Developmental Outlines for Story and Revision Planning
A simple, streamlined way to plan new stories and revise existing ones
The Editorial Department’s Developmental Outline Package is a streamlined, versatile tool for developing new stories and revising works-in-progress. Designed to be fast, intuitive, and highly effective, it helps writers and editors work together to quickly identify and address issues of character, plot, structure, pacing, and more—while also offering a creative framework for brainstorming fresh approaches that can elevate a promising manuscript to the next level. All of this is handled via a concise, author-friendly document that avoids the rigidity and frustration often associated with traditional outlines.
This unique outlining approach was originally developed by editor, screenwriter, and published author John Robert Marlow, who brings extensive book and Hollywood experience to his work with Editorial Department clients. Over the years, this revision method has gained traction with our editors and authors, becoming a trusted step in the creative process, especially for those looking to map a clear, confident course through the challenges of revision before diving in.
The developmental outline process begins by distilling your existing manuscript (or story idea) into a simple bullet-point list of every significant event (or proposed event) in your story. This document provides you and your editor with a solid foundation for discussion, brainstorming, planning, and decision making.
Working the outline by phone—bouncing ideas back and forth in real time—offers distinct creative and time advantages over conventional written notes. You can expect immediate, actionable feedback on proposed changes, ideas and suggestions you may not have thought of, guidance on relevant points of story craft, and whatever else may be needed to get your story into the best possible shape—before you start writing or revising the actual manuscript.
This approach—experimenting with story ideas before writing them in full—will help you avoid countless hours spent in creative blind alleys, writing material that you later discover has no place in the story.
The ultimate goal of the developmental outline package is to help your story realize its fullest dramatic and commercial potential. It’s ideal for planning and revising novels, narrative nonfiction, and screenplays, and also for planning adaptations (book-to-screenplay or screenplay-to-book).
For more in-depth information on this service—including sample outline excerpts of The Matrix and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone—visit https://editorialdepartment.com/revise-your-book-hollywood-style/ or contact Ross Browne in the Tucson office.
The developmental outline package rate is $75 per hour, with reduced-rate pricing available in most situations.
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