The Adventurous Author | How to Write a Book, Character Development, Write with Consistency, Creative Writing,Story Structure

059 // The 15 Steps of a Captivating Plot Outline (Write a Novella Series, week 5)

Jun 22, 2023

In a quest to enhance storytelling skills, the latest discussion unveils a 15-step outlining method inspired by 'Save the Cat! Writes a Novel.' The host shares personal insights on how this structure has streamlined their own writing process. Listeners are guided through key elements of the hero's journey, including the internal conflicts that spark transformative moments. The episode emphasizes the importance of a well-structured plot to keep readers engaged and offers practical tips for character development and narrative resolution.

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ANECDOTE

D.K. Drake's Outlining Experience

D.K. Drake tried outlining with Save the Cat’s beat sheet after reading Jessica Brody’s book.
The process took less than three hours and enriched the story structure significantly.

ANECDOTE

Prefers Notion Over App

Although D.K. downloaded the Save the Cat app, she prefers to organize story pieces in Notion.
The app stays on her phone as a helpful resource but unused primarily.

ADVICE

Follow the 15-Step Beat Sheet

Use Jessica Brody's Save the Cat 15-step beat sheet to outline your story for strong structure.
Ensure your plot includes all 15 steps from opening image to final image for a captivating story.

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Today we’re continuing the Write a Novella in 18 Weeks series. Here in week 5, the challenge is to write a full outline in 15 steps.

In the past, I would write this step outline by jotting down the action steps in scene one, then the action steps in scene two, then the action steps in scene three. I thus ended up with a lot of steps after this outline.

But I’ve recently finished reading Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. In it, she shares the Save the Cat! Beat Sheet, which she also refers to as your structure cheat sheet. I like structure. I like experimenting with ways to improve my storytelling skills. And I like that it’s divided into the standard three acts, and subdivided into 15 sub-steps from there.

So I gave it a go and outlined my story according to her beat sheet. I enjoyed the process, and it took me less than three hours to complete. I also found that thinking through my outline in this way enriched my story, so thank you Jessica Brody for writing this book. If you haven’t read this book, I recommend it. I don’t know Jessica and am not getting any kind of kickback for promoting her book. I just think you’d benefit from reading it.

In the meantime, I want to share her outlining process so you can make sure your story has the structure it needs to keep your readers turning pages. Let’s get to it!

Your friend,

DK

Connect: dk@authordkdrake.com

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