Novel Planning & Writing
What to Include with Your Novel Planning
If you are a plotter and are ready to begin drafting your novel, you should already know that before you start writing your first word, you should set up your space and have the pertinent materials ready.
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As novel planning differs for each writer, here is the plan I have used over the years. Look at what is here and adjust the information to what works best for you.
Laying Your Groundwork
Step 1: Plan your physical and writing tool spaces.
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Prepare your physical room for writing. The areas of importance when it comes to creating a space (or location) for your novel include:
- A comfortable spot to sit or stand (if you prefer to use the adjustable desks).
- Have ergonomic accessories (chair, mouse pad, keyboard) to help during long periods of writing.
- Limit distractions on your computer, phone, and within the physical space.
- Keep your area clean and organized to find everything quickly.
- Create and organize physical files for each part of your novel, with expected accumulation where necessary, and ensure they are conveniently located for easy reference.
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Prepare your writing tools and ensure you have what you need. For example, I mainly use a combination of Microsoft Word and Excel for writing and planning purposes. However, I recently bought a license for Scrivener, which will eventually house all the information I need for each novel (as well as all the later novels that follow).
Step 2: Plan your time correctly.
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Develop a plan for how long you expect the writing process to take and then break it into manageable phases. To help determine your timeline, make sure to know the information below:
- Genre: Know your genre (or genres) and research the typical length of books.
- Planning Method: Decide which planning methods you want (or expect) to try. Complete research on each and document how to complete them (so you have a reference for later).
- Readers: Who are your desired readers for the novel? What are their general expectations?
- Publishing Options: Are you planning to publish the novel independently, or do you expect to send your manuscript to a traditional publishing house? You need to know what to expect as your next steps based on your future expectations.
- Structure: Decide the structure of your novel so you can ensure your writing follows as expected.
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Once complete, you can more accurately plan your writing time.
Step 3: Gather your existing resources.
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Pull together the resources you already have on your novel. Input your existing information on your book into your physical and technological files. That way, everything is in one place and easily accessed.
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The type of information you have may include:
Articles
Background details
Brainstorms
Character profiles
Data
Images
Lists
Mood boards
Outlines
Plot and subplot ideas
Research
Scenes and story beats
Setting options
Storyboards
Storyline information
Themes
Timelines
To-do’s
Video and audio clips
Worldbuilding
Step 4: Brainstorm new ideas and complete preliminary research.
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Once you have your existing materials input into your writing tool, use diverse brainstorming techniques to find unique ways to move the story forward.
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For more details on possibilities, complete preliminary research on intriguing ideas for more clarification before making a final decision.
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Brainstorming methods include:
3 Perspectives
Breakdown Topic into Levels
Clustering/Visual Webbing
Conversation
Cubing
Dictionaries/Thesaurus/Encyclopedias
Free Writing
Journalistic Questions
Lists/Bullets
Looping
Mind Mapping
Purpose and Audience
Researching
Similes
Star Bursting
SWOT Analysis
Thinking Outside the Box
Using Charts/Shapes
Word Association
Word Banks
Step 5: Create character profiles, choose your story’s settings, decide on plots and sub-plots, and choose the novel’s themes.
Characters
Primary Protagonist(s)
Antagonist(s)
Mentors
Power Players
Minor Characters
Character Profiles
Essential characteristics.
Build their background.
Give them quirks, faults, and flaws.
Are all characters integral to the story?
Is each character unique?
Settings
Time
Place
Objects
Environment
Ambience
Plots & Subplots
Inciting Incident
External Conflicts
Character Arcs
Protagonist/Antagonist Relationship
Point of No Return
Themes
Dominant story theme
Sub-Themes
Step 6: Using the plots and themes found in Step 5, create a chronological timeline for your novel. (Remember, it can always be adjusted based on your story structure later).
Chapters.
Characters.
Major Events.
Scene List.
Story Beats.
Step 7: Decide on voice, point of view, and when it takes place.
Point of view.
Voice.
When it takes place.
Step 8: Break your story into scenes and chapters.
Scenes.
Chapters.
Step 9: Know when to stop the planning process and start the drafting process.
