The first step in any novel is properly called “pre-writing”. Some people use the term brainstorming; others, outlining. Whatever method you choose to use, and whatever you choose to call it, what you’re essentially doing is creating a map of where you want your story to go.
There are as many methods of doing this as there are novelists. The most important thing to know is there is no wrong way to go about doing it. There is also no single right way to map out your novel. Whatever process works for you, and for the novel you’re working on, is the correct method to use at that moment.
Some writers like to make a bubble chart, starting with either a character or a situation in the center, and branching out from there. Others swear the only proper method is a formal outline of the type they made you write out in high school. Another scheme is called free association, where you simply jot down ideas as they occur to you, and organize them later.
My favorite technique is to use a spreadsheet as a timeline, keeping track of who’s where and what they’re doing throughout the entire story. I use the spreadsheet program on my computer, because the teeny squares expand to fit the information required.
One method I’ve seen work very well, is to look at a photograph or painting and ask yourself questions about it. Who are the people? What are they doing? Where are they? Why does that little old woman in the corner looked worried? Make up stories, or a situation, which would bring this group of people to that place in time to create the picture. Observing live people in public can accomplish much the same thing. Watch people at the mall, on a bus, in a restaurant, at a concert, or anywhere else you can observe without being noticed. Make up situations for them.
Sometimes I have to draw a map in order to get a clear idea of travel times and other problems the characters are facing. Some of my so-called outlines have been nothing more than a list of events which need to occur before the end of the book.
"What happens next?” is a very powerful question. My 15 year-old daughter outlined an entire novel while eating lunch with me at a local fast-food hamburger restaurant by using this question. We started with a pair of characters and a situation which was embarrassing for one of them. Then I asked, ‘what happens next?’ She’d answer that, and I asked the question again, ‘what happens next?’ By the time we’d finished our meal, The Mom's Place had a plot, requiring remarkably few changes in the writing of the rough draft.
While it’s true that the more pre-writing you do, the easier and faster the editing process will be; it is also true that too much pre-writing can stifle your creativity and make it impossible for your characters to take over the story and complete it properly.
A book doesn’t necessarily need to be written in chronological order from “Chapter One” to “The End”. If you have a good outline and know where your story is going, you can write the chapters in any order which pleases you.
Practice and experimentation will teach you which method works best with your writing style. For myself, I prefer a very loose outline which allows flexibility and creativity. I work best by beginning with strong characters and making those characters write the story for me.
This lesson’s challenge is to outline a novel. Use any of the methods above. Experiment with new ways; try several to find a system you're comfortable with. Don't be afraid of having a rotten idea; no one will see your writing at this stage except you. Enjoy the process of outlining; your craziest idea may turn out to be the next best seller.