How to Outline a Novel, and When It Makes Sense to Do So

Do I need to outline my novel, or can I figure things out as I go along? What are the benefits of outlining? What are the different types of novel outlines, and how much detail should they include?

These are common questions among first-time fiction writers, and it’s easy to understand why. The educational system teaches students to create a detailed outline before writing an essay or paper. It gets drilled into us from a young age.

But what about fiction? Do authors need to use an outline...