As has been very clear for some time on this blog I am a plotter. I can’t even write a short story unless I know how it ends and for longer form fiction such as feature screenplays and novels I must work from an outline.

Sometimes those outlines are highly detailed, one stre3cthed out an enormous 87 pages but usually they are more along the lines of 20 or so pages and that is exactly where my latest outline landed.

To construct my outline, I first break down my story into acts, usually five these days, with an understanding of where each act ends, the dramatic turn that propels the characters onto a new course for each act change.

Then when I wrote out a prose outline populating it with characters and their motivations I discover deeper level to these acts and while the locations of the act breaks occurs they often change from external events, Character A discovers the body of Character B, to decision points Characts A starts investigating Character C after discovering character B has been murdered. It is always better when the dramatic change at the end of an act is propelled by a character choice rather than a stroke of lightening from the author.

The most recent outline for a proposal going to my editor at Flametree has been a lot of fun to craft and the subject matter is exciting me. Here’s hoping my editor feels the same.