On Writing : What’s Your Outline Style? by Ashley Renee Smith

I used index cards for scenes, so I could move them around and organize the plots/subplots in different ways to see which one flowed best. Over time, I gave up that strategy, as it felt too constrictive, and didn't allow for natural growth of the characters. Now I have the beginning and ending scenes in mind, but don't plan out how to get there. Basically, I write in five-page segments. I think about what "should" happen in the plot at each stage and "listen" to the characters' motivations. Sometimes a character wants to take the story in a different direction and I just go with it. I usually end up with better ideas than what I wanted to do in the first place. Magic like this doesn't always happen, though, and sometimes I can get stuck for a few days trying to figure out the next five-page segment. So I definitely see the benefits in outlining. I guess I just prefer the challenges and surprises of discovering the journey.

I'm multi-layered. I tend to pen out all my thoughts on a notepad, then I type out my notes. I let them stew for a while then I come back to it and stir the pot. I then write thoughts in colored ink what will make it better or added thoughts. I later transfer them onto index cards to start creating my world and develop characters within that world. Then it's time to type that first draft.

I like to write out my ideas on my phone, starting off with my title and protagonist and where I feel the story might go. Then I focus on the details, like I ask what sort of plot details I want and work them out, basically do a sort of stream-of-consciousness on the ideas and cross out whatever I'm not going to pursue.

"I write down the main ideas on my phone, then focus on detailing each scene on the laptop."

I like to write ideas on a phone or a laptop. Title, synopsis or plot, cast, Music or songs, Trivia!

I like that, Ashley Renee Smith. Making a rough bullet point list of major plot points, then going back and expanding it.

I use Microsoft Word to outline. I make really detailed outlines for feature scripts and TV shows. I come up with the logline, the theme, 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.

I use layers to outline. Concept, world & tone from inner speak rough notes. Plot lines on laptop & 3 coloured post its on pinboard. Pink major status quo changes, blue time line, yellow relationship lines characters & emotional beats. If needed subplots. With a concise prequel road map fleshing out details feels organic & speedy. However, outlines are not written in stone, I may revert to it merely to pull focus on certain sections. Enjoy some adventure during writing & where the story “takes me” but rarely pantser the majority of it.

Erik Gagnon I really admire how you’ve found a rhythm that allows your characters to lead the way. That five-page segment method is fascinating. It sounds like a great way to stay present in the scene while still keeping some structure in mind. I totally agree that there’s a kind of magic in letting the characters surprise you. Outlining gives me a sense of security, but your approach reminds me how powerful it can be to stay open to discovery along the way. Have you ever found that one of those character-led detours ended up becoming a defining moment in the story?

LaDonna Tutt I love how tactile and intentional your process is, it sounds like a full sensory experience from start to finish! Letting ideas stew before diving back in with fresh thoughts (and colored ink!) feels like such a creative way to give your story room to breathe and evolve. Using index cards to build your world and characters gives such a strong visual roadmap too. Do you find that certain colors or tools help you think differently when you’re in different phases of your process?

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh That’s such a smart way to stay flexible while still building momentum! I love that you start with the title and protagonist, it immediately sets the tone and focus. Stream-of-consciousness brainstorming can be such a powerful way to unlock unexpected ideas, especially when you give yourself permission to explore freely and then refine later.

That’s a great system, Joseph Tonaldo, starting with the big picture on your phone and then digging into the details when you’re at the laptop is such an efficient workflow. It’s like having a mobile brainstorm station followed by a focused writing zone.

I love that you include things like music, songs, and trivia early on, Harry Stoller, it really shows how fully you’re envisioning the world of your story! Music especially can shape tone and emotion in such powerful ways. Do you build playlists for each project, or let the songs come to you as you write? I like to make playlists to listen to while I write.

That’s such a smart system, Maurice Vaughan! I really like how you’re using color to stay visually organized without losing any of your ideas in the process. Highlighting things you might not use yet instead of deleting them is something I need to start doing more, it’s amazing how often those “maybe” ideas end up being exactly what a scene needs later on. Do you keep all of this in one doc or break it out into separate files for logline, beats, character bios, etc.?

Debbie Croysdale, I love how your post-it system gives a visual snapshot of plot, timeline, and emotional arcs all at once. That balance between structure and spontaneity is something I really admire. It’s clear you’ve built a method that keeps you grounded while still leaving room for creative detours. Do you find that having that prequel roadmap up front makes it easier to track character development across a larger arc?

Thanks, Ashley Renee Smith. I keep everything in one document. It's easier for me than switching between documents. And I turn the outline into a treatment after I finish rewriting the script.

Ashley Renee Smith I write my script then I print it out and read it completely I see what works for my story for my characters how each play of each other and if it makes sense, I also see my errors and mistakes which it helps me go back and correct them .i must say, I do use a lot of ink but it’s my way to get a sense of my story and I can get feedback as well.

I can design too.

Thanks Ashley Renee Smith, it helps me organise my thoughts and it's also just fun playing with indents to get deep into the thoughts. Just like when you're painting and throwing paint on the canvas is what you need sometimes :D

@Ashley Yes road map markers for relationship/ time/ character interactions definitely helps future broadening of character arcs & their backstories especially episodic or serial. When I began plot took centre stage. I fleshed out the above late on in the drafts which led to discords. Each factor needs juxtapose in unison. Main characters should drive main plot not be secondary or passengers. I’d a tandem narrative I felt had a void then tightened the relationship/time lines so characters moved all the pieces psychologically, unwittingly, willingly or by action.

Ashley Renee Smith I don't outline at all. In fact, outlining kills my creativity. Until I became part of this community, I didn't know the term for me is "pantser."

When it's based on personal experiences and I write to heal, I tend to start anywhere and type it onto the page. If it's a story from bedtime with my kids, I roughly outline but it rarely goes to plan!

KAT-you're like Issac Asimov. Good company!

KAT....I'm with you on outlines. Seems too precise and formal...two things I'm not. I would consider it a straight-jacket. In my latest script...a romantic drama....reading one scene would inspire something else and unthought of until that point. Made the final product a hell of a ride.

Ashley Renee Smith I still do things the old-fashioned way — I use Word (well, technically LibreOffice, which is the free equivalent of Microsoft Office). You’d be surprised how useful spreadsheets can be for outlining and planning different parts of a script. PowerPoint (the libre version) also has its place in the process.

Inner muse directs Mr. Elliot (above)

Bullet points, while useful, have a way of transmuting into boxes I feel compelled to check—and that hesitation, especially in a first draft, can slow my flow. Instead, I sketch what I call a narrative master-flow: something loose and alive that captures the current of the story without pinning it down with too many proper nouns.

It’s more about what does it do? than what is it called?—a fluid map of emotion, a cartography of what the story yearns to become. And honestly, if you stumbled across one of mine, you might think it was the lost sci-fi sibling of Finnegans Wake. But for me, that unruliness is the point—it’s motion, not a cage.

Kat Spencer That’s such a valid approach, and I love that you’ve embraced being a “pantser”! There’s something really magical about discovering the story as you go, following where the characters lead you. I think that spontaneity can lead to some of the most honest and surprising moments on the page.

One of the things I’ve loved most about being part of this community is seeing just how many different paths writers take to get to the final draft.

That makes so much sense, Lauren Hackney, writing from personal experience or for healing often flows best when it’s unfiltered and unstructured. There’s a real beauty in letting the words land wherever they need to, especially when the story is rooted in something so personal.

And I love that bedtime stories with your kids inspire a different kind of process! Even when the outline goes off course, I imagine those surprises lead to some really special moments.

Michael Elliott 2 “a straight-jacket” is such a vivid way to put it. Some stories need that freedom to surprise you as you write, especially in something like a romantic drama where emotions shift so naturally in the moment. That kind of organic discovery can bring a real spark to the work. It sounds like your process led to a script full of unexpected turns and energy.

Old-fashioned? I’d call that classic, Kenneth George! There’s something so satisfying about using tools you know well and making them work for your process. I love that you’re bringing spreadsheets and slides into it too. Do you have a favorite way of using spreadsheets? Like tracking scenes, beats, or character arcs? I’ve seen some writers use color-coding across columns, which always makes me want to give it a try. I'm a sucker for a color-coded system.

This is stunning, Adam Spencer, and honestly, poetic in its own right. I love the idea of a “narrative master-flow,” something that honors the motion of the story rather than confining it too early. That metaphor of a “cartography of what the story yearns to become” really resonates. There’s such power in staying tuned to the emotional current, especially in those early stages when the story hasn’t fully revealed itself yet.

I imagine your process allows for some truly unexpected and beautiful discoveries. Do you revisit your master-flow as you draft, or let the draft move on its own once the current has been set?

Ashley Renee Smith I hope I don’t give away too much sauce here :)

As a data guy and someone with an unhealthy appetite for analytics, spreadsheets are just something I can’t quite get enough of.

The spreadsheets were particularly useful when writing the first season of the recent crime/thriller TV series I completed. When writing, I always consider production, so one of the ways to ensure we had 15 solid episodes that could fit neatly into a 45-minute window was to track everything in Excel. We logged every scene, including how each one fit into a specific plot point. We actually timed each scene to make sure the total added up to roughly 45 minutes.

This proved especially handy when the question came up: What if we had to produce in the UK and specifically for the UK market? That meant carving out 60-minute episodes from the same material and ensuring we had at least 8 to 10 episodes for the UK format.

We also tracked character appearances per scene, which gave us an estimate of total character time per episode. From a casting standpoint, we know roughly the estimated screen time for each major character. So as a producer, director or anyone in charge of hiring the cast, you know upfront the average screen time of your protagonist, antagonist, or any major character. All of this data gets exported into a database where we can run various queries and perform analysis to answer whatever questions might come up.

Most of this might feel odd or excessive :) but, in a weird sort of way, it feels almost inevitable for us. We’re big on process, and some of the coverage reports we’ve received suggest that we could, if not rival, at least come close to dethroning a show like Breaking Bad — which, for some reason, is a weird personal mission :).

My process varies from idea to idea. Sometimes I have a few thoughts and write them down to embellish them at a later point. Mostly I will write up a basic treatment of the story, characters, and find a unexpected twist ending. I then send it to my writing partner and sometimes he doesn't see the idea like I do, so I end up writing more. I recently pitched an idea I liked based on our conversations but since he was out of the country I ended up writing a rough draft for him to review. Other times when I have an idea and my writing partner is tied up on other projects I just figure out as much of the story as I see in my head, then step back for a while to think it over, and then go back to it later with some fresher additions to the story. I prefer when my partner and work together but when that doesn't happen I write alone and credit the story to both of us with the hopes we get a finished product with both of us adding our touches. We have managed to have a singular voice in our process. In addition, I keep writing ideas and thoughts and look back on my notes from time to time to see if anything grabs me in that moment to pursue further.

My ideas always begin with a question, a memory, a personal moment of pain or light. I first write my films in my head, from the very beginning to the end, before putting anything down on paper. Then I create a kind of “spine,” a structure to keep track of the story, even if I rarely forget my ideas.

I couldn’t explain exactly how they come to life so naturally and quickly, but they always do. For me, the ultimate goal is emotion, to leave behind a trace, whether sweet or bitter.

Each of my projects carries a strong symbol at its core, but that symbol extends into a wide spectrum of emotions. Some of my films are born from inner wounds, others from the outside world, from observing life, or from the stories of others. Inspiration often comes from what I’ve lived, seen, heard, or felt, from the films I watched as a child, or the music I listened to alone in my room with a small mp3 player.

When I imagine my films, I live through my characters. I feel as if I can see through their eyes, and since childhood, I’ve had the impression that cameras were coming out of my own eyes, framing the world like a film. Even music, I hear it as if it already belongs to the scenes.

If you’d like to understand more, I invite you to explore my projects on my Stage 32 page, each one is both deeply personal and universal.

Ashley Renee Smith That’s true — there are always discoveries along the way. I often think of myself as a kind of geologist of hidden stories. The master-flow can hint at where to dig and what layers might lie beneath, but the digging still has to be done word by word.

Sometimes you strike familiar ground — sandstone, expected, almost predictable. Other times, you split a vein and find something luminous, a seam of myth or emotion you didn’t know was buried there. The master-flow doesn’t hand you the treasure, it only whispers where the earth might be softer, where the ground hums with possibility.

For me, that’s the thrill of it: the draft becomes an excavation site where memory and imagination press against one another, and if you’re patient enough with the dust and stone, you uncover artifacts you didn’t set out to find.

When I'm writing a book or short story it really depends on the genre. For something that needs a lot of world building - like fantasy/sci-fi - then I plan meticulously. I find that if I have all the knowledge of how, for example, the magic system works, then I don't need a huge amount of exposition. Alternatively, if I find that I'm needing to explain or justify how the world works when I'm writing actual story, then usually that means I haven't spent the time on it myself (in real life we don't need to know the physics of gravity to know that gravity works, and I like my fantasy worlds to feel that frictionless). I have lever arch files full of worlds and magic systems and the many ways in which dragons can work, but a lot of that doesn't actually need to be explicitly on the page to be there in vibe.

For more real life based stories I'll scribble as I write just to keep track of continuity, essentially, but I can just write and let it all hang together. I feel pretty secure that I'll be able to pick up the pieces in editing and redrafting.

With scriptwriting, though, planning the actual story out is so much more important for me and I'm not sure why. To be honest, I have some kind of fear of facing 100 pages of script that I don't have with facing 60,000 words of a novel. I feel like that's a noob problem to admit to, though :D