Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success [Kindle Edition]

K.M. Weiland (Author)

Book Description

Acclaim for Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success

“Not into outlining? Then someone did not demonstrate it for you the way Weiland has in her book. If you can make a quick trip grocery list, you can outline your next manuscript to benefit your process, using Weiland’s guide.”—Leslie Hultgren

“…this is one of the few writing craft books I have read start to finish, was easy to apply to my writing immediately, and helped me follow through on my first draft.”—F. Colley

“Ms. Weiland presents a wonderful roadmap for writing while still encouraging you to take those sidetrips that will make your story better. I feel like I can walk the ‘high wire’ of my imagination because I have the safety net of my outline below it all.”—D. Hargan

About the Book

Let outlines help you write a better book!

Writers often look upon outlines with fear and trembling. But when properly understood and correctly wielded, the outline is one of the most powerful weapons in a writer’s arsenal. Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success will:

• Help you choose the right type of outline for you


• Guide you in brainstorming plot ideas


• Aid you in discovering your characters


• Show you how to structure your scenes


• Explain how to format your finished outline


• Instruct you in how to use your outline

Reveal the benefits:

• Ensures cohesion and balance


• Prevents dead-end ideas


• Provides foreshadowing


• Offers assurance and motivation


• Dispel misconceptions:


• Requires formal formatting


• Limits creativity


• Robs the joy of discovery


• Takes too much time

More Praise for Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success

“…this book has revolutionized the way I think about plotting and outlining and, after months of wishing I could find the ‘joy of writing’ again, I finally have it.”—Ashley March

“Each chapter deals with a specific topic and builds a clear idea of the task ahead, and as a great plus every chapter ends with an interview with a published author, explaining how they work their outlines and their personal methods.”—Marcus J. Pinto

“…a brilliant tool for any person wanting to learn more about the craft of writing.”—Cherie Reich

If your writing has benefitted from Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird or Stephen King’s On Writing, you’ll find further inspiration in Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success.

Looking for K.M. Weiland’s fiction?

Dreamlander—What if your dreams came true?

Behold the Dawn—The sins of a bishop. The vengeance of a monk. The secrets of a knight.


A Man Called Outlaw—One man stood up unafraid. One man fell alone. One man’s courage became a legend.

The Memory Lights—A pickpocket in the slums of Victorian England, she has no memory of her past . . . except for the street lamps that haunt her.

One More Ride in the Rain—One last battle remains for three weary Confederate soldiers. Their only choice: to run or to fight?

The Saddle Daddy Rode—Her father is dying. Her hope is fading. Where is faith when she needs it?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

K.M. Weiland is the author of the historical western A Man Called Outlaw and the medieval epic Behold the Dawn. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her blog Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors (wordplay-kmweiland.blogspot.com), and her instructional CD Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration. She lives in western Nebraska. Visit her website: kmweiland.com.

Product Details

• File Size: 282 KB
• Print Length: 194 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0978924622
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: PenForASword Publishing (September 14, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005NAUKAC
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,879 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #9 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Education & Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides > Writing Skills
  • #31 in Books > Education & Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides > Writing > Writing Skills

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

141 of 142 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Priceless Tool For Any Novelist October 8, 2011

By Kristin A. Offiler

Format:Paperback

As a writer who has attempted a handful of novels in the past without an outline, I knew it was something I would need going forward with my newest work-in-progress. I wasn't sold on the idea of an outline at first, though. They seemed restrictive, boring, and frankly too much work BEFORE starting the real work of writing a book. But after reading "Outlining Your Novel" my mind is completely changed. In fact, I doubt that I'll ever go back to "pantsing" it with novels. Weiland's guide not only walks you through the steps necessary to set up a functional, useful outline, but it also explains WHY having a road map will make your story better. She's absolutely right-- when I try to write without a guide, I only get so far before I panic and stop working altogether. I would never head to a new city without directions, so it makes no sense to write a new story without a guide either. Both are new, unfamiliar territory. Both can be conquered with some planning.

I read this book in less than 24 hours, highlighting points that resonated with me so I can revisit them again and again. I read it a second time to begin working on my outline. However you read it-- at the speed of light or slow and steady-- you will come away with practical tools to get your outline started. If you're a writer, you can't afford to NOT read this!

62 of 65 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best writing books I've read December 28, 2011

By Matt Murphy, Author of THE SOMEBODY OBSESSION: A NOBODY'S DESPERATE JOURNEY TO STARDOM

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

As the owner of more than 40 books on writing, I've found it increasingly difficult to find a book that offers a whole lot of material that hasn't been covered in numerous other books. Outlining Your Novel provided plenty of new and useful information to me as a writer and, unlike many writing books which left me feeling more despair than enthusiasm about writing, it left me feeling eager to start my next book. Despite its title, the book will be very useful to writers of all genres in all forms of media, whether you're writing a 300-page book or a 300-word blog. My only minor complaint is that the author's novel Dreamlander, which has not yet been released, was used for many examples, and it would be nice to be able to read the book right away after finishing this one so I can read the examples in the actual book. But that's a small gripe about a great book. Highly recommended, well worth the low price.

58 of 64 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Will Help You Write Your Novel! September 25, 2011

By Liberty Speidel

Format:Kindle Edition

As a reluctant outliner, I couldn't recommend K.M. Weiland's book more. The techniques she suggests in "Outlining Your Novel" will definitely help me in future projects as I further explore the outlining concept.

Her book is well organized, beginning with many misconceptions about outlines--many of which I used to adhere to until recently--and taking you step-by-step to the start of the actual writing of your novel. Several techniques I'd already begun utilizing prior to reading her book. Many others I am already contemplating using as I begin working on my next three projects, two of which I've already started "pantsing." In fact, I can see a couple packages of my favorite pens and several more notebooks in the not-to-distant future for me. :)

What makes K.M.'s book great is the fact she speaks from personal experience, describing the techniques she personally uses when drafting her novels. In a series of interviews, she also draws on the varied experiences of ten other authors, such as Elizabeth Spann Craig and Jody Hedlund. Examples of good techniques are also used from various books and movies--The Patriot and Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow are made examples of more than once.

If you're a newbie writer, or just a newbie to outlining, reading K.M.'s book is well worth the time. All of the techniques indicated may not be for you--I know I'm not nearly as detailed as she is!--but they do add something extra to think about as you embark on this great writer journey.

Happy writing!

Liberty Speidel
LibertySpeidel.com
[...]

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Needs Maps April 2, 2012

By Karen S. Garvin

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I wrote 82,000 words of a novel as a "pantser," then I got stuck. So I decided to do some outlining to find the problem areas and help focus my thoughts on where the story needed to go. I figured a more mechanical approach might be what I needed to get unstuck. So far, the book has been helpful for prodding me to ask questions about my story and characters and for trying to find the story's premise.

Unfortunately, what I really wanted from this book were examples of mind maps, maps, and other types of outlines that aren't just a list of questions. Chapter 2 talks about mind maps, pictorial outlines, and maps, but it doesn't show any of these. I would dearly like to see one of her mind maps, or a scribbled map of a city, or *something* that doesn't resemble typeset text. It seems that if you're talking about pictures, why not throw a few in there to illustrate the point?

The book is probably worthwhile just for the list of questions that you should ask your character, but I also like chapter 10 which covers how to break down your story into scenes and chapters. While I think I have a good feel for that subject, Weiland's coverage of pacing is helpful in figuring out where the story sags or where too much happens at once.

The book seems to be self-published (tell-tale toner underneath the gloss coating on the cover and the myriad ads in the back), but it's done well. It just could have been even better if there were some illustrations. I took off a star for that because I think it would have added a lot to the book -- you know, show, don't tell. :P

More About the Author

K.M. Weiland writes historical and speculative fiction and mentors other writers through her website, editing services, workshops, books, CDs, and blogs.

Why I write:
Stories are like breathing. Life without a story in my head is one-dimensional, stagnant, vapid. I love the life God has given me, but I think I love it better because I'm able to live out so many other lives on the page. I'm more content to be who I am because I'm not trapped in that identity. When I sit down at my computer and put my fingers on the keys, I can be anyone or anything, at any time in history. I write because it's freedom.

Writing routine:
I set aside two hours, five days a week, to write, usually between four and six p.m. I'm a firm believer in Peter de Vries claim: "I write when I'm inspired, and I see to it that I'm inspired at nine o'clock every morning." I spend the first half hour scribbling ideas in a writing journal, reviewing character sketches and research notes, reading an article on the craft, and proofreading what I wrote the day before. Then I pick a soundtrack, say a prayer for guidance, and dive in.

Process:
It takes years sometimes for my ideas to find their way onto the page. After the first kernel of inspiration takes root, I play with it and play with it, discovering characters and scenes and plot twists. Finally, when I think it's ready, I dig out a notebook and start sketching ideas and outlines. Depending on the subject matter, I spend a few months researching, then take a deep breath and pray that all the work will pay off in a way that will glorify God.

Inspiration:
Most of my story ideas begin with a character and a place. An outlaw in the Wyoming Territory. A mercenary knight in the Crusades. A vigilante plantation owner in Kenya. A female spy in the Napoleonic Wars. A barnstormer in early 20th-century Kansas. After that, who knows? Inspiration is a gift from God: bits and pieces, tiny ideas that bloom into unexpected treasures.

Advice:
Writing is both a gift and an art. As a gift, it must be approached with humility: the writer is only the vessel through which inspiration flows. As an art, it must be approached with passion and discipline: a gift that's never developed wasn't worth the giving.