Plan Your Stories with Our Story Outlining Tool

Many successful writers will tell you that good stories begin with great outlines. We're proud to introduce our Story Outlining Tool, designed to help you plan and structure your narratives effectively.

What is the Story Outliner Tool?

The Story Outliner is a flexible, hierarchical outlining system that allows writers to organize their thoughts, plot points, character arcs, and story elements in a structured format. Whether you're planning a novel, screenplay, or short story, this tool provides a visual framework to develop your narrative.

Key Features

1. Hierarchical Structure

Create headings, items, and sub-items to organize your story at different levels. This hierarchical approach allows you to move from broad story concepts down to specific scene details.

2. Rich Text Details

Add detailed notes to any item in your outline. Expand on characters, settings, plot points, or any other element that needs additional information.

3. Multiple Export Formats

Export your outline in multiple formats including:

• Markdown (.md) - Perfect for text-based documentation
• PDF - Professional format for printing or sharing
• DOCX - Compatible with Microsoft Word and other word processors
• JSON - For backing up your data or transferring between devices

4. Auto-Save Feature

Enable auto-save to continuously store your work in your browser's local storage, ensuring you never lose progress even if you accidentally close your browser.

5. View-Only Mode

Switch to a rendered view of your outline to see how it looks as a finished document, perfect for reviewing your story structure without distractions.

6. Intuitive Controls

Easily rearrange items with up/down controls, add new elements with a click, and manage your outline structure intuitively.

How to Use the Story Outliner

1. Name Your Outline - Start by giving your outline a title that represents your project.
2. Add Headings - Create main sections for your story (e.g., Acts, Chapters, or Major Plot Points).
3. Add Items - Under each heading, add specific items to develop that section (e.g., scenes, character moments, plot developments).
4. Add Details - Expand on any item with additional notes and information.
5. Organize - Rearrange your outline elements using the up/down arrows to experiment with different story flows.
6. Export - When you're satisfied, export your outline in your preferred format.

Perfect For

• Novelists planning their story structure
• Screenwriters organizing acts and scenes
• Non-fiction writers creating chapter outlines
• Students developing research papers or theses
• Anyone who benefits from organized, hierarchical planning

Now Integrated into Our PHP Framework

Our Story Outliner has been fully integrated into our custom PHP framework, ensuring a smooth, consistent experience that matches the rest of our site. This integration maintains all the functionality of the original tool while improving performance and reliability.

Start Planning Your Story

Ready to create a compelling, well-structured narrative? The Story Outliner tool is available now in the Writing and Planning section of our Tools page. We can't wait to see the amazing stories you'll develop with it!

Try Story Outliner Now