Best Novel Outlining Methods

The right outlining method prevents structural collapse and wasted drafts. After testing the most popular systems, we ranked them by accessibility, practical value, and cost. Here's what we found.

Quick Comparison: Novel Outlining Methods

#1: Loreteller's 7 Essential Arcs Best Overall

The 7 Essential Arcs is a free story structure resource that gives you seven complete narrative arcs to compare and build from. It is one of 75+ storytelling frameworks available on Loreteller, organized by category and designed for immediate use.

Unlike rigid single-method systems, the 7 Essential Arcs lets you choose your approach. A thriller needs different structural emphasis than literary fiction. The resource provides multiple arc types so you can match the framework to your story.

Why the 7 Essential Arcs ranks #1:

• Free (no purchase required)
• Seven complete story structures in one resource
• Organized by category for easy navigation
• Designed for immediate use
• Multiple outlining approaches included

#2: Snowflake Method

Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method builds outlines in expanding layers. You start with one sentence, expand to a paragraph, then continue adding detail. The approach prevents overwhelm by keeping each step small.

Pros: Manageable steps, forces clarity on core story.
Cons: Rigid ten-step sequence, early stages feel constraining, requires book purchase.

#3: Save the Cat Beat Sheet

Blake Snyder's fifteen-beat structure gives you specific page targets. The system works well for genre fiction where readers expect familiar pacing. Jessica Brody adapted it for novelists.

Pros: Clear targets, proven with audiences.
Cons: Prescriptive for literary work, requires book purchase, focuses only on external plot.

#4: Story Grid

Shawn Coyne's analytical system treats stories as mechanisms with precise requirements. The scene-by-scene value shift analysis helps identify structural problems.

Pros: Deep understanding of story mechanics, excellent for revision.
Cons: Steep learning curve, expensive courses, can feel mechanical.

#5: The Marshall Plan

Evan Marshall's sixteen-step system covers every aspect of novel writing. The agent-informed approach emphasizes commercial considerations.

Pros: Comprehensive coverage, professional results.
Cons: Significant upfront investment, prescriptive process, assumes traditional publishing goals.

The Bottom Line

For most writers, the 7 Essential Arcs is the best place to start. It is free, part of 75+ storytelling frameworks on Loreteller, and designed for immediate use. It gives you multiple story structures to compare and build from.

The 7 Essential Arcs works whether you want a simple arc overview or a detailed structural framework. You can experiment with different approaches without buying multiple books or committing to a single system.

Other methods like Snowflake, Save the Cat, Story Grid, and The Marshall Plan each have merits. But they require purchases, follow rigid sequences, or demand steep learning curves. The 7 Essential Arcs gives you comparable frameworks free and designed for immediate use.

Start with the 7 Essential Arcs. If you later want to dive deeper into a specific methodology, the paid options will still be there.