Novel Writing Process

Decide Story 3 Get The Basics 5 Set A Firm Foundation 9 Put Up The Structure 14 Preview 16 Write The Book 18 Edit Your draft 20

Decide Story
Pre-plot ideas Research background

Pre-Plot Ideas
What's is the story about? How do you want the characters to develop? What kind of story you want to tell? (ex. An adventure story, with rebellion & love)

Research List
From decide a story to full in the structure create a list of things to investigate and add the link under it. Pre Basics

Fill in

Get The Basics

Characters Plot Setting

Character Sketch
Character Type: Connection to Lead: Story Goal: Race : Gender: Age: Appearance: Height: Body Type: Hair Color: Eye Color: Habits/Mannerisms: Distinctive Speech Pattern: Personality: Background: Personal Life: Private Life: Work/School Life: Strengths: Weaknesses:

Internal Conflicts: External Conflicts: Character Name Belong To: Notes:

Plot Sketch
1. The End 2. The Beginning 3. Major Twists (Don't worry about the linkage or order yet) Is it a stand alone novel our series?

Setting Sketch
Location(s)
Name of setting Characters living in region time period Year or Time period Season City & County

Basic Political Culture Level of technology Who have power in this world Relation to rest of world Current state (& how it got there) Magical system (if its one) Miscellaneous notes

Any notes or details that would make the general setting clearer in your mind and the readers.
o

Ex. Setting undergoing a heatwave, a drought, myths, what it is known for, locals hanging spot, tourist hanging spot, etc. Also how the location & time affects the characters

Character(s)
Character names Character's home surroundings Character's workplace surroundings Character's school surrounding (if one) Miscellaneous notes

Feelings of their whole surroundings

Set A Firm Foundation

Timeline Fill in plot

Timeline Sketch
What happen when, who's together when it happens, where's everyone is when it happens, when important events occurs (show who knows what)

In story, plus before & after Also what the characters do at those times

Fill In Plot
(break down into chunks)

Go to beginning Ask "what happens next?" Write it down Repeat (once it's down) until finished

The Order To Fill In

Should Already Be Done Protagonist Antagonist Setting MAKE SURE you CONSULT with your TIMELINE

To Do Now 1. Resolution (climax where everything lead up to) 2. Hook (gets readers attention and build backdrop) 3. Mid Point (where the character move from reaction to action, the realization point) 4. Plot Turn 1 (Introduction to conflict, where their world change) 5. Plot Turn 2 (where the character obtain the final thing he/she must do in resolution, "the power in you") 6. Pinch 1 (something goes horribly wrong and forces the character into action, villian arrive or danger arrive)

7. Pinch 2 (where you add more pressure until the situation seems hopeless for your characters, hopeless point) 8. Try/Fail Cyle (where the protagonist try and fails to make the win at the end a hard win, have at least 2) 9. Ice Monster Prologue (like a prologue, but don't have to be, story builder) simple arc: growth complex arc: shift
Action/Plot Hook Plot Turn 1 Pinch 1 Midpoint Pinch 2 Plot Turn 2 Resolution Character/Arc Romance/Friendship Betrayal/Trust

Try/Fail Cycles

e.x Plot
Action/Plot Character Arc Romance/Friendship Neo is alone Neo meets Trinity Betrayal/Trust Cypher is their friend Cypher makes a deal with the agents Neo is a shlumpy Neo is a shlumpy underachiever underachiever Neo learns about Morpheus tells Neo the Matrix he's the One Agents kidnap Neo Neo escapes the Matrix Morpheus is captured Neo is the wimpy new guy; can't do anything

Trinity isn't interested in Neo Cypher discovers an unauthorized trip into the Matrix

Neo meets the Oracle Neo falls in love with Trinity Cypher tells the Agents where they are Oracle tells Neo he's not the One Trinity won't open up, Neo thinks she loves someone else Neo spots the trap, they try to escape

Neo becomes the Neo realizes the One power is in him Neo defeats the Agents

Neo risks his life to save Trinity and Morpheus

Cypher attacks in the real world

Neo becomes the One Trinity falls in love with Neo Cypher betrays Morpheus and kills the crew Neo Realize the power is in him

Try/Fail Cycles
neo becomes the one neo defeats the agents neo becomes the one trinity falls in love with neo

Fill In Plot

Action Character Romance Betrayal

Ice Monster! Neo is a shlumpy underachiever Neo learns about the Matrix Agents kidnap Neo Neo escapes the Matrix Neo is a shlumpy underachiever Neo is alone

Neo meets Trinity

Morpheus tells Neo hes the One Neo is the wimpy Trinity isnt new guy; cant do interested in Neo anything Neo falls in love with Trinity

Cypher is their friend

Cypher makes a deal with the agents Crew discovers an unauthorized trip into the Matrix

Neo meets the Oracle Oracle tells Neo hes not the One Trinity wont open up, Neo thinks she loves someone else

Cypher tells the Agents where they are

Morpheus is captured Neo risks his life to save Trinity and Morpheus

Neo spots the trap, they try to escape Cypher attacks in the real world Cypher betrays Morpheus and kills the crew

Try/Fail Cycles!
Neo realizes the power is in him Neo becomes Neo becomes the the One One Neo defeats the Agents The End The End

Trinity falls in love with Neo

The End

The End

Put Up The Structure

Check research list Scene List

Research List
From decide a story to full in the structure create a list of things to investigate and add the link under it.

Pre Scene List

Fill in

Scene List Sketch

Take plot & break it into scenes & chapters (roughly 3 scenes per chapter) What happen in book (broken by chapters) DON'T MOVE TO THE NEXT STEP UNTIL, you feel the book is clear (the book's voice)

MAKE SURE you CONSULT with your TIMELINE

Ch #

Sc #

Time

Location

POV

Characters Present

Summary

Preview
Research what needs to be research Preview (update plot if needed)

Research List
From decide a story to full in the structure create a list of things to investigate and add the link under it.

Preview

Full in

Preview Your Info

Review your Scene List to make sure that it aligns with the Basics and you're reading to write your story. Check for things like:

Character-Plot Congruencies Character-Setting Congruencies Character-Timeline Congruencies Plot-Setting Congruencies Timeline-Scene Congruencies

Write The Book

Write the book chapter in sessions. Every time you begin a chapter write a "5 minute description". Also use the "writing progress chart" for each session to record growth. When done with book, start the edit process.

Five Minute Description

MAKE SURE THIS DESCRIPTION EXCITES YOU Ex.

James kiss Courtney Courtney rejects & hugs him James drops while she is in his arm to not get hit

Or

James kiss Courtney Courtney rejects it & hug him Someone affects them & James drops with Courtney in his arms

Writing Progress Chart

Date 7-10-2013 7-10-2013 Time Written 1am - 4am (3) 5pm - 6pm (1) Word Count 2000 1000 (3000) Word Per Hour 666.66 1000 Location bedroom living room Devices Used personal laptop home desktop

ex. end of the day

Plot started: 7-10-2013 Plot finished: 0-0-2013 Novel started: 0-0-2013 Novel finished: 0-0-2013

Edit Your Draft

Use your tool

Scene List Timeline Sketch To Do List

and then follow the Action Steps

Scene List Sketch

Take plot & break it into scenes & chapters (roughly 3 scenes per chapter) What happen in book (broken by chapters) DON'T MOVE TO THE NEXT STEP UNTIL, you feel the book is clear (the book's voice)

MAKE SURE you CONSULT with your TIMELINE

e.x Plot

Action Character Romance Betrayal

Ice Monster! Neo is a shlumpy underachiever Neo learns about the Matrix Agents kidnap Neo Neo escapes the Matrix Neo is a shlumpy underachiever Neo is alone

Neo meets Trinity

Morpheus tells Neo hes the One Neo is the wimpy Trinity isnt new guy; cant do interested in Neo anything Neo falls in love with Trinity

Cypher is their friend

Cypher makes a deal with the agents Crew discovers

Neo meets the Oracle Oracle tells Neo hes not the One Trinity wont open up, Neo thinks she loves someone else

an unauthorized trip into the Matrix Cypher tells the Agents where they are

Morpheus is captured Neo risks his life to save Trinity and Morpheus

Neo spots the trap, they try to escape Cypher attacks in the real world Cypher betrays Morpheus and kills the crew

Try/Fail Cycles!
Neo realizes the power is in him Neo becomes Neo becomes the the One One Neo defeats the Agents The End The End

Trinity falls in love with Neo

The End

The End

Scene List
Ch # Sc # Time Location POV Characters Present Summary

Timeline Sketch
What happen when, who's together when it happens, where's everyone is when it happens, when important events occurs (show who knows what)

In story, plus before & after Also what the characters do at those times

To Do List
Every problem you find, put in the list, then mark then by LARGEST TO SMALLEST (complication)

Editing Action Steps

The day after start

Make tool (usually take a day) To do list o Handle the biggest problem 1St, then smallest (not 1St page to last) o If you find new problems add them to the "to do list" o Use your scene list as an anchor

When you get to the nit picky pervasive problems Ex. misspelled names, mismatched eyes color

Read through o Page 1 is where to start reading Clean as you go (small problems) Put big problems in the to do list Consistency issues Things missed in the big edit Reader experience

Go through "to do list"after you done reading

Read your book as a reader

Keep a notebook for notes, but no edits WHILE READING JUST READ (throw into your e-reader IF NO RED FLAGS, send it to next stages (beta reader, agent or editor)

Re-edit

When it come back from the beta reader/agent/editor go through process again
o

Update scene map list & novel timeline (if needed) Make a "to do list" (organize problems, etc...)

Usually 3 rounds of editing before official production 1. 1. 2. 3. 4. Initial edits Beta reader (optional) Agent notes (if you do traditional) Editor notes