Presenting a blueprint for fiction books that adapts my popular book blueprint.
Pantsing or planning? How do you strike a balance between free-styling improvisation and rigorous book development?
By asking and answering the right questions – ones that will lay a stable foundation of clarity about your future book. Then you’ll have all the flexibility you need to write freely, improvise and be as creative as you’d like throughout the writing process.
For well over a decade, I’ve been helping primarily non-fiction authors kick start their book projects, by creating for them a comprehensive Vision (creative, marketing and branding), Architecture, Table of Contents, step-by-step Chapter Writing Plan, and Project Timetable. These are all the pieces of the one-on-one Book Blueprint service I offer to authors.
I’ll admit that one of the best parts of the experience is exchanging the weight of an unfinished book (or book idea) for a complete blueprint the client can use to write their book from beginning to end.
But like I said, the majority of my blueprints have been for non-fiction books and I feel like I’ve accidentally abandoned my fellow fiction enthusiasts. Until now…
For those who want to “DIY” my blueprint process – here are some of the missing elements that turn my regular Book Blueprint into a Blueprint for Fiction Books!
(Click here to get my regular Book Blueprint – use coupon code INKFRIENDS and it’s free!)
A Blueprint for Fiction
What is the premise of your book?
In a sentence or two, what is your book going to be about? I like to equate this to a screenplay log line and even use that as a model for writing a novel premise. Here’s a blog post that tells you how to do that!
Characters?
Who are the people in your neighborhood (your book) and what do you know about them? The more you know, the easier it will be to tell their story. For more about character development, listen to Episode 261 from 12/28 of my daily podcast for authors, Your Daily Writing Habit.
Where does your story take place?
List all the locations and beyond simply physical descriptions, also ponder how each location plays a role in your story and for some key locations, how it might even be a character in it!
Why is your story special?
Not only how it’s unique in regards to other similar ones on the market but more importantly – why is it special to YOU? Why are you the only person who could bring this story to life? Is there a personal story or passion driving the story and/or characters in it? Is there a personal message it reveals that is tightly woven into your life? Why is this novel idea custom built for you?
Follow the steps above and you’ll have effectively created a Creative Vision for your Fiction Book Blueprint!
Note: The other pieces of my Blueprint essentially remain the same so you can follow my original guide to the letter. And the marketing/branding piece of the vision is customized to each book and author.
My mission for over a decade and certainly going into 2020, continues to be to inspire and provide the tools for as many people as humanly possible to write and finish their books. If you’re one of these people, peruse my website here & hop over to my Ink Authors group on Facebook as the ideal starting points for your journey.
Please let me know how I can support you!
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