Full transcript
0:00What if you never had to wonder what to
0:02write next? What if you knew exactly
0:04what needed to happen in chapter 7,
0:06chapter 15, and chapter 21 before you
0:09even wrote a single word? That's the
0:10promise of a truly great story
0:12structure. Hi guys, my name is Jason.
0:14I'm a fantasy author, and for the last
0:15few years, I worked at Kindle Prneur,
0:16one of the biggest websites for teaching
0:18authors how to write and publish. And
0:19I've seen hundreds of authors struggle
0:21with plotting, but I've also seen what
0:23works. And today, we're talking about a
0:24system that works, the 24 chapter novel
0:26outline. It is one of the most
0:28comprehensive frameworks for commercial
0:29fiction that exists and we're going to
0:31walk through the entire thing. This is
0:32part of a larger series I'm doing on
0:34story structure. So, if there's another
0:36plot template you want to deep dive on,
0:38let me know about it below. Now, the 24
0:40chapter novel outline is actually a
0:42favorite of mine. It was a heavy
0:43inspiration for my own 40 chapter plot
0:46module, but what it does is it divides
0:48the story into four main parts,
0:50essentially breaking the notoriously
0:51long act two into two manageable chunks,
0:53which I also do in my plot module. We
0:56start with the setup, transition to the
0:57hero exploring the new world, then watch
0:59as the bad guys close in, and finally,
1:01we build to the ultimate defeat and the
1:03victory. Let's break down each chapter's
1:05job. First, we have act one, aka the
1:07hero in the ordinary world, which
1:09comprises chapters 1 through six. This
1:11is all about establishing who your hero
1:13is and what they want and what's holding
1:15them back before you completely ruin
1:17their life. Chapter one is called the
1:19really bad day. Don't start with a
1:21boring morning routine. Show your
1:23protagonist in their normal world on a
1:24day where they really want something but
1:26can't get it. This reveals their
1:28character, their fatal flaw, and their
1:30deepest desire through action, not
1:31explanation. Then we get chapter 2,
1:33which is called something peculiar.
1:35Something weird happens. It's a hint of
1:37the main conflict to come, but your hero
1:39brushes it off. They're too busy with
1:40their really bad day to notice the storm
1:42clouds gathering. The reader, however,
1:44knows something is up. Chapter 3 is
1:46called Grasping at Straws. The hero's
1:49world starts to unravel. Their normal
1:51methods for controlling their life
1:52aren't working anymore. Setbacks mount
1:55and they feel their grip on their
1:57ordinary world is slipping. Chapter four
2:00is called to adventure. This is the big
2:02event that the characters can't ignore.
2:03It's a major setback that forces them to
2:05realize there's no going back to the way
2:07things were. The ordinary world is
2:09officially broken. Chapter 5 is called
2:11Head in Sand. The hero tries to refuse
2:14the call. They want their old
2:15unsatisfying life back because at least
2:17it was familiar. This is a moment of
2:19very human fear and reluctance, and it's
2:21easier to pretend the problem doesn't
2:23exist than to face it. Chapter 6 is
2:25called Pull Out the Rug. Something
2:27happens that forces the hero to accept
2:29the adventure. The choice is made for
2:31them, and this event is usually deeply
2:33personal and makes it impossible for
2:34them to stay put. With this, we have
2:36liftoff, and the hero is forced into a
2:38whole new world. But now that they're in
2:41this new world, they have to figure out
2:43how to survive. Which leads us into act
2:462, aka exploring the new world, which
2:48comprises chapters 7 through 12. Your
2:51hero is now a fish out of water. This
2:53first half of act two is about reacting,
2:55learning, and getting a feel for the new
2:57rules of the game. The first chapter is
2:58called chapter 7, Enemies and Allies. As
3:01the protagonist explores this strange
3:03new landscape, they start meeting the
3:05people who will become their friends,
3:06mentors, and rivals. These relationships
3:09will define their journey. Chapter 8 is
3:11called games and trials. The hero
3:13struggles. They try to fit in. They
3:15learn new skills or understand the
3:16challenges, but they mostly fail. This
3:19is the training montage, but filled with
3:21more frustration and self-doubt than a
3:23cool '8s soundtrack. Chapter nine is
3:25called Earning Respect. After all that
3:27struggling, the hero scores a small but
3:29important victory. It proves they might
3:31have what it takes and earns them a
3:32little begrudging respect from the new
3:34people around them. Chapter 10 is called
3:36Forces of Evil. The stakes are raised
3:39drastically. The antagonist or the
3:41forces of evil are revealed in their
3:42full power. The hero realizes just how
3:45dangerous this new world truly is.
3:47Chapter 11 is called problem revealed.
3:50Shaken by the true danger, the
3:52protagonist realizes that they don't
3:54have all the information. They feel
3:55overwhelmed and demand answers from
3:57their allies who might have been holding
3:58back to protect them. Chapter 12 is
4:01called truth and ultimatum. The hero
4:03learns a piece of information that
4:04changes their entire worldview. This
4:06truth forces them to a crossroads,
4:08setting up the most important decision
4:10of the story so far. This decision marks
4:12the midpoint where the hero goes from
4:13being a passive victim to an active
4:15warrior, which leads us into act 2B, aka
4:19bad guys close in, which comprises
4:21chapters 13 through 18. The hero is now
4:24on the offensive, but so is the
4:26antagonist. This is where the pressure
4:27cooker really gets turned up to high. We
4:30start with chapter 13, which is called
4:31the mirror stage. The hero takes a
4:33moment to reflect on who they are
4:35becoming. They've changed. They accept
4:37their new role and move forward with
4:38purpose. No longer just reacting to
4:40events. Chapter 14 is called Plan of
4:43Attack. So now fully committed, the
4:45protagonist formulates a plan to take
4:47down the antagonist. They're no longer
4:49just trying to survive. They are
4:50actively trying to win. Chapter 15 is
4:53called Crucial Role. The hero's allies
4:55put their trust in them, giving them a
4:57vital role to play in the plan. And it's
4:58clear that without the hero's specific
5:00skills or knowledge, the plan will fail.
5:02Chapter 16 is called direct conflict.
5:05The plan is put into motion. The hero
5:07and their allies come into direct
5:08conflict with the antagonist forces. And
5:10for a moment, it might even look like
5:12they're succeeding. Chapter 17 is called
5:14surprise failure. The plan goes
5:15horribly, disastrously wrong. An ally
5:18might die, a king advantage is lost, or
5:20the hero suffers a major injury. The
5:22consequences are real and permanent.
5:25Chapter 18 is called Shocking
5:26Revelation. As if things weren't bad
5:28enough, the antagonist's true identity
5:30or full plan is revealed. The hero is
5:32hit with guilt and anger, realizing
5:34they've underestimated the enemy at
5:36every turn. This leads us to the hero's
5:38lowest point and the end of act two. So,
5:41now we get act three, aka defeat and
5:44victory, which comprises chapters 19
5:46through 25. This is the finale.
5:49Everything that's been built up now pays
5:51off as the hero claws their way back
5:53from total defeat. Chapter 19 is called
5:55Giving Up. After the catastrophic
5:57failure, the hero loses all confidence.
5:59They have been beaten and they know it.
6:01There is no hope. Chapter 20 is called
6:04Pep Talk. Just when all seems lost, an
6:06ally steps in. They offer encouragement,
6:08a new perspective, or a key piece of
6:10information that gives the hero a reason
6:12to get back up and fight. Chapter 21 is
6:14called Seizing the Sword. The hero makes
6:16a very deliberate choice to try again,
6:18even with just a slim chance of success.
6:21They finally confront their fatal flaw
6:23and gather their remaining resources for
6:24one last epic battle. Chapter 22 is
6:27called Ultimate Defeat. This is the all
6:29is lost moment. The hero faces the
6:31villain, thinks they understand what to
6:33do, but their hubris leads to a final
6:35crushing defeat. The villain has won, or
6:37so it seems. Chapter 23 is called
6:39Unexpected Victory. At their absolute
6:42lowest point, the hero has a
6:43breakthrough. They finally understand
6:45their flaw, let go of what they want for
6:48more of what they need to do, and use a
6:50secret weapon or ability to snatch
6:52victory from the jaws of defeat. Chapter
6:5424 is called Bittersweet Reflection. The
6:56battle is won, and now it's time for the
6:58celebration or a quiet bittersweet
7:00reflection on the cost of that victory.
7:03This chapter provides the resolution and
7:05shows the new person the hero has
7:06become. Now, there's an optional chapter
7:0925, which is called Death of Self. This
7:11extra chapter can show you the hero back
7:13in their transformed world, fully
7:15embodying their new self. It's a final
7:18grace note that can tie up loose ends or
7:19hint at future adventures in a series.
7:22So, where did this incredibly detailed
7:23map come from? It was developed by an
7:25author and academic named Derek Murphy.
7:27He got his PhD studying literature from
7:29Harry Potter to Paradise Lost and found
7:31himself frustrated with existing
7:33plotting structures. Frameworks like the
7:35three-act structure in the hero's
7:36journey are great for a highlevel view,
7:38but they leave huge gaps. They tell you
7:40where to start and where to end, but
7:42they don't tell you what to do with that
7:43vast, terrifying space in the middle.
7:45This was also my frustration when
7:47developing the 40 chapter plot module.
7:49Murphy saw this saggy middle was where
7:51most manuscripts went to die. And I can
7:53attest to that myself in my own
7:55community. Writers knew they needed a
7:57midpoint, but they had no idea how to
8:00build up to it or what to do after. And
8:02his solution was to create a more
8:03granular system specifically for
8:04commercial fiction. He synthesized the
8:07best parts of all of major story
8:09structures but broke them down into
8:10chapterby chapter functions. The 24
8:12chapter novel outlines most clever move
8:15is splitting act two. It recognizes that
8:17the middle of the story has two distinct
8:18phases. The initial learning and
8:20reacting phase and the later phase where
8:22the hero takes charge and the conflict
8:24escalates. By giving writers clear goals
8:26for each chapter, the outline acts like
8:28a set of training wheels guiding you
8:30through the first draft and helping you
8:32maintain momentum from start to finish.
8:34It's less of a rigid set of rules and
8:35more of a proven, dependable guide to
8:37get you to the end. Now, understanding
8:39the structure is one thing, but actually
8:41applying it to your own story and
8:43building out your characters and filling
8:44in all those chapters with compelling
8:46scenes is another. It could be
8:48overwhelming to do it all on your own.
8:50That's why I created my school group,
8:51Story Hacker Gold. It's a community
8:53where I walk you through my entire
8:55process from the first spark of an idea
8:57to holding the finished book in your
8:58hands. We cover everything plotting like
9:01this as well as character de
9:03development, marketing, and even how to
9:05use AI to speed up your process without
9:07compromising your creativity or ethics.
9:09The group includes all my books for
9:11authors, including my own 40 chapter
9:13plot module, which is very similar to
9:14the 24 chapter u outline. Plus, you get
9:17weekly live calls with me to answer your
9:19questions. And if you want to go from
9:20just thinking about your book to
9:21actually writing it, this is the place
9:23to be. I hope you enjoyed this video and
9:25I will see you in the next video.