: Re: How do I successfully structure a long fiction piece? I’ve ‘completed’ three novels – a thriller, a coming-of-age story, and a mystery. I’ve had expert readers for all three including

@Carla500

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I think having an outline solves all three questions you pose. In reverse order:

If you are not a "discovery writer," then YES, you need an outline. In fact, you should be getting a beta or two to look over your outline and bat that around for a while before even writing anything. You may have a few vague points ("John and Gertrude meet and discuss Oscar's problem" or "shootout at the warehouse") but the main lines of your plot should be there. You can put in notes like "by the end of this scene, Robin and Chris have made up" without knowing exactly how it happens.

Effective revision: depending on the severity of the problem, you may have to back up to the halfway point, or potentially start over. Think of your story as a braided rope which has started to kink somewhere. You have to unbraid the rope to find the blockage. I think having an outline will help with this. If you don't have an outline already, try reverse-engineering one from your existing story, and that may reveal where it went pear-shaped. It will also be easier to move the pieces around in outline form than in paragraphs, scenes, or chapters.

The thorough, beta-tested outline IS your "lightweight structure." As long as the major parts hold up, you can embroider around the bones and allow a certain amount of discovery in the writing. If you know the final destination, there are many ways to get there.

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