How to Write a Book in 10 Steps
- marcelleiten
- Mar 28, 2023
- 30 min read
Updated: May 20, 2023
When I first set out on the quest of writing a book, I went looking for a how-to guide that would provide me with the golden formula. Trust me when I say, I scoured the internet for it. All I wanted was a step-by-step guide complete with bullet points, fancy (but easy to understand) charts, and an even easier to follow writing schedule. Is that really too much to ask?
Apparently, yes.
What I found instead was a bunch of vague articles on writing, ranging from helpful but incomplete to entirely incomprehensible. While some definitely provided valuable tips on craft and mindset, none were exactly what my type-A brain was craving. Therefore, I decided to create it myself.
This is it.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: What all the other 'Writing 101' articles got right is that writing a book is no easy task. It requires the development of a consistent writing practice, openness to feedback and learning, and A LOT of patience - because, let's be honest, a good amount of the work you will produce is going to be absolute trash. That's the point! No one is born knowing how to write perfect prose, but, with enough effort and dedication, you can get pretty good.
The following steps are what worked for me. What works for you might be different, so feel free to switch up the order of steps or skip ahead to the ones you find relevant. Make it yours!
Step #1 - Coming up With a Story Idea
I've said this before and I'll say it again - stories are everywhere. Coming up with the story idea is the simplest and least time consuming part of the process. If someone tries to sell you their idea, or have you write it and split the profits, say "thanks, but no thanks."
Every story idea has the following three elements:
Plot - The actions & events of the story
Characters - The people who perform the actions and experience the events
Setting - The place & time wherein the actions and events take place
These will provide the bones for your story. You can begin with a very simple description of these elements and flesh it out later on. Below are two example story ideas from popular YA books.
Example 1: Percy Jackson, a troubled twelve year old boy, finds out he is a demigod and must attend a special summer camp for kids like him. At camp Half-blood, he meets other demigods and is assigned a quest that takes him across the United States to retrieve Zeus's lightning bolt, which has been mysteriously stolen.
Example 2: When her little sister is chosen for the Hunger games, Katniss Everdeen must volunteer to attend the death games herself. In the capitol, twenty four tributes must fight for their lives while the whole country watches.
Now, as for how to begin developing a story - you can begin with any of the three elements.
Beginning with characters means you first figure out what type of person/creature you would like to write about.
Example: You want to write a story about a group of misfits with magic powers OR about a blood-thirsty butcher's gentle daughter OR a traitorous knight with a penchant for taking things that aren't his.
Beginning with setting means you first figure out the type of place you would like to write about.
Example: You want to write about a world where pirates roam the seas between kingdoms OR about a realm where magic is tied to people's voices OR a vast desert where assassins train for special assignments.
Beginning with plot means you first figure out the main conflict of the story you'd like to write about.
Example: You want to write about a devastating war OR about the fall of a great empire OR the creation of a blood pact between two opposing tribes.
Take five minutes to brainstorm ideas. Write every single one down without judgement, no matter how ridiculous you think it is. When the time is up, read them again.
Is any of them calling to you? Do any sound exciting to write about? If yes, move on to step 2. If no, keep brainstorming.
Sometimes it takes more than a few tries to get it just right. However, you don't need a perfect story idea. In fact, I would argue you don't even need an original story idea. If there is a book or movie you really enjoy, you can use it as inspiration (e.g. If you love The Hunger Games, you can decide to write a dystopian story with a strong female main character about a government that abuses it's people).
Before you call it "plagiarism," think about how many books fit that description... That's right, thousands. Everything is like everything else. Suzanne Collins didn't invent corrupt governments, just the same as Stephanie Meyer didn't come up with the concept of Vampires. If you are determined on writing something entirely original, you are going to drive yourself mad.
What will make your story original is its unique combination of characters, settings, and plot, as well as how they interact with one another.
Step #2 - Developing Your Story Idea
Once you find a story idea that you are excited about, it's time to go deeper. This is the part where you do the heavy world-building and character work. You can start with whichever you're most excited about, to help keep your momentum going.
Developing Your Characters
I like to start by creating an excel document titled 'Characters,' where I input the following table and fill it out with what I already know.
Character Name | Importance | Role | Notes |
Character 1 | Main | Protagonist | Hero-type but not obnoxious |
Character 2 | Main | Antagonist | Tragic backstory - want readers to empathize with them. |
Charcater 3 | Main | Protagonist's Love interest | Secretly a traitor |
Character 4 | Side | Protagonist's Parent | Dies in the first half |
I note down whether they are main characters or side characters, what their role is in the story, and any additional notes I have about them that might be useful to my future self (as exemplified above).
The next step is to create character profiles for each of your characters. You might be able to get away with making these just for your main characters, but I suggest making them for all of them. I use the template from Scrivener (writing app - we'll get to it), which contains the following prompts:
Name
Age
Location - I usually fill this in after I've done some major world-building
Role in Story
Goal
Physical Description
Personality
Occupation
Habits/Mannerisms
Background
Internal Conflicts
External Conflicts
Notes
Basically, all you have to do is answer each prompt. You could write anywhere from a single word to multiple pages for each, it's up to you, and remember, you can always come back to it after doing some world-building.
Now, we move on to world-building.
Note: You could easily start with world-building and do character work afterwards, or even begin with plotting and iterate once you have developed your story enough. The order of things doesn't matter as much as making sure you put in the work and think through all of these items carefully. So, if starting with one isn't working, switch it up and try starting with another.
World-Building
This is the part a lot of people get stuck at because they don't know where to start, or worse, they don't know when to stop. The thing about world-building is that it'll suck you in. It's like a snowball effect, the beginning is hard, but there comes a point when continuing is simply easier that stopping. That's what you need to look out for, because even helpful things can become destructive when they morph into procrastination.
So, where to begin?
There's so many things to think about, when it comes to creating an entirely new world, or even re-shaping the one we already know into something that works for your story. Therefore, I suggest using a template (I'm all about making things easier for myself. Work smarter, not harder and all that...).
You can simply look up "World-building questions," and answer the ones you find useful. Although, if this is your first time writing a book, you might not know exactly which ones will be useful. If that's the case, here's the resource I used:
This resource lists questions to help you think through the different aspects of your fantasy/sci-fi/dystopian world. The questions are separated into the following categories:
General
Landscape
Environment
People
Technology
Economy
Politics
Legal System
Culture
Military
Education
Health
Entertainment
Food & Drink
Once you have answered all questions (or enough that you feel comfortable with your world), it is time to create a map. You could also do this before answering the questions. Again, the order of things doesn't matter much, just do what feels right.
I like using Inkarnate for fantasy maps - https://inkarnate.com/ and @writerkatek on TikTok has amazing, easy-to-follow videos on how to use it.
Another option is drawing the map yourself (I didn't because I can't draw, but if you can, that's awesome!). All you need is a basic sketch. Remember, this is only for you, to help you write your story. If you want to include a map in your book, that would be designed and drawn AFTER you finish the book, preferably by a professional.
Once you finish making your map, you can go back into your character profiles and fill in the name of the city/country/state/district/region that each character is from.
Iteration is key.
You want to be going back and forth updating world-building info and character info whenever something new comes up.
The last step I engaged in for world-building was creating 'place' profiles for each of the major cities/regions in my world. I used the scrivener Template, which had the following prompts:
Name of Setting
Location in Map
Role in Story
Related Characters
Season
Unique Features
Description
Sights
Sounds
Smell
Notes
You only need to fill these in for the cities/regions that will be a part of your story and you can always come back and fill in more details if you find that one city or region is suddenly becoming important later on.
Note: When I said you should be careful of getting sucked in, I meant it! World-building should help you make sense of your setting and prepare to write your story. If you find yourself falling into the trap of trying to figure out ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING about your world before you start writing, STOP.
This is all just prep work, the real work of writing is yet to begin. It's okay if you don't feel 100% ready before you start, most of us don't. You shouldn't put off writing the story until you're "done" world-building, because world-building NEVER ENDS. If you've done everything I've mentioned, trust me, you're ready.
It's time to move on...
Step #3 - Plotting
This is the part where you figure out what is actually going to happen in your story. Some authors prefer to start by brainstorming a bunch of scene ideas and potential plot lines and later figuring out which ones work and how to fit them into a coherent narrative. If that's what you feel more comfortable with, awesome! That's a great first step. Once you have a solid set of potential scenes and a pretty good idea of what your basic plotlines will be, you can jump ahead to Step 3.3.
I, on the other hand, find it easier to start by writing down what I already know (aka what I figured out during Step 1) and building on it. I will detail how to do that in Steps 3.1 - 3.4.
Step 3.1 - "What I know"
Begin by writing down everything you already know about your story and focus on things that will affect the plot (e.g. character arcs, journeys, recurring themes, etc).
Example 1: The story follows Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a demigod and the son of Poseidon. He must go to Camp Half-blood, a special summer camp for demigods, where he will train and meet new friends. The gods of Olympus are fighting. Percy goes on a quest to help the gods. In order to complete his quest, he must defeat several ancient creatures from greek mythology.
Example 2: Katniss Everdeen lives in a poor region of a country controlled by a corrupt government. At some point there was a war and the government won. They have instituted a competition, where one person from each region must fight to the death as a reminder of the brutality and futility of fighting. Katniss' sister is chosen for the hunger games, so she must volunteer to take her place. Katniss will become the symbol of the rebellion against the government.
Some things you might notice from the previous examples are that a) they are vague and incomplete, and b) some things are not exactly like the books. That's because the things you think you know about your story tend to change and grow as you develop your idea.
Step 3.2 - Plot Structuring
Then, you can begin expanding your idea by figuring out the structure of your story. I tend to favor the three act structure, which looks like the following image:
It might look a little intimidating, at first glance, but you only need to tackle one piece at a time. You can go in order or start by filling in whichever events you already know.
Beginning: Description of the characters' life as it normally is
Percy Jackson goes on a school trip to the museum
Katniss hunts for food in District 12
Inciting Incident: Something happens that disrupts the character's routine and sets off the events that make up the rest of the story. This is usually where the main character sets their goal.
Percy is attacked by a monster, who steals his mom, and must go to Camp Half-blood
goal: Get his mom back
Katniss' sister is chosen for the hunger games and Katniss Volunteers
goal: Win the hunger games
Climax of Act 1: The event that marks the end of the beginning.
Percy Arrives at Camp Half-Blood
Katniss Leaves for the Capitol (where the hunger games are held)
Obstacles: Events or people (relationships) that get in the way of the main character achieving their goal.
Percy is assigned a quest to retrieve Zeus' stolen lightning bolt from the underworld & he gets attacked by many monsters on his way there
Katniss must train & impress the people of the capitol so she will have sponsors during the games.
Midpoint: Usually involves a big twist that increases the stakes.
Percy gets stuck in a casino and loses track of time, his timeline for retrieving the bolt is fast approaching
Katniss is almost killed by the careers
Climax of Act 2: Event that marks the beginning of the end. The final battle or final conflict is about to begin.
Percy confronts Hades in the Underworld
Katniss and Peeta make it to the final 3 and face off against the other final tribute
Climax of Act 3: The final climax, when the goal is achieved.
Percy finds out who truly stole Zeus' lightning bolt and they engage in a final fight. He retrieves his mom.
Katniss and Peeta threaten to eat poison berries if they are not allowed to survive together
Wrap up: Tie up any loose ends and set up the next book (if applicable).
Percy promises to return to Camp Half-Blood and is betrayed by someone he considered a friend (set up for next book).
Katniss and Peeta are crowned as victors and they are told that the government is not happy with the way things ended and they are gonna be watched closely (set up for next book).
End: Pretty self-explanatory...
Step 3.3 - Fill in the Gaps
Now, it's time to develop your plot and make sure your character arcs fit in there nicely. The most helpful way I have found of doing this is asking myself "what would have to happen in order for [insert event] to happen?" and "how/why would this happen?"
Example 1:
Event 1: Percy Jackson goes on a school trip to the museum
Event 2: Percy is attacked by a monster
What would need to happen in order for Event 1 to move seamlessly into Event 2?
Maybe one of Percy's teachers is a monster in disguise...
Why would one of Percy's teachers be a monster?
Demigods must be relatively rare, especially ones born to such a powerful god. Therefore, the monster might've been sent to that school specifically to get to Percy
Who would want to get to Percy?
And so on...
Example 2:
Event 1: Katniss is out in the forest hunting for food
Event 2: Katniss' sister is chosen for the hunger games and she volunteers
What would need to happen in order for Event 1 to move seamlessly into Event 2?
Maybe that day is the day the government picks the tributes from each district and at a certain time, all people must gather at the town square for the choosing of the tributes.
Why would Katniss volunteer to go in her sister's stead?
Because she loves her and knows her sister has no chance of winning (she is very gentle and young). Also, Katniss is a natural protector so her first instinct when her family is threatened is to protect them however she can.
And so on...
The point is to continue developing your story this way until every event leads to the next and you have a coherent narrative. You can spend as much time as you need to plan out your story, but remember that the goal of this step is not necessarily to have a perfect outline, but simply to have a coherent one.
Step 3.4
Finally, you want to make sure that your characters are changing and growing based on the events that are happening to them. In other words, you have to make sure your character arcs didn't fall to the wayside in the process of developing your plot.
In order to do this, I suggest tracking your character's journey throughout the story. There are multiple ways to do this.
You could highlight every scene in which your character is personally affected by an event and write down what effect it will have on them.
Another option is to write out a few paragraphs about each character's journey and keeping them handy for when you begin planning out each specific scene in the next step.
Below is a useful template for keeping your character arcs straight while you write (fill in for each character - unless their roles are too small to be relevant).
Background | Explanation of your character's background and the events that have shaped them |
Starting Point | List of traits that your character currently displays and why they are like this |
Obstacles (insert as many as necessary) | Explanation of how a major event changes who they are & brings them closer to, or pushes them farther from, the end point |
End Point | List of traits that your character displays at the end of the story + explanation of why they changed or didn't change |
Once you have that, you're ready to make your final outline!
Step #4 - Creating a Scene-by-Scene Outline
I have my scene-by-scene outline to thank for the fact that, in all the months it took to write my first draft, I never once experienced writer's block.
Let's begin with some simple, but very important, explanations:
Scene = a portion of the story in which characters engage in dialogue or/and activity.
One chapter can be made up of a single scene (less common) or multiple (more common).
scenes are usually between 500 - 2000 words, though the length is extremely variable.
Don't worry, you don't need to know absolutely everything that will happen in your book in order to make a scene by scene outline. Although, this part of the process does involve a lot of creativity.
I would suggest by starting with a chapter guide (i.e. an outline with a brief (or long) explanation of what will happen in each chapter).
Example 1: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
CH1 - Percy goes on a school field trip to the metropolitan museum of art. His class walks around the area with ancient Greek and Roman art. Grover and Mr. Brunner are introduced. Percy's friend Grover is getting picked on by a bully (Nancy Bobofit). Percy stands up to the bully and accidentally uses his water-related powers against her. A teacher (monster in disguise) witnesses the scene and takes Percy aside, presumably to chastise him. The teacher transforms into a Fury and attacks Percy. Mr. Brunner appears and helps Percy defeat the Fury.
CH 2 - Everyone acts as if the teacher that Percy fought and defeated at the museum never existed. He is very confused. Grover and Mr. Brunner start acting weird. Percy gets into another fight with the bully and gets expelled. He overhears Grover and Mr. Brunner talking about him and mentioning the incident at the museum. Percy confronts Grover, who admits to being Percy's protector.
CH 3 - Percy's mom, Sally, is introduced. She is very sweet but married to a grotesque and abusive man named Gabe. Sally decides to take Percy to Montauk beach so they can spend some time together. Grover appears at the beach and tells Percy he is in danger. Percy discovers Grover is a satyr.
...
Example 2: The Hunger Games
CH1 - Katniss wakes up at home in District 12. Her mom and sister are introduced. She goes out hunting for food and because she is the main provider of the family. Katniss meets Gale, her friend (love interest 1), in the woods. They discuss running away but decide against it. They catch fish and go to the black market to sell it. The hunger games are explained because today is the reaping day (when tributes get chosen). Before the reaping begins, the mayor explains the history of the games. The reaping begins and the first name is drawn: Primrose Everdeen, Katniss' sister.
CH 2 - Katniss volunteers as tribute. The boy tribute is selected and Peeta (love interest 2) is introduced. Insert backstory about Katniss' life in District 12 and the first time she saw Peeta.
CH 3 - Katniss says goodbye to her family. The journey to the capitol begins. Katniss and Peeta have dinner with Effie and Haymitch, who will be their mentor for the games. Haymitch is a drunk.
...
You get the idea. The summaries don't have to be perfect. Chances are, you will end up changing up the content or even the order of them at some point. However, now that you have them, you can begin creating your scene-by scene outline, which is basically just a fleshed out version of the chapter-by-chapter outline.
All you have to do is break down each chapter into its respective scenes and note the key components of each scene. You can add notes or any information you think you might find useful once you get to writing. For example, you could add pictures of a setting from your Pinterest board to make it easier to describe the space later.
The main things I recommend including in your scene-by-scene outline are the following:
A description of the action(s) in the scene, including the topic of conversation if there is dialogue
A list of characters who will be present during the scene
A note of where the action or conversation is taking place
Example - Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Chapter 1
Scene 1 - Percy sits next to Grover on the bus.They're on their way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a school trip. Nancy Bobofit is introduced. She messes with Grover and Percy feels bad for him.
Scene 2 - Percy's class walks through the Greek and Roman art exhibits and Mr. Brunner tells them facts about the pieces' history. He explains the story of how the Greek gods defeated Kronos. Mr. Brunner tells Percy he is a promising young man, which confuses Percy as he has dyslexia and ADHD.
Scene 3 - The students are taken outside for lunch and Nancy Bobofit comes over to where Grover and Percy are hanging out by a fountain. She picks on Grover again. This time, Percy gets very angry and something weird happens, the water in the fountain grabs Nancy. Percy isn't sure what happened but the students who witnessed the scene are whispering and looking at him weirdly. A teacher, Ms. Dodds, who is also chaperoning the tip along with Mr. Brunner, tells Percy to follow her. Percy thinks she will punish him.
Scene 4 - Inside the museum, Ms. Dodds begins acting very strange and suddenly transforms into a Fury (she grows bat wings and big yellow fangs). Mr. Brunner appears and tosses Percy a ball point pen, which he uncaps. The pen becomes a sword. Percy battles the Fury and wins. The monster dissolves.
Scene 5 - Percy returns to he fountain and finds that nobody remembers Ms. Dodds. Grover tells Percy their teacher is named Ms. Kerr, but Percy knows something weird is happening.
Note: Yep! It's a lot of work, especially if you're writing a longer novel. Nonetheless, I promise, it's worth it. It will save you so much time, in the long run.
If you're anything like me, you're probably itching to start writing... Luckily, that's exactly what comes next!
Step #5 - Writing Draft 0
The reason I call it "Draft 0" is because the purpose of it is simply to put the story on the page. Think of it as you telling the story to yourself. You don't need to worry about how beautiful your prose is or whether your sentences are perfectly structured.
Do NOT edit as you go.
One of the main reasons why some many of the people who set out to write books, never complete them is because they worry too much about writing perfectly. The chances that you will be able to write a perfect book on your first try are...slim. That's why editing is a thing!
"A finished rough draft is worth much more than a perfect first chapter."
It's not a big deal if your Draft 0 doesn't read very smoothly or elegantly. It isn't meant to. Anne Lamott has a fantastic essay titled "Shitty First Drafts," in which she argues for the need to let go of worries about quality. She says we should embrace the idea that the work we produce in the beginning must be messy and terrible in order to pave the way for future brilliance once you move into second and third draft territory. Trust me, she knew what she was talking about.
Now, as for how to actually get writing, I have two pieces of advice:
Set a schedule and do your best to stick to it.
Choose a designated time & space for it. Light a candle, grab a coffee, keep some water on hand... Do anything you need to do to make it feel special.
Don't let yourself burn out. You don't need to be writing 5,000 words a day (unless that's what feels natural). Slow and steady wins the race, remember?
Stray if you need to.
If inspiration hits and you want to write scenes that weren't in your original outline, write them! If you're bored out of your mind writing some of the scenes you'd planned, scrap them!
Your outline is meant to help you, not hinder you.
Come back once you've finished your first draft (aka Draft 0).
Step #6 - Editing (Round 1 - Developmental)
Alright, you've developed a writing practice and have managed to grind out the first draft. At this point, there are two common traps that you want to be careful not to fall into. I'll explain them both below:
Trap 1 - Thinking you're done
You set out to write a book and you wrote one. That must be it, right? WRONG! You are not done. In my opinion, you're only about halfway there. If you stop now, you miss out on the opportunity of realizing your story's full potential.
Trap 2 - Thinking you're a shitty writer because your draft is shitty
Spoiler alert, even the most talented and successful writers start off with shitty first drafts. it's their diligence and quality-oriented editing that turn those shitty drafts into memorable and impactful bestsellers.
So, let's recap: You are NOT done and you are NOT a shitty writer just because your draft is shitty. Now that we got that out of the way, let's get into how to take that draft from shitty to 'hey, this is actually pretty good' territory.
There's three main types of edits I focus on during this stage: Character-driven, story-driven, and theme-driven.
Note: Before you make any edits, re-read your entire manuscript. Feel free to take notes on any plot holes, inconsistencies, or glaring mistakes.
6.1 Character Work
The goal of doing character work now is to expand on your characters' personalities and conflicts in a way that will support the theme of your book as well as build tension and relationships between them. With that in mind, I suggest revisiting your character profiles (yes, all of them) to add the following information:
Need
Figure out what exactly your character needs in order to be happy and feel fulfilled. This is usually not something the character knows, at least not at the beginning of the story.
Example: Percy Jackson needs to learn who he is and find the strength that comes from embracing your true self. In other words, he needs to stop thinking of himself as a troubled kid who is nothing more than his dyslexia and ADHD.
Want
This, on the other hand, is what your character thinks will make them happy. It's the thing they are working towards or hoping for, and it's usually not the same as the need. If you're writing a positive change arc, your character will eventually realize that what they have been pursuing is not what they truly need and will shift their goals accordingly.
Example: Percy Jackson thinks what will make him happy is not getting expelled and being able to fit in and cruise through the school year unnoticed.
False Belief
The lie that your character believes that is holding them back from aligning their wants and needs. What belief is keeping them from finding true happiness and success?
Example: Percy believes he is a troubled kid, who can't help but getting expelled. He thinks having dyslexia and ADHD makes it impossible for him to accomplish what other students can accomplish and means he is destined to fail.
Once you are clear on your characters' goals and motivations, you will probably begin to see where conflict might arise between them. That's good! You need a fair amount of conflict between characters to carry a story.
The next step is to deepen your understanding of each character in order to figure out how they would react to every plot point in the story. There are 5 questions that can help you do this:
Who are you?
Answer in first person as if it was the character speaking. You want to know what this character thinks of themselves. It doesn't need to be the same as what others think of them or even what you, as the author, think of them. Simply, figure out what aspects of themselves they would highlight if someone were to ask them this question.
How do you react when something doesn't go as planned?
This is where you figure out if your character's response is fight or flight or something else (i.e. panicking, seeking counsel, getting angry, blaming themselves, etc).
What are your secrets?
All three-dimensional characters have secrets. This is not to say that they are living a lie or using a fake name. Secrets can be as simple as 'I don't like this other character but act as if I do because that's what's expected from polite society'.
Their secrets could be related to their goals (e.g. they pretend to have one goal in mind but are actually secretly pursuing another), motivations (e.g. their goal is known to others but they have ulterior motives for wanting it that others don't know), identities (e.g. they're lying about who they are or what they've done), opinions (e.g. they're pretending to agree with an idea but actually think the opposite), etc.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Try to be specific. When it comes to strengths, think about the traits that make them uniquely prepared to face the challenges of the story, and when it comes to weaknesses, think about the traits that could get in the way of them achieving their goals.
How does your journey support the thesis/theme of this story?
We will work on developing your theme later, so you can come back to this once you have a clearer understanding of your story's themes.
If you feel like you already have a solid grasp on your story's theme, write a few sentences about how your character's journey is related to it.
Once you have a solid understanding of who your characters are and why they matter to your story, you're ready to use that information to determine what their reactions should be to each story beat. I suggest moving to step 6.2 and then returning to this, as it will provide the groundwork for you to build on.
Jump ahead to step 6.2
Once you have completed step 6.2 and figured out your plot, it's time to add to your character profiles (again). All you truly need are a few notes to keep in mind for when you're making written edits. The simplest and quickest way to track these (that I have found) is to create a character reaction chart.
I got the idea from www.writeonsisters.com, so I will direct you to their site for this one. they also have hundreds of other amazing blog posts about character development and plot devices that are worth checking out!
For a template and explanation on how to create a character interaction chart, go here: http://writeonsisters.com/writing-craft/character-development-the-reaction-chart/
6.2 Plot Work
The goal of all plot-driven developmental edits is to strengthen the flow of your narrative and patch up any plot holes you may have missed while writing Draft 0. The natural first step is for you to understand the structure of your story. Luckily, effective story structures have been widely researched, and American Screenwriter, Blake Snyder, wrote an entire book on the golden formula for storytelling. His book, which you might have heard of, is titled 'Save the Cat!' and provides highly valuable insights into how to best structure a story.
Snyder provides a blueprint for structuring stories based on the idea that all stories should go through 15 'beats,' each of which proves essential to your overarching narrative. It sounds a little complicated, but it's really simple in practice. The first thing you'll need to do is figure out which beats you already have in your story and whether they are in the appropriate place.
Save The Cat! - Story Beats
Act I - The Beginning
Opening Image – 0% to 1%
A single scene beat that shows what the protagonist's life is like before the inciting incident changes the course of their life.
Example: Katniss wakes up in her small cottage in District 12 and reaches for Prim, but finds her gone.
Theme Stated – 5%
A single scene beat in which someone other than the protagonist makes a statement that hints at the theme of the story (aka what the protagonist will learn along the way).
Example: Gale tells Katniss that they should run away together but they decide against it because they are both responsible for their families. It is the first musing of rebellion against the unfairness and oppression of the Capitol.
Setup – 1% to 10%
A multi-scene beat throughout which the protagonist's initial goal (the want we discussed in section 6.1) is established. Side characters can also introduced during this time.
Example: The time between when Katniss first wakes up and when Effie reads off the names of the chosen tributes.
Catalyst – 10%
A single scene beat, otherwise known as the inciting incident. It is the event that happens that changes the course of the protagonist's life and sets the story in motion.
Example: The moment when Prim is chosen as the female tribute for District 12 and Katniss volunteers to take her place.
Debate – 10% to 20%
A multi-scene beat where the protagonist questions whether they should go through with something. It's meant to show the protagonist's reluctance to change.
Example: Katniss says goodbye to Gale and wonders whether she has any chance of coming out of the games alive as she is unsure she could ever kill another person. She doesn't want to participate in the games but doesn't know what else to do.
Act II - The Middle
Break Into Two – 20%
A single scene beat where the protagonist decides to do whatever they were debating (go on the journey, accept the task, etc).
Example: Katniss promises Prim that she will try to win.
B Story – 22%
A single scene beat where an important character is introduced. This is a character or characters who will help the protagonist learn the theme/lesson throughout the story. It could be a mentor, a love interest, an antagonist, or even a friend.
Example: Katniss meets Peeta, Haymitch, and Effie.
Fun and Games – 20% to 50%
A multi-scene beat that shows the protagonist engaging in their quest and interacting with their new environment/task. Think of this as the part that would provide most of the scenes for the trailer if your story was a movie.
Example: Katniss meets the rest of the tributes, she trains for the hunger games, and then they begin.
Midpoint – 50%
A single scene beat where there is either a 'false victory' or a 'false defeat'. It is a moment that increases the stakes, like the introduction of a new deadline or a plot twist.
Example: Katniss is inured and discovers that Peeta has allied himself with the Careers.
Bad Guys Close In – 50% to 75%
A multi-scene beat where internal and external conflicts escalate either in a positive direction (aka the protagonist goes through a series of wins) or in a negative direction (the protagonist goes through a series of failures).
Example: More tributes are picked off by the careers but Katniss begins scoring some wins. She allies herself with Rue and they destroy the Careers supplies.
All is Lost – 75%
A single scene beat where something happens that pushes your protagonist over the edge and to their lowest point yet.
Example: Rue is killed and Katniss is unable to save her.
Dark Night of the Soul – 75% to 80%
A multi-scene beat where the protagonist is at their lowest and reminisces on what has brought them to this point.
Example: Katniss mourns Rue and is overcome with emotion after having killed someone for the first time.
Act III - The End
Break Into Three – 80%
A single scene beat where the protagonist realizes what they need to do to solve their internal and external problems.
Example: The game-makers announce that there can only be one winner and Katniss realizes they have been toying with them the whole time. She decides it's time to call their bluff and rebel by threatening to eat poison berries so there will be no winner at all.
Finale – 80% to 99%
A multi-scene beat where the protagonist uses what they have learned to solve their internal and external problems.
Example: Katniss raises the berries to her lips and the game-makers fold. The hunger games end and Katniss and Peeta are crowned as victors, but Haymitch warns them that President Snow is angry at their act of rebellion. Their life becomes a performance in which they must convince the public that they are madly in love so the poison berry incident will not be interpreted as outright rebellion.
Final Image – 99% to 100%
A single scene beat where the reader can see how much things have changed since the beginning of the story.
Example: Katniss boards the train back to district 12, where she will now live in wealth at the victor's village.
Note: The % shown next to each story beat refers to the point of the book that Snyder suggests each story beat should take up. To figure it out for your story, just multiply the percentage by the total word count or total number of scenes in your novel.
Once you've figured out which pieces are missing from your story, go ahead and brain storm ideas on how to add them. Try to be specific about what scenes need to be added, deleted, or changed.
6.3 Theme
Think of the theme of your story as the life lesson that your protagonist needs to learn by the end of the novel.
A well crafted story will hint at the theme in Act I, put the protagonist through things that will lead them to question their previously held beliefs and examine their flaws in Act II, and have them face their fears and prove that they have learned their lesson in Act III.
Lucky for you, figuring out the theme is not as hard as you might think. If you have already done a deep dive into your protagonist's character, chances are, you already know the theme, even if you don't realize it.
In Step 6.1, you figured out the lie that your character is telling themselves, the false belief they hold. That, coupled with the character's need, is what will help you determine the theme.
Example:
Lie: Percy Jackson believes he is a troubled kid who will never amount to anything
Need: He needs to discover his true identity and start believing in himself
Theme/Lesson: Identity - the importance of believing in oneself.
Amazing! You've figured out what edits need to be made. You know what happens next... Go make those edits and come back when you have a finished Draft 1.
Step #7 - Beta Readers
A beta reader is simply someone who will look over your manuscript and provide feedback based on their experience reading it. You might not think you need beta readers and, in the end, that's a choice you have to make for yourself. All I can say is that receiving external feedback is a wonderful way to check whether the magic in your head was successfully translated into magic on the page.
Here's everything you need to know if you do decide to use beta readers:
What do beta readers do?
Beta readers will read your manuscript and offer feedback. That being said, they're not to be confused with editors, proofreaders, or sensitivity readers, each of which provide a different service.
How many beta readers should you have?
You could have any amount you want, but keep in mind that you are hoping to integrate their feedback (if it's valuable), so anywhere over 5 tends to get a little chaotic for me.
Where to find beta readers?
If you have friends or family who are avid readers and enjoy the genre you write, you could ask them to beta read your novel.
You can ask colleagues or people from your writing groups in exchange for beta reading their projects.
You can find beta readers on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or Twitter by posting a brief description of your book and using the hashtag #betareaderswanted or #betareadersneeded.
How to choose the right beta readers for your story?
Choose people who enjoy reading books in your genre and are already avid readers.
You don't want your beta readers to get hung up on things that are just standard practice in your genre (like not liking your story because there's no magic, but you're not writing fantasy).
You want your beta readers to be representative of the people who will likely be drawn to buy your book.
Make sure you choose people who are committed to reading your story within a reasonable timeline, otherwise you might be waiting for that feedback a really long time.
How to use beta readers?
Once you've identified the right people to beta read your manuscript, make sure to tell them what specific kind of feedback you're looking for and give them a realistic timeline to read your story and come up with that feedback (usually 2-3 weeks).
The easiest way to make sure you get the type of feedback you want is to give your beta readers a list of questions, such as the following:
Were you bored at any point in the story?
Which characters did you like & which did you dislike? Why?
Were you confused at any point?
Did you laugh or cry at any point?
Where you satisfied with the ending? Why or why not?
Once your manuscript is off with your beta readers, you can still improve your story on your own by brushing up on your writing skills and your knowledge of storytelling techniques. It's also a great way to pass the time instead of sitting and worrying about what your beta readers will think of your story.
I recommend picking up the following books:
Save The Cat! Writes A Novel by Jessica Brody
Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
Intuitive Editing by Tiffany Yates Martin
The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr
Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes
If your writing is dealing with a subject matter you are not an expert on or have no firsthand experience with, I highly recommend hiring sensitivity readers. These are people who have lived experience in the topic you are dealing with or belong to the marginalized communities your characters are representing. They will assess your manuscript with a particular issue of representation in mind and provide feedback on whether you have managed to address the subject in an accurate and respectful way that will not cause further harm.
To find sensitivity readers, you can simply look up "sensitivity readers + [subject/identity you're looking for]". Below are a few additional resources for finding sensitivity reasders:
Step #8 - Editing (Round 2 - Feedback)
This is the part where you read the feedback you received from your beta readers and your sensitivity readers and figure out what and how to incorporate it.
My first piece of advice is *don't try to incorporate feedback immediately as it comes in.* Chances are you will receive feedback from some beta readers before others and be tempted to jump right into editing. However, you will likely find that the things that worked for some beta readers will be what irked others. Remember that everyone's reading experiences will be different and the feedback they provide will be based on that individual experience. Thus, your role as the author is to compile the feedback and analyze it for patterns and trends.
The easiest way of operationalizing the feedback you receive is to start by compiling it in a spreadsheet.
I suggest breaking the feedback up into four categories: Typos/grammar, inconsistencies/plot holes, characters, and pacing.
Most feedback will likely fall somewhere within those categories, but if you have any additional comments, you can have an 'other' category.
Once you have separated all your feedback into the different categories, you can begin making note of any patterns or trends.
Did multiple beta readers flag the same scene as boring (pacing issue)?
Did multiple beta readers say your protagonist is too unlikeable (character issue)?
In addition to noting down trends, you should also look for any "objective" feedback, which refers to those comments that highlight issues that everyone can agree are a mistake.
Did you describe a character as blonde in Chapter 3 and then as a redhead in Chapter 20 (inconsistency)?
Finally, you can read through the rest of the feedback and begin making edits. You must decide which category of feedback to tackle first and keep in mind that the changes you make in one might impact another.
Beginning with fixing typos and grammar mistakes might feel good because they're usually quick fixes, but if you have any major plot or character related edits to make, you might end up deleting or changing the scenes with the typos and fixing them will have been a waste of time.
Note: Remember that you need not address every single piece of feedback from your beta readers. It's okay to put aside the feedback that you don't feel is valuable as long as you genuinely considered it. If you disagree with a piece of feedback or you feel like incorporating it would be doing your story a disservice, don't use it! After all, you are the author and the point of incorporating feedback should be to enhance your story, not to change it to the point where it no longer feels yours.
Step #9 - Editing (Round 3 - Line & Copy)
Once you have processed and incorporated the sensitivity and beta reader feedback, it's time for a final round of editing! This is the one, where you evaluate your writing sentence-by-sentence and word-by-word, making sure that it is conveying the correct meaning and connotation for your story.
Here's where you fix any and all typos and grammar mistakes as well as any issues with punctuation.
Keep in mind that line editing is more of an art than a science and will require practice to get good at. You need to be asking yourself questions about how the language itself is working in each sentence and whether it fits the overall tone and of your story based on the passage's tone and atmosphere of your story.
As you read your manuscript, keep these questions in mind:
What is the tone of the passage?
What is the atmosphere of the passage?
Are the words I'm using accurately reflecting that tone and atmosphere?
Do my sentences flow naturally?
Is my dialogue natural or stunted?
Would this character speak like this?
Am I over-describing or under-describing?
Am I using simple or lofty language?
Did I mean to use this kind of language?
You're not gonna catch everything, but the important thing is that you are as thorough and thoughtful as you can. If you are aiming for traditional publishing, your manuscript will likely go through a few more rounds of editing with an external editor, but you need it to be as polished as possible if you want to land an agent. If you're self-publishing, this is the final round of editing you will do, so you want to bring your manuscript as close to perfect as possible.
Step #10 - Proofreading
Proofreading is the final step of the writing process. This is the part where you read your manuscript one last time and look for any mistakes that you didn't catch on previous editing rounds. It might feel redundant (because it is), but it's incredibly important.
Make sure to keep an eye out for:
Run-on sentences
Typos or grammar mistakes
Inconsistent spelling of names, places, made-up words, etc
Missing or unnecessary comas
Capitalization errors
Inconsistent verb tenses
You might also want to consider hiring a professional proofreader, if it's within your budget.
Conclusion
First of all, congratulations! You've finished writing a book and that's an incredible accomplishment, in and of itself. Now, you get to decide whether you want to self-publish it or go the traditional route and go through a publishing company.
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