Master Outlining and Tracking Tool for Novels V2.0

Updated August 6, 2021 by Iulian Ionescu | Read Time min.
novel outlining

UPDATE: I have posted an updated version of this tool: Master Novel Outlining and Tracking Tool V3.0. After reading the posts for Novel Outline V1 and this one, I recommend reading the update to get a full understanding.

A few months ago, I published a post that contained the first version of a novel outline and tracking tool for Excel. This is the second version of that tool, including several fixes, improvements, and additions. I strongly suggest that you read the first post before jumping into this one to understand fully. In this post, I am only discussing the new additions. To learn even more, you can try my other article on novel outlining, which comes with a simplified template you can download and use right away.

What’s New?

scene-type-toolThe new version includes a few bug fixes, updates in the general look-and-feel, and various text edits here and there. I also tried my best to improve the documentation and add comments on the headers wherever I felt an explanation is needed. So, wherever you see a little red triangle in the top-right corner of a cell, you can hover your mouse, and a text hint will pop up, like in the image on the left.

Changes in the Scene List

Not too much changed here, except for one thing: I’ve added an Act column. If you subscribe to the 3-Act structure or a similar Act-Based structure, this is helpful, and it plays out into the Cards, which I explain below. Below is the new header.

scene list outlining tool

Plots Tab

It’s not unusual for a novel to include multiple plot lines. They might be parallel, intertwined, connected, complementary, or a combination thereof. Either way, there will be a few, most likely. This tab allows you to track the plot lines. At this point, I’m not entirely sure how this will play out in the overall picture, but as I was plotting my novel, I found like I needed to know this. The Plot Status at the end of the story should be “Closed” in most cases, but if your novel is a part of a series, there might be plot lines that are left open or uncertain. The difference between open and uncertain is that “open” is the hero swearing to kill Xyz on the novel’s last page, and “uncertain” is the alien egg that appears in the last scene.

plots-sub-plots-novel-outline

Timeline Tab

As soon as I started outlining my novel with this tool, I immediately realized that the Timeline concept was missing. As I wrote the manuscript, I made mistakes such as having people travel way too fast between places, not allowing enough time for things, etc. So, I realized that a way to track the time when things happen became critical. So, I came up with this worksheet called Timeline.

The header is loosely divided into PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE. Feel free to copy/insert columns if you need more space. The Actual Date row header allows you to put actual dates, and on the following rows, it calculates the difference in days, months, and years relative to the START, which is your novel’s “present date” set up in the Dashboard. The scene list is automatically copied from the previous tabs, so you don’t have to worry about that.

At the intersection of each scene row with the date column, you will make the cell black (background) and put an “x.” That’s important, as you will see in a bit when we get to cards. As you start filling in the cells, you are defining the timeline of your novel.

novel timeline outlining tool

Cards Tab

Lots of people love the way that index cards look when outlining. I thought this could be rather cool to have here. So, I created a fully automated Cards tab. It draws all its data from the Scenes list without any intervention. Here’s a snapshot:

novel index cards

And here is a more detailed anatomy of an index card:

scene-index-card-novel-outlining

As I explained above, if you used the Acts column in the Scene list, the sheet would automatically color-code your card headers with different colors for Acts 1, 2, and 3.

After you finish your scenes, don’t forget to use the filter on column V and un-check the “No.” That will hide any blank cards. This sheet prints in landscape mode by default, and you will get 20 cards per page. If you move rows around in your Scene List, the cards will update automatically.

Intensity Tab

Even though there’s an intensity chart in the Charts tab, I felt like a visual intensity model would help in parallel with the scenes. So, in this tab, you have the scene list on the left and the graphical representation of the intensity (0-100) on the right. As you read through your outline, make sure the intensity matches the scene you are planning. You should see some mountains and valleys as your novel’s intensity goes up and down as the story progresses. That is derived directly from your Scene List tab.

novel-scene-intensity-outlining-tool

Chapters Tab

Last but not least, the Chapters Tab. Just like everything with writing, there’s no set rule about chapter length or the number of scenes per chapter. But, I find it’s a lot easier to read a book when there is some structure or flow. I’m not saying that chapters should be equal, or close, or anything. I’m just saying, be aware of it. This tab gives you a quick view of how each chapter stacks against the others regarding word length and the number of scenes.

chapter-length-novel

If you reached the end of this post but haven’t read the original post, I strongly recommend checking the text describing the first version of the novel outlining tool before downloading.

Download Version 2.0

You can continue downloading version 2.0; however, I highly recommend downloading the latest version from this post instead: Master Novel Outline and Tracking Tool V3.

MOTT-blank-v2

Master Novel Outline and Tracking Tool V2.0

Novel Outlining – What’s Next?

Now that I’ve gone through a few cycles with this, tested it myself, and gotten some feedback from various people, I think I am ready to start moving this idea into a full-fledged software application. If you have any ideas, thoughts, or would like to collaborate in any way, feel free to contact me.

Yes, people have asked—I will move my a$$ and create a full sample of the tool with an outline from a-z. I didn’t have the time…

Now, before you go, I have…

3 Questions For You

  1. What do you like or hate about this novel outline method and tool?
  2. How would you improve it? What would you add or take away?
  3. What other methods and tools do you use for your novel outlines?

Please share your answers in the comments below. Sharing knowledge helps us all improve and get better!

iulian-ionescu


Tags

organization, productivity, writing tools


  • Hello, I have a question. I’m sure I’m missing something, so please be patient, lol.

    I have moved on to Part 2 and am wondering where you type the scenes. Everytime I click in the scene 1 box, it shows me the formula =”scene ” &C5. Do I just type over that, type behind it, or am I supposed to be typing my scenes elsewhere?

    Thanks!

  • Iulian, I am enjoying the updates you did to the MOTT. But I do have one request as you are looking at continuing to add and update the tool. I have a serious writer’s problem. I am long winded. My wife, my friends, students, everyone who knows me I have a serious problem keeping my thought short. So my request is this; would you add a wrap text command to the early pages in the tool? I did fine on the Part 1 tab for 2.1 and 2.3. But 2.2 stretched out to 48 words. I have lots going on in my mind at this point for the middle section of the book. And my thoughts stretched across all of the page as well. I went back and made the adjustments to the tab for myself. But you were asking for suggestions. So, there you go.Again, I enjoy using the tool as my starting point for plotting. I am a straight line thinker to begin with. But once I’m done, then all the fun begins. And being able to move the index cards around when I adjust the scenes. I’m looking forward to watching that take place.

    Thanks again for a great tool.

    Getbachdude

    “We all need a little classical music in our lives.”

    • I know it’s been a year. But Shift + Enter before a sentence pushes it to a new line within that cell. Makes it a bit more tidier.

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