Episode 3

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Published on:

24th Sep 2025

3 MORE Things I do Before I Start Outlining | Ep 3

In the last episode, I shared the first 3 things I do before I even consider outlining. In today's episode, I'm sharing the next 3 things that I do (plus a bonus one).

These help me establish the foundation for my story, so that when I sit down to write, I know the essentials. This ensures I don't write an outline that I'm dissatisfied with 3 scenes into writing my first draft.

Today, I'll be sharing how I...

  1. Choose the best answers to my many questions
  2. Establish character arcs
  3. Pick a theme
  4. A fun bonus step that I've just started doing

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Transcript

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About the Podcast

Fiction Refinery
Storytelling for Romantic Fantasy Writers
Writing a book is exciting, messy, and sometimes overwhelming. I’m Jennifer, a writer and developmental editor, and on Fiction Refinery I’m pulling back the curtain on my own process as I work on my next story (romantic fantasy).

I'm not here to tell you how to write a book. Instead, I'm sharing the false starts, the breakthroughs, and the lessons I’m learning along the way from books, movies, and other writers. If you’re on your own writing journey and want some company on the road, you’ll feel right at home here.

Together we’ll trade ideas, share struggles, and make the creative process feel a little less lonely.

About your host

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Jennifer Flodin