Plotting Your Novel: Plan Your Novel's Characters, World, and Plot!

Do you have the beginning of a story idea in your brain, but you're not sure if you can write a book? What about the plot???

In this flex class, I'll make it easy. Anyone can write a compelling plot. It just takes a little planning.

I'm both a teacher and a published novelist. I've written two young adult page-turners published by Penguin and Disney-Hyperion, and I love teaching kids and teens how to write their own novels.  My writing guide will also be published by Penguin: The Busy Writer's Guide to Finishing a Novel in 100 Days. 

In this class, you'll learn how to plan your book so that you actually finish it, and I'll give you feedback to help you get there.

If you're writing a book during National Novel Writing Month, this will give you a solid start. The Scholastic Novel Writing Contest submissions are at the end of November or early December, so you need to have the synopsis nailed down for that as well. 

You can do this class in a weekend if you choose the self-paced option or you can do it over four weeks, whatever works for you. 

If you do it over four weeks, here's what you'll do:

In the first week, you'll develop your story idea and your main character. You'll send me your elevator pitch and I'll give you a thumbs up or offer you suggestions to change it. I will give you feedback on this within a day because it's hard to progress without this feedback.

In the second week, you'll develop the world and the secondary characters.

In the third week, you'll write a two page four-act plot synopsis. 

In the fourth week, you'll write specific ideas for the twenty core plot points, and develop a plan for when you'll write. This will set you up for success when writing your book. 

In this class, you'll learn how to plan a story so that you don't get lost in the middle of it and you can actually finish it. This can be really tough for many people of all ages, so you aren't alone if finishing is tough for you. I'll help you plan the story no matter where you are in the writing, so that you don't get stuck: you'll see exactly where it needs to go. We'll brainstorm character development and the world first, because this is the backbone for a compelling plot. You'll write a solid elevator pitch. Then, you'll plan the beginning, middle and end of the novel based on a four act structure. 

I'm here to answer any of your questions. This is a supportive and encouraging flex class to ensure you plan your book in such a way that you'll enjoy writing it all the way to the end.