Losing the plot: Fascinating collection of notes, diagrams and tables show how famous authors including J.K. Rowling and Sylvia Plath battled to plan out their novels beforehand




Gathering your thoughts when writing a novel can be a tricky process. Which is why many of the greats made sure they planned their plots beforehand.

A mini-collection of notes penned by writers including James Salter and J.K. Rowling have surfaced. From tables to scrawls to diagrams they are a fascinating look at how authors were inspired to write their classic prose.



Ideas: The outline for Light Years - a 1975 novel by James Salter, the American writer who was once a pilot in the United States Air Force JK Rowling (pictured left) and James Salter (pictured right) liked to jot their ideas down before writing their novels



Detailed: This table gives a fascinating insight into how JK Rowling planned out the plot lines of the Harry Potter books which kept readers guessing for years Sylvia Plath (left) was an American poet, novelist and short story writer while Joseph Heller was an American satirical novelist, short story writer and playwright who wrote Catch-22



Methodical: Sylvia Plath's outline for her famous novel The Bell Jar which many consider chronicles her own descent into mental breakdown

Thinking ahead: Part of Jennifer Egan's plan for her short story 'Black Box' - a science fiction tale which was serialised from The New Yorker's Twitter account

Innovator: The late writer Norman Mailer's character timeline for 'Harlot's Ghost' - a fictional chronicle of the C.I.A. which was published in 1991



Literary great: The detailed thought process of Gay Talese is revealed her as he sketches out his ideas for 'Frank Sinatra Has a Cold' his profile of the singer which was published in Esquire in 1966

Plans: A manuscript of Henry Miller's outline of 'Tropic of Capricorn' - the semi-autobiographical novel which describes his time living in New York City in the 1920s

Novel: William Faulkner wrote the outline for his Pulitzer prize-winning story 'A Fable' on his office wall

Detailed: Writer Joseph Heller's outline for 'Catch-22' - the anti-war novel which went on to become one of the best-known books, and phrases, of all time



