"How do I outline a novel?" has no single answer, because writers plan in very different ways. Some need every scene mapped before they start; others only need a rough shape and a destination. This guide compares five practical methods, from a one-page summary to a full beat sheet, shows what each looks like for the same story, and helps you choose. It also explains how to outline without killing the draft. The final section shows how to try every method on a board in Quillen.
The short answer
Pick the lightest method that stops you getting lost. If you like to discover the story as you write, start with a one-page summary or a short scene list. If you want a proven shape, use a beat sheet such as Save the Cat or the Hero's Journey. If you need a fast opening, try the Fichtean Curve, and if you know the ending, the Seven-Point Structure. Whatever you choose, treat the outline as a plan you will change. Quillen has an outline board with four built-in templates you can apply and reshape.
Why outline at all, and why not
An outline helps you see structure before you commit tens of thousands of words to it. It shows you where a story sags, where a thread is dropped, and whether the ending is earned. It also saves rewrites. The risk is the opposite: an outline can make the writing feel finished before it starts, or lock you into a plan that stops being right once the characters come alive. The best outline is detailed enough to guide you and loose enough to change.
Method 1: The one-page summary
Write the whole story on one page: a paragraph for the beginning, a paragraph for the middle, a paragraph for the end. It is the lightest method, and it is a good first step for any of the others. It is best for writers who like to discover the story as they go, because it fixes the destination without fixing the route.
For The Salt Road: A surveyor is declared a criminal for mapping a road the Tollmaster has sealed. She flees across the salt flats, finds a lost road, and learns where it leads. In the end she leads the caravans down it in daylight and the Tollmaster is exposed.
Method 2: The scene list
List every scene in order, one line each, with a few words about what happens and what changes. It is concrete and flexible: you can add, cut and reorder lines easily. It is best for writers who think in scenes, and it works well as the second step after a summary.
For The Salt Road: 1. Mara maps the flats at dawn. 2. The Tollmaster seals the road. 3. A guard stops her at the gate. 4. She steals the sealed survey. 5. Her sister follows her into the flats...
Method 3: A beat sheet (Save the Cat)
Save the Cat divides a story into fifteen beats across four acts, each with a clear job. It is detailed and specific, which makes it good for writers who want to know what should happen and roughly when. It is best for commercial and genre fiction. See our full guide to using Save the Cat.
For The Salt Road: Opening Image (Mara alone on the flats), Catalyst (the road is sealed), Break Into Two (she leaves Orrin), Midpoint (she finds the lost road and learns where it leads), All Is Lost (her map is burned), Finale (she leads the caravans home).
Method 4: Escalating crises (the Fichtean Curve)
Start in conflict and climb through a series of crises, each raising the stakes. There is no long set-up. It is best for tension-driven stories, where the reader must be hooked from the start. See our guide to the Fichtean Curve.
For The Salt Road: Inciting incident (the road is sealed), Crisis 1 (pursued across the flats), Crisis 2 (her sister is arrested), Crisis 3 (her map is burned), Climax (the vault), Resolution (the caravans move).
Method 5: Backward from the ending (the Seven-Point Structure)
Decide the Resolution first, then make the Hook its opposite, and fill in the two plot turns, two pinch points and a midpoint in between. It is light and quick. It is best for writers who know how the story ends and want a fast skeleton. See how to use the Seven-Point Structure.
For The Salt Road: Resolution (Mara leads the caravans in daylight), Hook (Mara maps roads for others, never for herself), and so on.
A note on the Hero's Journey
The Hero's Journey is a twelve-stage pattern of leaving home, facing trials and returning changed. It works well for quests and transformation stories, and it can be combined with any of the methods above. See how to use the Hero's Journey.
Which method for which writer?
| If you... | Try |
|---|---|
| Like to discover the story as you write | One-page summary, then a short scene list |
| Think in scenes and like flexibility | Scene list |
| Want a proven commercial shape with named beats | Save the Cat |
| Write thrillers or horror and need to start fast | Fichtean Curve |
| Know the ending and want a quick skeleton | Seven-Point Structure |
| Are writing a quest or a transformation | Hero's Journey |
| Do not know yet | One-page summary, write a few chapters, then check against a structure |
Outlining without killing the draft
- Outline to the level you need. If detail makes you stop writing, you have outlined too far.
- Leave gaps on purpose. Mark the scenes you do not know yet as "to be discovered".
- Revise the outline as you draft. A plan that no longer matches the book is worse than none.
- Plan the emotional change, not just the events. A scene needs something to change for someone.
- Separate planning and drafting sessions. Decide what the scene needs before you open the draft.
Do it in Quillen
Quillen's outline is a board of columns and cards, with four built-in templates for the methods above. You can start from a template or from a blank board.
- Open your book and click Outline at the bottom of the left sidebar. You start on the Board view.
- Start blank or from a template. To start blank, click Add Column and name your own columns, such as Act 1, Act 2 and Act 3, or Beginning, Middle and End. To use a template, click Templates.
- Read the template explanations. The list shows Fichtean Curve, Save the Cat, Seven-Point Story Structure and The Hero's Journey, each with a plain-language description of the method. Click Apply on one to add its columns and cards. Applying only adds content; it never overwrites anything already on your board, so you can try more than one.
- Add cards. Click Add Card in any column. A card has a one-line title, a summary, optional Goal, Conflict and Outcome boxes, notes for characters, lore and chapters, and arc tags.
- Move things around. Drag cards between columns or within one, and drag whole columns to reorder them. Cards not placed anywhere sit in an Unassigned column.
- Switch to Timeline to see the cards as one straight sequence. Its order is independent from the Board, which is useful when the story is told out of order.
- Filter by tag to show only the cards for one subplot or character arc.
Checklist
- A method chosen to match how you write.
- The ending known, even roughly.
- Each major turning point has a place on the outline.
- Gaps marked rather than invented.
- Detail stopped at the point where it slows you down.
- The outline updated as the draft changes.
Common questions
What is the best way to outline a novel?
The best method is the lightest one that keeps you from getting lost. Discovery writers can start with a one-page summary; writers who want a proven shape can use a beat sheet such as Save the Cat or the Hero's Journey.
Should I outline before I write?
Many writers do, but it is not required. Even a rough outline shows you where a story sags. Keep it loose enough to change as the draft develops.
Can I try several outlining methods on one book in Quillen?
Yes. Applying a template only adds columns and cards, and never overwrites anything already on your board, so you can try more than one.
What outlining templates does Quillen have?
Four: the Fichtean Curve, Save the Cat, the Seven-Point Story Structure and the Hero's Journey. Each has a plain-language explanation, and you can edit everything it creates.
Can I outline a story that is told out of order in Quillen?
Yes. The Board and Timeline views keep separate orders for the same cards, so you can plan structure and chronology independently.