Novel outline

The Outer Layer

( Characters)
THE BASICS

Name

Age

Place of birth

Current location

Nationality

Education

Occupation

Income
 PHYSICAL
APPEARANCE
Height

Eye color

Hair color

Build

Distinguishing features (tattoos, scars, birthmarks, etc.):

Preferred outfit?
Glasses?

Accessories (cane, pipe, necklace, etc.):

Grooming:

● Disheveled
● Smart, very put together
● Untidy but clean
● Other? If so, explain:

Distinguishing “tics” and mannerisms:

Health? Do they suffer from chronic illnesses?

Handwriting (sloppy, neat, careful, unintelligible, etc.):

Gait:
● Confident, powerful strides
● Lazy stroll
● Fast, walks at a clip
● Distracted, eyes on the ground
● Other? If so, explain:

SPEECH AND
COMMUNICATION
Style of speech (elevated, educated, peppered with slang, etc.):
Tempo of speech (rapid, slow, measured, drawl, etc.):

Do they have an accent?

● Yes
● No
Pitch (melodic, gravelly, deep, etc.):

Posture:
● Stiff, military
● Slouching
● Casual and relaxed
● ‘Turtle’, tired
● Other? If so, explain:

Gesturing:
● Only when agitated or eager
● Doesn’t gesture
● Compulsive “hand-talker”
● Controlled, only to make a point
● Other? If so, explain:
Level of eye contact (direct, shifty, etc.):

Speech impediments:

Distinguishing speech “tics”:

Preferred curse word:

Catchphrases:

Laghter? What do they tend to find funny?

Describe their smile:

Emotive? Do they wear their emotions on their sleeve? How easily can others
read them?

They have a resting face.

● Angel
● Side-eye
● Neutral
● Confused
● Other? If so, explain:

The Flesh
THE PAST

Hometown:

Type of childhood (sheltered, neglected, etc.):

Education:
Were they involved in organizations and clubs at school:
● Sports
● Debate
● Gay/Straight Alliance
● Model UN
● Drama
● Other? If so, explain:

At graduation, they were named Most Likely to…in the yearbook.

Jobs (if applicable)? What would their résumé look like?

Dream job as a child? Why?

Who were their role models growing up? Describe them:

Greatest regret:

Hobbies growing up:

Favourite place to be as a child?

If they could change one thing from their past, what would it be? Why?
Major turning points or “life beats” in childhood:

Earliest memory:

Saddest memory:

Happiest memory:
Clearest memory:

What are their skeletons in the closet?

Three adjectives to describe them as a child?

1.

2.

3.

What advice would they give to their younger self?

Criminal record:
 FAMILY
Father

Age (if living) Occupation

Briefly describe their relationship with your character:

Mother

Age (if living) Occupation

Briefly describe their relationship with your character:

Siblings

How many?

What are their names? Ages?

Briefly describe their relationship(s) with your character:

Children (if applicable)

How many?

What are their names? Ages?

Briefly describe their relationship(s) with your character:

Extended family

Grandparents

Uncles and aunts

Cousins

Other

Family’s economic status:

How often do they see their family in a year?

EXTERNAL
RELATIONSHIPS
Closest friends? Describe them:

Other significant friends:

Enemies? Describe them:

How are they perceived by strangers in the street?

...acquaintances at a work function?

...colleagues in the office?

authority figures?

...friends in their friend circles?

...children?

...the opposite sex?

...extended family?

Development
Concept Development
This story follows

Their life changes/story begins when

This causes

They wish to

but are held back by

What’s their role in a group dynamic?

● Leader Joker Parent
● Hype man Mooch
● Other? If so, explain:

Who do they depend on for practical advice?

...mentoring?
...a wingman?

...emotional support?

...moral support?

What do they want from a relationship?

Who would be their ideal partner?

Do they have a significant other? Describe them:

How many people would attend their funeral?

 The Core
PSYCHOLOGY

What do they do on rainy days?

Are they:
● Street-smart
● Book-smart
● Optimist
● Pessimist
● Introvert
● Extrovert
Do they have a significant other? Describe them:

What is their favorite sound?

Favorite place in the world?

What secrets do they keep?

What are they most afraid of people finding out?

What do they want the most?

Biggest flaw:

Biggest strength:

Biggest fear:

What is their biggest accomplishment?

What is their idea of perfect happiness?

Do they want to be remembered? What for?

Favorite quote:

How do they approach power?

...ambition?

...love?

...change?
What is the one object or possession that they would rescue from their
burning home?

What (or who) bores them?

What makes them angry?

What do they look for in a person?

How strong is their moral compass?

When, specifically, are they willing to compromise their morals?

List the last 10 books that they read:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.
 10.
Which fictional world would they most wish to visit?

If they didn’t have to sleep, what would they do with extra time?

What are their pet peeves?

If they won the lottery, what would they do?

Describe the character’s bucket list at the ages of 15

20

30

40

List the 10 songs that would occupy their All-Time Most Played playlist on
Spotify:

1.
 2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
What is the best compliment that someone ever paid them?

In an elevator, do they push the elevator button more than once?

● Yes
● No
What would they want their tombstone to say?

THE PRESENT AND

FUTURE
Story goal:
Story motivation:

Outline
THE CHARACTER
This story follows
 Brief description of character

Occupation

Skills

Lifestyle

Emotional trait or problem:

PLOT

Inciting incident
Problem

GOAL
 ANTAGONIST
Internal antagonist:

External antagonist:
 Developing the
Protagonist
5 (possibly) positive qualities:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

5 (possibly) negative qualities:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Personality type:
Aspirations and goals

Belief system (written as ‘I believe...’ statements):

Significant life events & backstory:

Skills:

Appearance:

Mannerisms, body language, speaking style:

What is the MC’s character arc in the story? How do they change and
grow?

Developing the Cast

What important relationships were a part of the MC’s past?

Who were they?

Their influences on the protagonist?

What happened to the relationship(s)?

What important relationships are a part of the MC’s life now?

Who are they?

Their influences on the protagonist?

What will happen to the relationship(s)?

What are their progressions?

Relationship #1:

Relationship #2:

Relationship #3:
 Developing the World
Where and when is the story set?

What other settings will we visit in the story? List them here.
What does the main setting look like?

What is the climate and weather like?

Imagery associated with the setting?

What are people like?

What does a day-to-day for this place look like? Describe it in a few
sentences.

What challenges does this setting present? What opportunities?

Challenges:

Opportunities:

How long as the MC been here? How do they feel about it?
 Developing the Plot
Identify the 5 key points on the timeline:

Inciting incident:

Plot point #1:

Midpoint

Plot point #2:

Climax:
 Form, Style, and Voice
DEVELOPING THE BOOK’S FORM

POV

Tense

Narrator
Voice and tone

Emotional core:

What are the primary emotions in this piece?

Atmosphere and mood?

 DEVELOPING YOUR
VOICE
Identify three books whose style or voice is similar to what you want:
1.

2.

3.
Read a few pages from each and describe what they do specifically:

Write a scene from your character’s voice. How close is it to hitting the
mark? What do you wish it did differently?
 The Writing Plan
What’s your project timeline?

Set a deadline for finishing your first draft.

To complete your book, how many words do you need to write per:

Week:

Month: