Take Off Your Pants! Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing by Libbie Hawker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I picked this up because so many people (including my agent!) recommended it to me. I’m a pantser. I genuinely didn’t think I could be a plotter – I’ve tried, I’ve even plotted one book, but I find it really hard. This book gives you a way of outlining a book and reducing the number of dead ends you wander down at the drafting stage.
As I read it, I realised that I already did this when I was thinking about a book. Stuff like working out the character arc, the external goal etc. This gives it a more formal framework. I’m using it in the book I’m plotting right now.
If you’re new to the idea of outlining, this is a great book full of common sense advice.
Rhoda Baxter 