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Giving your story structure will help you ensure you have a narrative arc, that they key incidents happen in the right place and that your story development works, but developing a plotting system that suits you is vitally important. Here I discuss what works for me – creating a chapter plan (which I may or may not stick to!) Importantly for me, by creating a table of 30 chapters, I can see if I have enough story for a novel, or if I need to go back to the drawing board!
The chapter plan for The Dressmaker/Little Bones included in this video are available for you to download in the links below.
You will find these documents and additional video useful:
Bonus Videos:
If you aren’t a plotter, find out how Rachel Donoghue develops her ideas in her conversation here with Simon Trewin – a Hennessy Award winning short story writer, her debut novel has been critically acclaimed and her process is completely different to mine!
Additional links:
All about Scrivener: I use Scrivener to compile all my research, character profiles and images, and location research, although I still use Word to write the actual book. This article (click title link) shows you how Scrivener works and gives you an insight how other authors use it. There are buy links on the end so you can test it out for yourself!
Writers Ink Online Coaching and Mentoring Group: This is a paid group with a monthly susbscription of €59, a vibrant community of supportive writers. I have developed Writers Ink with NLP and Business Coach Maria McHale – we have a series of daily events including an Ask Me Anything, weekly prompts, weekly critique of your work in progress and a weekly live session where we discuss group activities, and give tips. With an author interview each month and bi monthly sessions with literary agent Simon Trewin, members are building their confidence and achieving publishing success.
Writing.ie: One of Europe’s biggest and busiest website, is packed full of information for new authors. All articles are free to view, and there are several submission opportunites where you can see your work published. Find out about joining as an Emerging Writer here – a page on Writing.ie gives you a space on the web that you can link to in submissions and saves having to create your own website or blog, or, if you have your own blog established, offers a powerful highly ranked back-link.
Inkwell Readers Reports: One of the major problems writers face when they reach the end of their manuscript, is getting reliable and expert feedback on the book as a whole. What’s working, what isn’t? Is there a plot hole or a cast of extraneous characters? Are you telling too much and not showing, is your dialogue sparkling and natural and working hard for you? Does that ending really work?
A reader’s report will give you unbiased independent professional feedback on your book. It is designed to kick start your own creativity , to think about the story from a new angle and give you the tools to bring it to the next level.
The Society of Authors: The SoA is the UK trade union for all types of writers, illustrators and literary translators, at all stages of their careers. We have been advising individuals and speaking out for the profession for more than a century.
Members receive unlimited free advice on all aspects of the profession, including confidential clause-by-clause contract vetting, and a wide range of exclusive offers.
The SoA campaign and lobby on the issues that affect authors and hold a wide range of events across the UK. Find out more about membership. Use code VFO20 to get a 20% discount on your first year’s membership