (ways to eliminate convoluted and circular writing, examples of redundancy). Voice (point of view/viewpoint, perspective). Details (specifics, key to all good writing!). Word Choices (e.g., gender, its or it's, affect or effect). Introductory and Parenthetical Phrases. Overused Phrases and Cliches. Time and Place (key in all writing!). Transitions (linking passages). Tone and Emotional Connection with Readers. Grammar. Pace. Revisions. ....
Punctuation
The Art of Rhythm
Comma. Semi-colon. Colon. ....
The Art of Emphasis
Parentheses. Ellipses. EM dashes. Italics. Bold. Quote Marks. Paragraphing. Space Breaks. Chapter Breaks. Verb Tense. Third Person or First. ....
Dynamic Writing
Active Sentence Structures (active voice). Power Verbs. Power Nouns and Images. Power Adjectives and Adverbs. Showing vs. Telling. Rising Action vs. Background (backdrop, backstory, character sketches). Scenes. Plots. Framing. Revealing Character Traits and Personality. Character Point of View vs. Omniscient Narrator (modern viewpoints; inferred character thinking, direct character thoughts). Crisp Succinct Dialogue. Fast vs. Slow Pacing. Metaphors and Imagery. Foreshadowing (clues). Flashbacks (past perfect). Theme (message). Prologue (before the Real Story begins). Strong Openings. Endings (where to end, anti-climatic endings, cliffhangers and hooks).
Spiritual Writing
Initial Cap or Lower Case? New Age Jargon. Inclusive Attitude toward the Readers (avoid didactic, preachy, patronizing, angry, judgmental; instead, inspire readers!).
Each of my Chapter topics and Subheading discussions in my manuscript includes samples, examples, and further specific details. These are the "fill in" that gets you going on writing a full first draft. It's where it all starts.
Just rough it out. Fill it in. Let it flow.
Then let it sit (a day to a week).
Then come back to it... with a fresh perspective. Tidy it up. Get clear about your Starting Structure. Then you have a Working Outline.
Writing the first draft is simply filling in the blanks. Just keep creating more levels (if you need to) and more details per level. Before you know it, you have a full first draft.
(A first draft means you will keep improving it. That is writing. That's why you have to hang in there. A first draft is not a finished product - not even with talent, not even with skill and extensive practice.)
To carry the outline even further, in an extended outline version, you can write in (again by hand, on paper, to spill out ideas spontaneously) further DETAILS on each specific targeted discussion.
Mainly: Don't worry about the end result. Small increments. Step by step gets it done. Just like life.
I'll share tidbits now and then that I have found useful in my own writing as well as editing and development work for client writers. (This blog was longer. Most probably won't be.) Future blogs will cover: trimming the excess, active sentence structures, active verbs, point of view...
Happy writing!
Writing Your First Book - Step 1
by Charol Messenger on 06/14/10
It's Monday - in downtown Denver - after three days of steady continuous rain. Really glad to see our typical sunshine again! Blue skies! Even though it's still cooler, expected to be hot hot hot by weekend.
When you know you are ready to write a book, here is the first step ... and some first encouragements:
Be brave, be steadfast, stick with it. It's a long process. But if you do it step by step, you'll get there.
p.s. Nonfiction is way easier than writing a novel! Totally different skills required. Almost anyone can put a nonfiction or memoir book together. Writing a novel takes a special drive. Talent helps. Experience helps. Persistence helps even more.
ALL GENRES require step one. (p.s. on all these blogs, if you see misspelling it's because there is no computer spellcheck)
Step 1: IDEA Mull this over. Let it gel. That's "incubation." Be thinking about what you have to say... what you want to say. What is important to you?
To help you define what you want to say, below are a few questions to think through ... and write your answers. This is the beginning of the writing. It loosens the mental process.
Tangent Tip: Brainstorming by hand, pen or pencil on paper, is organic (especially in your lap, in an easy chair, not at a desk - or take it with you). First thoughts drafted on-the-fly opens the creative mind. Easier to flow. Just let it roll.
Writing a first draft is easier on paper than on computer/keyboard (especially when new to writing, even when not; I still do all first drafts by hand). These are two different mediums that trigger different processes and styles of writing (writing voice changes).
Give paper a try on your first drafts and brainstorming! It's easier to get past the mental blocks. It doesn't matter what you write down. At the beginning, anything and everything goes.
The questions to answer for yourself (not necessarily in order):
- What is the first and most important thing you have to say?
- Why are you sharing it?
- Why is this important to you?
- How will it help others?
- What is your unique perspective?
- What is your unique message?
That's enough for getting started. Stirring the mental brew. I may cover more on this topics at other times.
I'll blog here on occasion with more writing tips, probably one or two a month (as I am writing a new screenplay, among other personal and work writing and editing projects). For now, I'll probably stick to the topic of writing your first book, at least get the initial stuff out to you. Although, this being a blog, if something else "comes up," I'll post it.
Other blogs: Screenwriting My True Story, The process, story, and journey of writing a screenplay. How to do it, and the emotional challenges of revealing true events. http://mysticscreenwriter.blogspot.com Intuitive Living, Learned life tools. Personal musings on events of the day, and how coping, or not. www.charolmessenger.com/blog.html
