Wouldn’t it be amazing if you a guide to help you write your fiction book? Outlining Your Novel Workbook does just that, on steroids. Designed by author K.M. Weiland, this is the only tool you need to outline your novel and all its parts.

Type of Software: Premium

Disclaimer: I am basing this review off the premium version of this software.

Introduction

The Outlining Your Novel Workbook Program is perfect for fiction writers who must come up with a, develop their characters, plot, settings, and on to outline their novel. This program has everything you need to work through the planning process to write your novel. It was designed by a fiction writer for fiction writers.

You can do all these functions in great detail in the Outlining Your Novel Workbook Program. You would be surprised what kind of value you get to be able to do all these things and keep them all in the same program and place.

Availability

You can get the Outlining Your Novel Workbook Program for $40 (at the time of this review) here.

User Interface

When you first open the program, you’ll see the screen below. All the parts of your preparation for you are novel appear on the top in the black women. Each of the steps of your preparation, including Premise, General, Characters, Settings, Outline, Extras have subcategories that appear when you click on them.

I will talk about the individual subcategories under the Tools and Features section next. This is one of the most robust programs I have ever seen for preparing your novel. Every novel starts with a premise or an idea that becomes a two-sentence summary of the novel.

Every novel contains characters, plot, and different settings for the different scenes. You can manage all of them through the Outlining Your Novel Workbook program. Every stage of the program helps you develop your novel in greater detail.

Some parts of the program, like the opening screen for the premise, help you clarify your ideas and characters. They cover every aspect could possibly think of in your novel.

Tools and Features

Under the Premise tab, you can come to it by asking questions like “if” questions, develop a 2-Sentence Premise, have a Log Line, a Summary, and develop Pre-Outline Questions.

Under the General tab, you can develop a Scene List, Connect the Dots develop your Character Arc & Theme, and work on the Conflict in your story.

Under the Characters tab, you can develop their Backstory, Interview them, give them a Freehand Interview, develop their Personality, make your Minor Characters, and monitor your Character List.

Under the Settings tab, you can look at a Settings List, develop your Main Setting, and it even has a place for World Building. Most novels have more than one setting that heaven means setting the whole novel fits under. You can develop all your settings with this one tab.

Under the Outline tab, you can work on your Story Elements, Voice and POV, Identify Your Audience, develop your Story Structure, and and look at your Scene Checklist. In Story Elements, you can list books and movies that have interested you in writing the story that may be similar to them.

The Extras tab has to do with the project of your novel. It gives you a place for Mind Mapping, having a Mat for your novel, a Perfect Review, Calendar, Playlists, and your Cast of Characters. Personal Review allows you to write down all the motivating factors for your story project. You can refer to these when the writing gets hard.

The Calendar is a great place to start putting your writing goals and everything you want to get them on each day of the week throughout the months of your project. You can also use the Playlists to define the kind of music you want to play for seasons and characters that appear in your novel.

Accessibility

The text of the program is a bit hard to read if you have low vision issues like I do. However, in the preferences of the program, you can check a box to enlarge the program for better readability. Then you can maximize the program and the text is a lot bigger.

Support

You can find a lot of valuable YouTube videos that walk you through the program on KM Weiland’s YouTube channel under a playlist. You can also download a user guide for the program.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The Outlining Your Novel Workbook program is the most complete program I have ever seen for developing the novel. It has some good things that I would never have thought of that will help you develop your novel from scratch.

Every writer I know hates the blank page that may cause you to not know what to do next. This program helps you to avoid that. It gives you some of the things to think about and prompts you on all the elements of your story that need to be filled in before you start writing.

I can’t think of too many negatives for this program. One thing is that it does not have part of the program for you to write your novel. It is designed as a precursor and planning phase. You would have to find another program to write your novel. But she would always have the information you place in this program for your background information.

Final Thoughts

I can think of no better program than the Outlining Your Novel Workbook program to give you the help you need to get started on your novel project. It may even have prompts in that you did not consider when you begin thinking about your novel.

It will help you to stay on track with your novel and write the story you imagine in your mind. This program has so many good things in it to help you that I highly recommend it for every fiction writer out there. It does not help with nonfiction as much, but fiction writers would be very satisfied with all of its great benefits.

The cost does not prohibit you from buying and using the program either. Give it a try and see what he can do to help you flesh out your ideas and make the best story you could possibly imagine come to life for your readers.

Check Out My Other Book Writing Software Reviews

• What’s the Best Editor for Writers – Grammarly or ProWritingAid
• The Best Word Processor for Writers (Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, WPS Office)
• Scrivener Is the Best Writer-Tailored Word Processor
• Organize and Write Your Best Book with the Amazing Papyrus Author