Best outlining methods

>>9628687

I read every worthwhile book since the Greeks. That's first of all! With this comprehensive knowledge of theme, motif, archetypes, etc. I work out what it is I want to communicate. And then decide the conclusion of that something. Now it's a matter of working backwards, or forwards, however, until at least the major plot points are down--all under the guidance of that something I want to communicate. With vague ideas about the protagonist, I begin to write, discovering the characters as I write, and then sure enough I have a novel.

:)

At first I just keep thinking of the general structure of the novel. Since I first came up with the ending of my first two novels, this process was easier. I knew where I was going and had to somehow pave the way, so I just wrote random notes in notebooks. Then I proceeded to arrange these notes and divide the story in chapters, and only then I thought of lots of individual scenes.