Book and Chapter Outline Templates
Find the perfect outline for you!
There are endless ways to outline a book, and it can be hard to figure out what the best method is for you! That’s why we’re going to share a variety of methods to outline your book—and individual chapters—so you can choose which method you like best. You can mix and match as much as you’d like or try out a handful of your favorites to see what sticks best.
We’ve also noted which style of outlines may be most helpful with certain genres, though you still can use any outline for any genre.
Happy outlining!
Three-Act Outline
Best for children’s books, novellas, and short-form content and for writers who don’t like intense outlines
This is likely an outline structure you might’ve seen in school when you were taught about basic story outlines. While this is a simple structure, it can still be useful, especially for short-form content or for those who just really don’t like long, in-depth outlines.
Act 1: Beginning/Introduction
Set up your story. Who is the protagonist and what is their world like? Elements of the main conflict can be hinted at here.