How to Outline Your Novel (Even If You’re a Pantser)

A lot of writers are surprised when I tell them that I’m a pantser who loves to outline.

If you’re not familiar with the terms “pantser” and “plotter,” these are categories for two types of writers. Plotters like to plot out their stories in advance so they know what’s going to happen next, while pantsers prefer to fly by the seat of their pants and discover their stories as they write them.

It might sound like being a pantser and outlining are mutually exclusive things, but they don’t have to be. Here’s how I balance the two: I outline after I write my first drafts.

For a long time, I didn’t even realize that was an option. I’d always learned that you’re supposed to outline before you draft, and I hated doing that, so I assumed outlining just wasn’t for me.

But as it turns out, there are actually a lot of different ways to incorporate outlining into your writing process. The key is finding a way that works for you.

So, let’s talk about all the different ways you can incorporate outlining into your process, and why outlining can help you write a better book, even if you’re a pantser.

Why You Need to Outline Your Book

Here are some questions that every writer needs to ask about their manuscript:

Does the pacing feel even throughout the book?
Does the book begin too early? Too late?
Do each of the subplots receive the right amount of page time?
Are there any extraneous scenes that aren’t necessary for the story?
Are there important scenes or plot points that are currently missing?

To answer those questions, you need to be able to see the whole shape of your story, not just a few specific scenes. That’s where an outline comes in. It can give you a fresh pair of eyes, so you don’t miss the forest for the trees.

And it doesn’t have to follow a specific format, either. An outline can take whatever shape you want it to take. It can be a summary, a chart, a spreadsheet, a drawing, or even just a few bullet points. As long as it gives you that bird’s-eye-view, it counts as an outline.

If you’re a plotter, you’re probably used to making outlines before you write your first draft. You might ask these questions before you even start writing, so you can anticipate issues in advance.

If you’re a pantser, like me, discovering your story while you write it is part of the joy of writing. But you still need a way to answer those questions, even if you save that step for much later in the process.

4 Ways to Incorporate Outlining into Your Writing Process

When you’re writing a novel, there are four different points in the process when you can create an outline. No way is necessarily better than the others—it all depends on which one works for you.

Let’s take a quick look at the pros and cons of each one.

Option 1: Before You Start Drafting

Outlining before you start drafting is the most common way to outline. It makes sense to build an outline before you write a story, the same way an architect would draw a blueprint before building a house.

The benefit to using this option is that you can make sure your story has a strong arc from the get-go, instead of wasting time writing words that you’ll ultimately cut later. It also makes the drafting process much quicker if you know where you’re going.

The downside to this option is that the writing process might feel less organic and spontaneous if you’ve outlined in advance. If you’re a pantser, part of the fun is in discovering the story as you go, and you lose that with this option.

Option 2: While You Write Your First Draft

Another option is to outline while you write your story.

You can draft a chapter, then write a few bullet points summarizing that chapter. Then draft another chapter, and then add that one to your outline too.

The benefit to using this option is that it gives you the best of both worlds. You can solve problems as they arise by keeping the big-picture view in mind while you write scenes.

The downside to this option is that you might prefer to focus on one step at a time. Personally, I like to stay in drafting mode while I’m drafting, then stay in big-picture mode while I’m outlining. It’s hard to toggle continuously between the two.

Option 3: When You Start Revising Your First Draft

Personally, I like to write my outlines after I finish the first draft, when I start to revise my book. After I finish my first draft, I make two outlines: one for the manuscript I’ve written, and one for the ideal manuscript I want it to be. Then, I use those as revision guides.

The benefit to using this option is that it lets me write a fully organic story during the drafting phase, and then fix it during the revising phase. This way, I can let my characters drive the story, instead of forcing them to do what the plot requires them to do.

The downside is that it takes a lot of work to revise the manuscript this way. There are usually entire scenes I have to delete, rewrite, and shuffle around. Ultimately, doing that work is worth it for me, but it’s definitely not for everybody.

Option 4: When You’re Preparing for Publication

If you hate outlining, you might be used to this option—saving the outline for as late as possible.

If you want to get your novel traditionally published, you’ll need to write a synopsis. That’s a 1-2 page summary of the plot of your book—which definitely counts as a type of outline.

The benefit to this option is that you don’t have to spend very much time on the outlining step. Just a quick summary, and you’re done.

The downside, of course, is that this is probably the least useful time to outline. At this point, if you discover a weakness in your story structure, there’s not much you can do about it.

Try It for Yourself

If you’re not used to outlining, try doing it at a different point in your writing process, and see if it works!

Next week, I’ll share some of my favorite plot structures for outlining a novel. There are a lot of options out there, so you can pick the one that suits your story the best.

Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser? How do you usually outline your stories? Let me know in the comments!

I’m Hannah Yang, and I’m a full-time author. Every Monday, I publish a new blog article about writing craft tips, my writing process, or my journey to publication. Share this article if it resonated with you, and subscribe if you want to see more!