How to Outline a Novel With the Right Number of Scenes

How to Outline a Novel, Scene by Scene

What is a scene in a novel? Let’s all get on the same page. A scene moves the story forward, the character forward, or the plot forward (or, ideally, all three). Scenes are units of story that are self-contained and generally push things forward, include reveals, changed character relationships, or any combination of the above.

When you’re working on how to outline a novel, make sure every scene you choose to write answers some key questions. For example:

• Does this scene—or, sometimes, even the entire chapter—earn its keep? 

• Did enough things of significance happen here? 

• Does this advance character (main or secondary), relationship, world-building, mood, or theme?

Every scene and chapter of your story must have a purpose. When you’re imagining the full scope of your novel, consider how to outline a novel with significant events. Don’t just include something in a manuscript simply because you wrote it down—every element has to be intentional.

In addition to figuring out what the scene does, consider what your scene is: Is it action-packed or is it purely informative? I've always argued that successful writing is a balance of action and information through pacing in writing.

If you want to keep your readers engaged during those parts of your novel where you have to convey important information, then you need to have plenty of action and external conflict surrounding those sequences. When it comes to deciding which scenes to include in your novel, favor action. If a scene is mostly composed of dialogue, information, exposition, backstory or flashback, it's probably worth giving it a second look as you learn how to outline a novel. Those scenes might need to be layered with other scenes, given more substance, or cut.

How to Outline a Novel In Sequence

To create a compelling story, consider the order of the scenes and chapters that you choose to include. Pause and take a look at the densely written sections of your story—it is likely that these can be edited or rearranged, thus making your narrative more gripping. Focus on giving your story a sense of case and effect. Let scenes and chapters build on one another to hit the tentpoles listed above. This is how to outline a novel—one step at a time, but building toward a resolution that weaves everything together.

An additional tip for how to outline a novel: avoid excessive transitions. If there's nothing important happening, don't spend a lot of time on it. Get your reader from Point A to Point B without the bus ride in between. You don't have to mention everyday things like eating breakfast or using the restroom. Instead of going through the rigmarole of an entire school day to get to the event at the end of it, why not cut to the chase? Simply insert a succinct transition—"After an ordinary day at school ..."—and jump right to the exciting part. As you figure out how to outline a novel, this extra filler will stand out to you all the more, and your job will become easier.