Outline
An outline you can write a whole book from
The Outline step turns your plan into chapter cards, each with a summary, beats, an ending hook, a location, the characters on the page and a target length. The first AI outline on your account is free.
What's on a chapter card
Each card holds what the chapter needs to do, in enough detail to write from and little enough to change quickly.Title and summary
What happens: who wants what, what goes wrong and what changes. For non-fiction, what the reader learns and why it matters.
Beats in order
The steps of the chapter, one per line. For non-fiction, the sections or key points.
Ending hook
How the chapter ends to pull the reader on, or for non-fiction, what it leads into.
Location
The main setting, so scenes stay grounded and geography stays consistent.
Characters
Who appears in the chapter, linked to the profiles you built in the Characters step.
Target words
A length for each chapter, so pacing is planned rather than left to chance.
Before and after the outline
The outline comes after the plan and before the prose, and it draws on everything decided earlier.Settle the basics and characters
Title, genres, chapter count, style and characters come first. The outline is built from all of them.
Pick a structure
Choose Three-Act, Hero's Journey, Save the Cat, Seven-Point, Freytag's Pyramid or Kishōtenketsu, or let AI choose what fits your story.
Generate it or write it yourself
Generate the outline with AI, or create empty cards and fill them in by hand. Manual outlines are always free.
Rework the cards
Edit any card, reorder chapters, delete what you don't need, or regenerate with a note about what should change.
AI outline or manual outline
Both produce the same kind of cards, and you can mix them: generate an outline, then rewrite any card by hand.| AI outline | Manual outline | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | First one on your account free, then 3 credits per chapter | Free |
| Starting point | Cards filled in from your plan | Empty cards you fill in |
| Plot structure | Pick one or let AI choose | Any structure you like |
| Editing | Every card editable | Every card editable |
| Written chapters | Kept when you regenerate | Kept as they are |
Rethink the plan without losing chapters
Outlines change once writing starts. A subplot turns out to be the real story, or a midpoint lands too early. You should be able to rethink the plan without worrying about the chapters you've already written.
In AIBookWriter, regenerating the outline keeps the text of every chapter you've written. Add a note about what should change, for example “move the betrayal earlier” or “give the middle chapters their own turns”, and the new outline is built from the current one rather than from nothing. Chapters that already have text are kept and placed at the end of the list, so you can move them to where they belong.
Editing a single card works the same way. Change the plan of a chapter that's already written, and that chapter is flagged so you can decide whether it needs rewriting. Nothing is rewritten on its own.
The first AI outline on your account is free, however many chapters it has. After that, outlines cost 3 credits per chapter, so a 20-chapter outline costs 60 credits. Writing the outline by hand is free on every plan. Manual cards start honestly empty, with no placeholder text that could slip into a chapter by mistake.
Outlines for different kinds of books
A novel with a twist
Use the beats to plant setups early, and try the free plot twist generator for twists that fit what you've planned.
A non-fiction book
Cards describe what the reader learns in each chapter and how it leads into the next, so the argument builds in order.
A series installment
On Pro, add up to five earlier books as context, so the outline for book two remembers book one.
A manuscript you brought in
Import a .docx, then add cards for the chapters you still have to write.
Free planning tools
Book Outline Generator
A chapter-by-chapter outline on the structure you choose
2 free runs an hour
Plot Twist Generator
Twists that fit your plot, with the setups they need
2 free runs an hour
Book Series Planner
Book-by-book arcs and the conflict that spans them
2 free runs an hour
Book Idea Generator
Book concepts with a reader, a hook and a difference
2 free runs an hour
Scene Builder
A full scene from a summary, in your point of view
2 free runs an hour
Character Creator
Full character profiles with motive, flaw and arc
2 free runs an hour
Frequently asked questions
How much does an outline cost?
The first AI outline on your account is free, however many chapters it has. After that, AI outlines cost 3 credits per chapter, so a 20-chapter outline is 60 credits. The price is shown on the button before you generate. Writing an outline by hand is free on every plan.
Which plot structures can I use?
Three-Act, Hero's Journey, Save the Cat, Seven-Point, Freytag's Pyramid and Kishōtenketsu. You can also let AI choose what fits your story, or skip named structures and shape the cards yourself. The structure guides the outline; it doesn't lock you in. If the first result doesn't suit the story, pick another structure and regenerate; written chapters keep their text.
What happens to written chapters if I regenerate the outline?
Their text is kept. The new outline is generated with your current one as its starting point, chapters that already have text are kept and placed at the end of the list, and you can move them where they belong. Regenerating never deletes chapter text you've written.
Can I edit cards after the outline is generated?
Every field on every card can be edited: title, summary, beats, hook, location, characters and target words. You can also reorder and delete chapters. If you change the plan of a chapter that's already written, it's flagged so you can decide whether it needs rewriting.
Does the outline work for non-fiction?
Yes. Non-fiction cards describe what the reader learns, the sections or key points in order, and what each chapter leads into. Non-fiction books also choose a whole-book structure and a chapter template in their own planning step before the outline is built. Chapters written from those cards can cite your reference files as [S1], [S2].
How is this different from the free outline generator?
The free outline generator makes a chapter-by-chapter outline from an idea, with no account needed for your first runs. The Outline step inside a book knows your characters, style and story details, produces editable cards linked to your cast, and feeds straight into chapter writing.
Plan your book before you write it
Set up your book, build the cast, and generate the first outline on your account free.