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As someone who was strictly a pantser, I can say unequivocally that outlining was the bane of my existence. It was like throwing me into a dark room, locking the door and whispering, "Don't worry you're not alone there's a spider in there with you."
Suffice to say, it was a giant NOPE.
I dreaded the idea of outlining anything. I thought that it would stifle me creatively. That once I had something planned somehow it would take away the magic of discovering the characters and their world. It meant I would be unable to deviate from what I had planned. I'd be locked in and that was it.
Let me be the first to tell you, I was wrong.
It took me several years of my own writing struggles to realize that my friends who plotted their work wrote (in my opinion) more consistent stories overall. They weren't struggling with writer's block to the degree I was. They didn't write twenty filler chapters to finally get to the point of something. They didn't have gaping plot holes. They were updating their work regularly. Instead of having short burst of activity followed by months of creative drought.
This is not meant to be a discussion of pantsing VS. plotting. It's just me saying that I've learned, whether I like it or not, outlining (or planning to some extent) is a pretty important step in writing a good book.
So when I decided to give outlining a try I was presented a completely new problem. You see there are so many different ways to outline a story. Trust me, I know. I did quite a lot of research, reading, and experimenting. It was pretty overwhelming at times. If someone went through my google drive they would see a lot of practice outlines. Through all of that I came to the conclusion that it's about finding the method that works the best for you. Maybe you combine different methods into a hybrid that works for you. That's totally fine.
What I am about to share is the way I find suits my inner panster heart and would be good for those just beginning to outline. Perhaps it will help someone who is facing the struggle I faced. (note: I am not the author of this method).
SO BEHOLD--
The 3 Act, 9 Block, 27 chapters Method
ACT 1
Block 1
1). Introduction or opening scene: This is where you introduce your hero and the ordinary world. Think about this as your set-up. What is family life like? School? Work? This picture will be important at the end of your story. Because you should be able to track clearly who someone was to who they became. So the clearer you can make this image the better it will be.
2). Inciting Incident: A problem that will disrupt your hero's life and kick start the actual story you want to tell. Let's see an example of this is Harry Potter making the glass disappear/talking to the snake at the zoo. This moment literally sets Harry down the path to Hogwarts.
