The biggest part of creating a sustainable indie author career is finding ways to destroy as many roadblocks, speed bumps, and procrastination parties as possible. This means finding different ways to manage your creative genius, and the most reliable way to do this is through outlines.
Outlines are for everyone. Though, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all outline style because every author is unique. For instance, Frankie writes best from ultra-basic outlines, but her husband, who is a self-professed organic author, needs an ultra-detailed outline.
We’ve written thousands of outlines for hundreds of authors, many of whom are taking their books to the bestseller lists. When you add us to your team, understand you’re in good hands.
Our Process
We offer four types of outlines, each with different attributes and levels of detail. Each of these outline types works best for differing personalities and creative thinkers. Let’s see which one works best for you.
These outlines are for those who only need minor guidance. Frankie, for instance, is an ultra-basic author.
Chapter-by-chapter breakout
There are generally 1 – 3 sentences per chapter that include one plot, character, romance, or setting points.
These outlines are for those who need just a little more guidance than what is offered in the bare bones ultra-basic. You still don’t get emotional reactions, character reasonings, or any of the glue that completes the outline, but you do gain a little more security.
Chapter-by-chapter breakout
There are generally 2-5 sentences per chapter that include 2-3 plot, character, romance, or setting points.
This is the first outline where your brand is truly considered in the context of story structure. We also take a look at your strengths and weaknesses and craft the outline to streamline your writing. Some reactions and character decision arcs are included in this one.
Chapter-by-chapter breakout
These include detailed plot, character, romance, and setting point breakouts in each chapter.
If you need a lot of assistance or if you have a ghostwriter or co-author helping you with your project, this outline might be the best fit for you. We take a look at the pen name’s brand, the market, and we write an outline that any author should be able to write from.
Chapter-by-chapter breakout
These include detailed plot, character, romance, and setting points in each chapter that will include some different ideas for scene approaches to help make potentially difficult scenes easier to write.
In addition to book outlines, we also provide series outlines, character builds, and world builds.
Learn More on each type
Outlines are a great idea.
Any how-to-write-faster novel will tell you the same.
But is a RIA outline right for you?
Mindset
The biggest hurdle when writing from an outline someone else wrote for you is your mindset. No one can understand how your muse works as well as you do. So, it can feel a bit uncomfortable at first, as if you're trying to shove your foot into someone else's glass slipper.
No matter if you use the ultra-basic or the ultra-detailed outline, we are not your ghostwriter. We’re not telling you what to write or how. The outline is a rough draft of a concept plotline. You, and only you, can turn the idea into a full-fledged story worth reading.
INSPIRATION
A good outliner doesn't give you an outline you can then simply add words to. We craft an idea using the structures of your brand, market, and genre and then find ways to keep your muse inspired to write the entire book, even through the droopy middle.
Many authors go into outlining services with this preconceived notion that if they know how it ends, they’ll be bored with the story and won’t write it. If that’s you, we need to know because we have tricks to keep even your muse happy and writing. Our job is to keep you inspired from concept to the final page.
Supreme EASE
An outline shouldn't be written to support your strengths while ignoring your weaknesses. An outline helps you maintain your energy output so you're not burning out as often or as long. You will find chapters that play to your strengths might be thinner, while chapters that focus on your weaknesses are more in-depth.
That is what a good outline is supposed to do.
Outlines are a time and energy management tool that should be used wisely.
Be Flexible
Flexibility is a two-way street and the work we do as outliners is an intimate affair as we're dancing with your muse who, typically, has only danced with you.
Be prepared for creative melding. This isn’t a situation where the author can come in with a bulldozer, make a bunch of sweeping demands, and then bully her way to a ghostwritten novella-length outline the author can then turn into a novel with ease by adding 20,000 words.
We know the processes that work the best for writing marketable outlines with many different personality types, and the only times we’ve met with what we’d call failure is when the author refused to be flexible to the creative blend we bring.
Communicate
Communication is also a two-way street. You should communicate your needs and expectations from the beginning so you and your outliner have a better idea of what a successful outcome will look like.
If there are certain elements you already know you’ll require from your outliner, be upfront with her from the beginning. We want this to be an enjoyable and energy-producing experience for both you and your outliner. Communication issues is one of the biggest reasons authors and service providers burn out.
Be kind, courteous, and clear, and if there is any need to escalate a matter, always bring it to Frankie.
Be Organized
We use Google Sites to keep your outlines organized and in an easy-to-reach location.
Authors are messy creatives who struggle to remember where they saved information. It is not our job as your outliner to remind you where you put things, but we will do everything we can to make it as simple as possible for you.
Google Sites is tied to your Google account, which makes access easy to access your outlines every time. No matter what computure you’re on, you have access to your outline. It is not, however, available via your mobile devices.
Organization is our third two-way street. We will do what we can to be shareably organized, but the onus is on you.
This is not a ghostwritten short story that you can then turn into a novel. That’s not what we do. Whether the outline is ultra-basic or ultra-detailed, our outlines are more of a guideline meant to inspire you and your muse so that you continue to be excited to write your novel.
We will work with you, your personality writing type, and your story to give you an outline you can then easily take to market.