Today we’re continuing the Write a Novella in 18 Weeks series.  Here in week 5, the challenge is to write a full outline in 15 steps.

In the past, I would write this step outline by jotting down the action steps in scene one, then the action steps in scene two, then the action steps in scene three.  I thus ended up with a lot of steps after this outline.

But I’ve recently finished reading Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody.  In it, she shares the Save the Cat! Beat Sheet, which she also refers to as your structure cheat sheet.  I like structure.  I like experimenting with ways to improve my storytelling skills.  And I like that it’s divided into the standard three acts, and subdivided into 15 sub-steps from there. 

So I gave it a go and outlined my story according to her beat sheet.  I enjoyed the process, and it took me less than three hours to complete.  I also found that thinking through my outline in this way enriched my story, so thank you Jessica Brody for writing this book.  If you haven’t read this book, I recommend it.  I don’t know Jessica and am not getting any kind of kickback for promoting her book.  I just think you’d benefit from reading it.

In the meantime, I want to share her outlining process so you can make sure your story has the structure it needs to keep your readers turning pages.  Let’s get to it!

Your friend,

DK

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