Join us on Discord for weekly sprints! We also check in regularly so it’s a great place to ask questions. There’s always someone around to help!
Resources
You’ll need to make copies of all the documents and save them to your Google Drive or computer. They are in view-only so they stay blank for everyone!
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.
I keep this right next to me when editing. So helpful to keep characters from winking or smirking all the time!
A bit of a tough love book about achieving your goals (you know, like writing a book). Includes steps to overcome your personal obstacles.
Meet Hannah!
Hannah is a passionate writer and mentor, and she has led multiple writing groups and book clubs, and participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) for over a decade. Hannah has written three novels and a dozen short stories, and she loves helping others discover the joy and power of storytelling. As a proud Fort Wayne native, Hannah loves exploring her hometown with her husband and two daughters, whether they’re browsing books at the library, enjoying a day at the park, or just sitting at home watching a movie!
Interested in reading some of Hannah’s creative writing?
Check out her horror short story, General:
Meet Elizabeth!
Writing under the pen name Sophia Nye, Elizabeth is the author of seventeen romance novels spanning three genres: contemporary, fantasy, and historical. No matter the genre, she writes spicy books with feisty heroines, heart-of-gold heroes, and happily-ever-afters.
After marrying her high school sweetheart, getting her masters degree in medieval history, and moving nearly ten times in as many years, Elizabeth and her husband settled into a lake house in northern Indiana. When she isn’t working on her next novel, you can find her in the garden and covered in dirt. They live happily in the middle of nowhere with two little boys, one fluffy little dog, and one ornery cat.
You can find all her books here: https://sophianyewrites.com/books/
