Episode 113: Before you write (part 3, plot & outlines)

Notes:

This episode and the notes include affiliate links.

In case you’re unfamiliar with NaNoWriMo, here is some information: https://nanowrimo.org/what-is-nanowrimo

At the beginning of this episode, Fable mentions the episodes where we’ve previously discussed specific story structures and beats. Here are the links to those episodes:

Save the Cat - https://fableandtheverbivore.com/podcast/episode-79-lets-talk-about-craft-books

The Hero’s Journey - https://fableandtheverbivore.com/podcast/episode-99-the-heros-journey

The Heroine’s Journey - https://fableandtheverbivore.com/podcast/episode-101-the-heroines-journey

Both Fable and the Verbivore mention a variety of ways to approach outlining and plotting, some they’ve discovered through their own trial and error, discussions with other authors, and through research. Here are some articles that we found helpful in preparation for this conversation:

Reedsy Blog “Story Structure: 7 Narrative Structures All Writers Should Know” - https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/story-structure/

The Write Practice “Once Upon a Time: Pixar Prompt” - https://thewritepractice.com/once-upon-a-time-pixar-prompt/

“THE STORY SPINE: PIXAR’S 4TH RULE OF STORYTELLING” - https://www.aerogrammestudio.com/2013/03/22/the-story-spine-pixars-4th-rule-of-storytelling/

Masterclass “How to Use the Snowflake Method to Outline Your Novel” - https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-use-the-snowflake-method-to-outline-your-novel#what-is-the-snowflake-method

The Atlantic “The Six Main Arcs in Storytelling, as Identified by an A.I.” - https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/07/the-six-main-arcs-in-storytelling-identified-by-a-computer/490733/

Mythic Scribes “Is Outlining for Hacks?” - https://mythicscribes.com/writing-process/outlining-hacks/

diy MFA “The Structure of Romance” - https://diymfa.com/writing/structure-romance-writing

Masterclass “The 10 Essential Elements of a Mystery Story” - https://www.masterclass.com/articles/essential-elements-of-a-mystery-story

Fable talks about the lecture video where author Kurt Vonnegut references his thoughts on the shapes of different stories. Here is a link to that video:

Kurt Vonnegut, Shape of Stories - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOGru_4z1Vc

Our friend and writer Jo Mercer is hosting a NaNo prep month on Instagram @jmercerbooks under the hashtag #nanoprepandwin. It has some great story preparation prompts and questions. If you’re preparing to write a new story, we’d highly recommend checking it out!

Books Mentioned:

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book On Novel Writing You'll Ever Need by Jessica Brody

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life by Terry Brooks

How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method (Advanced Fiction Writing) by Randy Ingermanson

Music from: https://filmmusic.io
’Friendly day’ by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
Licence: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)