Hello, little lambs! In today’s video, I’m sharing the outlining process that finally worked for me—by blending two gamechanging approaches: Brandon Sanderson’s philosophy on plot and James Scott Bell’s Write Your Novel from the Middle.

I’ll walk you through how to identify your story’s promises, plan payoffs, and build satisfying progressions. Plus, we’ll explore the “mirror moment”—a powerful midpoint realization that keeps your characters on track and your plot engaging. Whether you’re a plotter, a pantser, or somewhere in between, this combined approach might be exactly what you need to create an outline you can actually follow (without losing your mind).

Find more of me on instagram.com/ohmyjordy/

Timestamps

0:00 Introduction
0:49 My outlining struggle
3:53 The Midpoint Epiphany
6:28 Brandon Sanderson’s Philosophy on Plot
7:51 Promise, Progress, Payoff
9:51 The Signpost Scenes
15:53 Conclusion