Save the Cat! Goes on a Blog Tour (And Giveaway)

We're excited to announce the blog tour for the Save the Cat Writes the Novel by Jessica Brody and the Save the Cat Structure Software. Follow along the tour to read reviews of the book and the software, guest posts, interviews, and a chance to win a copy of the book and the software.

What is Save the Cat!®?

Save the Cat! provides writers the resources they need to develop their screenplays and novels based on a series of best-selling books, primarily written by Blake Snyder (1957- 2009). Blake’s method is based on 10 distinctive genres and his 15 story beats (the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet). Our books, workshops, story structure software, apps, and story coaching teach you everything you need to unlock the fundamentals and mechanics of plot and character transformation.

Find out more about Save the Cat! by visiting their webpage at www.savethecat.com.

About Save the Cat! Structure Software

Save the Cat! Story Structure Software is adapted from the Save the Cat! methodology to help screenwriters and novelists unlock the fundamentals of plot and character transformation. The Story Structure Software is a virtual writer board with digital index cards to help map out your story against the 15 beats or plot points to your story. The software enables writers to track emotional shifts of characters from scene to scene, develop profiles and edit and version your story with ease.

You can purchase a subscription to the Save the Cat! Structure Software at Save the Cat's website.

About the Book, Save the Cat Writes the Novel

An Amazon #1 best seller with over 500 reviews, it’s the first novel-writing guide from the best-selling Save the Cat! story-structure series, reveals the 15 essential plot points needed to make any novel a success.

In this revolutionary novel-writing guide from the best-selling Save the Cat! series, novelist Jessica Brody demystifies each beat, making it simple to learn the complexities of storytelling. The best-seller also reveals the ten universal story genres to help you drill down into what makes your type of story work. Featuring sample “beat sheets” for hits from the likes of J. K. Rowling, Khaled Hosseini, and Stephen King, this practical guide also includes real-world advice on pitching your novel, plus the quirky, original insights (like the eponymous tip to “Save the Cat”) that make this series unique. By the end of this book, your own imaginative beats will combine to create a story that thrills readers from start to finish.

Print Length: 320 Pages
Genre: Writing References
Publisher: Ten Speed Press/Random House
ASIN: B078VWDNKT
ISBN-10: 0399579745
ISBN-13:978-0399579745

Save the Cat! Writes the Novel is available as a print and e-book at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and IndieBound.

About the Author, Jessica Brody

Jessica Brody worked for MGM Studios as manager of acquisitions and business development before becoming an internationally best-selling author of more than fifteen novels for adults and teens including The Geography of Lost Things, The Chaos of Standing Still, A Week of Mondays, and Better You Than Me. She travels the country teaching Save the Cat! workshops to novelists.

Book & Software Giveaway

To win a copy of the book Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody and a year subscription to Save the Cat Structure Software, please enter using Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post. Giveaway ends on May 3rd at 11:59 PM EST. We will announce the winner the next day on the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!

--- Interview by Nicole Pyles with Jason Kolinsky Save the Cat's Chief Marketing Officer

WOW: First of all, I am so excited to be part of this tour for Save the Cat!. How did you first come to join the company?

Jason: Hi Nicole! It’s great that we are connecting like this – hope you and your team are keeping well and safe!

To be honest, I had no idea that a book about writing stories would change my entire life!

For those who don’t know much about Save the Cat! (and I didn’t when I was first introduced to it), Save the Cat! is the top selling book on screenwriting and novel writing. It’s become the go-to book for writers, writer’s rooms, class rooms and industry execs – when writing, discussing and developing stories – no matter if it’s for the page, stage or screen.

The book has become a language, it’s for writing but also for communicating with other writers and creative professionals – I like to say if English is the international business language then Save the Cat! is the language of storytelling.

My story with STC! is pretty amazing. A friend recommended the book and after a few months (I’m a procrastinator at heart), I finally sat down and opened the book and I haven’t stopped reading and referring to it ever since. It changed the way I looked at stories, how to understand how they are written and told…. storytelling would never be the same for me. I attended a Save the Cat! Weekend Intensive Workshop in New York City, and instead of working on an idea for a screenplay, I’ve started to help write the Save the Cat! brand story.

After the class, I shared with the instructor that I had a background in marketing and asked if they needed any help. I started working on business and marketing plans as a no cost consultant for about 2 years and then I finally earned the opportunity to become part of the STC! family, to lead the marketing with a goal to get the word out about all the great lines of products and services Save the Cat! has in lending a helping hand to writers.

WOW: That is so incredible how you were led to Save the Cat! Which brings me to my next question that I absolutely must ask...why "Save the Cat!"?

Jason: Great question! Save the Cat! has had a huge impact on creative culture, the brand pops up everywhere from the cover of the New Yorker to Netflix shows like “You” to newly published authors – it’s astounding how a book originally for screenwriters and film makers became a methodology and approach embraced by novelists and TV writers as well.

I have to say, I’m so happy to be part of something that helps writers bring their work to life.

WOW: That is so rewarding! What has changed for your writing since you started using the Save the Cat! methodology?

Jason: Well my writing had always focused on business, and I just limited it to facts and figures; however, Save the Cat! made me take a fresh look at what and how I write – it inspired me to deliver the story behind those facts. I now always ask myself how to make my thoughts more compelling and memorable with an eye out for moving the idea forward.

WOW: I think that's incredible! So, for this tour, you will be writing a guest post on how Save the Cat! has impacted creative culture. And it really has! From your observations, how has the writing community changed since Save the Cat! started appealing to both screenwriters and novelists?

Jason: What a time to be a writer! There has never been a better time to write – more stories are developed and released than ever before. The writing community is growing rapidly and what we have seen is that many successful writers are using the same plotting techniques for Novels, Screenplays and TV series. You see this with the adaption from one form to another – we’ve been blessed to help writers make those shifts and remain focused on the key story beats and plot points when developing their work.

WOW: Tell me a little bit about how you and Jessica met and how she came to write Save the Cat! Writes the Novel.

Jason: Absolutely – and what a great match Save the Cat! and Jessica have made. As a matter of fact, we just launched our very first Save the Cat! Masterclass Webinar featuring Jessica, live! on May 2nd – please check it out!

The story of Jessica and STC! is a fun one, that many of your readers can relate to. A struggling novelist (Jessica Brody) has rejection letters piling up - has a lunch with a screenwriter friend to tell her stories of woe, after listening patiently he said, “I think I can help you. There’s this book that I read. It’s a book called Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder. It’s written for screenwriters, but I think the concepts could work just as well for novelists. Because really it’s all about how to structure a good story.”

With some tweaking and adaptation, Jessica took the fifteen key story beats that Blake Snyder developed and laid them out to plot and structure a successful novel.

Jessica then rewrote her manuscript and sold her first novel to a major publisher! She sold 3 more and was so excited that she connected with us to become an instructor. By teaching novelists, she gained such insight into Blake Snyder's principles, that we decided to pitch Save the Cat! Writes a Novel. Five major publishers bid on the book, with Ten Speed, a division of Random House, winning the publication rights. (Now, in 2020, she's had over 20 sales, all to major publishers.)

WOW: What a journey! What type of writer is Save the Cat! for?

Jason: Most books on creative writing or storytelling are grounded in theory and written by academics for students. The Save the Cat! methodology was developed by Blake Snyder, a working screenwriter – he wanted a book written by a screenwriter for screenwriters. I can honestly say the same about Jessica and Save the Cat! Writes a Novel – our books are written by writers for writers.

So, I’d say the type of writer who wants to write a novel or screenplay with the goal of having their story made or published.

WOW: Sounds like a good majority of us! Can you describe a little bit about what Save the Cat! Structure Software is like? For a new user, what can they expect by using this software?

Jason: Of course! The Save the Cat! Story Structure Software is a writer’s virtual board with digital index cards to help you map out and organize your story.

The software guides screenwriters and novelists through the 15 beats of their story, helps direct the writer to choose emotional shifts in each scene and chapter, the software has key prompts to develop characters, relationships and so much more so that the writer’s story is structurally sound!

WOW: I love how much that software helps build the story. What is next for Save the Cat!? What is next for you?

Jason: Although times are a bit uncertain, we have some great projects launching in May:

- Our very first Storytelling Masterclass Webinar with Jessica Brody – 3 LIVE classes over 3 Saturdays starting on Saturday May 2nd. 

- The launch of our first online screenwriting course

- A new iOS app for the Save the Cat! Story Structure Software

Thanks so much for this chat – can’t wait to see what’s next for WOW.

WOW: That sounds exciting! If you could give aspiring writers any advice right now, what would you say?

Jason: Yes – It’s a great quote by Blake Snyder, author of Save the Cat!:

“The worst thing that can happen in screenwriting is not to finish. Half-written screenplays never sell.”

This means so much on so many levels – finish what you start, so that you can move forward!

WOW: I completely agree! Thank you so much for joining us today and we look forward to seeing you on the tour!

--- Blog Tour Dates

April 27th @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Visit the Muffin today and you can read an interview with the Save the Cat team as well as enter to win a copy of the book Save the Cat! Writes the Novel and a one-year subscription to their software Save the Cat! Structure Software.
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

April 28th @ Pro Writing Aid
Make sure you visit Michelle's post over at Pro Writing Aid and read her review of the save the Cat Structure Sofware.
https://prowritingaid.com/en/Blog/Author/183/Michelle-Cornish

April 29th @ Karen Brown Tyson
Make sure you visit Karen Brown Tyson's blog today and read her review of Save the Cat! Writes the Novel.
https://karenbrowntyson.com/blog/

April 30th @ Karen Brown Tyson
Visit Karen's blog again and you can read a guest post about the impact of Save the Cat! on creative culture.
https://karenbrowntyson.com/blog/

May 1st @ Sunflowers & Bluebirds
Visit Jess' blog today and you can read her review of Save the Cat! Writes the Novel.
https://sunflowerstobluebirds.wordpress.com/

May 2nd @ Jessica Samuel's Blog
Make sure you visit Jessica's blog today and you can read her review of Save the Cat! Writes the Novel and her review of the Save the Cat! Structure Software.
https://jessicasamuelsauthor.com/

May 3rd @ Help me Naomi
Visit Naomi's blog today and you can read her review of Save the Cat! Structure Software. Just in time for CampNaNoWriMo!
https://helpmenaomi.com/blog/

May 4th @ Her First Mile
Visit Alyshia's blog today and make sure you read her review of Save the Cat! Structure Software.
http://herfirstmile.com/

May 5th @ Halfway to It
Visit Jeanna's blog (and Instagram!) today and read her review of Save the Cat! Writes the Novel.
https://www.halfwaytoitblog.com/
https://www.instagram.com/halfwaytoitblog/

May 6th @ Editor 911
Make sure you visit Margo's blog today and read her review of the Save the Cat! Structure Software.
https://editor-911.com/

May 7th @ Brooke's Reviews and Sweeps
Visit Brooke's site today and make sure you read her review of Save the Cat! Writes the Novel.
http://www.brookereviewsnsweeps.com/

May 7th @ Sandy Kirby Quandt
Stop by Sandy's blog today and you can read her review of the Save the Cat! Writes the Novel.
www.sandykirbyquandt.com

May 8th @ Quill and Books
Stop by Katheryn's blog and you can read her review of the Save the Cat! Structure Software.
https://quillandbooks.com/

May 9th @ Choices Blog
Visit Madeline's blog today and you can read a fantastic Save the Cat! guest post about how to choose the best idea to write.
http://madelinesharples.com/

May 10th @ Margay Leah Justice Blog
Visit Margay's blog and you can read her review of the Save the Cat! Structure Software and Save the Cat! Writes the Novel.
http://margayleahjustice.blogspot.com/

May 11th @ Beverley A. Baird's Blog
Make sure you stop by Beverley's blog and you can read her review of the Save the Cat! Structure Software.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

May 12th @ Reading Whale
Visit Caitlin's blog and read her review of the Save the Cat! Writes the Novel and of the Save the Cat! Structure Software.
https://readingwhale.com/

May 13th @ Mint Miller Writes
Visit Mint Miller's blog today and you can read a review of Save the Cat! Writes the Novel.
https://www.mintmillerwrites.com/blog/

May 14th @ Author Anthony Avina's Blog
Visit Anthony Avina's blog today and you can read his review of Save the Cat! Writes the Novel.
https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

May 15th @ Chapters Through Life
Visit Danielle's blog today and you can read her review of the Save the Cat Structure Software.
http://chaptersthroughlife.blogspot.com/

May 16th @ Coffee with Lacey
Grab some coffee and make sure you stop by Lacey's blog today and read her review of Save the Cat! Writes the Novel.
http://www.coffeewithlacey.com

May 17th @ Leslie L. McKee's blog
Visit Leslie's blog today and you can read her review of the Save the Cat! Structure Software and the Save the Cat! Writes the Novel.
https://leslielmckee.com/blog/

May 18th @ World of My Imagination
Visit Nicole's blog today and you can read her review of Save the Cat! Writes the Novel.
https://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com/

May 19th @ Beverley A. Baird's Blog
Visit Beverley's blog again and you can read a guest post about how software can help organize and plot your story.
http://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com

May 20th @ Author Anthony Avina's Blog
Visit Anthony Avina's blog and you can read his review of the Save the Cat! Structure Software.
https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

May 21st @ L. M. Harley's Blog
Visit Laura's blog today and you can read her review of the Save the Cat! Structure Software.
http://lmharleywriter.com/blog.html

May 22nd @ Fiona Ingram's Blog
Visit Fiona's blog today and you can read her insights into the Save the Cat! Structure Software.
http://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/

May 23rd @ Knotty Needle
Visit Judy's blog today and you can read her review of the Save the Cat! Structure Software.
http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/

May 24th @ Tyrean Martinson's Blog
Visit Tyrean's blog today and you can read her review of the Save the Cat! Structure Software.
https://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/

May 25th @ Author Anthony Avina's Blog
Visit Anthony Avina's blog and you can read his interview with the Save the Cat! team.
https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

May 27th @ Amanda Zieba's Blog
Visit Amanda's blog today and you can read her review of the Save the Cat! Structure Software.
http://amandazieba.com/

May 28th @ It's Alanna Jean
Visit Alanna's blog today and you can read a guest post by the Save the Cat team about writing genres vs. audience genres. Don't miss it!
http://itsalannajean.com/

May 28th @ Shayla Raquel
Make sure you stop by Shayla's blog and read her review of the book Save the Cat! Writes the Novel.
https://shaylaraquel.com/

May 29th @ Thoughts in Progress
Visit Mason's blog and read her review of the Save the Cat! Structure Software.
http://masoncanyon.blogspot.com/

May 30th @ Make Me a Success
Make sure you stop by Kirsten's blog and read her review of the Save the Cat! Structure Software.
https://www.makemeasuccess.co.uk/blogs/

***** SAVE THE CAT! GIVEAWAY *****

To win a copy of the book Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody and a year subscription to Save the Cat Structure Software ($189 value), please enter using Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post. Giveaway ends on May 3rd at 11:59 PM EST. We will announce the winner the next day on the Rafflecopter widget and follow up via email. Good luck!

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Friday Speak Out: Reading….Or Writing?

by Priscilla Whitley

The past winter weather in the Northeast wasn’t a place one wanted to venture into very often. The wind, the ice, the oh so low temperatures certainly didn’t cry out for a leisurely walk. And a walk is my place to ruminate over a piece I may be working on. Instead I turned to some books on writing when I found myself trapped indoors, uninspired, the snow mounting up on my deck.

One does have to be careful in choosing when and how much to read about writing for it’s certainly easier than trying to stumble through a first draft. And that’s the debate. With all the books written about writing should one be reading or should one be writing?

I’ve always encouraged those in my Workshop to read what they want to write. But choose carefully. If you’re looking to craft a YA novel, pick the Caldecott winners. For that fast paced mystery novel you know you can create, read the best the genre has to offer. Read and note how an author has crafted their piece. But there are also the times one is stuck or overwhelmed by what others have been able to write. How did they do that? Doubts, we all have them, creep in. It’s then we may need some guidance….let’s call it a private class room lecture. That’s where books on writing may be the inspiration one needs.

It isn’t about good luck no matter how many stars we wish upon. To be reminded, or even to understand for the first time, the importance of technique, tone, the use of images, the mighty attention to details, can bring a piece to another level. Is the beginning weak or the ending blah? Does the dialogue move the story and is the arch strong enough? To read of different ways to look at one’s writing may begin a thought process not previously considered.

But how to take the thoughts, the ideas and write the words, the sentences, the paragraphs? We see it in our mind but will the reader understand? Those questions can make us all doubters. Reading how others face their uncertainties can be like a weekend therapy session with other writers. One’s dog, with all his love, can’t relate to the rapid tapping of a pencil on the desk as potential agony sets in over whether the writing is good enough. But other’s, so many others, know what this is like. With all the formula’s, the outlines, the little tricks other authors have devised, reading of the ways they choose to cope can sometimes be enough to get back to the actual writing. And with joy.

It’s not I recommend one spend all their time surrounded by books on writing. But there are occasions when one needs to step back and reach for some companionship through the creative process. Now that the weather allows the sun to fill the room it’s time for me to put their advice to good use.

* * *

Priscilla Whitley has been a writer most of her life. She attended the University of Missouri School of Journalism as well as Fordham University where she majored in Creative Writing. She has been an on-going contributing feature writer for Hersam/Acorn Press. Her work has appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just Us Girls with a current piece, Barn Tales, in Weston Magazine Group http://issuu.com/westonmagazinegroup/docs/tribeca_issue50/26 . Her memoir, August on the Porch, placed first in the Westport CT Arts Center Memoir Contest. As facilitator of the Candlewood Writer’s Group, Priscilla runs workshops for writer’s in Fairfield County Connecticut. Her website is http://priscillawhitley.wordpress.com.
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Start Your Novel by Darcy Pattison (Review and Giveaway)

You probably recognize the name Darcy Pattison, if you're a regular reader of The Muffin because you've been reading her wonderful writing advice RIGHT HERE! She's out with a new book for novel writers that's also full of writing wisdom and savvy tips to improve the beginning of your novel titled, Start Your Novel: Six Winning Steps Toward a Compelling Opening Line, Scene and Chapter.

We've all heard agents, editors, and even readers state that they don't give a novel very long to catch their interest before they put down the manuscript or close up the book. In today's fast-paced and competitive society, you have to catch a reader's attention from the first sentence of your novel. That's what Darcy's book is going to help you do!

After she shares with you why editors focus on page one of a novel, even if writers think it's unfair, she dives into the six steps. The first is to clarify your idea. In this chapter, Darcy has included twenty-nine plot templates, which are possible slants or directions a story idea could take, and uses the familiar story of Cinderella for all of us to understand how to use templates. She writes, "I consult the plot templates when I'm first thinking of an idea for a novel and again when I start a revision."

Some of these templates are: "Adventure comes to you. A stranger comes to town." or "You go to adventure. You leave town." or "Someone is wronged and vows to take revenge on someone else." You fill your novel idea into these templates to see the best direction to take while writing it. In this section, she also provides some great questions you should ask yourself about your characters' emotions.

After your idea is clarified, Darcy moves on to discuss your writing skills. She claims there are two skills that are essential for novelists, and these make perfect sense. Novelists must be able to: write in scenes and write with vivid imagery. A valuable tidbit in this chapter is that Darcy helps define a scene: "a scene is a series of connected actions which contain a small story question. Will John get a home run in this game?" We all know what a scene is, of course; but when writing one, sometimes we lose focus. Darcy's book helps you get it back whether you are a beginner or an expert.

By the middle of the book, Darcy writes about planning the first chapter. No wonder novel writing is so hard—there's a lot to do to prepare to even write the first sentence. Start Your Novel helps you through this process with easy to understand instructions and examples. What's great about this third step is that she first shows us how NOT to open a novel—no back story (and then she helps you figure out how to work in your back story), no characters waking up, no giving away the ending, and more. She does provide writing prompts to help you figure out where to start to catch your readers' attention!

The fourth step is dedicated to that all important FIRST LINE. This is another great chapter, full of examples from published novels and some explanation as to why that particular first line worked. The fifth step is to WRITE. Darcy gives some important advice about writing first drafts—you must get something down on paper. You can fuss over the exact details later. So, if you are still playing around with the first line and you have nothing more of your novel written, pick the line you like the best so far, and keep writing.

Finally, the last step, which writers either love or hate but have to do anyway, is REVISE. She helps you revise that first chapter and again covers some ways that novelists make mistakes and how to avoid these when revising.

There are a lot of writing craft books on the shelf, and many of them are dedicated to novel writing. What I like about Start Your Novel is that Darcy has focused on one of the most crucial sections of a successful novel—the beginning. If you turn readers off at the beginning, then no one will read your brilliant middle or incredible ending. Darcy's latest book would be helpful for anyone struggling to begin a novel, whether you've written one or one hundred.

And we have an e-copy to giveaway! So, enter with the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win: Start Your Novel: Six Winning Steps Toward a Compelling Opening Line, Scene and Chapter. 

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Author Karen Wiesner: Unplugged with The Muffin

For the past few weeks, we've reviewed several of Karen S. Wiesner's books (and held giveaways) on The Muffin, including First Draft in 30 Days, From First Draft to Finished Novel, and Writing the Fiction Series (this giveaway is still going on!). So, to get an idea of the woman behind these excellent writers' reference books, we decided to interview Karen about her writing process and how she became so prolific.

Karen Wiesner is an accomplished author who has penned over 98 books in the past 15 years, which have been nominated and/or won 125 awards. She currently has 38 more under contract, spanning a variety of genres. For more information about Karen and her work, visit her websites at www.KarenWiesner.com, www.FirstDraftin30Days.com, www.falconsbend.com, and www.JewelsoftheQuill.com. You can also sign up for Karen's free e-mail newsletter, Karen's Quill, and become eligible for her monthly book giveaways, by sending a blank e-mail to KarensQuill-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Interview by Elizabeth King Humphrey

***

WOW: Welcome to The Muffin, Karen! You are obviously successful at writing novels. Why did you decide to turn your skills to books on the craft of writing novels?

Karen: Fiction writing is the heart of who I am as a writer. Not writing simply isn’t an option for me. I have to. It’s as vital as breathing. Even if I’d never gotten published, I would always write if for no one else but myself. Nonfiction, I admit, I write for others, not so much for myself. I realize there’s a need for this crucial information, and I’m happy to provide it for any author who requests it. Having it in book format is convenient and sometimes profitable, lol, but whenever anyone writes to me asking for advice, I respond. To me, it’s a way of giving back to all the generous, experienced authors who helped me along the way.

WOW: Well, we're so glad you decided to give back! Your books are truly helpful. So how long did you write before you discovered what worked?

Karen: I wrote my first book when I was ten years old. That was the summer my family was in Oklahoma, and we discovered this abandoned old trailer with photographs all over the floor. Both my sister (author Linda Derkez) and I got a ton of ideas from looking at these pictures, speculating about who’d lived there and what happened to them. That was the summer I knew I was destined to be a writer. I started brainstorming romances, thrillers, and mysteries in my head. By the time I was sixteen, I’d written almost a dozen books and short stories, and countless poems (one of which was published).

My first book was published in 1997 (Leather & Lace, which has been newly revised and reissued in paperback and electronic formats)—after about ten years of writing. It was then that I realized my seat-of-the-pants method of writing every book from start to finish at least twelve times (taking months and months to complete each of these) was too inefficient. Because once I had a first draft, I always started with the hard part of the writing process. I got the comparably easy part of the way with this directionless first draft and left myself with the torturous work of untangling, sorting out, revising and polishing 400 or more pages—many times, more than once! Sometimes I felt like I spent all my time revising. If I wanted my career to have the momentum necessary to be a success, something had to change.

WOW: Oh gosh, I think many of us have been there with the endless revision stage. What is one of the most essential pieces of advice about novel writing that you think could benefit beginning novel writers?

Karen: Many authors fear that using an outline will kill their enthusiasm for writing the book. In fact, the biggest reason authors don’t use an outline is because of a misplaced fear that their creativity will be hampered or caged by this guide. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve never felt stifled by an outline. Just the opposite, in fact. The outline frees me to explore every aspect of a book—without risk. It allows my ideas (and my characters) to come to life on their own and grow. An outline is an absolutely ideal place to explore new characters and story threads. Use your outline to explore any angle you want. If new characters crop up, wonderful! Include them. If they’re not right for the story, getting rid of them won’t take you much time at all. Explore a new story thread—follow wherever it takes you. If it’s a logical thread, keep it. If it’s not, delete it.

WOW: How have the processes you describe in your books helped you to become so prolific?

Karen: Both of my Writer’s Digest books, First Draft in 30 Days and From First Draft to Finished Novel: A Writer’s Guide to Cohesive Story Building, work together perfectly, and those who have read and used both methods say the same. Used together, they really are like a well-oiled machine focused on productivity, high-quality, and unending momentum. Used together, these are the secrets of how I became so prolific. Incidentally, between these two books, I cover every single stage of writing a book in-depth and step-by-step, so each aspect is detailed from start to finish.

The focus of First Draft in 30 Days is outlining and doing it in such a way that the outline is actually the first draft of the book. The initial time I actual go to write the book is similar to my second draft—and generally it does read like a polished manuscript.

One thing From First Draft to Finished Novel really targets is the importance of working in stages. I can’t stress how crucial this is for all authors. In an ideal situation, a writer goes through the following nine stages to get a finished novel:

1. Brainstorming

2. Researching

3. Outlining

4. Setting aside the project

5. Writing the first draft

6. Setting aside

7. Revising

8. Setting aside

9. Editing and polishing (preferably after critique partners have gone over it)


On my website, you’ll find a page that includes my annual works in progress and accomplishments. I encourage writers to visit this page because you’ll really see how well these methods work. I never work on these stages back to back on the same book because that would kill my enthusiasm for the project and wouldn’t be able to progress another layer with it. I would be intimidated about working on the project so exclusively that I can barely get myself to look at it anymore.

There are only three things writers need to do to be productive:

1) Work in stages. (Anyone can learn this, given a little time, and it’s simply logical to work this way. There’s nothing magical or even “hard-wired” about it!)

2) Use annual goals and project goals sheets. (Not difficult to learn at all. First Draft in 30 Days has templates for both of these worksheets and you’ll find a link below to PDF copies of them at the end of this interview.)

3) Sit down and do the work. (No magic formula for this one either, but I play head-games with myself all the time to get my work done. For instance, I tell myself that if finish the work I’m supposed to this morning, I can play a computer or X-Box game all afternoon. Believe me, that’s a huge motivation for me. Find something that motivates you. Motivation lights a fire inside you the way simply lecturing yourself can’t.)

To be fair, I write full-time, and a lot of authors don’t have that luxury. Even still, you can really see using this system that, even if you have only 1 or 2 hours per day to work, you’ll always be progressing and building very solid, high-quality stories. Conceivably, you could double your output in a year’s time while doing some of the best writing you’ve ever done in your life.

WOW: What do you want WOW readers to know about you and your work—both craft books and novels?

Karen: I don’t ever believe you should do more work than you need to. I’ve always said this about my writing methods. If you find yourself getting bogged down (either by the amount of time allotted—too much or too little—to each step, or by an ability to progress with a step), move on to the next step. If you don’t need to follow a particular step in the process because you’ve already done it or it would just be unnecessary for you, you shouldn’t do it. All of this stuff is designed to get writers thinking about areas that they’ve always seen as part of a whole, but that they’ve never before separated from the whole. In the beginning, you may need to perform all of those steps, filling out endless worksheets, etc., as you learn how to sufficiently develop each aspect of a book. The point of all writing methods is to find out how you work best—take what you can, discard the rest—and your goal should always be to get to an instinctive form of working.

Once you’ve used a method like the ones in my two books often enough, you’ll find that a lot of the writing process has become instinctive for you. You’ll understand the importance of solid characterization now, whereas you may have been flying blind before. You’ll comprehend how well-placed descriptions can enhance all the other parts of a book.

Because so much of this has become instinctive for you, you may not have to formally complete setting sketches or plot sketches, etc., anymore. You’ll do those things within the framework of your research and then within the outlining. I promise you, you won’t always have to fill out so many worksheets and checklists to accomplish this—unless you want to continue with them.

The longer you write, the more books you finish, the easier it should become. We grow more adept in our writing the longer we do it. My books First Draft in 30 Days and From First Draft to Finished Novel can give you a solid plan of action to follow until you’ve reached the instinctive stage on your own. If you’ve never written a book before, you’ll need the direction both of my books (and plenty of others) can give you.

If you simply can’t get some portion of your book to work, then all the checklists and exercises should help you figure out where your story is stuck or going wrong. But only do what you feel benefits you and your story. That said, I believe an outline is a crucial layer in developing every story. I don’t really think you can “instinctively” grow out of needing one of those because it’s really the ideal place the hard work of writing a book should be done.

• Check out my column, “From One Author to Another” on Savvy Authors
• View or download five worksheets from First Draft in 30 Days
• View or download five checklists From First Draft to Finished Novel
• Later this year, I’ll be offering tutorials for both of these books from Writer’s Digest Tutorials

My newest writing reference is Writing the Fiction Series: The Guide for Novels and Novellas available now from Writer’s Digest Books. The definitive guide to crafting a series! With insights from nearly 100 series authors and publishers, as well as "Grow Your Series Muscles" exercises, Writing the Fiction Series is the only book you'll need to write a series that sizzles. Also look for the companion tutorial from Writer’s Digest Tutorials.

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Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer, editor, coach, and reviewer. She earned her MFA at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and has a certificate in editing from the University of Chicago Graham School. She is currently writing a book about gluten-free eating.

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2 comments author interview, craft of writing books, Elizabeth King Humphrey, First Draft in 30 Days, Karen S. Wiesner, writing reference