Novel Planning

Turn your idea into a fully fleshed out plan

This is the architectural plan for your story that will flesh out your rough idea into a workable concept, ending with a cohesive outline.

Consider this your bird’s-eye view of your novel. From that high up, you’ll be able to identify gaps in your story before you start writing. You can see what holes are missing in your plot, when character motivations are weak, if sections are redundant, and when the idea is strong enough to write forward.

That will save you months in the drafting and revision process. When your story is strong enough to begin writing, you won’t be guessing whether you’re writing something worth telling. You’ll know it.

What does that actually look like?

  • We’ll dig deep to uncover

    • What your book is really about—what story you’re telling and why it matters.

    • What your story stands for —the heart of the message in your novel.

    • Who your target audience is and the type of experience you want to create for readers.

    This will clarify any vague ideas or premises, so you don’t end up writing 50,000 words only to discover that the concept is too fuzzy to sustain interest.

  • Whether you’re writing a fantasy or a contemporary story, setting is more than a backdrop. It’s a living, breathing part of your novel. Together, we’ll:

    • Build a world that enhances the mood, tone, and themes of your story.

    • Explore how your setting influences your characters and plot.

    • For fantasy, we’ll define the rules of the world and ensure that it’s logical.

  • Together, we’ll define the engine of the story by:

    • Clarifying who the protagonist is, what they want, and why they can’t get it.

    • Mapping the transformation of the protagonist.

    • Developing the antagonistic forces that will get in the protagonist’s way.

    • Identifying the stakes.

    Instead of developing this randomly, we’ll do it intentionally, saving you years of revision time.

  • We’ll develop a malleable outline that will:

    • Lay out the skeleton of the beginning, middle, and end.

    • Ensure the plot arc intertwines with the character arc.

    • Create a story that flows well.

    • Build compelling emotional beats.

    This will give you clarity about where your story is going, so you don’t waste months writing a novel only to discover it doesn’t go anywhere.

Why This Process Works

When you’re building a story on your own with no clear framework, you’re forced to make too many decisions at once. Plot, characters, pacing. It’s overwhelming. Not to mention second-guessing, stalled drafts, and abandoned manuscripts.

This process works because it separates those decisions and puts them into a manageable order so you’re not tackling everything at once. The result is a framework that aligns creativity with structure. You’ll build your dream novel one step at a time.

What You’ll Walk Away With

  1. A complete outline that will work as your roadmap as you begin drafting.

  2. Clear character arcs

  3. A structured, engaging plot.

  4. Confidence in your story.

  5. Momentum to actually finish your book.

  6. The knowledge and skills to flesh out future ideas and create outlines.

Ready to Bring Your Idea to Life?

Let's Get started
Let's Get started

“Worth every penny and then some!!!! I have been spinning over this idea for years and in one summer, I made so much progress and gained so much clarity over my ideas, how to organize them across the series, and I gained confidence that this is a story that works and that I'm excited to write because I know where I'm headed (and it's not a dead-end!).”

— C.S. James