The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook - Weston Elliot

I’ve wanted to write ever since I was a little girl. It was always one of those lofty goals I thought I’d accomplish sometime in the future. A little over a year ago, my friend, Keith Fisher, was talking to me about writing. He told me he’s been writing for several years and has something like thirteen completed manuscripts. I was in awe and told him I’d considered trying to write something “someday.” He persuaded me to start writing.

Through his encouragement and a group of writing friends, I now have my first novel coming out in March of 2010. It’s all very exciting and a little overwhelming. When I first started writing, I had no idea how daunting a task it would be. I had all these ideas floating around in my head with no semblance of order. I eventually got them down on paper, but not without a lot of sweat, toil, and TONS of rewrites.

While writing my first book, I heard about a lot of different methods people used for plotting. I tried out a few, but nothing was exactly what I wanted. I recently ran across an amazing tool that I wish I’d known about then. Weston Elliot has recently compiled "The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook" and it is totally awesome!

It includes everything you could possibly imagine to plot a novel from beginning to end. When all the pages are filled in, it becomes a comprehensive outline you can use to complete a novel. Besides all the amazing information found in this resource, I love the way she has put it together. It is bound with three locking rings which allows you to take away pages you don’t want, add in extra pages, maps, photos, sketches, or anything you want. While writing my book, I wrote notes in multiple notebooks, scraps of paper, receipts, napkins—you get the picture. It is such a valuable tool to have all of this information in one place. The workbook is 5 ½ x 8 inches so it is small enough to take with you anywhere.

The workbook is a comprehensive resource including the following sections:
- World Building
- Character Sketches
- Plot & Conflict
- Chronology
- Chapter Outline
- Progress Tracking
- Submission Record

Elliott also gives instructions at the beginning of each topic which includes basic writing tips. Throughout the workbook, inspirational quotes from famous authors are incorporated to give you a little boost anytime you need it.

Overall, "The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook" is an amazing tool for novice and seasoned writers alike. I highly recommend it and look forward to using it on my next project. You can get your own copy of the workbook here. I promise you won't be disappointed!