Plot With Heart: The Inside Outline

Outlining doesn’t have to strangle your creativity—or leave you drowning in spreadsheets. In this episode of Master Fiction Writing, we introduce The Inside Outline: a fast, 2–3 page method that pairs each major Scene (what happens) with its Point (why it matters to your protagonist). The result? A plot that moves and a character arc that means something.

You’ll hear how to build 10–15 Scene/Point pairs, link them with clean cause-and-effect (“because of that…”), and pressure-test the outline so stakes rise, tension builds, and the story delivers on genre promises. We’ll walk through examples—romance, and thriller—so you can hear exactly how to do it.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The Scene/Point pairing that keeps plot and emotion glued together

• How to use “because of that…” to create momentum (not coincidence)

• A quick 8-question stress test for your outline’s stakes, pacing, and arc

• Ways to turn your Inside Outline into scenes, revisions, and a query-ready synopsis

Leave with a living map you can actually write from: short, sharp, and tied to why your story matters.