Outlining to Pitch Rather Than Plot

 There's a huge debate out in the creative community about whether you a "pantser" or a "plotter." If you come across these terms, people are talking about whether you outline your novels before you start writing or if you write without an outline.

For me, outlining is part of the contract process. I need to pitch a plot idea through an outline before I receive the green light to write the book. This was true of novels and other projects that I wrote for Wizards of the Coast. It's true for the Arkham Horror novels that I'm writing these days. In 2021, I was asked to explain what a "pitch" outline should contain as part of the writing seminars offered at the Flights of Foundry convention. They've made that virtual talk available online. So here's my ideas for creating the pitch outline. As always, you may need to adjust this writing advice to fit your style and your publishers' needs. Enjoy!

This video link will take you to Dream Foundry's YouTube channel. Check out other writing sessions there as well.