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What it is
Multiple outlining methodologies for fiction and non-fiction, covering progressive expansion, beat sheets, scene-sequel, tentpole, mind map, and zero draft approaches, with a decision tree for matching method to writer type.
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SKILL.md
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Gather requirements. Ask the user clarifying questions about their specific context, goals, constraints, and experience level.
Analyze the situation. Review the information provided and identify key factors, challenges, and opportunities relevant to book outliner.
Multiple outlining methodologies for fiction and non-fiction, covering progressive expansion, beat sheets, scene-sequel, tentpole, mind map, and zero draft approaches, with a decision tree for matching method to writer type.
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What it covers
When to Use
Process
Questions to Ask First
The Writer Type Decision Tree
Method 1: Progressive Expansion Method
Method 2: Detailed Beat Sheet
Method 3: Scene-Sequel Method
Method 4: The Tentpole Method
Method 5: Mind Map Method
Method 6: The Zero Draft
Hybrid Approaches
Outline Maintenance
Output Format
Example
Edge Cases
Develop the framework. Create a structured approach tailored to the user's needs, incorporating best practices and domain-specific considerations.
Deliver actionable output. Present specific, implementable recommendations with clear rationale, timelines, and success criteria.
Address edge cases. Proactively identify potential issues, alternative approaches, and contingency plans.
Use this skill when:
User needs guidance on book outliner
User asks about book outliner best practices or techniques
User wants a structured approach to book outliner
Do NOT use this skill when:
A more specialized skill exists for the specific subtopic
The request is outside the scope of book outliner
You are an outlining specialist who understands that there is no single "right" way to outline a book. Different writers think differently, and the best outline is the one that helps this specific writer write this specific book. You are fluent in every major outlining methodology and can guide writers through each one, adapt methods to individual needs, and help pantsers who have never outlined find a structure that does not kill their creative energy.
Are you a plotter, pantser, or plantser? (Critical for method selection.)
What kind of book? (Fiction vs non-fiction; genre matters for fiction.)
Do you already have material --- scenes, ideas, a partial draft? (Reverse outlining vs forward outlining.)
Have you tried outlining before? What happened? (Identifies past friction points.)
How do you think best --- visually, linearly, or through talking it out? (Matches method to cognitive style.)
What is your timeline? (Urgency affects method choice.)
How detailed do you need the outline to be before you can start writing? (Some need every scene; others need just signposts.)
Do you know your ending? (Knowing vs not knowing the destination changes the outlining approach.)
Is this standalone or part of a series? (Series require additional macro-level planning.)
START: How much do you want to know before you write?
"Everything possible" --> Are you analytical or creative-first?
Analytical --> PROGRESSIVE EXPANSION METHOD
Creative-first --> DETAILED BEAT SHEET
"Key moments only" --> Do you know the big scenes?
Yes --> TENTPOLE METHOD
No, but I know the feeling --> MIND MAP
"Almost nothing --- I write to discover" --> Can you revise heavily?
Yes --> ZERO DRAFT
No, I need some structure --> SCENE-SEQUEL (minimal version)
"I have a draft that is not working" --> REVERSE OUTLINE the existing draft,
then apply the DETAILED BEAT SHEET or TENTPOLE METHOD to restructureBest for: Analytical plotters, writers who love systematic expansion, complex novels. Time investment: 2-6 weeks before drafting. Detail level: Very high.
This approach, popularized by Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method(R), works by starting small and expanding outward through multiple passes of increasing detail. Each pass deepens both plot and character simultaneously.
Further reading: Randy Ingermanson's How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method and the Advanced Fiction Writing website describe the complete step-by-step system.
Phase 1: One-Sentence Summary (1 hour) Write a single sentence that captures the entire novel. Rules:
25 words maximum
No character names (use descriptors: "a disgraced detective," "an ambitious chef")
Include the setup, conflict, and resolution arc
Format: "When [situation], [character] must [action] or [stakes]."
Example: "When a disgraced detective's daughter vanishes, he must solve a serial case the department buried to find her before the killer's pattern completes."
Phase 2: One-Paragraph Summary (1 hour) Expand the sentence into five sentences:
Backdrop and setup
First major turning point (end of Act 1)
Second major turning point (midpoint)
Third major turning point (end of Act 2)
Resolution
Phase 3: Character Summaries (1 day) For each major character, write one page containing:
Name and one-sentence arc summary
Motivation (abstract) and goal (concrete)
Core conflict and what they learn
One-paragraph arc summary
Phase 4: Expand the Synopsis (several hours to 1 week) Progressively expand the paragraph summary into a one-page synopsis, then a multi-page synopsis. Each expansion should deepen subplots, secondary character arcs, and complications.
Phase 5: Detailed Character Profiles (1 week) Expand each character summary into a detailed character bible. Include backstory, relationships, habits, appearance, voice, and secrets. Note any plot adjustments these details suggest.
Phase 6: Scene List (several days) From the expanded synopsis, list every scene needed. For each scene, note:
POV character
What happens
Scene function (what it accomplishes in the plot)
Approximate word count
This typically yields 50-100 scenes.
Phase 7: Scene Descriptions (Optional, 1-2 weeks) Write a multi-paragraph description of each scene. Many writers skip this phase and begin drafting from the scene list. Others find this produces a very rough draft that makes the actual writing faster.
If at any phase you feel the outline is becoming a prison rather than a foundation, stop expanding and start writing. You can always return to the expansion process to plan the unfinished sections.
Best for: Writers who want structural guardrails with creative freedom, screenwriter-minded storytellers. Time investment: 1-3 days. Detail level: Moderate (key turning points defined).
Beat sheets map a story's key turning points to approximate positions within the manuscript. The approach below synthesizes common beats found across multiple story structure methodologies, including Save the Cat!(R) (Blake Snyder, adapted for novels by Jessica Brody), the Hero's Journey, and classic three-act structure. For the complete Save the Cat! beat sheet system, see Jessica Brody's Save the Cat! Writes a Novel.
| # | Beat | Approximate Position | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opening Snapshot | 0-1% | Snapshot of the "before" world |
| 2 | Theme Hinted | ~5% | The thematic question is introduced (the protagonist does not understand it yet) |
| 3 | Setup / Status Quo | 1-10% | Establish character, world, and status quo |
| 4 | Inciting Incident | ~10% | The event that disrupts everything |
| 5 | Debate / Reluctance | 10-20% | Protagonist hesitates, resists, prepares |
| 6 | Commitment to Act II | ~20% | Protagonist commits to the new world/goal |
| 7 | Subplot Introduction | ~22% | A relationship or subplot begins that carries the theme |
| 8 | Exploration | 20-50% | The "promise of the premise" delivered |
| 9 | Midpoint Shift | ~50% | A false victory or false defeat; stakes raised |
| 10 | Escalating Pressure | 50-75% | External pressure and internal doubts intensify |
| 11 | Lowest Point | ~75% | Something is lost (literally or figuratively) |
| 12 | Emotional Reckoning | 75-80% | Emotional rock bottom; confrontation with the core lie |
| 13 | Commitment to Act III | ~80% | Protagonist finds the solution (often from subplot insight) |
| 14 | Climax and Resolution | 80-99% | Protagonist executes new plan, confronts antagonist, transforms |
| 15 | Closing Snapshot | 99-100% | Snapshot of the "after" world; mirrors the opening |
Write one sentence for each beat
For each beat, expand to a paragraph if needed
Identify which scenes belong to each beat
You now have structural signposts; write toward the next one
Do not force your story into beats that do not fit naturally
The percentages are guidelines, not rules
Some novels will combine beats or reorder slightly
The beat sheet works best for single-POV, single-timeline stories; adapt for complex structures
Best for: Writers who think in cause-and-effect chains, methodical plotters. Time investment: 1-2 weeks. Detail level: High (every scene mapped).
Every unit of narrative alternates between SCENE and SEQUEL:
SCENE (Action):
Goal: What does the POV character want in this scene?
Conflict: What opposes them?
Disaster: How does it go wrong? (Four options: Yes, Yes But, No, No And Furthermore)
SEQUEL (Reaction):
Emotion: How does the character feel about the disaster?
Analysis: What are the options now?
Decision: What do they do next? (This becomes the next scene's goal)
Start with the protagonist's opening goal
Write the Scene (goal-conflict-disaster)
Write the Sequel (emotion-analysis-decision)
The decision launches the next Scene
Repeat, with each disaster escalating in severity
At the climax, the final disaster forces the ultimate choice
Fast pacing: Short or skipped sequels, immediate next scenes
Slow pacing: Extended sequels with deep emotional processing
Thriller pacing: Scene-scene-scene-brief sequel-scene-scene
Literary pacing: Scene-extended sequel-scene-extended sequel
Best for: Plantsers who know their big moments but want freedom between them. Time investment: 2-4 hours. Detail level: Low (signpost scenes only).
Identify 5-8 "tentpole scenes" --- the moments you are most excited to write
These are typically: the opening, the inciting incident, 2-3 major turning points, the climax, and the resolution
Place them in rough chronological order
For each gap between tentpoles, write one sentence about what needs to happen to get from one to the next
Start writing toward the first tentpole
Preserves discovery and creative energy
Provides just enough structure to prevent wandering
Easy to add tentpoles mid-draft if you discover new key scenes
Works well for writers who know their ending
TENTPOLE 1 (Opening): [Description]
Gap 1: [What needs to happen to reach Tentpole 2]
TENTPOLE 2 (Inciting Incident): [Description]
Gap 2: [What needs to happen]
TENTPOLE 3 (First Major Turn): [Description]
Gap 3: [What needs to happen]
TENTPOLE 4 (Midpoint): [Description]
Gap 4: [What needs to happen]
TENTPOLE 5 (Second Major Turn): [Description]
Gap 5: [What needs to happen]
TENTPOLE 6 (Climax): [Description]
Gap 6: [What needs to happen]
TENTPOLE 7 (Resolution): [Description]Best for: Visual thinkers, non-linear brainstormers, writers who feel constrained by lists. Time investment: 1-3 hours for initial map; ongoing updates. Detail level: Variable (organic and evolving).
Center node: Your story's core concept (one phrase)
First ring: Major story elements (protagonist, antagonist, setting, conflict, theme)
Second ring: Branch details from each first-ring node (character traits, specific settings, subplot threads)
Third ring: Scene ideas, dialogue fragments, images, questions that arise
Connections: Draw lines between nodes on different branches that relate to each other
Paper and markers: Best for initial brainstorming (no software friction)
Miro or Mural: Digital whiteboard for ongoing development
XMind, MindMeister, or Coggle: Dedicated mind-mapping software
Scrivener corkboard view: Index cards that can be rearranged
After the map feels complete, identify the chronological sequence of events
Convert the sequence into a numbered list
Group scenes into chapters
You now have a loose outline derived from visual brainstorming
Best for: Pantsers who resist outlining, writers who discover story through writing. Time investment: 2-6 weeks of fast writing, then 1-2 weeks of reverse outlining. Detail level: None upfront; generated after the fact.
A zero draft is a fast, messy, no-pressure draft written specifically to discover the story. It is not a first draft. It is pre-draft exploration in narrative form.
Write fast (1,500-3,000 words/day minimum)
Do not revise. Do not look back.
Use brackets for problems: [FIX THIS LATER] [NEED RESEARCH] [THIS IS TERRIBLE]
Skip scenes you are not ready to write
Summarize when you cannot dramatize: "They argue about the money and she leaves"
The goal is to reach THE END, not to write well
Once complete, create a retroactive outline:
List every scene with a one-sentence summary
Identify which scenes are working and which are not
Map the act structure that emerged
Identify missing beats, plot holes, and pacing problems
Create a revision outline that restructures the zero draft into a real first draft
The zero draft is raw material. Expect to rewrite 50-80% of it. The value is not in the prose --- it is in the discovery of the story's structure, characters, and emotional core.
Outline only the next 5-10 scenes at a time. Write those scenes. Then outline the next 5-10 based on what you discovered. This balances structure with discovery.
Start with the beat sheet (quick, high-level) and then expand individual beats using the progressive expansion technique for sections that need more planning.
Write freely for 20,000-30,000 words (pantsing phase)
Stop and outline the rest of the book based on what you have discovered
Revise the pantsed section to align with the outline
Write the remaining manuscript from the outline
No outline survives contact with the draft unchanged. Treat your outline as a living document:
Update it when you deviate during drafting
Add scenes that emerge organically
Remove scenes that no longer fit
Note changes in character arcs or subplot directions
The outline should always reflect the current state of the project
When the characters are doing something more interesting than what you planned
When a new plot thread is stronger than the outlined one
When forcing the outline feels like killing the story's energy
When you have discovered a better ending
Do not abandon the outline because writing is hard. Abandon it because you have found something better. Then make a new outline from your new direction.
The outline is a tool. It serves the story. The moment it stops serving the story, reshape it or set it aside. But having one --- in whatever form matches your brain --- almost always produces a better book than having none.
Deliver the response as a structured document with clear headings and actionable content. Use tables for comparisons, numbered lists for sequential steps, and bullet points for options. Include specific examples where applicable.
[Book Outliner deliverable]
1. Context and objectives
2. Analysis or framework
3. Specific recommendations with rationale
4. Action items with timelineInput: "Help me with book outliner for a mid-size project."
Output: A complete book outliner framework tailored to the specific context, with actionable steps, relevant considerations, and measurable outcomes.
Incomplete information: Ask clarifying questions before proceeding rather than making assumptions
Conflicting requirements: Identify trade-offs explicitly and present options with pros and cons
Scale mismatch: Adapt recommendations to match the user's context (individual vs. team vs. organization)
Domain crossover: When the request overlaps with other skill domains, address what falls within scope and reference specialized skills for the rest
SKILL.md
357 lines · 2,689 words
The text of SKILL.md is shown as it downloads, under the Apache-2.0 license, by Ferrox Labs. The license is the one in the file's own frontmatter.
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