Storytelling is one of the oldest, most powerful ways to captivate an audience. But it takes more than a good story to create a memorable experience. ClickUp's Story Outline Template is your ultimate tool for creating compelling stories with structure and purpose.
The Story Outline Template helps you:
- Organize ideas and plot points in one place
- Develop characters and arcs that draw in your audience
- Brainstorm storylines and plot twists as they come to you
Whether crafting the perfect novel or giving an unforgettable presentation, this template will help you create a story outline that will make any story shine!
Benefits of a Story Outline Template
Creating a compelling story is no small feat. A story outline template can help you organize your thoughts and create a road map for your narrative. Benefits include:
- Achieving clarity and focus for all aspects of your story
- Gaining a better understanding of the characters and their motivations
- Creating a timeline of events so that the story moves logically
- Making sure all plot points and arcs are included while avoiding unnecessary details
Main Elements of a Story Outline Template
ClickUp's Story Outline Template is designed to help you create and manage story outlines. This Folder template includes:
- Custom Statuses: Create tasks with eight custom statuses, including To Do, In Progress, Blocked, and Complete, to keep track of the progress of each scene or chapter
- Custom Fields: Categorize and add attributes to manage your story outlines, such as Story Chapters and Story Stages, so that you can easily visualize the plot
- Project Management: Improve story outline tracking with tagging, nested subtasks, multiple assignees, and priority labels
How to Use a Story Outline Template
Creating a story outline can be a great way to get your creative juices flowing and organize your thoughts. Here are six steps to help you create an effective story outline using ClickUp features:
1. Decide on a topic
Choose a topic for your story and narrow it down to a few ideas. Think about what you want to say and how you want to say it.
Create a Doc in ClickUp to brainstorm ideas and make notes about the topics you are interested in writing about.
2. Set up a structure
Once you have your topic, it’s time to set up a structure for your story. You can use the classic three-act structure: beginning, middle, and end. Or, you can use the five-act structure, which includes a setup (background), confrontation, rising action, climax, and resolution.
Create tasks in ClickUp to outline each act of your story.
3. Develop your characters
Bring your story to life by creating characters that will interact with each other throughout the story. Think about who will be the protagonist, antagonist, and any other characters that will play a role in the story.
Create custom fields in ClickUp to track each character’s traits and attributes.
4. Draft the plot
Now it’s time to write the plot of your story. Start by writing down the main events that will happen in each act. Be sure to include any important details, such as dialogue, setting, or any other elements that will help to bring your story to life.
Use the Board view in ClickUp to create a visual representation of your plot, with each card representing a key event in the story.
5. Flesh out the details
Once you have the main plot points outlined, it’s time to add some more detail. Think about how the characters will interact with each other, obstacles they will face, and how they will ultimately reach the resolution.
Use Automations in ClickUp to make sure you don’t miss any important details.
6. Add the finishing touches
Now that you have the basic outline of your story, it’s time to add some finishing touches. Think about how you can use language to make your story come alive and draw in the reader..
Use a Milestone in ClickUp to track progress and make sure your story is complete before you submit it.
Get Started with ClickUp's Story Outline Template
Authors/Writers can use this Story Outline Template to help everyone stay on the same page when it comes to creating and organizing narrative structures.
First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.
Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.
Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create an amazing story:
- Create tasks for each scene and assign them to team members
- Organize tasks into eight different statuses: Idea, Researching, Planning, Drafting, Editing, Revising, Proofreading, Complete, to keep track of progress
- Update statuses as you create the story to keep stakeholders informed of progress
- Collaborate with stakeholders to brainstorm ideas and create content
- Set up notifications to stay up-to-date on progress
- Hold regular meetings to discuss progress and any issues
- Monitor and analyze tasks to ensure maximum productivity
Get Started with Our Story Outline Template Today
