How to Decide on Chapters for Your Book
Make a list of the main ideas you want to cover once you’ve chosen your topic and done some research., Begin to organize your points., Cut out any points that aren’t necessary., Add details.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make a list of the main ideas you want to cover once you’ve chosen your topic and done some research.
Use what you’ve researched, especially the areas that interest you the most.
Make sure you cover the most important aspects of your topic, as well, aspects that anyone in the field would expect you to cover.
The same goes for something like a biography.
For instance, it would be strange to write a biography of JFK without talking about his assassination.
For a novel, list the main plot points you see happening in the novel.
At this point, just brainstorm to try to cover as much area as you can. -
Step 2: Begin to organize your points.
What logically comes first? With an informational book, begin with easier topics, and move to more difficult ones.
With something like a biography, the easiest place to start is near the beginning of someone’s life or career, so you can move chronologically.
For a novel, this task may not be as simple.
While some novels move forward linearly—that is, they tell the story in a straight line—others jump back and forth in the story, revealing different parts out of order, time-wise.
You have to decide how you want to tell your story. , Maybe one of your main ideas is too basic for the type of book you’re writing, or maybe it is so out there that it doesn’t quite fit with everything else. , The main topics in order serve as your outline; now you need to add details to each topic.
Use your research and your own ideas together to fill in your outline.
With a novel, think about how different scenes could contribute to the plot; what could the main characters do to fulfill that part of the story? -
Step 3: Cut out any points that aren’t necessary.
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Step 4: Add details.
Detailed Guide
Use what you’ve researched, especially the areas that interest you the most.
Make sure you cover the most important aspects of your topic, as well, aspects that anyone in the field would expect you to cover.
The same goes for something like a biography.
For instance, it would be strange to write a biography of JFK without talking about his assassination.
For a novel, list the main plot points you see happening in the novel.
At this point, just brainstorm to try to cover as much area as you can.
What logically comes first? With an informational book, begin with easier topics, and move to more difficult ones.
With something like a biography, the easiest place to start is near the beginning of someone’s life or career, so you can move chronologically.
For a novel, this task may not be as simple.
While some novels move forward linearly—that is, they tell the story in a straight line—others jump back and forth in the story, revealing different parts out of order, time-wise.
You have to decide how you want to tell your story. , Maybe one of your main ideas is too basic for the type of book you’re writing, or maybe it is so out there that it doesn’t quite fit with everything else. , The main topics in order serve as your outline; now you need to add details to each topic.
Use your research and your own ideas together to fill in your outline.
With a novel, think about how different scenes could contribute to the plot; what could the main characters do to fulfill that part of the story?
About the Author
Teresa Hart
Writer and educator with a focus on practical hobbies knowledge.
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