| writer's toolbox
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Use this collection of printable forms, quick questions and answers, and other writerly miscellany to make your work as a writer easier and more productive. |
forms
plot planner worksheet
This brief, printable plot planning worksheet kindly provided by NaNoWriMo winner M.S. Beltran can be used to sketch out your story/novel idea at a glance, or to clarify your story's structure during rewrites and editing.
scene list worksheet
This one-page, printable scene list worksheet can be used when planning your story, or later during rewrites and editing.
critique form
Print out this form to assist someone else who's taking a look at your work, or use it as a self-editing tool for evaluating your own manuscript.
submission record sheet
Keep track of submissions with this printable manuscript tracking form.
character builders
Get to know your characters on an intimate basis with these handy printable character information sheets. Use the sketch if you want a quick workup on a character without too much detail. Use the biography if you need to know everything there is to know about a character.
world builders
Whether your story takes place in the here and now or the there and then, these forms will help you develop realistic settings. For now, choose from Fantasy or Science Fiction.
For more on fantasy world-building, check out these world-building links and Patricia Wrede's article at the SFWA site.
quick Q&A
Q: I need help with plots! I never seem to know where my stories are going. What should I do? ~ S.G.D.
A: There's no single answer for this question, but here are a few things to consider:
- try thinking of your story in dramatic cycles: an event is followed by action and comes to a conclusion which leads to the next event. Several of these cycles move the plot forward with increasing momentum until the climax of the story.
- don't start writing your story until you've done enough planning and thinking about it that you have at least a general idea of what the end will be and how you will get there.
- try the The Snowflake Method of planning at http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php
- look at the Heroes Journey ideas for story structuring at http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc/journey/
- read Plot by Ansen Dibell
Have a question for us? Email it! We'll consult the experts and find an answer for you!
miscellany
glossary
Brush up on your writerspeak with our glossary of writing and publishing terms.
word counts
A quick reference on how to count them, and what the numbers mean.
story starters
...to get your creativity unstuck, unblocked and unbelievably prolific. Try them! They're fun!
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