My Modified Beat Sheet - Part One:

Before I start showing you this particular outline, I want to explain how it came into existence.

This is my main outline, it’s actually the outline that made me fall in love with outlining. I created this back in 2009 because I really didn’t like the half-assed outlines that I continued to find online. None of them worked well enough for me to where I was producing a polished, finished story in the end, so I created this. I am well aware that it’s extra. In fact fairly soon it might even attain an epic status of extra. Anyway, it may be extra, and it may become more extra soon, but it’s what works for me. If you like it, use it and throw an email my way to tell me how it’s helped you flesh your stories out. I would love to hear all about your adventure using this outline.

First Note:

The Trials can be major or minor and have three different, for lack of a better term, identifiers. Too, they show up right after each major beat of the outline. This is one of the many tests the protagonist will undertake throughout the story. He/She will be subjected to a painful, or at least an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience. The test could be one of life or death. This is all about risk, motivation, conflict and resolution.

Second Note:

The Mini-Quests are similar to quests and sub-quests in that they can be groups of interrelated tasks that can be completed for rewards such as new items, new skills, and new experiences. Ideally, this section should contain at least one-hundred pages or more and it should contain at least twenty-seven-thousand-five-hundred words or more. A mini-quest is a small diversion on the character’s path. If the ultimate goal is to save the princess, then a mini-quest may be to find the magic phone book to look up her address, or to return to your castle because you can’t remember whether or not you closed the draw-bridge. Add a few mini-quests to slow the pace and to develop character and you’ll have earned yourself five-hundred to a thousand words each.

Each trials and mini-quests will be considered one of the following:

  • Minor (Random) Internal
  • Minor (Random) Antagonistic
  • Minor (Random) External
  • Minor (Consequential) Internal
  • Minor (Consequential) Antagonistic
  • Minor (Consequential) External
  • Minor (Inconsequential) Internal
  • Minor (Inconsequential) Antagonistic
  • Minor (Inconsequential) External
  • Major (Random) Internal
  • Major (Random) Antagonistic
  • Major (Random) External
  • Major (Consequential) Internal
  • Major (Consequential) Antagonistic
  • Major (Consequential) External
  • Major (Inconsequential) Internal
  • Major (Inconsequential) Antagonistic
  • Major (Inconsequential) External

Now, on to the actual outline! An additional note, this is a very hefty outline with one-hundred amd seventy-four individual beats. Like I said, it’s extra. I have separated this outline into four different sections (thus there will be four blog entries to complete this particular outline). However, you can modify this for your own use, if you so choose.

Act I:

(major beat) The Introduction:

Introduce the protagonist, hook the reader, and use foreshadowing, the establishment of some stakes and a major goal to begin establishing empathy (but not necessarily likability) for the protagonist.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) The Opening Image:

This beat sets the tone, mood type, and scope of the project. This is a “before” snapshot. The “Opening Image” of the story needs to reflect the theme. To know what this should be, the writer must know what the Theme is first. It is a visual that represents the struggle and tone of the story. A snapshot of the protagonist’s problem, before the adventure begins. Try to startle readers with the first line. Shocking readers immediately with a jarring moment, visual, or confession will get them excited to read on.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) The Opening Scene:

A Good Opening Scene Starts With a Problem. The opening scene problem doesn’t have to be part of the core conflict. It can be something inherent to the world the protagonist lives in. Maybe he’s being chased by monsters, or dodging a nasty boss, or even arguing with his ex-spouse. Whatever a typical issue is for the protagonist can work in an opening scene. It’s also fine if the opening problem is part of the core conflict and gets readers into the main plot right away. Whatever the problem may be, look for ways to set the protagonist on the plot path, using the opening scene problem as a bridge to get to the rest of the plot.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) Stating the Theme:

A (or some) secondary character(s) poses/pose a/some question(s) or statement(s) to the protagonist that become(s) the overall theme of the story. It’s what the story is about, the message, the truth. Usually it’s spoken to the protagonist or they bear witness to it. Though they don’t yet understand it, it takes a personal experience or context to support it. What is Theme? Theme is the meaning behind or revealed by story. Theme in literature is often varied and hidden. Sometimes a reader can get through an entire book and not realize what the author meant, and while convention will tell you that’s unacceptable, I’m telling you that it is one-hundred percent allowable.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) The Big Hook Moment:

Something that creates a question the reader wants an answer to, or an itch that needs to be scratched; doesn’t need context with the protagonist’s needs or stakes. The hook comes in many forms, but stripped down to its lowest common denominator, the hook is nothing more or less than a question. If we can pique our readers’ curiosity, we’ve got them. It’s as simple as that. The beginning of every story should present character, setting, and conflict. But, in themselves, none of these represent a hook. We’ve created a hook only when we’ve persuaded readers to ask the general question, “What will happen?” because we’ve also persuaded them to ask a more specific question.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) The Setup:

Introduce or hint at as many characters in “A” Story as you possibly can (at least all of the main players in the story) and plant character ties to be addressed later on. During the setup, we see the protagonist in three places: home, work and play. Expand on the “before” snapshot. Present the main character’s world as it is, and what is missing in their life. Try to use backstory for an important character introductions. Telling a character’s history upfront immediately gives readers a sense of formative experiences and character psychology. If an author chooses this approach to introducing a character, avoid the info dump. Keep backstory relevant to the character’s story arc and their present circumstances.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) The Catalyst:

A catalyst sentence precedes action or sets something important in motion. This is the life changing event that effectively knocks down the house of cards for the protagonist(s), secondary and support characters. Something comes into the protagonist’s life and calls him/her to action. He/She must perform some insane act and or leave, physically or metaphorically to an unfamiliar place. This is the moment where life as it is, changes. It is the telegram, the act of catching your loved-one cheating, allowing a monster onboard the ship, meeting the love of your life, etc. The “before” world is no more big changes are underway.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) The Inciting Incident:

The Inciting Incident is how you get your characters to do something. It’s the doorway through which they can’t return. Then, the whole of the story takes care of the rest.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) The Initial Internal Conflict:

An internal conflict occurs when a character in literature experiences tension within themselves. Internal conflict is the opposite of external conflict, which occurs when a character faces outside oppositional forces, such as another character or an act of nature. Sometimes referred to as man vs. self, internal conflicts involve the character experiencing opposing needs, desires or values. Sometimes, these battles represent conflict between a character’s mind or subjective knowledge and their heart or feelings.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) Initial External Conflict:

The Initial External Conflict is a key event that sets the plot in motion and forces the protagonist to take action. It is often the inciting incident that disrupts the protagonist’s ordinary world and compels them to embark on their journey or confront the central problem of the story.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) The Woven-In Backstory:

Ask yourself this question: What happened before the inciting incident that we must know to understand the story? Behind every well-developed novel lies an important backstory—but including too much of it too soon can halt your story’s momentum. Here’s how to know what to reveal and when. Backstory refers to the characters’ history and other story elements that underlie the situation at the start of the book. Backstory helps to establish the setting and makes the reader care about what happens to the characters.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) The Debate:

This is the point of no return. This is when and where the protagonist(s), sometimes in conjunction with secondary and support character make a very important choice or a series of very important choices. The protagonist resists the call to action. There is a debate (right after the answer/question in the “Inciting Incident”), either internally or externally, where the protagonist is still resisting the call. Change is scary and for a moment, or a brief number of moments, the main character doubts the journey they must take. Can he/she face this challenge? Does he/she have what it takes? Should he/she go at all? It is the last chance for the hero to chicken out.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) The First Plot Point:

The first major plot point changes everything. This is the point of no return for the characters. The first plot point is the moment when the setup ends, and the character crosses his personal Rubicon. But this isn’t just an event that happens to him. This is an event that either incorporates or is directly followed by the character’s reacting in a strong and irrevocable way.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) The Illusion of Perfect:

This is a time when characters have a feeling of being safer than one really is. It is the act of being insecurely secure. The protagonist has a false sense of security and is trapped in a negative world that stops her growth. She avoids the reality of her situation by using a coping strategy. Security is an interesting subject that follows us from before our birth until the day we die. Our entire life is composed of security, insecurity, and a false sense of security that often confuses the two.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) Fun and Games:

The promise of the premise/the heart of the story/all about having fun. The entertaining aspects of the story’s premise are explored–highlighting the main character’s unlikeliness for this “upside down world”–which is fun to watch, but NOT fun for the main character, who is essentially in HELL until the end of the story. It’s where we aren’t as concerned with the forward progress of the story—the stakes won’t be raised until the midpoint—as we are concerned with having fun. We take a break from the stakes of the story and see what the idle a is about; we see the promise of the premise and need not see anything else.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) The Turning Point:

A cliffhanger, a moment where the story is taken in a new direction and we wonder what will happen next. A Turning Point may accomplish a variety of functions. It turns the actions around in a new direction, raises the central question/problem again, and makes us wonder about the answer. It’s often a moment of decision or commitment on the part of the main character.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) The Allied Attack:

This is when a trusted ally confronts the protagonist about their increasing desperation and immorality, and thoroughly questions their behavior. During the drive, the hero is losing to the opponent and becoming desperate. When he starts taking immoral steps to succeed, the ally confronts him. At this moment, the ally becomes the conscience of the hero, saying in effect, “I’m trying to help you reach your goal, but the way you’re doing it is wrong.” Typically, the hero tries to defend his actions and does not accept the ally’s criticism. The attack by the ally provides the story with the second level of conflict (hero versus opposition is the first). The ally’s attack increases the pressure on the hero and forces and forces him to begin questioning his values and way of acting.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

 

(major beat) The First Juxtaposition:

An act or instance of placing two elements close together or side by side. This is often done in order to compare/contrast the two, to show similarities or differences, etc. Various forms of juxtaposition occur in literature, where two images that are otherwise not commonly brought together appear side by side or structurally close together, thereby forcing the reader to stop and reconsider the meaning of the text through the contrasting images, ideas, motifs, etc. More broadly, an author can juxtapose contrasting types of characters, such as a protagonist and an antagonist working together to achieve a common objective from very different motivations.  

A Trial (see above)

 

A Mini-Quest (see above)

  TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW…

This is a long outline, would you prefer me putting all four parts into one post or do you like that I’ve broken it up into smaller sections? Drop me a comment below.