Planning a first book raises a real tension: too little and you may lose your way in the middle; too much and the plan can start to replace the writing itself. This guide sets out what planning actually involves, by book type, and how to notice when it has gone on long enough.
What planning actually means
Planning a book is deciding, in outline, what happens and in what order, before writing the full version. It is not the same as knowing every detail; it is closer to a map with the main roads marked and the smaller streets left blank.
How much planning is enough
Enough that you know where to start writing tomorrow, and roughly where the book is heading. Some writers need more detail than others, and neither approach is more serious or professional than the other.
Fiction planning
A useful minimum for a novel is: who the story follows, what they want, what stands in their way, and a rough idea of how it might end. A list of eight to fifteen key scenes or turning points, in order, gives most novelists enough to start.
Memoir planning
Memoir planning starts with scope: which period or theme of your life the book actually covers, not the whole life. From there, list the main events or turning points within that scope, roughly in the order the book will use, which is not always the order they happened.
Non-fiction planning
Start from the reader’s problem and list the chapters as the steps or ideas needed to address it, in an order that builds rather than repeats. Each chapter should earn its place by moving the reader closer to the outcome the book promises.
Children’s planning
Age range drives most planning decisions here: it sets length, vocabulary and how much story fits on a page or in a chapter. Picture books plan around page turns and spreads rather than chapters. See Children’s Books for more on structuring by age group.
Chapter or scene list
Whatever the book type, a simple numbered list of chapters or scenes, each with a line describing what happens or what it covers, is usually the most useful planning document you will make. It is quick to change, easy to look at, and enough to write from.
Research list
Keep a running list of things you need to check or find out, rather than trying to resolve them all before writing. Mark gaps in the draft with a placeholder note and keep going; fill them in later.
Flexible outline
Treat the outline as something you are allowed to change. Plans made before you have written a word are, reasonably, based on less information than you will have halfway through the draft. Revising the plan as you learn more is normal, not a failure of the original planning.
When planning becomes procrastination
If you have rewritten the outline several times without writing new pages of the book itself, or if the plan is starting to feel safer than the draft, it is a sign to stop planning and start writing. The outline’s job is to get you moving, not to remove all uncertainty first.
Common mistakes
- Planning every scene or chapter in exhaustive detail. It can drain the energy needed to actually write them.
- Copying a structure from a book that is a different type. A thriller’s pacing plan will not suit a reflective memoir, and vice versa.
- Treating the outline as fixed once written. Outlines are working documents, not commitments.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a formal outlining method?
No. A simple list of chapters or scenes with a line of description each is enough for most first books.
What if my book changes a lot from the plan?
That is common and not a problem. The plan’s job is to get you started; the draft is allowed to lead somewhere different.
How long should planning take?
Days rather than months for most first books. If planning is taking longer than that, it may be time to start writing and adjust the plan as you go.