Does your plot ever feel like it’s just not connecting at all, and no matter how many ideas you think of, you can’t make it make sense? It may be because you don’t have a clear direction for your story: you don’t have an outline.

Believe me, I get that feeling! Outlining is something I’m ashamed I never put any effort into until recently. I guess it was because I didn’t have a clear format to use; I didn’t want to have to create an original outline from scratch. Enter my good friend, Pinterest!

Scrolling through that wonderful world of posts and videos, I stumbled upon this format (pictured on the left): the 3-act, 9-block, 27-chapter format. It seemed daunting at first. I mean, what does ‘Power Within’ or ‘Fun and Games’ even mean? I needed some major elaboration, and as I read through the comment section, I found out who was responsible for creating this masterpiece.

YouTuber and writer Katytastic is to thank for this wonderfully helpful and in-depth recipe for a good story. In fact, she dedicates a whole video to explaining how to use this outline. Now that I know how to use it, I don’t think I will ever use any other method of outlining.

I recommend checking out Katytastic’s video on how to use the outline and what content to include in each of the individual blocks and chapters, the link to which I’ve included below. I hope that this helps you organize your thoughts and get you started on your writing journey!

Katytastic’s Outlining Video: https://youtu.be/fe3eodLF_Uo