TAP033, The Case for Outlining, Outlining Pitfalls, and Overcoming Writing Obstacles

01/21/22 • 31 min

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The Authorpreneur Podcast - Writing & Self Publishing Tips

Before I dive into discussing how to outline a novel or the planning phase of writing, I thought it would be best to ask an obvious but nonetheless important question.

Is outlining a good idea? Depending upon who you listen to, you will hear conflicting advice. Some authors will say in order to write quicker, you need to ditch the outlining phase. While others abide by the age-old saying, "fail to plan, plan to fail."

So which option is best for you?

In this episode, I will share the things you need to consider, an important question that you need to ask yourself, a piece of advice that you need to keep in mind, and my recommendations for new writers. On top of this, I talk about the downsides of creating an outline in order to give you a balanced and somewhat unbiased answer to this age-old question.
Podcasts, Books, and Tools Mentioned
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The Previous Episode
Writing into the Dark (Workshop)
Writing into the Dark (eBook) *
Writing into the Dark (Paperback) *
Book Review by AuthorLevel Up on Writing into the Dark: Write a book without an outline!
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (Audiobook) *
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (Paperback) *
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (eBook) *
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My Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4
The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidate
Suspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicion
Duplicity | https://books2read.com/duplicity-adhay/
The Locked Room | https://books2read.com/locked-room

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Before I dive into discussing how to outline a novel or the planning phase of writing, I thought it would be best to ask an obvious but nonetheless important question.

So which option is best for you?

Support the show

Previous Episode

BTS047, Issues with Apple Books, Cover Redesigns, and The Results of Using Advanced Reader Services

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Throughout the preorder and launch period of the release of The Candidate, I experienced a series of frustrating issues with Apple Books. While I was struggling with Apple Books, I decided to redesign the ebook's cover; then, I went on to design the paperback based on this new theme. And this new design had surprising results on the ARC giveaway for The Candidate. Also, I started paying attention to the results of using BookSirens and BookSprout. This led me to decide whether I recommend you use these Advanced Reader Services.

So stay tuned for all of this and much more.
Podcasts, Books, and Tools Mentioned
Check Out the Show Notes
The Previous Episode
BookSprout
BookSirens
Goodreads
KDP Print
Ingram Spark
Nielsen ISBN Store (UK Only)
Kindle Whisper-sync for Voice
BookBub
Want the podcast straight to your inbox?
My Services
Try The Formatting Wizard Book Formatting Services for FREE **
The Formatting Templates offered by my services.
Le Villain Book Covers (Affordable Premade Book Covers) **
My Books
My Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4
The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidate
Suspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicion
Duplicity | https://books2read.com/duplicity-adhay/
The Locked Room | https://books2read.com/locked-room

Support the show

Next Episode

TAP034, From Idea to Outline: How to Outline a Novel (Part 1 of 3)

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Since 2014, I've written two novellas, one short story, and two full-length novels, three of which I have self-published. One novel is being rewritten because I wanted to change a story device and plot thread. For me, this second storyline was unrealistic and painted the character in an unprofessional light, thus creating a sense of trust with the reader. I needed the character to be seen as trustworthy for the reader. The second full-length novel is waiting for its turn to be published. After I wrote that novel, I realised the story occurred further on in the series. Between 2011 and 2014, I wrote screenplays, then changed to writing novels when I discovered self-publishing.

But enough about my writing journey.
About this Episode
In this episode, I will discuss how I go from a story idea to a fleshed-out outline. I know this is obvious, but this is my process instead of 'the way to outline a novel.' This process has evolved since my very first novel. As I wrote the next story, more steps were added to my intricate outlining approach. After publishing my first novella, in 2020, I added another step to my outlining process, but I will share this in a separate episode because it's a huge step and needs a detailed explanation.

So stay tuned for all of this and much more.
Podcasts, Books, and Tools Mentioned
Check Out the Show Notes
The Previous Episode
Writing a Short StoryUsing Story Cubes and a Massive Tea Haul | BTS Vlog #8
TAP002
TAP007
TAP008
Evernote
Scrivener (MacOS) *
Scrivener (Windows) *
Psychology of why people commit murder
Psychology of why people commit murder
The Making of a Murderer
15 Tips for Writing a Murder Mystery
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