27 Chapter Outline

There are a A LOT of outlines available to start writing your story. For epic fantasy there's The Hero's Journey (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings), for plot driven thrillers there's the Seven-Point Story Structure (Da Vinci Code), or if you're writing a complex epic world you may go towards The Snowflake Method (Song of Ice and Fire). How do you know where to start?!

While many authors may opt to write without an outline, they can provide a lot of guidance and structure that actually make it easier to free-write. The opposite mentality is far worse - indecision that prevents you from just writing! Before we dive into our recommended outline for new authors, it's important to call out that any outline is flexible. They are there to make sure you know where your story is going and that you're hitting certain beats through the story to keep readers engaged. As you write you may find that the outline needs to change a bit, maybe entire chapters can be removed, or added. That's fine! Ultimately, as long as you're writing and listening to your characters you'll get the story out.

The method we recommend most often, especially to newer authors, is the 27 Chapter Outline popularized by Kat O'Keefe. While there's a thousand posts detailing this format, we've decided to add one more as a framing to our annual SthenoSprint. With SthenoSprint, we see this as a perfect way to get your first draft pushed out in one month by tackling a chapter each day with a little bit of prep work the first couple days of the month. This outline works great for any genre of fiction and we're happy to help you with creating your outline - just reach out to us on our socials or discord!

The 27 chapter outline breaks your story down into a classic three act structure, breaking each act into it's own arc of three acts with three chapters each. We'll dive into each below, but here's what it looks like! 

As we go through it, you'll see each act, and mini-act (or block), go through a cycle of set-up, conflict, and resolution. Let's take a look at each and lay out a possible fantasy book.

Act I: Setup

The three blocks of Act I focus on introducing the main character in their ordinary world, disrupting them from their ordinary world, and hinting their life is going to change.

Block I (Setup): Show what normal life is for your characters and introduce the reader to their world:

• Introduction (Setup): The reader meets the main character and sees them in their normal life.
  A young scribe, Elara, lives in a secluded monastery, unaware of her royal bloodline. 

• Inciting incident (Conflict): Something happens to disrupt the main character’s ordinary life.
  A dying knight arrives, revealing she is the last heir of a fallen kingdom. 

• Fallout (Resolution): The main character immediately reacts to the inciting incident.
  Elara struggles to stay focused on her daily tasks and feels like people are watching her.

Block II (Conflict): These scenes build on the main character’s reaction to the inciting incident that occurred in Block I.

• Reaction/rebellion (Setup): The main character pushes back against what happened or was revealed in the inciting incident.
  Elara denies her destiny, fearing the dangers ahead. A rogue mage, Kael, appears and offers guidance.

• Action (Conflict): The hero takes action to fix what happened in the inciting incident.
  Elara leaves the monastery, pursued by assassins. 

• Consequence (Resolution): The main character must face the consequences of the action they took (or tried to take).
  She bonds with a thief, Riven, after a tense moment in an alley she fled down.

Block III (Resolution): The final scenes in Act I highlight how the main character’s life will never be the same now that their ordinary world has been disrupted.

• Pressure (Setup): The main character starts to feel the weight of what’s happening to them.
  She learns about the "Forgotten Crown", a relic that can restore her kingdom.

• Pinch (Conflict): A plot twist happens, making the main character wonder if they made the right decision when they decided to take action.
  The dark sorcerer Malrik destroys her home, forcing her forward.

• Push (Resolution): The main character is forced once and for all out of their ordinary world.
  Elara decides to seek the Crown, despite the risks. 

Act II: Conflict

The three blocks of Act II form the middle of the story. The main character explores their new world and is confronted with new challenges.

Block I (Setup): Block I of Act II sees the protagonist enter their new world and start to explore it.

• New world (Setup): The main character explores the new world.
  Elara enters the criminal city of Veymar, a stark contrast to her monastic life. 

• Fun and games (Conflict): The protagonist plays around in the new world, potentially meeting new characters.
  She and Kael infiltrate a black-market auction, meeting allies (a smuggler, Talis). 

• Juxtaposition (Resolution): We see a contrast between the main character’s new world to the ordinary world they left behind.
  Elara sees a beggar wearing her kingdom’s crest—her people are suffering. 

Block II (Conflict): In the second block, the main character experiences some struggles in their new surroundings.

• Build-up (Setup): Complications occur: the main character faces some serious struggles, internal or external.
  Malrik’s forces ambush them; Riven’s secretive behavior escalates. 

• Midpoint (Conflict): Something big happens that changes everything for your main character.
  The Crown’s map reveals it’s not an object but a person (Elara herself). 

• Reversal (Resolution): The main character decides on a new course of action based on what’s been revealed at the midpoint.
  Riven betrays them, but hesitates—Elara realizes he’s her lost brother.

Block III (Resolution): The final block of Act II sees the protagonist dedicated to finding a solution to the challenges they’re dealing with.

• Consequence (Setup): The hero reflects on all that’s happened to them on their journey so far.
  Elara grieves Riven’s betrayal; Kael is captured. 

• Trials (Conflict): The protagonist takes action to solve their problems and makes progress based on the lessons they’ve learned in previous conflicts.
  She storms a fortress to rescue Kael, using newfound magic. 

• Dedication (Resolution): Despite the challenges, the main character resolves to solve their issues.
  She vows to embrace her destiny: “I am the Crown.” 

Act III: Resolution

In the final act of the story, the protagonist experiences their greatest challenge yet. Everything they’ve learned has led up to this moment.

Block I (Setup): The hero experiences a huge setback, the biggest of the story so far.

• Calm before the storm (Setup): The hero feels the pressure as they decide to put their plan into action.
  Rebels join Elara for a final assault on Malrik’s citadel. 

• Plot twist (Conflict): Something terrible occurs, the worst complication in the story to this point.
  Malrik reveals he’s her uncle, corrupted by the Crown’s power centuries ago. 

• Darkest point (Resolution): The main character is at their lowest. Is all lost?
  Kael sacrifices himself to save her; Elara is captured. 

Block II (Conflict): In this block, the protagonist must find the resolve within themselves to overcome their challenges.

• Power within (Setup): The hero reaches deep inside to bring themselves back from the brink of destruction.
  Elara communes with the Crown’s spirit, accepting its burden. 

• Action (Conflict): With renewed resolve, the protagonist formulates a plan to take action.
  Riven redeems himself, helping her escape. 

• Convergence (Resolution): All of the characters and main plot points gather for the big finale.
  All factions collide at the citadel’s throne room.

Block III (Resolution): We’ve reached the end of the story. In the final block, the hero must face their trials and emerge victorious.

• The final battle (Setup): The hero faces down their nemesis. This scene is not always a literal battle: sometimes, the hero is tackling an internal demon in a high-pressure situation (like declaring their eternal love before a big group of people).
  Elara duels Malrik, Crown’s magic vs. his shadow sorcery. 

• Climax (Conflict): Everything has led to this moment. The hero succeeds or fails, depending on your story.
  She absorbs Malrik’s power, destroying him but fracturing the Crown. 

• Resolution (Resolution): We see the hero in the aftermath of the climax. Are they celebrating their victory or licking their wounds?
  Elara is crowned queen, but the Crown whispers: “More will come.”