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Outlining Your Novel
- Map Your Way to Success
- Narrated by: Sonja Field
- Length: 4 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Education & Learning
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Summary
Let outlines help you write a better book!
Writers often look upon outlines with fear and trembling. But when properly understood and correctly wielded, the outline is one of the most powerful weapons in a writer's arsenal. Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success will:
- Help you choose the right type of outline for you
- Guide you in brainstorming plot ideas
- Aid you in discovering your characters
- Show you how to structure your scenes
- Explain how to format your finished outline
- Instruct you in how to use your outline
- Ensures cohesion and balance
- Prevents dead-end ideas
- Provides foreshadowing
- Offers assurance and motivation
- Requires formal formatting
- Limits creativity
- Robs the joy of discovery
- Takes too much time
Reveal the benefits:
Dispel misconceptions:
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What listeners say about Outlining Your Novel
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Blue Fenix
- 06-05-20
Get to the point!!
It takess forever to go from why you should do what I say and into how.
I have already paid you, you don't need to spend so long trying to convince me.
3 people found this helpful
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- GoldfishGirl
- 15-06-15
So Useful
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This has been great, it's really helped me put my thoughts in order and get going with my novel.
What other book might you compare Outlining Your Novel to, and why?
Not sure, I've read loads of writing books but this was the most practical and helpful.
Have you listened to any of Sonja Field’s other performances? How does this one compare?
Nope - but would listen to another one
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
If I'd had the time I would have.
Any additional comments?
It's a really encouraging read with lots of tips and ideas. A must for all would be novelists.
2 people found this helpful
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- Max China
- 03-01-18
Worthwhile read!
My first novel I wrote as a pantser. My subsequent books, a blend of plot vs flying by the seat of my pants. A lot of the things the author covers, I’m already doing, but this book is well presented, logical and interesting. It certainly contains some good organisational tips.
1 person found this helpful
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- Jenn
- 26-09-21
must read!
I bought this as both an ebook and audio book. There are some practice tasks and tips that help from having it in both formats.
I took other reviews advice and sped up the narration speed just slightly.
I've now listened to all of this author's books on writing as well as many more by other authors. I'd say Weiland goes in to the most useful level of detail breaking down the process in a manageable way.
Not having studied writing I've found these books to be a gold mine and have made the idea of writing a novel manageable and a lot less daunting.
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- lv
- 02-05-20
JDMT
Really great information! Going to give it another listen whilst I outline my first book, hopefully with persistence and guidance like yours I can make it a personal success. Thank you for the insights
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- Anthony Christie
- 07-04-20
A good primer. Enough detail and not padded out.
Useful information for writers. Good techniques and strategies. Well presented. Overall inspiring and motivational.
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- Juramoon
- 14-02-19
Wish had read this before ...
Very helpful. This book provides a good foundation for those starting out. I wish I had read it before writing the first draft of my first work.
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- J. L. Lawrence
- 12-09-17
Helping shape the kind of writer you want to be
An informative look at outlining, the different forms and levels, how to's and personal accounts.
I've found it very useful for considering how I want to approach my next project, the proof will be in the pudding in regards to the method, but how the method is communicated is rate it as very good writing and and very good narrating.
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- Nicky Blue
- 23-03-17
5 stars!
Very inspiring stuff! it has helped me get more organised as a writer which will be invaluable.
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- JK
- 31-05-19
Helpful
As someone who has struggled with their outlining, I found this very useful and learnt a lot from it.
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- Tia Graham
- 29-07-15
Work changing resource!
She completely reversed my position on outlining and by the time I finished this audiobook during my morning commute in the car I had completed an entire outline and first draft of my novel. KM breaks this all down in digestible and inspiring bits. Outlining Your Novel will go on my list of top resources that changed the entire way I work.
8 people found this helpful
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- Jay Quintana
- 19-02-15
Great listen, probably best for "beginners"
What made the experience of listening to Outlining Your Novel the most enjoyable?
Felt like I was having a conversation with the author.
Have you listened to any of Sonja Field’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
First time I've listened to her. She did a great job, so this most likely won't be my last time.
Any additional comments?
Having read a lot of books on writing, there's nothing new here. I'm of the opinion, though, that it doesn't hurt to have these lessons burned into your memory. And the writing and the narration make this such a delightful listen that it was well worth my time.
7 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-10-16
Great Intro into Why Outlines Help
Liked: the author steps thru a justification for outlining methodically. The interviewer questions were dogmatic in their consistency for each author interviewed. Definitely reaffirming that outlining does not introduce too much differential equations into a creative process. structure is ok.
Dislike: I wish it delved a little more into various types of outlining and planning with more critiques on various planning tools.
6 people found this helpful
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- Amright
- 16-02-15
Just what I needed!
I have a number of really great books for creating fiction or writing your novel, but this is at the top for really and truly getting started on the right foot thru outlining! I've listened to Miss Weiland in several webinars and I love her style and direction both on the written page and in person. If you don't know where to start your novel start here! I have both the audio and paper back book and workbook!
6 people found this helpful
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- Nothing really matters
- 28-01-16
Doesn't explain how to outline
I really enjoyed the author’s other book “Structuring Your Novel”. It made perfect sense and was well organised.
This book, however, was confusing. Its title promises a book about outlining a novel, but the author never defines what an outline is or what she means when she refers to “an outline”. The closest she comes is to give three examples of non-traditional outlines. And despite paragraph after paragraph on the importance of outlining, she never seems to explain how to actually outline a novel.
She does this sort of thing elsewhere in the book, too. At one point she refers to a novel’s theme and why it’s very important, but never explains what a theme is.
The book does offer a lot of advice that sounds practical and intuitively seems like it should be helpful. But, unlike her other book, this advice seems haphazard. There don’t seem to be clear connections between the topics discussed.
If you’re considering writing a novel, I would still recommend this book to you because, as I’ve said, it does seem to contain helpful information. If you only want to read one book by this author, though, I highly recommend the other one, “Structuring Your Novel”.
18 people found this helpful
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- Ishmael Samuels
- 04-06-15
Good intro to outlining
Author's description of the value of outlining as a tool to help organize a writer's thought process was helpful, also liked ways to end a scene to keep the reader reading.
I appreciated the author's philosophical approach to outlining which emphasized the importance of planning over plans themselves. And now here are some tools to plan with...
I liked the narrator's engaging voice and style, lively without being overbearing.
I also listened to 'How to structure your novel' by the same author and narrator.
I'm sure I'll listen to both books again and if they did something on Dialogue, I would probably check that out too.
Thank you for reading this review.
3 people found this helpful
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- M. Hersey
- 05-01-15
One of the best guides of its kind
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
A must-read for every writer. Thorough, inspiring, and smart. Delighted by a writing how-to audiobook that provides real value and clear direction--unlike many others.
3 people found this helpful
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- cj
- 14-09-16
Excellent advice!
Clear, concise and valuable advice. Paired with Weiland's "Structuring Your Novel", I have the tools I need to overcome my writer's block. Thank you K.M. Weiland!
2 people found this helpful
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- Jim
- 29-06-15
Exceptional read/listen.
The narrator's tone and pace made this a very easy and enjoyable listen. The information presented is proving to be very helpful.
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- Daniel S. Paradise
- 25-04-15
A good guide
Good listen and read, plenty of info to mine and a lot of inspiration. The only thing I don't like is being told a time to finish an outline in. To be fair though, she starts the book by saying take what you want and leave the rest.
2 people found this helpful