How I Outlined My Thriller! 

'I don't know what I'm doing but I'm having fun,' is totally a writer mindset and I love it. Your page for 'this is what I want and love,' is such a good idea, and is something I feel like I need to start doing more.

I'm a bullets kinda girl when it comes to outlining! XD I just go ham on a google doc and list out everything that I can think of for plot while I have them in my head (mostly so I don't forget them haha), no matter how small the detail. Then I go in under all of that and start a true outline, sussing out the deets and making it more organized. The doc usually runs about 8 to 10 pages for plot details, character details/arcs, setting stuff, blah blah. Then under THAT I do a chapter by chapter outline, which is my least favorite part haha! That's where the nitty gritty happens and I have to start making real decisions. But by the end of it, I'm so proud of my work and happy I did it :) Thank you for sharing your outlining style! I love hearing what other writers do and taking some inspiration :) We can all motivate and inspire each other in different ways, which is awesome!! Love your videos so much XOXO!!!

Don’t know what’s more impressive. The fact that you already finished your brainstorming and outline or that you can focus on a masterclass when your hubby is watching black clover in the background 😄

Ooooooh 👀 I love the way you have described your protagonist. Def here for it. Give me all of the gritty, dirty, darker shades of gray characters. Love ‘em. Looking forward to seeing where this story goes 🖤

Ooh I love this glimpse into your process! I feel the exact same way about outlining (shocking news, i know lol). In a lot of ways, it's the most fun and creative part of the entire process for me!

I just gotta say, I love your energy and positivity! Keeps me going while I’m in editing hell since I don’t outline lol

Omg omg omg!!!! Yes I am living for your growth as an author!!!!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉🍾🍾🍾🍾🎊🎊🎊🎊🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🧁🧁🧁🧁 omg I just need all of your books to come out tomorrow!!!! Love this new idea and it sounds amazing!!!! I love all your organization!!!!

I have a full workbook sort of thing I fill out before starting my first draft. (It has brainstorming, plotting, scene or world building, character profiles with question air backstory family history and a notes part too) you new work in progress sound really cool. I’m looking forward to watching you write and then reading it x

I also reread/skim anatomy of story! Plus save the cat as well. I feel like I need to be better at valuing that brainstorming/research phase - I get antsy to start outlining and feel like if I’m not putting something on paper I’m not being productive. But I loved hearing how long this prep phase lasts for you!! Very helpful and encouraging lol I also like to do questionnaires for my world/setting but that’s cause I write fantasy lol

Just found your channel. I love your enthusiasm! I love that feeling when everything is coming to you at once and you can't write everything down fast enough. What a rush!

the daydreaming bit where pieces slide into place and the explosion feeling - seriously, that is the best part of writing for me!

I'm writing my first children's novel as part of master's thesis, and while I do have an outline, I like making things up as I go. I'm a plantser, I guess. Really glad I found your channel💜

Oooo I love the process! Love that you also think through what things you loved in other books to incorporate in your own. It's like putting together your own dream thriller ;)

"It's like crack!" Lmao I agree, I am so fascinated with different writing processes which is why I love writing vlogs. I also share your love of messy protagonists. The MC in my first book is highly, highly manipulative because that's what he learned to do to survive. And I just...love him so much??

This video was chock full of wonderful nuggets! Thank you so much! I'm a pantser, and I'm currently in the zero drafting process, in which I brainstorm and do character worksheets, etc etc. But I'm definitely going to use so many of your techniques! I love the idea of writing down story elements that I love and incorporating them into my story! And already, I've started to formulate the bits of my book that mean the most to me. Excellent, wonderful video! Thanks again!

So excited about this project!! Also, I feel like whenever you swap out if the genre you usually do it’s a process of hyping yourself up and telling yourself you can do it haha I feel like especially with thrillers because those mysteries and twists can be such a big part of it and you know those readers are gunning for them to be good so it’s extra pressure

"Leave them at the bottom of the grave they dug for you." That aesthetic!

Your outlining process sounds so cool! I'm trying to improve my outlining/plotting skills

I can do relate to your brainstorming process! I basically do the same and I love the process so much! BTW your excel spreadsheet looks amazing. Do you have plans to ever show it completely? I would love to see it.

Love getting to see this glimpse into your process! I've always been a pantser, but for my current WIPs I've been working on a detailed synopsis beforehand and that's actually turned into a fun brainstorming process for me!

Yayyy outlining ! I'm a massive outliner and always happy for more outlining tips so really enjoyed this video! Recently I've been really obsessed with Story Genius by Lisa Cron for understanding character internal struggles and backstory, it changed so much about my previous WIP after it was already drafted that I will definitely be going through that BEFORE drafting my next one 😂 Congrats on outlining and I'm so exciting for you to start drafting! Yayyyy!

I love how comprehensive your outlining process is! I've been struggling with a section of my current project, so I think I'm gonna steal some of the ideas from this video to plot out those chapters better 😄

SO excited for this project! I'm all about the pre-work, so it was really cool to hear about your process!

I just kind of needed your positive vibes today

Your process sounds great! I think I need a little more preplanning for my next project. I usually write and develop as I go but it does make certain sections difficult. I will usually know my beginning and ending and maybe a few important moments or scenes between.

So glad I found you and this video. Your excitement is contagious and you reminded me how fun and exciting writing can be. I’ve been really stuck in my outline and not feeling any joy in my process. But there’s a sweet essence of a twisted story in there . I plan to try your method! 🤞

Brilliant video & tips. Thank you!

Your the first person I’ve come across who’s writing process is almost identical to mine, very motivating to keep going with this process.

I'm starting my third draft of my thriller and I'm completely restructuring it. I'm super excited!

I'M SO LATE I'M SORRY I wrote a comment for this and then...... never posted it? :))) and now it's gone. ANYWAY having fun is the important part! I also love hearing about everyone's process. There's almost always something useful in there for me, too. This book is going to be FABulous.

I like the idea of combining 2 'random' ideas into 1 new story. 👍 Often we only brainstorm ideas for story A and when we have something left over, we don't reuse it for another book. Cause 'those are hand me downs', but it's all from the same closet / mind...? So why not share, donate and swap? Maybe that's why our muses send these ideas to a different story first. So they'll find the right story faster. ;) Just a thought. 😇 And something I recently noticed: story loyalty... I should break free from that more often too.

✍️ Revisit ✍️ anatomy ✍️ of ✍️ story ✍️

Hey do you have the link for the classes you took? I need to get my motivation back 😓

Do you worry about making your main character like able?

You'll laugh at me for responding to a 3-year-old video, but how do you incorporate this with an alpha/beta or CP? Do you have a CP to look it all over as you work on your outline, or do you wait until you have a rough draft written first to give it to someone?

First comment!!!🍾🍾🍾🍾🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳