novel outline templates and worksheets Remember to right click and choose “Save As” for the links that point directly to to the templates. Belinda Crawford, who I also mentioned in my scrivener templates post, also has an excel spreadsheet template of Dan Well’s 7 point plot structure, · blogger.com has a great set of worksheets. Creating Characters; Framing the Story; Charting the Scenes; Elizabeth Span Craig has collected a long list of wonderful tools and worksheets made by and for novelists! Annie Neugbauer’s Plotting Worksheet is for writers who have scattered ideas that need to be worked into a basic plot structure. It’s one page, bare-bones, & easy · The One-Page Novel Plot Outline. ACT I: ORDINARY WORLD (START WITH LACK) 1 Really Bad Day. Ordinary world, empathy, conflict. Show flaw and lack. Want, Problem, Need. 2 Something Peculiar. Something unique or strange happens, but they dismiss it. 3 Grasping at Straws. Trying to regain control of ordinary world but setbacks mount
Free Printables for Writing Your Novel | Tricia Goyer
Click here to skip down to the templates. We know the drill—your frustration is all too familiar for many beginning writers. As well as creating a list of plot templates for easy, novel plotting worksheets, practical use, we've also created a detailed guide to what plot outlines are, how they've evolved over time and looking at the advantage and disadvantages of using them.
It sketches out the underlying structure of your novel: its key stages, including critical developments and pivotal moments. Its sticks to the heart of the story — which is usually the personal journey of the protagonist, from who they are at the beginning to who they are at the end. For some people an outline may simply be a few ideas floating around their head, for others it may be a 50, novel plotting worksheets, word document. The simplest plot outline could be based on the three act structure :.
So you may want to expand it into something like this:, novel plotting worksheets. For many people, this is enough of a structure on which to hang the main points of their story. Using these stages will help ensure the story feels satisfying to a reader. Applying this distortion to the simplest of plot outline makes it clear why getting the stages out of order can be confusing, unsettling and even nonsensical. This is an important lesson, because while the diagram above is almost laughable, it might not be so obvious when stages are out of order when using a more advanced structure.
In this diagram, the higher the line, the higher the tension and stakes. The dip towards the end additionally represents a loss of hope.
They change location or burn bridges in a metaphorical sense, meaning they cannot simply return to their old life as if nothing has happened.
We are all the protagonist of our own experience, however flawed and morally questionable. It can be anything that unsettles and ordinary life. If you start looking out novel plotting worksheets it as you watch movies and read books, you will start to see how varied the interpretations are, and how the same concepts that be found in all genres and mediums. An academic called Joseph Campbell is credited with analysing thousands of stories spanning the globe, from those told around tribal campfires to modern books and movies.
So, they are not a set of rules made up and laid out by some authority. They are a fundamental structure that emerged from the collective consciousness of our human psyche.
Having said that… all interpretations we make of the world are shaped by our own experience, and the original monomyth laid out by Campbell certainly contains problematic terminology and elements. Glaringly, there are those which focus on the traditionally male perspective and experience, but there are also novel plotting worksheets with bias towards novel plotting worksheets western experience and attitudes of the time regarding dominance and individuality.
And we can novel plotting worksheets that work by evolving it to fit our changing experiences and attitudes to the world and our way of existing in it. Of course, you could choose to throw it all out and start from scratch, novel plotting worksheets, creating your own stages, pacing and progression, novel plotting worksheets. Many have already begun this work, and created interpretations and variations which make it clearer that the emphasis is on a personal journey, rather than anything to do with men slaying dragons.
And of course, people who write in specific genres are able to identify stages and elements which tend to crop up consistently within their own genres, and have a positive effect on the popularity of their stories, novel plotting worksheets. If you outline your plot before you start writing, you can be confident your first draft will have a solid structure from the outset, rather than hoping for it to emerge organically, or having to retroactively go and apply it.
This will save time and effort when it comes to redrafting and editing towards your final manuscript. Writing a novel is a mammoth task which can feel overwhelming, novel plotting worksheets.
Having a plot outline helps break it down into manageable chunks, with clear goals. But when you analyse their work, you will usually discover that the stages are in fact. So what gives? But the fact is that there are certain things that tap into our human psyche. For each of the stages write a few sentences, or a paragraph which describe how that stage manifests in your novel. Read through the entire thing and make sure it flows and makes sense.
Make adjustments for consistency. You may decide to reorder the stages, add new ones, or remove some, novel plotting worksheets. Following the stages fairly closely is the easiest way to take advantage of the patterns of the collective unconscious. Deviating from them is to be encouraged, but you have to be aware of the impact it will have, and realise you may have to work harder and use other techniques to engage the audience and keep them emotionally hooked.
Good luck with your plot outlines! Please share your plot outlines and other plot outline resources in the comments! The plot structures below are available as free downloadable PDFs, but there is a better way to use them. There, you can select a template from the dropdown menu and begin writing within the software. You are given the option to add and delete your own stages, sort them into acts, and drag and drop them into the order you prefer.
It takes using these novel outline templates to a new level of efficiency. Get a free trial of the Novel Factory novel plotting worksheets see it in action. If you like these, you may also like our free book writing worksheets. The protagonist begins with something missing from their existence, even though they may not be aware of it. Through the story, they learn why they feel incomplete and must face their demons and deepest fears in order to evolve as a person and become whole.
Download the Character-Driven Plot Outline PDF. Novel plotting worksheets protagonist is unfulfilled in their normal life. compassion, self-confidence, etc, novel plotting worksheets. An invitation, threat, novel plotting worksheets, or attack, perhaps. Based on characters having personal character arcs and motivations that conflict with the romance aspect, novel plotting worksheets. Download the Romance Plot Outline PDF. Foreshadow the conflict that will create challenges for the romance to come.
When the two main characters first meet it is extremely likely that they will hate each other on sight.
Show how they are from different worlds, with strongly contrasting views on life. Due to external factors, the characters are forced to spend time together, novel plotting worksheets, and even to cooperate to achieve a goal. They are still at odds, but the sparks are kindling some fire… A friend may even comment on it, but the couple-to-be both hotly deny there is an attraction.
The Hero's Journey, as proposed by Joseph Campbell, trimmed to the bone and applicable across all genres - not just sword-wielding fantasies. Download the Hero's Journey Plot Outline PDF. To begin with, you set the scene and introduce the main character. An external novel plotting worksheets challenges the main character. This is usually an invitation or a threat. The protagonist often expresses reluctance to answer the Call to Action. They may be afraid or feel poorly equipped for such a challenge.
Sometimes the reluctance is expressed by a novel plotting worksheets character, not the hero. The mentor is a character of authority to the protagonist. They provide advice and useful gifts, such as weapons or talismans.
The mentor often reflects the tone of the story - a tragedy will have a one who is toxic or destructive or one who is already deada children's fairytale will have a benevolent all-knowing one, a dystopia may have an unreliable one.
The mentor is usually a recurring character. A fairly detailed structure that explains how to develop the sleuth's inner character journey alongside solving the crime and uncovering deeper conspiracies.
Mysteries and crime thrillers often begin with a prologue in which the inciting crime takes place. The first crime is very likely to be a murder or kidnapping, novel plotting worksheets. This is from a POV that is not the main protagonist, it may be from the point of view of the victim, the killer, or an omniscient narrator. Next, novel plotting worksheets, we meet the sleuth, who is the protagonist.
This person is often a professional detective, but not always. Sometimes they are a normal person thrust into a situation that gives them no choice but to take action — usually because someone they love is missing or threatened.
Based on the hero's journey, but rejigged to make the terminology more generic and easy to apply across genres. Download the Universal Novel Plot Outline PDF. The character clearly has things missing from their lives and they are unsatisfied with their current existence. The character is now in a new and unfamiliar world, trying to navigate unknown rules and challenges. The character must face a series of conflicts, each of increasing difficulty and stakes. Some they will win, some they will lose.
Download the Detective Noir Novel Plot Outline PDF. The protagonist of a detective noir is often an anti-hero. An outcast, often someone who held a heroic position in the past, such as a police officer or soldier, but who has fallen from grace. A sense of alienation should be established and maintained throughout the story.
A client will appear, seeking help with a case — usually a murder or missing person. They may appear vulnerable or wanting to help, but they will have a deep, dark secret that is bound to get the protagonist into hot water. Although the femme fatale trope is common, there is no requirement for the novel plotting worksheets to be female, or sexy, and in fact, mixing it up may make your story more refreshing.
The protagonist begins their investigations, searching for clues. This will often be done at night, and in the shadows, novel plotting worksheets. Throughout the investigation, there should be a healthy amount of red herrings. Note - click here to read about the difference between hard-boiled and noir.
And you can read more about the elements of detective noir here. Download the Screenplay Novel Plot Outline Novel plotting worksheets.
How to OUTLINE A NOVEL using Trello! - New Fave Plotting Method
, time: 6:40Proven Novel Outline Templates for Every Major Genre
· Jennifer Mattern is a professional blogger, freelance business writer, and indie blogger.com runs numerous websites & blogs including All Freelance Writing, Freelance Writing Pros, BizAmmo, NakedPR, and Kiss My Biz. Jenn has over 20 years' experience writing for others, 16 years of experience in blogging, and around 14 years' experience as an e-book author and indie publisher · This worksheet helps you consider your novel’s climax, the point where the protagonist faces the conflict directly, with his goal on the line. Download the Climax Worksheet here. Closing & Denouement Questions on this worksheet analyze the novel’s post-climax scenes with an eye toward tying up unresolved arcs and the novel as a whole Novel Outline Worksheets Here are some printable PDF worksheets you can use for your novel outline. Follow the instructions above to fill out the Summary Page. Then print as many Character Worksheets as you need to cover your most important characters. Print out a number of Scene Worksheets
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