Google outline novel, or novel outline for that matter, and you’ll find everything from templates to worksheets to examples. But not everyone is convinced that writing a novel outline is a good idea.

The pansters — those authors who prefer to develop their plot by the seat of their pants as they write — are firmly against, arguing that a novel outline locks you in and stifles creativity.

And while there are those authors who want to have every turn figured out before they write a word, others believe that having a broad-strokes outline increases efficiency, since they have some idea about where their characters are going and where they want their story to end up. As I pointed out in a blog post more than a decade ago, “Say you want to drive from San Francisco to Manhattan. You know that you have to head east, so you jump in your car and start driving. You may eventually reach your destination without consulting a map, but you’re sure going to waste a lot of time and gas with all the wrong turns along the way.”

Of course, having an outline — or a map for that matter — doesn’t mean that you can’t go off-piste and do a little scenic exploring. As K.M. Weiland writes in the Writer’s Digest piece “7 Steps to Creating a Flexible Outline for Any Story:”

At their best, outlines can help you flesh out your most promising story ideas, avoid dead-end plot twists and pursue proper structure. And the greatest part? They save you time and prevent frustration. Sketching out your plot and characters in your first draft can take months of trial and error. Figuring out those same elements in an outline requires a fraction of the time—and then allows you to let loose and have fun in your first draft.

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/7-steps-to-creating-a-flexible-outline-for-any-story

If you decide to try your hand at creating a flexible, broad-strokes outline for your next book, I’d suggest you take a look at Weiland’s article or her book, Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success.

In the meantime, here’s a final reason for outlining your novels, courtesy of my writing coach client and author Barbara Hinske, that you may not have thought about: “If you’re writing a series, I can promise you that you won’t remember what’s in each book. Having those outlines to refer back to will make your life one heck of a lot easier as you keep writing.”