AI Book Outline Generator

Generate professional book outlines with AI. Create chapter-by-chapter outlines for novels, memoirs, and non-fiction. Free templates for all genres and story structures.

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Outline Structure Templates

Choose from proven story structures used by bestselling authors. Click any template to customize it for your book.

Three-Act Structure

Three-Act StructureFictioneasy

Classic three-act structure for novels - setup, confrontation, resolution

ACT 1: SETUP (25%)
- Opening Image: Introduce protagonist in their ordinary world
- Inciting Incident: Event that disrupts the status quo
- First Plot Point: Decision that launches the main story

ACT 2: CONFRONTATION (50%)
- Rising Action: Protagonist pursues goal, faces obstacles
- Midpoint: Major revelation or setback that raises stakes
- Obstacles Intensify: Complications escalate
- Second Plo...
9.2/10Fiction, Thriller
Three-Act StructureNon-Fictioneasy

Three-act structure for non-fiction and self-help books

ACT 1: THE PROBLEM (25%)
- Hook: Engaging opening that illustrates the problem
- Problem Statement: Define what readers are struggling with
- Why It Matters: Show consequences of not solving it
- Promise: What readers will achieve

ACT 2: THE SOLUTION (50%)
- Core Framework: Your methodology or system
- Key Principles: 3-5 foundational concepts
- Step-by-Step Process: Detailed implementation
- Com...
8.9/10Non-Fiction, Self-Help
Three-Act StructureFictioneasy

Classic three-act structure for novels - setup, confrontation, resolution

ACT 1: SETUP (25%)
- Opening Image: Introduce protagonist in their ordinary world
- Inciting Incident: Event that disrupts the status quo
- First Plot Point: Decision that launches the main story

ACT 2: CONFRONTATION (50%)
- Rising Action: Protagonist pursues goal, faces obstacles
- Midpoint: Major revelation or setback that raises stakes
- Obstacles Intensify: Complications escalate
- Second Plo...
9.2/10Fiction, Thriller
Three-Act StructureNon-Fictioneasy

Three-act structure for non-fiction and self-help books

ACT 1: THE PROBLEM (25%)
- Hook: Engaging opening that illustrates the problem
- Problem Statement: Define what readers are struggling with
- Why It Matters: Show consequences of not solving it
- Promise: What readers will achieve

ACT 2: THE SOLUTION (50%)
- Core Framework: Your methodology or system
- Key Principles: 3-5 foundational concepts
- Step-by-Step Process: Detailed implementation
- Com...
8.9/10Non-Fiction, Self-Help

Hero's Journey

Hero's JourneyFantasymedium

Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey - perfect for fantasy and adventure

THE HERO'S JOURNEY (12 Stages)

1. ORDINARY WORLD: Hero in their normal life
2. CALL TO ADVENTURE: Challenge or quest presented
3. REFUSAL OF THE CALL: Hero hesitates or refuses
4. MEETING THE MENTOR: Guidance and gifts received
5. CROSSING THE THRESHOLD: Commit to the adventure
6. TESTS, ALLIES, ENEMIES: Navigate the new world
7. APPROACH TO THE INMOST CAVE: Prepare for major challenge
8. ORDEAL:...
9.5/10Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Hero's JourneyThrillermedium

Hero's Journey adapted for thrillers and mystery novels

THRILLER HERO'S JOURNEY ADAPTATION

ACT 1: THE SETUP
- Ordinary World: Protagonist's normal life
- Disturbance: Crime/mystery occurs
- Reluctance: Hero tries to avoid involvement
- Catalyst: Forced into the case

ACT 2: THE INVESTIGATION
- New World: Enter criminal underworld/investigation
- Gathering Clues: Tests and discoveries
- False Victory: Think they've solved it
- Revelation: Discover it's...
8.7/10Thriller, Mystery
Hero's JourneyFantasymedium

Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey - perfect for fantasy and adventure

THE HERO'S JOURNEY (12 Stages)

1. ORDINARY WORLD: Hero in their normal life
2. CALL TO ADVENTURE: Challenge or quest presented
3. REFUSAL OF THE CALL: Hero hesitates or refuses
4. MEETING THE MENTOR: Guidance and gifts received
5. CROSSING THE THRESHOLD: Commit to the adventure
6. TESTS, ALLIES, ENEMIES: Navigate the new world
7. APPROACH TO THE INMOST CAVE: Prepare for major challenge
8. ORDEAL:...
9.5/10Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Hero's JourneyThrillermedium

Hero's Journey adapted for thrillers and mystery novels

THRILLER HERO'S JOURNEY ADAPTATION

ACT 1: THE SETUP
- Ordinary World: Protagonist's normal life
- Disturbance: Crime/mystery occurs
- Reluctance: Hero tries to avoid involvement
- Catalyst: Forced into the case

ACT 2: THE INVESTIGATION
- New World: Enter criminal underworld/investigation
- Gathering Clues: Tests and discoveries
- False Victory: Think they've solved it
- Revelation: Discover it's...
8.7/10Thriller, Mystery

Save the Cat

Save the CatCommercial Fictionadvanced

Blake Snyder's Save the Cat structure - perfect for commercial fiction

SAVE THE CAT BEAT SHEET (15 Beats)

1. OPENING IMAGE (0-1%): Snapshot of protagonist before
2. THEME STATED (5%): Hint at the story's deeper meaning
3. SETUP (1-10%): Establish world, relationships, and stakes
4. CATALYST (10%): Inciting incident that changes everything
5. DEBATE (10-20%): Should they go? Doubt and hesitation
6. BREAK INTO TWO (20%): Decision to embark on journey
7. B STORY (22%):...
9.3/10Commercial Fiction, Romance
Save the CatGenre Fictionmedium

Save the Cat adapted for chapter-by-chapter planning

SAVE THE CAT FOR GENRE NOVELS

OPENING WORLD (Chapters 1-3)
- Opening Image: Show protagonist's world
- Setup: Establish ordinary life and flaw
- Theme: Plant the deeper question
- Catalyst: Inciting incident (by Chapter 3)

JOURNEY BEGINS (Chapters 4-7)
- Debate: Internal/external obstacles
- Break Into Two: Commit to the quest
- B Story: Secondary plot thread starts
- Promise of the Premise: Gen...
8.8/10All Fiction Genres
Save the CatCommercial Fictionadvanced

Blake Snyder's Save the Cat structure - perfect for commercial fiction

SAVE THE CAT BEAT SHEET (15 Beats)

1. OPENING IMAGE (0-1%): Snapshot of protagonist before
2. THEME STATED (5%): Hint at the story's deeper meaning
3. SETUP (1-10%): Establish world, relationships, and stakes
4. CATALYST (10%): Inciting incident that changes everything
5. DEBATE (10-20%): Should they go? Doubt and hesitation
6. BREAK INTO TWO (20%): Decision to embark on journey
7. B STORY (22%):...
9.3/10Commercial Fiction, Romance
Save the CatGenre Fictionmedium

Save the Cat adapted for chapter-by-chapter planning

SAVE THE CAT FOR GENRE NOVELS

OPENING WORLD (Chapters 1-3)
- Opening Image: Show protagonist's world
- Setup: Establish ordinary life and flaw
- Theme: Plant the deeper question
- Catalyst: Inciting incident (by Chapter 3)

JOURNEY BEGINS (Chapters 4-7)
- Debate: Internal/external obstacles
- Break Into Two: Commit to the quest
- B Story: Secondary plot thread starts
- Promise of the Premise: Gen...
8.8/10All Fiction Genres

See It In Action

Real examples of book descriptions and their generated outlines. Click to use any example as your starting point.

Thriller

Book Description:

A psychological thriller about a therapist who realizes one of her patients is a serial killer who's been manipulating their sessions to get away with murder. She has to figure out which patient it is before she becomes the next victim. The story explores themes of trust, manipulation, and the dark side of therapy.

Generated Outline:

Three-Act Structure: Act 1 - Therapist's normal practice, strange patterns emerge (Ch 1-7) / Act 2 - Investigates patients secretly, discovers evidence, killer realizes she knows (Ch 8-18) / Act 3 - Cat-and-mouse game, confrontation, uses therapy knowledge to survive (Ch 19-25)

Click to use this example
Fantasy

Book Description:

A fantasy novel where a young librarian discovers she can enter the worlds of the books she reads. She must journey through dangerous fictional realms to stop an ancient evil that's escaping from classic literature into the real world. Each book-world has different rules and challenges.

Generated Outline:

Hero's Journey: Ordinary World - Working in library / Call - First enters a book world / Mentor - Mysterious book guardian / Tests - Navigate different fictional worlds / Ordeal - Face the ancient evil in its own story / Return - Save both fictional and real worlds with power of stories

Click to use this example
Self-Help

Book Description:

A self-help book teaching people how to overcome procrastination and finally accomplish their goals. Based on neuroscience research and practical strategies. Includes case studies of people who transformed from chronic procrastinators to productive achievers.

Generated Outline:

Problem-Solution Structure: Introduction - The procrastination epidemic / Part 1 - Why we procrastinate (brain science) / Part 2 - The 5-step anti-procrastination system / Part 3 - Case studies and applications / Part 4 - Maintaining momentum / Conclusion - Your action plan

Click to use this example
Romance

Book Description:

A romance novel about two rival food truck owners who compete for the same territories and customers, constantly bickering. When they're both selected for a food truck competition show, they must work together. They slowly fall in love while trying to hide it from cameras.

Generated Outline:

Romance Beats: Meet-Cute - Antagonistic rivals fighting over spot / Connection - Forced to partner on show / Falling - Share food and secrets late at night / Break - Betrayal on camera for ratings / HEA - Real feelings revealed, choose love over competition

Click to use this example
Memoir

Book Description:

A memoir about growing up as the child of immigrants, feeling caught between two cultures. The story follows my journey from childhood confusion through teenage rebellion to adult acceptance. Explores identity, belonging, and what home really means.

Generated Outline:

Thematic Memoir: Opening - Moment of cultural clash / Before - Happy immigrant childhood / Crisis - Teenage identity crisis, rejecting heritage / Transformation - College, rediscovering roots / After - Embracing dual identity / Reflection - Home is both cultures

Click to use this example
Thriller

Book Description:

A psychological thriller about a therapist who realizes one of her patients is a serial killer who's been manipulating their sessions to get away with murder. She has to figure out which patient it is before she becomes the next victim. The story explores themes of trust, manipulation, and the dark side of therapy.

Generated Outline:

Three-Act Structure: Act 1 - Therapist's normal practice, strange patterns emerge (Ch 1-7) / Act 2 - Investigates patients secretly, discovers evidence, killer realizes she knows (Ch 8-18) / Act 3 - Cat-and-mouse game, confrontation, uses therapy knowledge to survive (Ch 19-25)

Click to use this example
Fantasy

Book Description:

A fantasy novel where a young librarian discovers she can enter the worlds of the books she reads. She must journey through dangerous fictional realms to stop an ancient evil that's escaping from classic literature into the real world. Each book-world has different rules and challenges.

Generated Outline:

Hero's Journey: Ordinary World - Working in library / Call - First enters a book world / Mentor - Mysterious book guardian / Tests - Navigate different fictional worlds / Ordeal - Face the ancient evil in its own story / Return - Save both fictional and real worlds with power of stories

Click to use this example
Self-Help

Book Description:

A self-help book teaching people how to overcome procrastination and finally accomplish their goals. Based on neuroscience research and practical strategies. Includes case studies of people who transformed from chronic procrastinators to productive achievers.

Generated Outline:

Problem-Solution Structure: Introduction - The procrastination epidemic / Part 1 - Why we procrastinate (brain science) / Part 2 - The 5-step anti-procrastination system / Part 3 - Case studies and applications / Part 4 - Maintaining momentum / Conclusion - Your action plan

Click to use this example
Romance

Book Description:

A romance novel about two rival food truck owners who compete for the same territories and customers, constantly bickering. When they're both selected for a food truck competition show, they must work together. They slowly fall in love while trying to hide it from cameras.

Generated Outline:

Romance Beats: Meet-Cute - Antagonistic rivals fighting over spot / Connection - Forced to partner on show / Falling - Share food and secrets late at night / Break - Betrayal on camera for ratings / HEA - Real feelings revealed, choose love over competition

Click to use this example
Memoir

Book Description:

A memoir about growing up as the child of immigrants, feeling caught between two cultures. The story follows my journey from childhood confusion through teenage rebellion to adult acceptance. Explores identity, belonging, and what home really means.

Generated Outline:

Thematic Memoir: Opening - Moment of cultural clash / Before - Happy immigrant childhood / Crisis - Teenage identity crisis, rejecting heritage / Transformation - College, rediscovering roots / After - Embracing dual identity / Reflection - Home is both cultures

Click to use this example
Middle Grade

Book Description:

A middle-grade adventure where four kids find a magical compass in their grandmother's attic that points to lost things. When their town's historical museum is robbed, they use the compass to track down the stolen artifacts, uncovering a mystery about their town's founding.

Generated Outline:

20-Chapter MG: Setup (1-5) - Find compass, learn how it works / Adventure (6-10) - Follow clues, make discoveries / Midpoint (11-15) - Uncover conspiracy, danger increases / Crisis (16-18) - Captured, compass stolen / Triumph (19-20) - Escape, recover artifacts, save town history

Click to use this example
Sci-Fi

Book Description:

A sci-fi novel set in 2157 where people can upload their consciousness to the cloud, essentially living forever digitally. A detective investigates murders in the digital world - how do you kill someone who's already died? Themes of identity, mortality, and what makes us human.

Generated Outline:

Seven-Point Structure: Hook - Detective is old-school, skeptical of uploading / Turn 1 - First digital murder / Pinch 1 - More deaths, pattern emerges / Midpoint - Goes digital to investigate / Pinch 2 - Virus threatens all uploaded minds / Turn 2 - Discovers killer is AI / Resolution - Question what consciousness really is

Click to use this example
Business

Book Description:

A business book about transforming company culture in the remote work era. Covers building connection, maintaining productivity, preventing burnout, and creating a thriving distributed team. Includes frameworks from successful fully-remote companies.

Generated Outline:

Business Framework: Problem - Remote culture crisis / Diagnosis - Why traditional office culture doesn't translate / The 4 Pillars - Connection, Autonomy, Purpose, Wellness / Implementation - 30/60/90 day plan with tools / Advanced - Scaling globally / Action - Building your remote culture

Click to use this example
Historical Fiction

Book Description:

A historical fiction novel set during the 1920s about a young woman who disguises herself as a man to attend medical school. She becomes entangled in a mystery involving a series of suspicious deaths at the hospital where she interns, while trying to keep her identity secret.

Generated Outline:

Dual Conflict Structure: External Plot - Investigate hospital deaths, uncover corruption (20 chapters) / Internal Plot - Hide identity, question if worth it, choose to reveal self / Intertwined - Her perspective as woman helps solve case / Climax - Identity revealed during confrontation / Resolution - First woman graduate, changed medicine

Click to use this example
Children's

Book Description:

A picture book about a small cloud who can't make rain like the big clouds. Feeling useless, the little cloud discovers she can make rainbows instead. Story about finding your own special talent and not comparing yourself to others.

Generated Outline:

32-Page Structure: Opening (1-4) - Little cloud, can't make rain / Problem (5-8) - Tries to be like big clouds / Attempts (9-20) - Fails at making rain, tries different ways, gets smaller / Climax (21-28) - Sun comes out, little cloud makes rainbow / Resolution (29-32) - Everyone loves rainbows, finds purpose

Click to use this example
Middle Grade

Book Description:

A middle-grade adventure where four kids find a magical compass in their grandmother's attic that points to lost things. When their town's historical museum is robbed, they use the compass to track down the stolen artifacts, uncovering a mystery about their town's founding.

Generated Outline:

20-Chapter MG: Setup (1-5) - Find compass, learn how it works / Adventure (6-10) - Follow clues, make discoveries / Midpoint (11-15) - Uncover conspiracy, danger increases / Crisis (16-18) - Captured, compass stolen / Triumph (19-20) - Escape, recover artifacts, save town history

Click to use this example
Sci-Fi

Book Description:

A sci-fi novel set in 2157 where people can upload their consciousness to the cloud, essentially living forever digitally. A detective investigates murders in the digital world - how do you kill someone who's already died? Themes of identity, mortality, and what makes us human.

Generated Outline:

Seven-Point Structure: Hook - Detective is old-school, skeptical of uploading / Turn 1 - First digital murder / Pinch 1 - More deaths, pattern emerges / Midpoint - Goes digital to investigate / Pinch 2 - Virus threatens all uploaded minds / Turn 2 - Discovers killer is AI / Resolution - Question what consciousness really is

Click to use this example
Business

Book Description:

A business book about transforming company culture in the remote work era. Covers building connection, maintaining productivity, preventing burnout, and creating a thriving distributed team. Includes frameworks from successful fully-remote companies.

Generated Outline:

Business Framework: Problem - Remote culture crisis / Diagnosis - Why traditional office culture doesn't translate / The 4 Pillars - Connection, Autonomy, Purpose, Wellness / Implementation - 30/60/90 day plan with tools / Advanced - Scaling globally / Action - Building your remote culture

Click to use this example
Historical Fiction

Book Description:

A historical fiction novel set during the 1920s about a young woman who disguises herself as a man to attend medical school. She becomes entangled in a mystery involving a series of suspicious deaths at the hospital where she interns, while trying to keep her identity secret.

Generated Outline:

Dual Conflict Structure: External Plot - Investigate hospital deaths, uncover corruption (20 chapters) / Internal Plot - Hide identity, question if worth it, choose to reveal self / Intertwined - Her perspective as woman helps solve case / Climax - Identity revealed during confrontation / Resolution - First woman graduate, changed medicine

Click to use this example
Children's

Book Description:

A picture book about a small cloud who can't make rain like the big clouds. Feeling useless, the little cloud discovers she can make rainbows instead. Story about finding your own special talent and not comparing yourself to others.

Generated Outline:

32-Page Structure: Opening (1-4) - Little cloud, can't make rain / Problem (5-8) - Tries to be like big clouds / Attempts (9-20) - Fails at making rain, tries different ways, gets smaller / Climax (21-28) - Sun comes out, little cloud makes rainbow / Resolution (29-32) - Everyone loves rainbows, finds purpose

Click to use this example

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know