How to write an effective outline.

by Josie brown
(Washington dc)

Question: My question is I wrote a brief outline and I'm unsure how to write an introduction, also I'm stuck on whether the plot is at the end of the intro or is it put at the conclusion of the story.


Answer: I have a couple of articles on how to write a synopsis which you may want to check out...

This one looks at the story in terms of how the various arcs unfold...

https://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/how-to-write-a-synopsis.html

This one is a more general look at plot elements...

https://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/plot-outline.html

Don't worry about an introduction. You just need to summarize the story from start to end so you can easily see for yourself if it all makes sense (emotionally as well as logically).

The result should read like a short story, but without dialogue and virtually no description. You're telling/summarizing the events, not showing them or writing scenes.

It can take some time to do this, depending on how thought out your story is so far, but it is well worth it.

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