People tend to think that writing just flows organically, but most author's spend a lot of time mapping out their plot and characters. Thanks to Flavorwire we get to take a peak at some famous novel outlines. If you're at all a fan of Catch 22, it's pretty stunning to see the precise structure underlying the seemingly chaotic narrative.
James Salter’s outline for Light Years.
Joseph Heller’s chart outline for Catch-22.
J.K. Rowling’s spreadsheet plan for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Part of Jennifer Egan’s plan for her short story “Black Box.”