How to outline your novel and set your style in WriteWithPaige

Step by step

1. 1

   Step 1: Open Plan your book

   Open the Story Bible (“Bible” in the rail or the bottom tab on a phone). “Plan your book” is at the top. Tap its heading to fold it away when you need room.

   

2. 2

   Step 2: Describe your story

   Tap “Story outline”. Under “What is your story about?”, write a sentence or two: who wants what, what stands in the way and how you hope it ends.

3. 3

   Step 3: Pick a shape and a length

   Choose a “Story shape” and how long the book should be under “How long?”. Then tap “Plan my chapters”. It takes about a minute.

4. 4

   Step 4: Edit the cards, then save

   Each chapter is a card with a title and “What happens in this chapter?”. Change anything, reorder with the arrows, then tap “Save outline”.

5. 5

   Step 5: Write the next chapter

   Tap “Write chapter” on the card marked “Next”, or “Write it” on the “Next in your outline” line in the Chapters list. Paige’s message box fills in a request for that chapter. Add anything you like and send.

6. 6

   Step 6: Teach Paige your style (optional)

   Tap “Your style”, pick chapters you wrote or paste your own writing, tick the box to confirm it is yours, and tap “Read my style”. Check what she found, then tap “Use this style”.

Story shapes and lengths

A story shape is a classic structure. Paige spreads its steps (called beats) across your chapters, then writes what happens in your story at each one, using your names and facts.

• One chapter per beat: one chapter for each step of the shape (for example 12 chapters for the Romance Arc).
• “About 15 chapters”: a novella-length plan.
• “About 25 chapters”: a full-length novel plan.

Working with your outline

Your outline opens as a list of cards headed “Your story outline”, with how many chapters are written. Each card shows “Chapter” and its number, a title, the beat it serves, and what happens.

A card counts as “Written” when the chapter at that position in your list has words, or when you tap “Mark written”. The first unwritten card is marked “Next”.

How Paige uses your outline

Your outline is saved as a Story Bible entry called “Story outline”, with the type “Outline”. When Paige writes a chapter, she is handed that chapter’s card plus the one before and the one after. That keeps her on plan without burying her in the whole book.

The “Outline” entry type works this way for any entry you make, too. Unlike “Lore” and “Plot Arc” entries, which Paige reads every time, Outline entries are not always sent. Paige finds the part she needs, so asking for chapter 5 brings up the chapter 5 plan and nothing else.

In a shared story, if someone else saves the outline while you are editing, you see their version with yours kept aside. Tap “Use mine” to bring yours back, or “Dismiss”.

"Next in your outline" and "Write it"

Once you have a saved outline, the top of your Chapters list shows “Next in your outline” and the next chapter’s number and title. “Write it” opens the chat and fills in a request such as “Write chapter 4”, the title and what the card says should happen.

Nothing is sent until you press send, so you can add a line first (“open on the storm”, “keep it under 2,000 words”). When every card is written, the line goes away.

With no outline yet, the same spot offers “Outline the rest of your book” once your book has a chapter with words in it.

"Your style": teach Paige to write like you

Your style is a plain-words description of how you write. Paige then writes new passages in this book the way you would. It changes how the story is told, not what happens.

Choose “Pick my chapters” (pick chapters you wrote, not ones Paige drafted, up to 8) or “Paste writing” (500 to 3,000 words works best; at least 150 are needed). Tick “This is my own writing. Paige only uses it to learn my style for this book.” Then tap “Read my style”. It takes about 30 seconds.

Paige describes your style under “How you tell it”, “Your sentences”, “Dialogue”, “Tone”, “Description” and “Anything else”. You can change any of it, and add to “Words and phrases you use” and “Never use”.

Under “See the difference”, paste a paragraph and tap “Show me”. Paige continues it twice, once in her usual voice and once “In your style”. When you are happy, tap “Use this style”.

• The switch next to “Your style” (“Use my style in this book”) turns it on and off without deleting it.
• “Read different writing” starts again from a new sample. “Delete style” removes it, and Paige goes back to her usual voice.
• A style belongs to one book. Each book can have its own.

"Narration": point of view and tense

Pick a point of view and Paige narrates every chapter of this book that way. Leave it on “Paige decides” and she follows your chapters and requests.

Questions