First of all, I apologize to the brilliant mind that recommended trying this particular method of outlining. I'm pretty sure it was on a blog somewhere that another writer friend shared, but it could have been in one of the multitudinous writing books that I own. Wherever, and whoever, it was, Mind, I salute you!
Okay, so this is what happened.
First off, I put a list of numbers down on paper, one through twenty. Next, by number one, I wrote the opening sentence, or "thought" for the story. Then, by number twenty, I wrote the ending "thought" for the story. Then I went up to number two and wrote what came after number one. Then I went down to number nineteen and wrote what happened before number twenty. I went back up to the top, and wrote down in number three what happened after number two. Then I ran back to the bottom of the page, and discovered in number eighteen what occurred before number nineteen.
In this way, I flip-flopped between writing down what happens next and what came first until I reached the middle of the story. Once I got that done, I went to a fresh piece of paper and briefly drafted out chapter synopses of each number's sentence.
The example is kind of like this.
Start with a row of numbers. For this example, we'll work small. How about a Picture Book? Sounds good.
Here's a row of ten numbers.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Next, insert the first thought.
1. Dora is a tall giraffe.
Now, go down to the last thought.
10. Now all the animals love Dora!
Now go back up and write what comes after one.
2. All the other animals are small.
Now, what happens before 10?
9. But, Dora is tall! She can reach the kite.
(Before all of you go "huh?" just keep reading. Believe me, the kite ties in. :-)
Okay, so what happens after two?
3. Dora's lonely, because all the small animals go off to play without her.
Now, what happens before nine?
8. The tree is so tall, none of the animals can reach the kite.
Now, go up to four.
4. Dora watches the animals having a picnic beneath a tall tree, and cries.
Now, find out what happens before eight.
7. The kite gets stuck in the tree!
Okay, what happens after five?
5. The littlest mouse has brought a kite, and since there's a lovely breeze they send the kite into the sky.
This is where it gets cool. Fill in six, and look at this!!
6. The breeze is so strong, it pulls the kite out of little mouse's paw.
Now, check it out! Here is the whole outline rearranged in order.
1. Dora is a tall giraffe.
2. All the other animals are small.
3. Dora's lonely, because all the small animals go off to play without her.
4. Dora watches the animals having a picnic beneath a tall tree, and cries.
5. The littlest mouse has brought a kite, and since there's a lovely breeze they send the kite into the sky.
6. The breeze is so strong, it pulls the kite out of little mouse's paw.
7. The kite gets stuck in the tree!
8. The tree is so tall, none of the animals can reach the kite.
9. But, Dora is tall! She can reach the kite.
10. Now all the animals love Dora!
Ta Da! Now, before you tell me it's too confusing, try it. THEN tell me how brilliant it is.
And if one of you knows who the original creator of this brilliant form of outlining is, please share. If I myself find out who it is, I shall share.
Until later, then, God bless!
