My Rough Story Outline Blueprint

ROUGH Blueprint

This isn’t complete. I haven’t had time to test drive it yet, which pretty much always results in changes.

However, with NaNoWriMo uponxt us, I thought I’d release the draft version into the wild for you budding writers to fiddle and tweak and play with

This is my story blueprint — the thing I pull out when I’m developing a plot to make sure that I’ve got a decent base for the pacing and that I’ve got enough big events to pull me from point A to point B.

Hopefully you find it helpful. =]

ACT 1: The Setup

HOOK! Show the reader something that immediately catches their attention. This is why they bought the book. Don’t hide the magic and dragons till chapter 7. This can be a question the reader wants answered. Regardless, it should be a promise you fulfill in the novel (don’t promise dragons and then never use them) and should create an itch that needs scratching in the reader.
Save the Cat Establish empathy with the character. Give the character a minor conflict to reveal to the reader what they are REALLY like. Show their Essence rather than their Mask.
The Normal Show the character living in or stuck in their Mask. This can be done VERY BRIEFLY and the reader doesn’t need to be beaten about the head with it. This is typically boring stuff.
Casting Call Show me your major characters early. If you cannot show them (such as the villain, sometimes), at least hint at them. Try to build your adventuring crew very, very early. Show me the love interest now.
Inciting Incident Catalyst, Plot Point 1, Opportunity: No matter what you call it, this changes EVERYTHING. This is a life-changing event. It knocks down the character’s house of cards. It is a game-changing event that leads to a decision. In gentler stories, it creates a desire in the main character that cannot be ignored. This event appeals to a character’s Essence rather than their Mask.
Decision The main character makes a decision based on that inciting incident, from which it is obvious they cannot return to The Normal ever again. This may require a debate on their part, wherein they are dealing with the desire revealed during the Inciting Incident

Often, you can work BACKWARDS through Act 1. Figure out what your inciting incident is, figure out what a good HOOK would be (remember: start your story AS LATE IN THE TIMELINE AS YOU CAN) and then figure out what needs to happen to get from HOOK to DECISION. Act 1 often writes itself in this manner. Also, do not feel that you need to lengthen a starting act that works lovely when shorter. In most cases, Act 1 is too long because too much time is spent on The Normal and the author didn’t start the story late enough. Often, the reader is already aware of the Inciting Incident because it’s on the book cover. What they DON’T typically know is what comes after. Don’t spend too much time working up to a “reveal” that won’t surprise them. Length-wise, one hopes this is all wrapped up by 1/4 of the way through your final wordcount. DO NOT EASE INTO ACT 2.

ACT 2: The Climb

Reaction The character reacts to the goals/stakes/obstacles revealed in the Inciting Incident. (doesn’t need to be heroic yet: could just be retreat/regroup/doom)
B-Story Work in the sub-plot. Romance, etc. Break from the tension of the main story.
Behind the Mask The character wavers between their Mask and their Essence.
Reminder Reminder to the reader of the antagonistic forces at work.
Funhouse Develop your relationships and characters through activities that foster a good spirit.
Midpoint New information or awareness cause the characters to change course on how to proceed. False peak/collapse. Conflict point. If your characters have been reacting/learning/regrouping thus far, it’s time to become active. Fun and Games are over and stakes are raised. Reaffirm character’s goal, and do something to affirm that they are still on track and dedicated. As the name indicates, this is about halfway through the story.
False Hope The character is given a glimpse of hope, a reason to believe they will succeed.

ACT 3: The Fall

Inner Demons Character ramps up battle with inner demons, fears, worries, faults.
Artillery Bad guys regroup and come back with heavy artillery.
Crumble The hero’s team unravels. This is almost always done because characters reatreat behind their masks, despite having been revealing their Essenses to each other. The most believable conflicts are the ones that are based on a character’s fears and who they were at the beginning of the story, because the reader SAW those and will understand them.
Darkest Night All is lost, and the hero’s greatest fears are realized.
Final Plot Point The final injection of new information into the story. This information doesn’t need to be understood by the main character yet, but you don’t keep adding new plot twists up to the final page or your readers will feel cheated.

ACT 4: The Finale

Finale Go! Fight! Win! Hero and team work together to defeat antagonist. Hero summons the courage and growth to come up with the solution, overcome inner obstacles, and conquer the antagonistic force. All new information must have been referenced, foreshadowed, or already in play. (anything else is a deus ex machina)
Aftermath Wrap up EVERY primary plot thread.
The New Normal Show a glimpse of the hero in their new Normal, where they are living more in their Essence than in their Mask.

Related posts:

Story Dissection and Evaluation
NaNo2010 > Outline 7 > Act 3
The First Quarter Of The Book