Book outlines are crucial when writing a book, and I say that as someone who learned it the hard way. I’m Chandler Bolt, founder of selfpublishing.com and author of Published!, and I’ve helped thousands of first-time authors go from blank page to published book.
The single biggest thing that separates writers who finish from writers who quit? A solid outline.
A book outline is the foundation for an organized writing process. It should come before your first rough draft and serve as the roadmap for your entire book-writing journey.
No matter how skilled you are as a writer, you’ve no doubt faced the dreaded blank page syndrome – “writer’s block,” as most people call it.
I know how daunting it feels to string together a fluid sequence of words that accurately conveys a thought or concept. And if you’re reading this, chances are you’re not quite sure how to outline a book or novel the right way.
In this post, you’ll discover exactly how to create a book outline that will help you start (and finish) writing your book.
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What is a book outline?
A book outline is a structured document that plans and sequences the information your story will include before you write a single chapter.
Think of it as the blueprint for your book. It’s a wireframe or skeleton you follow during the writing process to stay on track, avoid writer’s block, and deliver a coherent reader experience.
A book outline applies to both fiction and nonfiction, but the format varies significantly by genre:
- A fiction novel outline focuses on structure, plot, scenes, character arcs, and conflict.
- A nonfiction book outline focuses on topic clusters, key concepts, and information architecture designed to educate or inform.
Whether you’re mapping a thriller with a surprise ending or a how-to guide that transforms your reader’s life, your outline is the roadmap that makes it all possible.
How to outline a book: 7-step guide (Fiction & Nonfiction)
There is no single right way to outline a book. What works for you, may not work for another writer, and vice versa.
Don’t feel like you have to follow a rigid set of rules to craft your outline and get started writing your book. But, your book outline should have the basics covered.
It’s perfectly fine to start with a loose structure and develop your outline as you go.
So, how do you write an outline for a book?
Use these seven steps as your universal starting point. Below, we break out fiction-specific and nonfiction-specific paths in more detail.
Step 1: Write your one-sentence premise
Begin with a single sentence that captures the “big idea” of your book.
Forcing your entire concept into one sentence strips it to its essential premise and immediately reveals if your idea is clear enough to sustain a full book.
If you can’t summarize it in one sentence, you may need to clarify your core concept before building anything on top of it.
Step 2: Brainstorm using the 5 W’s + H
Dump every idea onto the page by answering six core questions about your book:
What is the concept or story?
Where does it take place or apply?
Why does it matter?
Who is it for or about?
When does it happen?
How does it unfold?
This brainstorming phase is best done with a mindmap or bubble map. Draw your central idea in the middle, branch out with the six questions, then add notes and snippets between bubbles as they come to you. Speed matters here. Get ideas out first, organize later.
If you’re writing nonfiction, the value of questions is indispensable…
- What information do you want to share in your book?
- Who is your reader: beginner, intermediate, advanced?
- Why does your reader want to know the information in your book?
- What does your reader want to learn by reading your book?
If you’re writing fiction, questions can also help…
- If my antagonist does that, how will my protagonist react?
- How can I get my protagonist out of that jam?
- Use “What if?” in different scenarios.
Step 3: Determine your setting or context
Decide where your story or information will live.
For fiction writers, this means world-building. This is the sights, sounds, rules, and atmosphere of your story world.
For nonfiction writers, it means defining the context your reader operates in: their level of expertise, the problem they’re trying to solve, and the real-world environment your advice applies to.
Step 4: Decide on the order of events or information
Map out the sequence from beginning to end.
Where does your story or argument start? Where does it end?
How do you move the reader from one to the other?
Whether you’re designing a hero’s journey, a dual-timeline novel, or a problem-solution framework for a business book, your sequence needs to feel logical and inevitable in hindsight.
Rearrange sections until the order clicks.
Step 5. Lay out the character’s arc (Fiction) or reader transformation (Nonfiction)
Every book should transform someone – either a character on the page or the reader holding it.
For fiction, map your protagonist’s internal and external journey from start to finish: who are they when the book opens, and who have they become by the final page?
For nonfiction, define the reader transformation: what does your reader believe, know, or do differently after finishing your book?
Step 6: Outline chapter by chapter
With your macro structure in place, drill down into each chapter.
Add the specific scenes, arguments, anecdotes, or data points that belong in each section. At this stage, you’re not writing prose, you’re building the scaffold your prose will hang on. Leave blanks where you’re unsure; they’ll fill in as you write.
Step 7: Hash out the details
Narrow in on the essential details for each section.
This is where you add the granular specifics: a statistic you want to include, a scene beat that sets up a later payoff, a transition that bridges two ideas. A detailed outline at this stage can function as a near-complete first draft for nonfiction writers.
It’s important to note that the above steps are a loose starting point for any standard book idea. To really hone in and follow a book outline strategy, you need to know which type of book you are writing, since the outline can vary greatly depending on this.
Are you writing a novel, based on fiction, or are you writing a nonfiction book?
Let’s take a look at the next two sections to determine the process for each.
How to outline a novel
A novel is based on fiction or imagination – it is not based on real life. If you are writing a fictitious narrative, then you need to create a novel outline.
Fiction and nonfiction books are very different, and while the steps to create an outline of a book can be similar, they are pretty different based on the book’s genre.
Learn how to outline a novel well, and you will improve your storytelling and reader experience tremendously.
The purpose of a novel is to entertain, and your book’s outline needs to be created with that in mind.
You are telling a story in a novel, and a well-structured book outline will help you create a roadmap to tell that story well.
Note: If you’re writing a memoir, your memoir outline will most likely resemble more of a fiction structure than that of a nonfiction structure.
Here are the steps to outline a novel:
Step 1 – Write your idea out
What’s your book’s big picture?
This is the premise of your story; it’s the “big idea.” Try to write your idea into as few sentences as possible, preferably one. You’ll have a chance to get into the granular details later.
Step 2 – Answer the 5 W’s (Who, What, When, Where, Why)
Get clear on the essentials of your story.
This will help guide you in determining how to create your book’s outline framework, and will also help you identify any major “holes” that you might have missed.
Step 3 – Use a book outline framework or template
Choose a template to work with as a starting point, then make any adjustments as you see fit and start plugging in your content.
Step 4 – Create your plot
Start with a beginning, middle, and end.
It’s perfectly fine if you don’t have a clear idea of every event in your book. You can flesh it out as you go, but you should have an idea of the starting and ending point, at the least.
Step 5 – Add characters
Now that you have a plot, it’s time to include your characters.
This is important because it helps you identify any supplemental characters you hadn’t yet thought of. It also helps you chart out your protagonist’s purpose and hero’s journey.
Step 6 – Plug in scenes
With a starting point for your plot, and an idea of which characters are needed, you can start plugging in the major scenes that will help tell your story.
Note: If you’re writing a memoir, your outline will more closely resemble a fiction structure than a nonfiction one, because memoir is fundamentally a story.
How to outline a nonfiction book
A nonfiction book exists to educate, inform, or transform. Your outline must be built around your reader’s problem and the journey from where they are to where they want to be.
Here are the steps to outline a nonfiction book:
Step 1 – Write out your idea
Write your big book idea out in one to three sentences. What is your book about, and what problem does it solve?
Step 2 – Identify the purpose of your book
Use the 5 W’s specifically in terms of your reader: Who are they? What do they need to know? Why does this information matter to them? When and where will they apply it?
Step 3 – Choose your book structure
Many nonfiction books follow a specific structure. Is it a problem and solution structure? Maybe it’s a compare and contrast, or a chronological structure? If you’re having trouble deciding, go back to your purpose.
Step 4 – Use a book outline template
Start with a template, and fill in the details of your book as you go.
Step 5 – Add your main points as chapters
Brainstorm the main points your book will discuss to convey the topic you’re writing about. Then, add these main points as chapters.
Step 6 – Structure individual chapters with details
Once you have your main points mapped out as chapters, you can add the specific points or details that you will write about in each chapter.
Step 7 – Write an outline for each chapter
Once your macro outline is complete, zoom in. A chapter-level outline (with your key argument, supporting evidence, and chapter conclusion) makes the actual writing dramatically faster.
Book outline examples from famous authors
Let’s take a quick look at some examples of famous authors who learned how to write a book outline that fit their needs, and then went on to write and publish them successfully.
Below is the handwritten outline of novelist James Salter:
You may be familiar with this image of J.K. Rowling’s plot lines of the Harry Potter books…
Famous outliners (or plotters) include John Grisham, J.K. Rowling, and R.L. Stine, to name a few.
Reasons to outline your book
The biggest benefit of learning how to write a book outline is that your outline can help you start, and finish your book.
It can make your process towards becoming an author easier, and more clear – with fewer detours and frustrations along the way during your writing process.
Here are some benefits to outline your book:
- Write quickly. With a book outline, you know exactly what you have to write about next.
- Intentional structure. Although an outline is equally applicable to nonfiction and fiction, an outline can help you create a solid structure for your novel. This can result in a better quality piece of literature.
- Overcome blank page syndrome. With an outline, the dreaded blank page is not as daunting as it could be. When you sit down to write, you will be able to kickstart your writing with an outline.
- Prevent writer’s block. Again, having an outline can help you eliminate writer’s block because you open your outline, and there you have the next piece to start writing. It’s like jump-starting the brain.
- Push through the sagging middle. If you’re writing a novel, you no doubt are familiar with the uphill battle of writing the sagging middle. With a carefully structured outline, this becomes easier.
- First draft. K.M. Weiland, in her book Outlining Your Novel, says: “In many ways, an extensive outline is a first draft.”
To write a nonfiction book without an outline, is an invitation to stress and frustration (and it may likely result in a sub-standard book).
To write a fiction novel without an outline is a bit more acceptable because it’s more of a creative process. But you should still have an idea of your book’s starting and ending points to avoid writer’s block and overwhelm – especially if you’re a first-time author.
In the Introduction of K.M. Weiland’s book, Outlining Your Novel, she offers the following: “Outlining has transformed my own writing process from hit-and-miss creativity to a reliable process of story craft. Outlining allows me to ride the waves of my story with utter confidence, channeling the art into the craft to produce solid stories. And the best part about outlining? It’s entirely learnable.”
Free book outline templates
A book outline template can make it super easy to get started writing your outline.
For FICTION, you can download the free template here.
For NONFICTION, you can download the free template here.
If you’re ready to get started, we have ready-made templates just for you.
Select your genre, and get a completed book outline that’s ready for you to plug in your book ideas.
Use this outline template tool as a starting point to write your book’s outline. It’s yours to adjust as needed!
Need A Nonfiction Book Outline?
Get customizable templates for easy book writing and structuring.
Effective strategies for book outlining
There are a lot of strategies and frameworks when it comes to writing a book outline. There are some effective ways to outline a novel or nonfiction book, and many authors find success using popular book outlining strategies.
Let’s dive into some book outlining strategies that you can consider for your own book outline. Just be sure to make tweaks to any process that you see fit for your specific needs and writing process.
Mindmap
A mindmap can be done with software or with paper and pen. It’s a brain dump at its core – as you think of an item or point, you add it to your mindmap. This can be a few words, a line, a sentence, or whatever you need to get the basic idea down.
The first round of mindmapping is all about speed; get your idea out of your head into your mindmap. You can set a timer, and start mindmapping by allowing your thoughts and ideas to freely flow out of your head and into a visual scheme. Mindmapping is one of the best ways to outline a book.
Bubblemap
This is similar to the mindmap; the difference is that a bubblemap is usually done on paper or a whiteboard. The same principles apply as with a mindmap: get the ideas out of your head onto paper (or whiteboard). You may find that doing this on paper (or a whiteboard), you’ll be able to get the ideas out of your head quicker. You can scratch out, add, and move items: it’s your outline, and you do it as you want to.
Below is an example bubble outline for a chapter in my forthcoming book (as you can see, it looks similar to a mindmap).
How to outline a book with Scrivener
Scrivener is a popular paid book-writing software used by many expert authors. To create an outline in Scrivener, you would use the Corkboard tool. This is an electronic version of using 3×5 flashcards, and the benefit of doing this in Scrivener is that all your “cards” are safely in one place.
The Corkboard in Scrivener is a neat tool to outline your book. Author Becky Levine uses Scrivener and says: “I create a text file/note for each scene in the story.”
Below are example notes on the corkboard in Scrivener…
If you’re not familiar with Scrivener, and are looking for a free alternative, consider using Notion. It’s not strictly a writing software, but it allows you to work in a similar way.
One-liner book outline
This is a quick and easy way to start your outline. Either in your word processor of choice, or with pen and paper, jot down root ideas. These can be questions, phrases, sentences, or whatever it takes to get the idea down on paper (or screen) as quickly as possible.
How to outline a book chapter by chapter
Usually, when you outline your whole book, it will be from a 30,000-foot view. After the book outline, it’s a good idea to then outline it chapter by chapter. You can use any of the methods offered here to outline your chapters. The idea behind this is to drill down into the details of each chapter, so you can write each chapter more efficiently.
How to use post-it notes for a book outline
If you have the space, using Post-it notes is a great way to outline a book. This video by Pat Flynn is a great example of how to use Post-it notes to outline.
How to create a storybook outline
If you are more of a visual person, you can use a storyboard to outline your book. Here is a step-by-step video on how to outline a book.
The Snowflake Method
Bestselling author Randy Ingermanson created the Snowflake Method.
In his book, How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method, he offers 10 steps on writing a first draft.
“The Snowflake Method is nothing more nor less than the method that works best for me in writing fiction. If you can use it to guide your creativity as you write a powerful story, then I’ll be thrilled.” – Randy Ingermanson
Book outline tips
If you’re still struggling to get started, or finish, your outline, we have four best practice book outline tips for you:
- Ask more questions. Questions are your most valuable asset to create an outline for your book. Start with the basic, What? Why? When? Where? Who? And How?
- Refer to similar books. If you’re stuck with getting started, look at the Table of Contents of books in your niche. Do not plagiarize, but use them as ideas. Ask yourself these questions: Where can you add your unique angle? Can you add something more, or different?
- Leave blanks & skip over. If you can’t hash out a particular detail, or have a gap in your outline, don’t pressure yourself to fill the gap. Instead, skip it and leave it blank. It will come to you as you start writing!
- Be flexible. Don’t be rigid with your book outline. The best outlines are those that can be adapted and tweaked on the go. The outline is just a starting point, but it’s up to you to refine as you write.
Don’t feel rushed to get your outline done. And always remember your outline is not cast in stone – you can change it how many times you want to. Investing time in writing a detailed outline will save you time when you write your book.
“The outline is 95 percent of the book. Then I sit down and write, and that’s the easy part.”
Jeffery Deaver
Don’t lock yourself into just one type of outline. Try different types, and feel free to mix and match.
How to use software to outline a book
Over the past decade, a number of companies have entered the market with software for writers. A few of them specifically help authors with outlining novels.
Most of these tools were made by authors, for authors, so they can be extremely useful. However, they will cost money and they do have a learning curve. That’s why we offer the free templates in a simple word processor you’re already familiar with and know how to use.
If you are interested in a more robust software for outlining, we have written reviews on many of them, including but not limited to:
- Scrivener
- NovelPad
- Novel Factory
- Notion
- Chapterly
If you’d like to see more novel writing software, you can read this article. Otherwise, it’s time to get started with your outline!
Frequently asked questions about book outlines
What should a book outline include?
A book outline should include your core premise, the major chapters or sections, the key points or scenes within each chapter, and notes on character arcs (for fiction) or reader transformation (for nonfiction). The level of detail can vary from a loose one-pager to a chapter-by-chapter breakdown running dozens of pages.
How long should a book outline be?
A book outline can be as short as one page or as long as 30+ pages depending on your book’s complexity and your preference as a writer. For nonfiction, a detailed outline often runs 10–20% of the final book’s length. For fiction, a thorough outline might include full scene summaries for every chapter.
What is the difference between a book outline and a synopsis?
A book outline is a planning document you use before and during writing. It’s for you, the author.
A synopsis is a summary of the completed book written after. It’s for agents, publishers, or readers.
An outline is iterative and detailed; a synopsis is polished and concise.
Can you outline a book after you start writing?
Yes. Many writers create a “reverse outline” after drafting a few chapters to assess structure and identify gaps. It’s a useful diagnostic tool at any stage of the writing process.
What is the Snowflake Method for outlining a book?
The Snowflake Method is a 10-step outlining process created by author Randy Ingermanson that starts with a single sentence and expands your concept outward in increasing levels of detail from a one-paragraph summary to full scene breakdowns. It’s particularly well-suited to complex fiction.
Ready to write your book outline?
Outlining transforms the book-writing process from a leap of faith into a manageable, step-by-step project.
Start with one sentence. Ask the right questions. Choose a method that fits how you think. And remember, your outline isn’t cast in stone. The best outlines evolve as your book does.
Download your free template below and write your first outline today:
👉 Get the Free Nonfiction Book Outline Template
👉 Get the Free Fiction Book Outline Template
If you want guided support through the entire writing and publishing process, explore our self-publishing programs where a dedicated coach helps you go from outline to published author.
