Character Outlines:

This is a simplistic, yet fun spice (story beat). It also leaves the door open for completely change the point of view character. Allow me to explain.

When you look online Character Outlines are more about the character themselves, but that’s not what I am talking about here. Again, allow me to expound.

An Example:

The sun is setting, and dinner has been eaten. Now, Anne and Steve Robinson are relaxing in the living room, along with their two children Bobby and Sally. Anne is busy watching the latest episode of A Game of Thrones on her iPad. Steve has his face buried in his latest copy of The New York Times. Meanwhile, Bobby is in his own world, playing with his Thomas the Tank Engine train set, and Sally is focused on repeatedly brushing her doll’s hair.

A character outline is just that, a very detailed account of what each character is doing within a specific scene. This accounting is especially helpful when you’re having trouble making a particular scene work, in that you can look at what each individual character is doing in the hopes that it will provide more detail and more options.

I absolutely love this beat. It is one of my favorites, especially when I am feeling stuck. Tell me, do you use this beat? Drop me a comment below.