Outline Your Novel Beat by Beat

What you'll find here are a few tips, but at core this is a book you write in. I created it so I could keep my outlines in one place rather than on sheets of paper here, there, and everywhere. There are lined pages to jot down information about your characters and settings.

There are lined pages to work out your three acts. I use those pages to work out themes, subplots, counterpoints, foreshadowing, etc. If something happens at the end of the book that needs set up in the first part, I can do that with a sentence so I know where to place that scene.

The bulk of the book is made up of worksheets to "beat-out" the story. I think of it like a step outline. I note the location, time of day, and the characters, then jot a few sentences about what happens in that scene, why it's important, how it moves the story forward, what it reveals about the characters, and the overall goal so I don't waste the reader's time. It also saves me time because I know why I'm writing that scene, which means it serves a purpose and isn't likely to be cut later.

This is something I put together for myself, but as it might prove useful to others, I'm making it available to you. I hope it helps.