3 Steps: How to Write a Book Outline for Your Memoir or Nonfiction Book
Outlines, shmoutlines. I used to hate outlining books, I just wanted to jump in and write the thing! I wanted the journey to be akin to a stroll through the forest without a map: an enjoyable combination of bird-watching and a delightful opportunity to get lost for an afternoon.
But writing a book is not a simple afternoon hike: it’s a months-long trek that’s more akin to the Pacific Coast Trail than Runyon.
If you don’t outline your book, you’ll end up doing a page-one rewrite. (Go ahead, ask me how I know!)
This is why…
A Great Book Outline Will Save Your Life
This is not an exaggeration: consider my method of outlining books a life raft you didn’t know you needed.
Writing a book without an outline is like being a time traveler and still choosing to board the Titanic. You absolutely know better, but for some reason you’re still signing up for iceberg sightseeing!
Listen, I’ve written nearly a hundred outlines in my career as a writer. I know how to help you avoid the shark-infested waters of “I’ll fix it in rewrites!” — and this life raft is known as the macro outline.
My Method for Nonfiction/Memoir Book Outlining
To read more about my approach to book outlining, I recommend you check out these two posts from my Substack publication, ✍️ From the Desk of Amy Suto, where I go into detail about my process, and how I’m using my process to write my next book:
✍️ Diary of an Author: How to Outline Your Book: The Macro Outline
🛍 Shop: Download My Outline Template + Video Guide for How to Use It*
*This comes free with a subscription to my publication ✍️ From the Desk of Amy Suto, which is just $8/month! Subscribers get freebies, 2 posts on writing per week, and audio posts — soon to be a secret, subscriber-only podcast!
In this post, I’ll summarize those deep dives and share with you my 3 top steps for how to write your book outline for your memoir or nonfiction book!
3 Steps for Writing Your Nonfiction/Memoir Book Outline
Step #1: Your Pre-Writing Prep Matters
Preparing to write is just as important as sitting down to write! Clean your workspace or find a cute coffeeshop to set yourself up for success, and then ask yourself the following questions:
Why am I writing this book?
Who am I writing this book for?
What is the main idea or theme of this book?
What other books is my book similar to? How is my book different?
Don’t rush these first steps. Take your time to understand your book before you dive into outlining!
Step #2: Get a Bird’s Eye View with Your Book’s Macro Outline
Your “macro” outline is a big picture look at all the important elements of your book:
Theme
“Characters”
Character and story arcs, and a/b/c stories
The major events, divided by “parts” in your book
Don’t get too deep into chapters, yet. Stay in the big picture so you can see what’s working, what’s clunky, and play around with structure to see if your story or material is better told in a different order.
Step #3: Get Granualar with Your Book’s Chapter Outline
After you’ve taken a look at the big picture, sit with it for a few days or weeks. Noodle on it daily with journaling prompts, and when you’re ready — it’s time to dive into the chapter outline!
The chapter outline is when we break down the parts of a book into separate chapters. This is where we look at the micro structure of chapters — and the scenes within them.
A chapter needs to be successful on its own as well as part of the whole book, so take your time to get specific and even write some sample scenes or pieces of material for your chapters so you can see how they flow!
Why Book Outlines Are So Important to Get Right
Your book outline is the last stop before you start getting into the weeds of your draft. It’s the last opportunity for you to step back, take a look at the whole picture, and make sure that what you have will be compelling for readers.
If you miss this opportunity, you’ll create a whole lot of work for yourself down the line, and potentially even not realize the full potential of your book!
Writing a book is a collaborative process, so if you don’t have anyone to give you notes or help you with your outline, I recommend either starting a writers’ group, reach out to some of your bookish friends, or hire help to make your book outline shine!
Get Help With Your Book Outline for Your Memoir or Nonfiction Project
Want help with your book outline?
I offer a done-for-you book outlining service, which you can check out here.
