Novel Outlining Template Novels & Stories

The most helpful column in my template is ‘What’s the worst that could happen here?’ For each chapter, I brainstorm the most dramatic, worst-case outcome for the characters that still fits the story. That often becomes the chapter’s climax or turning point.

It pushes me past predictable plots. Then, I work backward to outline the steps that lead logically to that ‘worst’ moment. This method injects tension into every chapter outline from the start. Even in quieter character-development chapters, the ‘worst’ thing might be an emotional revelation that shatters a relationship. It ensures every chapter has stakes.

Alright, so the outline isn't a magic wand that just makes drafting faster, it's a tool that makes drafting possible for me. I used to just dive in and hit a wall around 30k words. Now, I treat the outline like a rough sketch for a painting—I need to know where the major shapes are before I start filling in details.

My method is a bit of a hybrid. I start with the big three: the core conflict, the ending I'm aiming for, and my protagonist's fatal flaw. Then I do a super messy 'brain dump' in a document, just throwing every scene idea, snippet of dialogue, and character beat I can think of. It's chaos, but it gets the raw material out.

After that chaos, I impose order. I use a simple three-act structure as a skeleton and start slotting those messy ideas into Scrivener's notecards. Each card is just a one-line summary like 'MC discovers the letter, chooses to lie about it.' The magic happens in moving them around; seeing the pacing visually shows me where I have three slow character scenes in a row with no plot momentum. I don't get bogged down in prose at this stage. If a detail pops up, I jot it in the card's notes section and move on. The outline's job is to show me the path, not to build every brick in the road. I find if I over-outline, I lose the spark to actually write the thing. So my rule is: outline enough so I'm never staring at a blank page wondering 'what comes next?' but leave enough gaps for discovery as I write. The first draft still feels like exploration, but I'm never truly lost.

My template is all about questions. Each chapter heading is a question the chapter will answer—or, better yet, complicate. Chapter 6: 'Will Leo escape the smugglers?’ Chapter 7: 'What was in the cargo he stole?’ Chapter 8: 'Who is the woman who saved him, and what does she really want?’ Writing becomes the process of answering that chapter’s question while raising a new one. It naturally builds narrative propulsion and ensures every chapter has a clear focus. If I can’t phrase the chapter’s purpose as a compelling question, it doesn’t deserve its own slot.