Million Dollar Outlines

1. Stories Provide Essential Emotional Exercise

In short, all forms of recreation boil down to this: recreation is any activity that helps us cope with stress by putting ourselves at risk in some controlled way so as to artificially raise stress for a short period of time

Coping with stress. People seek stories not just for escape, but as a form of emotional exercise. Reading or watching stories allows us to vicariously experience stress in a controlled environment. This process helps our bodies release chemicals like endorphins and serotonin, aiding in stress management.

Simulated jeopardy. Stories place us in emotional jeopardy, simulating real-life challenges without actual risk. This controlled exposure to stress, followed by resolution, acts like a workout for our emotional resilience. It's why we crave intense situations in fiction that would be intolerable in reality.

Biofeedback loop. The body's response to fictional stress mirrors its response to real stress. Rising tension in a story triggers adrenaline and cortisol, while resolution leads to a flood of serotonin, providing a sense of relief and rejuvenation. This biofeedback loop is key to why well-formed stories feel satisfying.

2. Story Structure Simulates Stress and Resolution

In short, those “trashy” genre stories that my writing teachers didn’t want me to read—the romances, fantasy, westerns, and so on—sell well precisely because the audience does know within certain parameters how the story will end.

The plot triangle. Successful stories follow a pattern: a character in a relaxed state faces a problem, tension rises through complications, reaches a climax where fortunes change, and resolves, allowing the reader to return to a relaxed state. This structure, based on ancient principles, is hardwired into audience expectations.

Try/fail cycles. A crucial element is the protagonist's repeated attempts to solve the problem, which must fail at least twice before a final, grand attempt. If success comes too easily, the conflict feels weak and unsatisfying. This pattern builds suspense and demonstrates the problem's true difficulty.

Answering "Why?". Beyond causally related events, a story must answer an important question, often "Why?". This provides meaning and closure. Whether it's a mystery's motive or a hero's reason for prevailing, resolving the central "why" is essential for reader satisfaction.

3. Audience Analysis Reveals Emotional Needs

If you want to succeed, pay attention to what the most powerful emotional draws are for your audience age, and cater to their tastes.

Target demographics. Different age groups and sexes are drawn to different emotional appeals. Children crave wonder, humor, and horror; teens add romance and adventure; adults lean towards drama, mystery, and themes relevant to their lives. Ignoring these predispositions can severely limit your audience.

Emotional draws. Key emotional draws include wonder, humor, horror, adventure, romance, mystery, suspense, and drama. Identifying the dominant draws for your target audience is crucial for crafting a story that resonates. A story lacking the expected emotional core for its genre will likely fail.

Expanding appeal. While targeting specific demographics is important, incorporating multiple emotional draws can broaden your audience. Weaving in elements like humor or a romantic subplot can make a story appealing to a wider range of readers, increasing its bestseller potential.

4. Transport Readers Through Compelling Settings

So as a writer, your success will be determined largely by your ability to transport a reader to another place and time.

Beyond reality. Bestselling stories, whether novels or films, often transport readers to another time, place, or reality. This escapism is a primary draw. Settings should be intriguing, whether they are exotic real-world locations, historical periods, or entirely imagined worlds.

Setting as character. A compelling setting is not static; it interacts with characters and impacts the plot. Engage the reader's senses and show how the environment presents challenges or opportunities. Give your setting a history and a sense of its own life.

Varying locations. For longer or epic stories, varying settings keeps the narrative visually and emotionally interesting. Moving characters through different landscapes, cultures, or social strata provides a sense of scope and prevents monotony.

5. Characters Must Grow and Exhibit Duality

In other words, your story should not start with a villain, but should grow a villain.

Growth arcs. Compelling characters undergo significant change or growth throughout the story. This transformation, rather than their initial state, is often what captivates readers. Map out your characters' growth arcs, considering how they will be challenged and altered by the conflicts they face.

Duality and conflict. Characters feel complex and realistic when they possess conflicting feelings or philosophies—duality. This internal tension makes their choices and reactions unpredictable and engaging. Even villains are more interesting when they have complex motivations or moments of internal struggle.

Archetypal roles. Stories often feature characters filling archetypal roles (protagonist, antagonist, guide, sidekick, etc.). While these roles provide structure, ensure each character, even minor ones, has their own conflicts and motivations to feel fully realized and contribute meaningfully to the narrative tapestry.

6. Master Plotting Tools to Build Tension

One of the most powerful plotting devices is to present your protagonist with a dilemma.

Creating tension. Utilize plotting tools to heighten suspense and emotional impact. Timebombs (deadlines) create urgency, while dilemmas (equally bad choices) force difficult decisions. Crucibles (settings, relationships, or conditions) trap characters together, intensifying conflict.

Surprise and revelation. Reversals (sudden shifts in fortune) shock the reader and raise stakes. Revelations (explaining a character's past or motivation) add depth and understanding. Twists (changing emotional beats or plot direction) keep the reader off-balance and engaged.

Emotional layering. Varying emotional beats prevents monotony. Use techniques like "doubling" (imagining a scene, then depicting it more intensely) or "haunting" (characters reliving powerful memories) to amplify emotional impact. Stacking similar scenes can drive home a point or character trait.

7. Relentlessly Escalate Conflict

It has been said that there are three keys to creating great plots: escalate, escalate, escalate!

Rising action. The middle of your story must continuously escalate the conflict. Problems should become progressively more difficult, requiring greater effort and resources from the protagonist with each attempt to resolve them. Avoid static periods where tension plateaus.

Deepen and broaden. Conflict escalates by deepening (becoming more personal or impactful to the protagonist) and broadening (affecting more people or a wider scope). The best stories do both, making the stakes feel increasingly significant on both individual and societal levels.

Action over thought. Show characters actively trying to solve problems rather than just thinking or talking about them. Action inherently creates more potential for conflict and raises the stakes more effectively than internal reflection or dialogue alone.

8. Craft Powerful, Promise-Filled Beginnings

Every story should start with promises made—promises that you must keep.

First impression. The opening of your story is crucial for hooking the reader. It must quickly introduce core elements—character, conflict, and setting—while making promises about the emotional experience to come. Readers decide whether to continue based on these initial pages.

Emotional impact. A strong opening creates immediate emotional impact, whether it's intrigue, humor, fear, or sympathy. This initial emotional punch convinces the reader that the story is worth their time and promises further powerful experiences if they read on.

Rooting interest. Begin building rooting interest in your protagonist early. Readers connect with characters who are relatable, face compelling challenges, or exhibit admirable traits (even if flawed). The more readers care about the protagonist, the more invested they will be in their journey and the story's outcome.

9. Drive the Middle with Action and Rising Stakes

The reason is that there is so little potential for conflict. So here is the rule: thinking about a problem is weaker than talking about it, and talking is weaker than taking action.

Maintain momentum. After the inciting incident, the story's middle must maintain momentum by presenting escalating challenges. Characters should be actively engaged in trying to solve problems, leading to consequences that raise the stakes further.

Progressive difficulty. Each attempt by the protagonist to resolve the central conflict should be harder than the last. This requires them to draw on greater resources, develop new skills, or make tougher sacrifices, demonstrating their growth and the increasing power of the opposition.

Deepening engagement. The middle is where conflicts deepen, becoming more personal to the protagonist, and broaden, impacting a wider world. This dual escalation ensures the reader remains emotionally invested and understands the growing significance of the struggle.

10. Deliver Satisfying and Complex Endings

But for me, I think there is a key to creating a great ending, the most powerful ending possible to your tale: the key is to consider how you might simultaneously do all three of the above.

Resolve conflicts. A satisfying ending resolves the major conflicts introduced throughout the story. While not every minor issue needs closure, the central problems driving the narrative must find a conclusion, answering the "why" and providing a sense of completion.

Multiple outcomes. Endings can involve characters affecting change (winning), characters changing as a result of conflict (growing despite loss), or the audience being changed by the story's themes. The most powerful endings often achieve a combination of these, reflecting the complexity of real life.

Emotional payoff. The climax and resolution must deliver the emotional payoff promised by the story's genre and earlier emotional beats. Ensure the final scenes are poignant, impactful, and resonate with the reader's investment in the characters and their journey.

11. Outline Your Story for Clarity and Marketability

This means you need to learn to outline well.

Planning for success. Outlining is a crucial skill, especially for professional authors, enabling you to plan complex narratives, manage multiple plotlines, and sell your ideas before writing the full manuscript. A detailed outline demonstrates the story's potential to publishers and producers.

Mapping conflicts. Map out the conflicts for each major character, including their try/fail cycles, climaxes, and resolutions. Use visual tools like charts to see how plotlines intersect and ensure consistent escalation and pacing throughout the narrative.

Sequential development. Translate your conflict maps into a scene-by-scene, chapter-by-chapter outline. Include key details like viewpoint character, setting, and brief scene descriptions. This sequential plan guides your writing, ensuring all necessary plot points are hit and the emotional flow is intentional.

Last updated: May 19, 2025