Structure and Outlining

Every writer has his or her own way of writing, whether it's outlining every detail or writing just to see what happens. But regardless of how you write, all novels have structure, and understanding that structure will help you craft a better novel. Here are some articles that cover ways to outline (or not), how to structure your novel, and the basics of scene structure.

A sampling of articles on outlining and pantsing

• Are You In or Out? Crafting Outlines That Work for You
• Outlining the First Draft
• In Defense of the Outline
• List in Importance: Outlining Without Outlining
• Using Excel to Outline
• Clarifying Thoughts: Revising Your Outlines to Make the Writing Easier
• Going Both Ways: Outlines for Plot, Pantser for Character
• Save the (Cat) Pantser! A Solution for Pantsers with Plotter Envy
• Pantser and Proud of it
• Can You Structure if You’re a Pantser?

See all articles on outlining 
See all articles on pantsing

A sampling of articles on story structure

• Form Fitting: Using Story Structure to Your Advantage
• How to Plot With the Three-Act Structure
• Plotting With Michael Hague's Six Stage Plot Structure
• Plotting With the Save the Cat Beat Sheet Structure
• Plotting With the Hero's Journey
• Can You Structure if You’re a Pantser?
• Dancing Out of Tune: Writing Scenes Out of Sequence to Enliven—and Maybe Even Finish—Your Novel
• Shake and Bake: Re-Structuring Your Novel

See all articles on story structure

A sampling of articles on scene structure

• Taking the Scenic Route: Scenes and Sequels
• 6 Tips on Making Similar Scenes Feel Different
• Telling Yourself to Show: How to Identify Flat Scenes
• The Benefits of Talking Through Your Scenes
• Oh, What Now? Fixing a Stalled Scene
• Hey, Still With Me? Poking Dead Scenes With A Stick, Part One
• It's Alive! Poking Dead Scenes With A Stick, Part Two
• Pile On: Combing Scenes for Dramatic Punch
• Busta Scene: Getting Past Hard-to-Write Scenes
• Follow the Leader: Moving From Scene to Scene

See all articles on scene structure