Note: There are two kinds of reverse outlining – nonfiction and fiction. This post will talk about fiction reverse outlining.
Hello, friends! If you’ve read my last few Monthly Round-Ups, you may have noticed I’ve been talking about reverse outlining – a lot. But what is reverse outlining? How do you use it? And how can it make your story stronger in the long run?
In this post, I’ll be walking you through all of these questions with a step-by-step guide on how to write your own reverse outline. There’s a lot to get into, so let’s get started!
Please note that because every writer has a different process, my tips may not work perfectly for you. You might need some trial and error to suit these steps to your needs.
Would you like more writing resources? Check out My Writing Compilation Post!
What Is Reverse Outlining?
Very simply put, reverse outlining is a tool you can use to outline a second draft. It is very similar to the process of outlining before you begin writing the story, but it happens after you’ve finished a first draft.
In the first version of my book, I didn’t use an outline because I started writing without knowing where the story was going. Thirteen-year-old me began the first draft of my current work in progress with just a vague story idea and a few characters. When I reached the end of the book three years later, I knew I had become a much better writer, and many parts of my first draft were no longer applicable to the story I wanted to tell.
I also wanted to add a second new point of view, The Cousin. Her character joins the quest a few days after the main character, and I wanted to show what happens between the point he leaves and she joins the quest. Because The Cousin has an entirely new perspective on the events in the book, I couldn’t just write a few chapters and jam them in the manuscript willy-nilly. No, I needed to map out my entire book…after I had finished writing it.
I honestly had no idea if this kind of process already existed, but thankfully Google delivered! I typed “is there an outline after your first draft” into the search engine, and I finally found the phrase I was looking for: Reverse outlining. Bingo.
Reverse outlining is an extensive summary of your book – what happens, which characters are part of each chapter, and how all the puzzle pieces fit together. It’s a compilation of all your ideas and concerns about the first draft so you can more easily write the second.
How To Reverse Outline:
#1: Reread your entire first draft BEFORE you start your outline.
The first step is to find your first draft and fully reread it before you begin your outline. Print it out, read it on your computer, read it out loud, whatever works.
The goal is to identify components of your story that are lacking. Would any of your characters benefit from more backstory? Is there a plot hole you need to fix? Have you noticed a storyline that doesn’t quite match up with the rest of the story? Ask yourself what’s missing.
Also, ask yourself what parts of your first draft worked. What did you like? Were there any good fleshed-out characters? Did you describe something well? Make sure to take note of that too.
Once you’ve finished your re-read, then you can start your outline!
#2: Set up your outline.
Next, you should get an unused notebook or open a new document on your computer. I’ll walk you through how the outline should be constructed, so you don’t have to guess for yourself.
In my reverse outline, there are five main components:
Chapter number, title, and whose POV it is.
The summary of the chapter.
Which characters are in the chapter.
The point of the chapter.
Any notes/questions you have about the chapter.
There are also other components you can have in your reverse outline:
How many pages/words each chapter is.
Any specific objects that will be important in each chapter.
Lines you want to carry over from your first draft into the second draft.
Here’s an example of what the reverse outline looks like before we get deeper into the specifics:
I’ll break each down step below!
Summaries:
This step is one of the easiest. Think about what happens in the chapter and simplify it into three-five sentences.
If you’re having trouble getting started, try smaller summaries and imagine your readers are looking through this. What do they absolutely need to know?
Characters in this chapter:
Reread your chapter and make a note of every single important character in that chapter. Then add it to your outline so, when you’re rewriting, you can make sure each character is carefully accounted for.
For me personally, adding this was a lifesaver. I have a relatively large cast, with lots of “good guys”, “bad guys”, and side characters, so keeping everyone straight in my outline is really helpful.
A good rule of thumb is to include every character who has a name. If the maid who carries away someone’s shoes only appears twice in the whole book, you don’t have to mention her.
Point of this chapter:
This step is to make sure that this chapter is absolutely necessary to your plot. If your characters are just sitting in a room making idle chit chat for no good reason, you might want to cut this chapter. If, however, these people are waiting for someone who arrives with a big twist or important news, then you should definitely keep it.
For instance, there’s a part in one of my early chapters where two of my characters argue for no good reason. In the chapter, they’re currently in a fight, but the argument is pointless and not really important to the story, so I decided to cut that scene. That doesn’t mean I cut the whole chapter, but I took out the part that doesn’t have any significant impact to my plot.
If you look at a chapter and think, “I don’t really think this adds anything to my book”, then that’s a good sign you should remove it.
Notes (or General Chapter Remarks):
This part of your outline is where you can go wild brainstorming. Write any thoughts you have about the chapter here. Do you have a character you want to add? Something that doesn’t seem right? You can write all about it in this section.
This is my favorite part of the outline because I can dump all of my thoughts here. Sometimes they’re a little wacky, but I find it super helpful to have notes ahead of time so when I get to the second draft, I know exactly how I want to rewrite the chapter!
Feel free to make your notes section as long as you’d like.
#3: Take breaks and follow your inspiration!
As much as working on your outline may be fun, make sure to take breaks. Drink plenty of water and have snacks, listen to your favorite music, watch your favorite movie, read a new book. Sometimes shutting off your writing brain for a while is essential. No one ever works on a project 24/7, right?
Also, if you’re inspired by your outline to write (or rewrite) a scene, go ahead and try it out! Follow your inspiration! See where it takes you.
#4: It’s okay to get discouraged.
The most important thing to remember is that it’s OKAY to get discouraged! Writers tend to fall in the pit of “I’m not good enough, I’m way behind, etc”, but that is simply NOT TRUE. I’ve learned that if I work on my outline once a week or every day, I’m making progress. I’m being intentional in my goals to become a better writer.
And if you’re a fellow writer feeling this way too, know that you’ve come this far. You’ve finished a whole draft! And you still haven’t given up on your story! How incredible is that?
#5: Work on your second draft!
Once you’ve finished your outline, it’s time to start the second draft. This is an amazing accomplishment, so as soon as you start, make sure to celebrate getting this far. Congratulations on writing an ENTIRE reverse outline!
How Do You Know If Reverse Outlining Will Be Helpful For Your Story?
Personally, I realized that there was tons of story missing from my first draft that I wanted to expand upon. I wanted to add a new POV, change a few of the storylines, add a few more characters, and close some of the plot holes that were plaguing me. I realized it would be easier to start with a reverse outline – carefully reading all my chapters and making a concrete plan for a second draft – than heavily editing my first draft.
Of course, this might be different for you, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the amount of edits you want to make or stuff you want to change, I’d suggest trying a reverse outline!
Have you tried reverse outlining? Are you considering it? Let me know in the comments below!
(Have you seen my step-by-step guide on how to make a fantasy town map? Check it out today!)
Here are some resources I found helpful while researching reverse outlining:
Reverse Outlining and Book Planning by Meredith Mooring (blog post)
How To Reverse Outline Your Novel by Hannah Bauman (blog post)
Reverse Outlining: “Finding” Your Story During Revisions by Chelsea Abdullah (blog post)
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This will be so helpful for my second draft! Thank you so much Addie!!