How to outline your novel in 31 days (FREE printable!)
- Hannah Noffsinger
- Oct 1, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 3, 2025
Welcome to Plotober 2025, where we're going to outline an entire novel within the month of October!
Sound daunting? Don't worry! Although outlining a book is quite a bit of work, I've put together a useful calendar to guide you on what tasks to focus on and to help monitor your progress.
But maybe you're wondering: Why should I start with an outline? Won't it be faster to just start writing? Keep reading to find out why plotting is so crucial to writing your first draft by the end of the year.
In this post:
Why is plotting important?
Outlining your plot before diving into the writing process is extremely helpful for several reasons.
First, it provides a clear roadmap for the narrative, helping you maintain focus and direction throughout your writing journey. Creating an outline helps you to identify key plot points, character arcs, and thematic elements, ensuring that your story remains cohesive and engaging.
Additionally, having a structured plan can actually save time! Having an outline reduces the likelihood of writer's block, as you can refer back to the outline for guidance and inspiration.
Plus, outlining gives you space to explore different plot possibilities and fine-tune your ideas, ultimately leading to a more polished and compelling final manuscript.
Basically, a well-thought-out outline serves as the foundation on which you can build a truly great novel.
But why start plotting in October?
If you've been in the writing community long, you may have heard of something called NaNoWriMo (short for National Novel Writing Month).
While the organization sadly shut down earlier this year, lots of writers are still participating in Novel November, where you write an entire 50k-word draft of a novel in 30 days. It sounds crazy to write a whole novel in one month, but lots of authors swear by it. It's a great way to challenge yourself alongside hundreds of other writers, and as a bonus, you'll have a draft ready to edit in the new year!
If we spend October making an outline, the work required for Novel November will be basically cut in half. Why not make it that much easier for ourselves?
Okay, I'm in. What's next?
The very first thing you'll want to do is grab my calendar.
I know this sounds sales-y, but I promise that I gain absolutely nothing if you use my calendar. I made it for myself to have a solid plan of what I want to focus on every day, and I believe in supporting other writers! I only ask that you don't try to sell it as your own ;)
Just click the PDF below to get your free download!
Once you open the PDF, you'll see that the task for October 1 is to set goals and make a plan. Half of that is already done: Your goal is to have a full outline by the end of the month! All you need to do is make a plan for when, where, and how you're going to work on it. Easy enough, right?
If you find yourself getting stuck or wanting to be part of a super-supportive community, I'll be sharing lots of tips, prompts, and step-by-step tutorials on my TikTok. Make sure to head over there as well!
So make a cup of tea, grab that calendar if you haven't yet, and make some plans, because tomorrow we start exploring some of the plot structures that are available for you to follow.
Happy writing!
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