This course guides you through the process of creating a fantastic “character-first” plot.
Plotting and Planning Your Novel
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About "Plotting and Planning Your Novel"
Plotting and Planning Your Novel
A welcome message + guided tour: all the ways you can use this course to improve your writing.
There are three core principles to character-first writing. They may surprise you!
Lesson 3: You might need MORE story
Sometimes people think, when I talk about character-first writing, that I want them to write a BORING story where nothing happens. That's not the case, fortunately! In fact, I often tell coaching clients to add MORE story to their novel outlines.
Here's a preview of what's coming: how to use "character-first" plotting to work through the "messy" middle of your story. This is an element of the course that writers love the most: you can conquer your fear of the long "second act" of your story.
Log In to View Lessons The Problem: Why Is Plot So Hard?
Let's get serious. Why is a course like this so valuable?
Log In to View Lessons Why You Need “Care”
They didn't teach you this!
Log In to View Lessons Plot = Care Changing Over Time
Plot isn't about events. It's about shifts in care.
Log In to View Lessons Project vs Mood
Major characters should have a "project."
Log In to View Lessons The Danger of Dropping Care
It's SO easy to do this. And it makes your readers give up on your novel.
Log In to View Lessons Writing a Novel Character-First
Start your reader with a character.
Log In to View Lessons PS Can Writing Be Taught? (+ reading list)
Can writing be taught? How seriously should you take the advice from this course?
Lesson 1: The Goal
All right. What kind of book do we actually want to write in this course? What will the reader feel while reading it?
Lesson 2: The Dragon’s Toe: Exposition and Mystery
The key to exposition is to sprinkle it lightly — very lightly — at the start. Here's how...
Log In to View Lessons The Dragon’s Foot
Trick your reader with this easy technique
Log In to View Lessons Connecting Story Elements
This is so powerful: when two parts of the story become one.
Log In to View Lessons Building the A-Plotline
Here's how to start your novel: with several scenes devoted to your protagonist's "project."
Log In to View Lessons Bonus: What if I can’t do A?
A few frequently asked questions about the A plot-line.
Log In to View Lessons Bonus: Prompts to Develop Your Protagonist
Nine questions to help you develop your protagonist and build your A plot-line.
Log In to View Lessons Scene and Satellite
This is how we convey to the reader all the information they need to enjoy, understand, keep reading your novel.
Log In to View Lessons Construct Your Plot With This Pre-Writing Manual
This interactive guide helps you design your own ABC-style plot.
Log In to View Lessons From a Protagonist to a Plot
We have the building blocks. Now we're going to use them to create a great plot.
Log In to View Lessons The Four Stages of the ABC Plot
By this point in the course, we've studied how to build our scenes, establish "care," and build a great protagonist. Here is the framework to turn those concepts and building blocks into a detailed plot.
Log In to View Lessons How to Master the Middle: Your Protagonist’s Three Mistakes
Here's how the character-first approach enables you to conquer the "messy" middle.
Log In to View Lessons Designing the Best Possible A: the Path to Success
It's critical to give your protagonist a way forward with their A plot.
Log In to View Lessons Designing the Best Possible “B”
Your character has issues! But -- which ones?
Log In to View Lessons Designing the Best Possible C: the “Conceit”
Sometimes the C plot-line requires a ticking clock.
Log In to View Lessons How Long Should Each Stage Be?
How many pages, roughly, you might picture each stage being.
Log In to View Lessons ABC Plot Summary: Killing Floor by Lee Child
Here is how the ABC plot is working in the first Jack Reacher novel, Killing Floor.
Log In to View Lessons ABC Plot Summary #2: The Age of Innocence
The ABC plot works just as well for a classic literary novel like The Age of Innocence as it does for Jack Reacher.
Log In to View Lessons Don’t Hate Me, But… Cut It?
The very real dangers of fake plot.
Log In to View Lessons The Rule of Five Ones
My advice: for this course, write a five or four "one" novel.
Log In to View Lessons How to Write Stage One
This might be the second most popular video of the whole course.
Log In to View Lessons How to Write Stage Two
This is when your hero starts to care about your "big" plot.
Log In to View Lessons How to Write Stage Three
This is the longest, most substantial part of the novel: the middle.
Log In to View Lessons Stage Four and the Staggered Ending
Here is a low-stress way to plan out a great ending to your novel.
Log In to View Lessons The Biggest Problem: Leading with B
The most common issue writers have, when they try to follow the ABC plot: leading with B.
Log In to View Lessons ABC with Multiple Protagonists
What if I want more than one main character?
Log In to View Lessons What if you Don't Actually Have a C Plot
Maybe you've worked through this course and noticed you don't actually have a C plot? Here are three solutions.
Log In to View Lessons Alternate Stage One Opening: Multiple Timelines
Here's how to use the stage one opening with multiple timelines.
Log In to View Lessons Alternate Stage One Opening: A Magical Job
Sometimes the plot takes your character in an extreme direction: perhaps they get a magical job (they become the new tooth fairy, for instance) and have to leave their old life behind. Here's how to make it feel real for your readers.
Log In to View Lessons This How You Get Started
This is my strategy for getting a "quick win" for this novel project.
Log In to View Lessons Download this Manual and Create your Plot
Now it's time to plot.
Log In to View Lessons Start with your Dream Story
This chapter of the course is specifically for people who are starting from the beginning. And for them — I recommend that you DO NOT start your planning and sketching with a character. Instead...
Log In to View Lessons Imagine the Best Bits
Think back to the stories you love. When did you really feel yourself commit, to the story, as a reader? My guess is that there were two main moments: the late beginning and the late middle. Let's sketch out those two areas of your new book now.
Log In to View Lessons Picture An Unhappy Visitor
Now we picture a main character who doesn't care about any of that stuff.
Log In to View Lessons Now we use hints to connect the two
At the start, the character is doing his or her thing. But strong hints imply there is more going on.
Log In to View Lessons Sketch the Backstory
You might not know everything yet. But start now: let's sketch out the secrets.
Log In to View Lessons Begin the World-building Bible
Describe the divisions in this world.
Log In to View Lessons Now Start Sketching out "Implied" Scenes
You're in a great place. You've imagined your ideal story. You've pictured how that story might develop and build. You've created a character and events that might happen to that character. And you've done some world-building and backstory writing. Now comes the fun part: writing out the scenes and chapters and moments that this pre-writing suggest.
Log In to View Lessons Wrap Up: Now You're Ready for the ABC Plot
Fantastic. Now it's time to turn these sketches into a real story, with the plotting manual supplied in this course and the lessons of the ABC plot.
Log In to View Lessons Send Off
You did it! You finished the course. Now I just want to say…
Log In to View Lessons Collected Handouts, Downloads, Manuals
For ease of use, all downloads mentioned in the course are also available here.
Log In to View Lessons Acknowledgements
A few brief thank yous and credit dueings.
Log In to View Lessons How to Get Help
Do you need technical support? Do you want to run your idea past other students in the course?
Log In to View Lessons Protagonists and their Projects
A great conversation about our protagonists and the idea of an A plot line.
Log In to View Lessons A, B, and Cs — plot advising session
How to balance and finetune a plot with the ABC framework (live webinar).
Log In to View Lessons The ABC Plot
PS Feel free to download, but please don't share this audio-file! If you have friends interested in the course, let me know and I can give you a special discount code.
Log In to View Lessons How to write dialogue
Five tips that will shape how you think about writing dialogue.
Log In to View Lessons How to prepare a plot twist
Okay. You know you want to surprise your reader. How do you make sure the twist lands correctly?
Log In to View Lessons Prompts & Challenges
A collection of prompts and challenges.
About the Teacher
Daniel
Daniel is the creator of the "character-first" approach at the heart of this course.
Hi, I started reading Jade City and I am hooked.
I was never one for gangsta movies or books but her very first words got me:
“The two would-be jade thieves …” What a wealth of information and intruige in this six words! It instantly hints on danger and disaster: would-be is only used for not sucessful. So I needed to read on to find out how they floundered.
And there is even more information in it:
-they are no regular thiefs, so they are newbies.
Jade must be very important, if they try to steal exactly that and not ‘jewels’ or money. I am at awe here!
By the way, my reader shows me that this novel has over 1100 pages, is that true or do I have a strange copy?
If so, would you please also mention the chapters, Daniel? It would be easier to follow then. Thanks!
I received the paperback edition today, which is 495 pages. Chapter 1, The Twice Lucky is page 1; Chapter 2, The Horn of No Peak on page 10; Chapter 3, The Sleepless Pillar on page 19; Chapter 4, The Torch of Kekon on page 31; Chapter 5, The Horn’s Kitten, on page 40. Since there are 57 chapters plus an Epilogue, I won’t go through the entire book.
I’m really liking Jade City so far. I’m on the second chapter.
I enjoyed the start of Jade City and had to stop myself reading beyond two chapters. It was so easy to read I underestimated the skill in the way the dialogue was written. A lesson well learned.
Hello Daniel I am an aspiring screenwriter who wants to learn and writer character-driven screenplay. I want to have a deep and thorough understanding of characters, character development and character arc.
Please directed me to the appropriate place.
Thank you
Intrigued by your comment on the importance of mid-point in Midnight Library… I’m writing a memoir/ family history so didn’t think this could apply to my work – but maybe it does???