Here’s an example of the setup and payoff color coding: Did you even realize there was so much help available for those seeking to learn how to write a novel? There, you can select a template from the dropdown menu and begin writing within the software. As should be very clear by now, there are a number of methods and techniques floating around. PRO-TIP: Want to find out which famous author you write like? Be sure to preserve your narrative arc as you go to give your story purpose and direction. In fact, it’s just like this universal unlocking device for pretty much any structural challenge in fiction. Learn from your readers and your peers. From Martha Alderson’s The Plot Whisperer, she uses beats and terminology that play to the plot or story arc. The One Page Novel Scrivener Template (ZIP) To use the template unzip it, then go to ‘File > New’. That’s why using a romance beat sheet is so popular. In George R. R. Martin’s own words: “Gardeners dig a hole, drop in a seed, and water it. Or do you prefer a beat sheet which will zero in on the finer points of your novel? 29 Plot Points introduces the idea of how to structure your novel with plot templates. (Name the character through whose eyes the reader will see the scene.) I did find a last-minute bonus screenplay template though. For that reason, templates can help them get started. Who is the viewpoint character/s? This one is provided courtesy of Eva Deverell. Beginner writers tend to write essays when they first start writing novels. Print out a separate worksheet for each scene in your novel. And start to use an outline or template. He provides an Idea Creation section that has even more templates based on some of his favorite methods and formats, like the Snowflake Method or Truby’s Anatomy of Story. If you’re like me you have a huge TBR file, and you just move on to the next book. And while most of these templates are for Scrivener, with some searching there are a lot more formats available. If you need some inspiration, here's one simple way to kickstart your story structure. Some simply prefer to write from an outline. Book outlines have saved the neck of many a bestselling writer — but the process behind them is mysterious at best. You probably know this outline without even being aware of it. If you also do any marketing for your book—and if you aren’t, you should be—there’s even a folder for promotional material. Save the Cat Beat Sheet:. Are you a Gardener or an Architect? Your novel outline isn't a chain or a set of shackles: it’s a map that will guide you to the end of your writing journey, and help you go faster along the way. Courtesy of Tony McFadden, we have this Scrivener novel outline. Your mind map of your book disappear, and you feel the need to start fresh. Good to know, huh?) I talk more about how to use the Save the Cat spreadsheet for revisions here. When you’re finished, you’ll have your entire plot … It’s a fairly basic outline, but it has everything you need. Regardless of format, this outline is based on Gwen’s book of the same name. Either way works from this point on — getting the outline out of your head is what matters at the end of the day! Examples of beat sheets are here and here. Don’t overthink it or go too deep into the meat of the scenes just yet — jotting down quick notes will do. Where does the scene happen? If you’re a beginner, this might be the one for you. When you have an idea of the novel outline that you want to produce, it's time to arm yourself with the right tools to execute it. We also discuss some book outline templates I haven’t mentioned here in another post. This template provides you with some initial folders meant to help in the prep stage. Story premise worksheet. Nonfiction You don’t know what should come next. 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