In a post on Writers in the Storm, Kris Maze says a strong outline can help you fix problems with your manuscript. “Finishing your novel is also a single stage in getting your book into print,” Maze says. “So, if you want to send the novel to an editor or publisher, you won’t want to skip this crucial task: taking an inventory of all the key events in the book.”
Listing your novel’s key events chapter by chapter can help you identify problems with structure, make it easier to write a synopsis, support the creation of marketing materials, and help you write an elevator pitch. “Inspecting your whole novel gives writers a bird-eye view of their book,” Maze says. “It takes patience, but the process can save us valuable time in the future.”
Once Maze creates her list of key events, she uses that list to examine her structure and narrative. Her process includes:
- Identifying continuity or timing issues
- Fixing plot holes
- Inserting breaks in the action
- Breaking up long chapters or beefing up shorter ones
- Breaking up dead zones with action
- Layering internalization over the action
- Strengthening the setting in each scene
