Screenwriting : The Outline: my nemesis by Elle Bolan

You could just write the first scene, or even another scene that isn't the first, and see how many scenes you could write before feeling the need to get more organized. I do this sometimes. I think it sometimes makes the story feel more organic.

@Eric, oh man. I wish I could just dive in that way.

Hmm. Do you tend to have individual moments in mind when you're considering the story? Maybe jot down those moments, and then start figuring out what has to be between them.

@Timmy, I absolutely do. I have the entire story before I sit down to draft. In some form.

Making sense of my notes is a different story.

I do make a kind of outline. But it's more like... 10 pages of stream of consciousness ramble, out of order and sequence, with no rhyme or reason to how it comes out.

Chaos. It comes out as complete chaos.

I was using AI to help me organize my thoughts. I'd copy my ramble over and have AI organize it. But this is a huge writing weakness I need to tackle myself and get under control.

I'm going to be honest...I'm not an outlining person.

I've tried it, but it always feels like I'm forcing structure too early. Most of the time, I just jot down moments, scenes, or ideas as they come and build from there.

For me, the "outline" ends up being a collection of key moments I know need to happen, and then I connect the dots as I write.

I think some us are more intuitive writers than structured ones, and that's okay. You still end up with a story–you just take a different path to get there.

If anything, I'd say don't force a traditional outline if it's killing your creativity. Maybe find a version of it that feels more like you.

@Alisha, that sounds pretty close to how it goes for me too. Except my key points are hidden inside a bunch of chaotic notes.

ISYN, I found a note 3/4 of the way through my word salad that said, "And then big stuff happens that ties back a few scenes."

So awesome of me to let me know about the big stuff hahaha!

Take a week or so and keep your story in your mind, try to think of nothing else but that, get off social media and any distraction, write down every scene you can think of. At the end of the week sort them up and put additional details in each scene idea. Whenever you get 30-40 scenes you basically got your story, Just need to connect each scene with transition scenes and boom you got a full outline. I don't even call them outlines but instead scene lists. I beg you not to use AI, your mind and some peace and quiet is all you need. I usually do this on hikes or long walks, the main idea is clearing everything that isn't your story out of your head so it becomes clear. This is the method I use and it works like a charm. I will also add that you should do your research before this so you know your direction for the story before you start.

Totally get this. Sometimes I brain dump, then from there shape an outline! Brain dumps can come as sudden bursts of inspiration which makes it feel less mundane

Hi @ I.D. - some great points in there. I will say that getting my thoughts and the story onto the page is actually NOT the problem I have.

It's the stupid structuring of the outline. Makes me want to kick a can.

I can make notes aaaall day. Turning those notes into an actual outline is the issue.

@Paige then you are the woman I need to talk to!

How do you take the brain dumps and turn them into a coherent outline document... And still have your hair intact?

Hey Elle! You're not alone. I certainly struggle with outlining; I assumed it was because of my aphantasia, but who knows. I was simply going to recommend seeing if a horizontal timeline might work for you when it comes to outlining. Then it reads more like storyboarding. I can't visualize, so this helps me process where things are. There are some paid resources like Beemgee, or Prewrite. Or, you can do what I did before I learned about those and simply use Excel or Google Sheets. Here is an example. Hope that helps!

@Aaron, you know, that actually might be extremely helpful for me. I'm also aphantasic (and have anendophasia aka a silent internal narrator). I have photos, videos etc I use to pull visual stuff from for description so this... This might be be the exact key.

Holy cow man. Thanks!!

Man, that's crazy, same - no inner voice/dialogue. It really has made me think what "creativity" truly is, or if we're just more innovative by reassembling patterns we've seen all our lives. We should chat sometime, so curious about your dreams lol. Anyways, not the place. But certainly hope that helps, has done me wonders. :)

@Aaron Absolutely! If it's okay, I'll shoot you a request to connect?

(1) Have a good template, you can find plenty online, customize it, or just make one of your own. This will give you something that fits your thought process and headspace.

(2) You don't have to fill it out sequentually. Put in what you have and take time to connect gaps.

(3) If you outline descriptions get too bulky for the template, it's time to move that into the first draft, which you can also build out of sequence.

I'm no expert but my suggestion is to take bits from all the methods/advice and make your own Kung Fu.

This is my method to the madness.

I am constantly getting ideas so I write them down. Usually on sticky notes or 3x5 cards. When I'm in tune with a story I write down quick lines of dialogue, character details, and parts of scenes. These are like pieces of the puzzle for me.

I also have additional notes from researching information that fits the story.

Now the online part but I don't look at it like outlining. I write a condensed version of the story with mini scenes and I don't focus on making it perfect or plot points I just let the story unfold in a way that makes sense. *My recipe.

Once I have all of that, I get it all together and start cooking. I treat it like freestyle and it doesn't have to come out exactly how the outline went but the outline is a great reference when I need it.

I can understand that doing it alone, one by one, can be difficult, tedious, and sometimes confusing. Generally, for this task, I write my pre-prepared story or the story in my mind in a stream-of-consciousness style and share it with the AI. Later, I sequence my scenes from there, and when I'm convinced they're correct, I write the scenes down and stick them to my wall using stickers, visualizing the scenes—this method works quite well for me; it keeps me from getting bored and provides But be careful, sometimes artificial intelligence may suggest changing what you're doing, but if you're sure about what you're doing, artificial intelligence is a useful tool.

Instead of outlining, I use bullet points, which become beats, which become scenes. All the best with your writing

Elle Bolan I used to feel the same way about outlining — it felt like homework instead of writing. What finally made it click for me was changing what I outline and how I outline.

Instead of trying to build a rigid document up front, I start with three simple anchors:

1. What’s the idea?

2. Where does it end?

3. What’s the general shape of the journey?

Once I have those, I don’t outline linearly — I work in circles.

I lay out the timeline in broad loops:

• How did we get here?

• Why are we here?

• Where does this moment push us next?

Those circles eventually connect, and that’s when the structure starts to reveal itself. Sometimes it wants to be three acts, sometimes four, sometimes five. I don’t force it. If the story needs more space, I expand. If it’s too dense, I collapse.

From there, I fill in beats the same way you’d fill in a map: major landmarks first, then the roads between them. That’s how I built The Bushmen, Line of Departure, and The Bounce — each one started as a loose constellation of moments, not a strict outline.

By the time I’m done, I have something that feels like an outline but still leaves room for discovery. It’s less “tedious blueprint” and more “field guide” for the draft.

I don't think too hard about the beats. When filling out the outline, I'm usually going into detail about what happens in each beat before moving on to the next one. Sometimes having post it notes or note cards organized might be a good way to keep things fresh. Then you can move things around or replace them with a different note card if you have a stronger beat.