Episode 2

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Published on:

24th Sep 2025

3 Things I Do BEFORE I Start Outlining | Ep 2

Today, I'm sharing 3 things that I do BEFORE I start outlining. This is the pre-work to the prep work.

My story ideas are never fully fleshed out enough to begin immediately outlining, so here are 3 things I do to make decisions about the story I'm going to write so I can outline effectively:

  1. Write down my favorite ideas
  2. Craft the premise
  3. Making the tropes and other ideas work with the premise (and vice versa)

Once I've done these three things, I'm closer to being able to outline. In next weeks episode, I'm sharing 3 more things that I do before outlining (plus a bonus item).

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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