Today I’ve been working on outlining the remaining chapters of The Favourite Murder, the fifth book of the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. I’ve already posted about research, collating my research in a spreadsheet, and working towards an ending. What I mean by outlining is assigning the perspective to each chapter, and the synopsis of the chapter.
The outlining allows me to concentrate on telling the story in the most poetic way possible. I can write in the moment, rather than trying to feel my way clumsily towards the moment. Outlining also helps me to weave the theme and conflict through the narrative. The theme is the parent-child relationship, and that also provides much of the conflict.
I am surprising myself with my interest in medical science. Perhaps I’m a frustrated doctor. In my first Latin lesson in my first year at, grammar school, I was talking for a second after entering the classroom of Mr Wilson, and was banished to sit behind the filing cabinet, from where I couldn’t see the blackboard. I therefore gave up Latin at the earliest opportunity, and since at the time it was a pre-requisite to studying medicine, I struck that off my ambition radar. Anyway, the doctor who first identified rheumatic arthritis features in the book, as do several 16th and 17th century medical tomes.
If MI5 are monitoring my internet activity, I can assure them that my interest in poisons is purely literary. I’m not planning to poison anyone. When I have finally chosen my poison of choice, I will use my outlining to coordinate the effects of the poison with the appropriate death throes.
In conclusion, outlining is crafting a skeleton onto which I can paint the muscles, flesh, and organs of the story. It’s much easier to travel when you have a route map to follow. An outline is the route map of the story.