Plot and Scene Outline Planner

Who this is for

The story laid out before, or after, it is written. Acts and turning points at the top, then one line per scene with its viewpoint, goal, conflict and outcome.

Writers who outline before drafting, writers who draft first and outline afterwards to find what is not working, and anyone restructuring a manuscript.

What this helps you track

• A one-line premise and a short summary of each act
• The main turning points and the scene where each happens
• Every scene's viewpoint character and location
• What each scene's character wants, what stands in the way and what changes
• Which scenes are planned, drafted or cut

How to use it

1. Write the title, the act or part this sheet covers and a one-line premise at the top.
2. Sum up each act in a sentence or two, and note the scene where each key turning point falls.
3. Give each scene a line: number, chapter, viewpoint character and location.
4. Write the scene's goal, the conflict and the outcome; if nothing changes, the scene may not be needed.
5. Update the status as scenes are drafted or cut; use a sheet per act for a long book, or fill it online, where it saves in your own browser.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Does the planner assume a three-act structure?

The top table has three act lines because many stories divide that way, but the labels are yours to change. Use parts, sequences or episodes if that suits your story better, and leave unused lines blank.

What counts as a turning point?

A moment after which the story cannot go back: a discovery, a decision or a loss. The four turns listed are common ones; rename them to match how you think about your own plot.

Why write an outcome for every scene?

Because a scene where nothing changes is usually one to cut or merge. Filling the column makes those scenes easy to spot, whether you are planning or revising.

Can I outline after the first draft?

Yes, and many writers find it more useful then. Reading the draft and filling one line per scene shows the real shape of the book, which is often not the planned one.