This is, in my humble opinion, the end-all, be-all of plotting books. I re-read it every time I’m stuck, and it doesn’t take long before I realize EXACTLY what needs to happen to fix it.
This is the best book on plotting romance arcs. It doesn’t matter if it’s a very small side plot or the main arc of your book, you will benefit from reading this. The beats could also be adapted for a friendship/buddy cop type of plot.
An excellent read, very helpful. I still use it for her recommendations on pacing side plots.
I like that this book addresses how intertwined characters and plot are, and it is basically a master class in plotting.
When my usual set of books isn’t helping my plot click, I return to this one. It’s a delightful, fresh look at plotting and sometimes that’s just what you need. Also, it may work for you better than some of the other methods listed above!
A helpful book, readable in one sitting. She and I have very similar outlining styles, and this book is where I found the term Spark Sheet, which is so much more fun than the generic ‘Brainstorm.’ If you are interested in maximizing your word count, she has some helpful tips.
An oldie but a goodie. This was the first book I read on story structure.
This podcast has been an invaluable resource for me, especially just starting out.
The title speaks for itself, and the book does exactly what it advertises.
This is a phenomenal resource for villain creation.
An oldie but a goodie. This was the first book I read on story structure.
A bit of a tough love book about achieving your goals (you know, like writing a book). Includes steps to overcome your personal obstacles.
