Hey everyone,
I’ve been thinking a lot about outlining before jumping into a script, and I wanted to hear how other writers approach it.
Personally, when I outline, I write it almost like prose — describing what happens in each scene as if I’m narrating the story, rather than breaking it down into bullet points or beats. It helps me visualize the flow and emotion of each moment before I move into screenplay format.
How do you all handle your outlining process?
Do you use beat sheets, index cards, scene summaries — or something more freeform?
Would love to hear your methods and maybe pick up a few new tricks from other writers here.
— P. J Oken
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Hey, P. Oken. I outline with Microsoft Word. The outlines for my feature scripts and TV shows are really detailed. I come up with the logline, the theme, the world, character bios, story beats, etc.
I use Microsoft Word highlighters in my outlines to make it easy to find things. The main colors I use are yellow, blue, green, and pink.
Yellow for things I'm not sure about, things I need to research, and things I need to finish later.
Blue for scenes.
Green for dialogue.
Pink for things I won't use. I highlight these things instead of getting rid of them because I might end up using them.
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I usually start by brainstorming beats in point form like I'm trying to explain the story across the kitchen table. I use Google Docs most of the time, but sometimes if I get stuck, I'll switch to index cards on my corkboard (or post-its on the wall) to change things up. Changing my outline method helps me see things in a new way and can break me out of whatever mental box I'm stuck in.
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I brainstorm in point form, jumping off various trains of thought. I definitely prefer a freeform setup especially since when I'm actually writing it's not uncommon to not follow the plans lol
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Great question, P.J.! Your prose-style outlining approach is actually more common than you might think—many writers need to "feel" the story's rhythm before translating it into the more technical screenplay format.
My personal experience:
When I was starting out, I actually found formal beat sheet templates incredibly helpful—the kind you can find easily online (Save the Cat, Blake Snyder's beat sheet, story circle templates, etc.). Having that rigid structure forced me to think about pacing, act breaks, and whether my story had sufficient turning points before I started writing pages. It was training wheels that taught me why structure matters.
As I developed more confidence, I moved away from strict templates toward something more intuitive, but I'm grateful I started with that foundation. It's easier to break rules once you understand what they're designed to accomplish.
What works for different writers:
Some use index cards (physical or digital via apps like Final Draft's Beat Board) because the tactile experience of rearranging scenes helps them see structural problems. Others swear by spreadsheet beat sheets with columns for scene number, location, characters present, plot beats, and emotional arcs—very analytical but comprehensive.
Freeform vs. structured approaches often correlate with whether you're more discovery-oriented ("pantser") or planning-oriented ("plotter"). Neither is superior—it's about what serves your creative process.
One trick worth considering:
Even if you outline in prose, try also creating a one-page visual map of your major plot points and act breaks. Sometimes seeing the entire structure at a glance reveals pacing issues that aren't obvious when you're immersed in scene-by-scene prose. You don't have to write from this map, but it's a useful diagnostic tool.
Your prose approach likely helps you maintain emotional continuity and voice consistency, which are strengths. Just make sure you're also tracking structural elements—sometimes beautiful prose outlining can hide that Act 2 is sagging or your protagonist isn't active enough.
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Oh yes. With all the research.
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I have found that Final Draft's Beat Board works best for me. I typically create cards on the board with how I want the feel of the screenplay to be- pictures of the location, what music I imagine, who I imagine to play the characters, notes on the characters and plot, and then underneath it I write out individual scenes and a summary of what I plan to have happen and then once I'm done I will plug it into a outline template and make sure I have everything I need.
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I have my own five-act structure called Turn & Burn.
I usually start with a logline type paragraph and build out from there.
Yearn
The hero; We are introduced to the protagonist, a fascinating character who lives in a compelling world. There is just enough conflict in their life to cause them to yearn for something more, but this is balanced by a level of comfort which is causing them to stay in stasis.
Turn
The call; A tipping point changes the balance of the world enough to start the drama and set a goal via either an event that affects the protagonist or an opportunity that’s offered to them. This triggers the antagonistic force which the protagonist becomes aware of.
Burn
The tests; The protagonist enters a world of heightened antagonism which demonstrates their strengths and weaknesses. The protagonist’s decisions are seemingly set to readdress the balance but the conflict builds to a climactic event which creates a point of no return.
Learn
The revelation; The protagonist cannot balance out the downward spiral of increased peril and there’s seemingly no route to the goal or return to their original world. However they hit a point of realisation, (a truth about life) which changes their mindset and re-establishes a belief they can re-address the balance.
Earn
The leap; The protagonist confronts the antagonistic force and risks everything they have available, but winning turns out to be even harder than they thought. Regardless of if they win or lose in the end, they reach a point of acceptance that proves the life truth they now believe in to be true that we the audience find life affirming.
The paragraphs I create for each effectively become a short treatment, which I can then expand into a full treatment that transforms into a "scriptment".
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I am the contrarian voice here. I don't outline. I've read Save the Cat, and very recently CJ's book Turn and Burn (which I thoroughly enjoyed-thanks CJ). I've bought a corkboard and a bunch of index cards, but I just can't do it. After spending 40+ years in a very by the book career, I feel liberated as a screenwriter and maybe an outline is just too constrictive for my creative brain. I start with a nugget of an idea or character and start writing from there. I let the characters tell me where the story is going. I have had a couple of occasions where I skipped ahead and wrote the ending just to nail down where I was headed, but then I let the characters tell me how to get there. Someone told me Steven King doesn't outline, which made feel a little less like a freak.
What's an outline?