BravelyNovice Actually being a reader can help make you a great author, according to some it’s in fact essential. A few years ago I read a quote that said (roughly) ‘reading is incredibly important to writing, it’s the only internship we get’. However I can’t find the book I remember it from and my internet searches are coming up dry so I can’t properly cite the source.
However I did find a rather good one from Stephen King. "If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
More relevant to the conversation I actually know an exercise that can be applied to novels you’ve read in order to learn how to outline. I copied this over from a post I put on NU a couple of months ago, didn’t see the need to rewrite it
=============================
I'll start this off by saying that I can't swear this idea is original since I've read more then a few books on writing, but I've done it often enough to say that it's helped me develop as an author. If anyone can find the source, or maybe the proper name since I always just call it Reverse Outline, I'll be happy to credit them.
=============================
Pick a light novel, yes specifically a published light novel, it becomes obvious in a minute. This works best with a novel you're familiar with.
Create a basic outline for the plot. In the case of a light novel they usually only have a few chapters and those are the points in the first layer of your outline (told you it'd be obvious). Skim through the novel and make the major events/mood shifts the second layer under that. Depending on the novel you chose you might add a third or fourth layer.
After you've filled out the Reverse Outline go back and use different colored markers/high lighters/crayons a make a check mark for different types of developments. Things like character development, cliches, fan service events, etc.
One additional benefit of using a published light novel is that you should also mark which chapters have illustrations. Illustrations are almost always added to capitalize on a specific scene or moment to pull the reader deeper in. Recognizing that and what/how they wanted pull you in will give you a great deal of insight.
Now you've got a general outline for the novel, probably not as good as the one the author used but serviceable. Look at the different types of events and try to figure out the pacing the author was trying to set, how he wanted the novel to develop while you read it. In the case of a good novel you should see an arc as it develops, however it might not be obvious the first time you do this exercise.
=============================
After you've made one, I recommend you make a bunch more. Not all at once or with any sort of rush but keep doing the exercise so that you get a greater understanding of the outline process. Do a bunch of different authors and see how different authors use pacing in different ways. Do a series of books by the same authors, this not only lets you see how the plot develops over a series of books but it also lets you see how the author grew as a writer.
Once you've done several light novels move on to another format: web novels, regular novels, tv shows/series, movies, video games, etc. To let you know though this is the end of easy mode.
When you're looking at web novels/regular novels you have to puzzle out the major points in order to create the first layer of the Reverse Outline. You can't just copy the table of contents because plots are usually spread over several chapters so it becomes a challenge to decide how to divide the plot points. Relax though because even if you get something very different then what the author came up with while writing, it's still correct for you because it's how you understood the plot.
Actually the second easiest format to Reverse Outline in my opinion is movies because you can switch the chapter menu on your DVD/bluray player and that's your first layer.
I recommend doing this with both good and bad novels, authors you both enjoy and maybe not as much. From good authors you learn what sort of pacing and balance of events you enjoy. From authors you don't care for you learn why you didn't like it. As a master class sort of exercise, take the events from a series you didn't like and rearrange them it a way you think would be superior to the way they were written. Add events, cut out pointless characters and develop the ones that are there.
I'm not suggesting you write full on fan fiction but take the story apart to it's basic block and reorganize them to build a better story. The major advantage of this is that by taking apart someone else's work and understanding why you didn't like it will help you take apart you own stories and see why others might not experience it the way you want them to.
=============================
Okay so that’s the basic exercise. If you notice it uses the academic outline method that most people get taught in school. I’ve also heard it referred to as the Skeleton method since you create a skeleton of your story.
However it’s easy enough to adapt it to most of the outlines detailed above by working in reverse. In particular using a story you know can help you understand the Hero’s Journey, the Three Act Structure and Plot Points. To a lesser degree it helps with Scenes and Sequels as well but you need to understand the method a little first.
