My very first outline for my very first novella. Isn’t it cute? If I do it again, I want a board on the wall I can pin all the index cards to.
I thought I’d use my notebook, but everything was so scattered in there, I spent far too much time flipping pages looking for a note–or becoming distracted by other notes. With the cards, I could divide them out by scene and write vital info on each. Switch, rearrange, play with them.
I heard of one author who stretched butcher paper around her office with a chart of all her scenes and structure, and I’ve heard of several authors who use white-boards. Of course, the cards aren’t unique to me, but I think I like them better than the other alternatives.
This is Mom week, though, and I won’t get much farther than putting these back in order and getting them ready for next week, when I can sink into this with fervor. I wonder what’s going to happen? Will it go quicker? Will I have the traditional “crappy” first draft, or will I have something I can send straight to my editor? Usually, when I write the first few chapters of my first draft, I send them to Katie so she can catch the bad stuff. It’s not like I can send the outline.
I’m anxious to see: Will outlining be the time-saver I want it to be, or just another step in an already long process? Time will tell.
Several years into it, and this blog still refuses to be categorized. It's eclectic and includes everything from writing posts to snippets from my ordinary life. 
Linda W. Yezak 
That’s one of my favorite features of Scrivener. I use the cork board to outline. I can move the cards around, too. But I’ve even printed them out and laid them out like you have there. It’s a great visual. It’s also called storyboarding.
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I’ve heard a lot about Scrivener. Katie uses it. I may have to give it a go myself some day.
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It’s an excellent software, once you can wrap your mind around it. I hated it at first, but it only took a week or so of really using it before I was hooked.
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That’s what I’ve heard. It’s tricky to learn, but once you’ve learned it, it’s great.
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I agree with your furry, monocle wearing, friend at the end there. That’s the problem I had with the super intense outlining that some people so strongly recommend.
I use Scrivener but I don’t use most of what it can do, sad to say.
I also use a program call Inspiration9 – http://store.inspiration.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=56
It’s marketed for education/school use but I really like it. I brainstorm with the thought bubble diagram and then I get a feel for the flow by setting up a timeline. Like Scrivener, it takes some getting used to, but I really enjoy it.
I might give the cork board in Scrivener a try!
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How cool, Pearl! Thanks for the link!
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I use a Word outline for my story with Katie’s Three Act Structure as my format. I fill in my scene ideas where I think they are appropriate. It’s easy to move the scene descriptions around, delete, or change in anyway I want. It’s all right there on my laptop to take with me, especially important when we are out in the RV. I don’t want to miss out on any writing opportunities!
I imagine there are as many different methods of outlining as there are authors. Only experimentation will help figure which works best for each of us.
It is fun to join you on this writing journey. We of course get the benefit of your experiences. 🙂
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I thought about doing all this on my laptop, but I realized the temptation to start writing was too strong. I had to do it far, far away from my computer! 😀
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You *can* send me the outline, if you want. 🙂
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Nah. That would require me typing it out or going to the Post Office.
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