Writing a novel is a many step process. Your first action is to sit down and write the rough draft. For me, this means sitting in the various coffeehouses in my local area with my trusty AlphaSmart typewriter, a notebook with a brief story outline, and plenty of ice coffee.

When I write, the characters become friends to me, real people that I care about and want to spend time with. During the drafting process, this is a positive since it keeps your butt in the chair and working. However, after drafting, this love of story becomes a liability. Distance in the relationship is needed in order for you to take the next step in the process. Once that messy manuscript is completed, I stick it in a drawer or a computer file and take a long break from the work in order to allow my minds to reset on the story.

Once a sufficient amount of time has passed, it is time to open up that file and take a long look at what I have written. This is the point where I cringe and wonder what the heck I could have been thinking during those long sessions at the coffeehouse. I think that most authors feel this way at this stage in the game. What comes next is a read through of the book where you note places where you have repeated concepts, where plot holes have developed and other problems that need to be fixed. In many cases it is necessary to reorganize the book so that it has the plot twists and other major actions happen at the proper places in the book. The theme of your book needs to be discovered so that you incorporate it into the book and micro-scenes should be clipped to make the action more streamlined.

My process uses some of the techniques that I learned in the four books I am reviewing below. My favorite is Blue Print Your Bestseller. I use Horwitz’s method to break down my story into scenes, color code them in order to find plot holes, take out tiny transition scenes that slow down the pacing of the book and, most importantly, find the theme of my story if I have not done so during the drafting process. Then I reassemble the story into chapters and go forward in a more traditional manner toward the editing process. His method is a beautiful match to Scrivener and works wonders in that writing environment, although he personally uses paper in his descriptions.  However, there is much value to be found in all four of these books.  If you find that you have trouble with plot and structure as I do, these books will be of good service to you.

Blueprint Your Bestseller: Organize and Revise Any Manuscript with the Book Architecture Method
By Stuart Horwitz

I found this book to be an excellent primer on how to organize the first revision of your novel. The method starts with taking an unfinished manuscript, such as a Nanowrimo effort, and walks you through a process to break apart the work into its component scenes, identify the various threads that weave through the work, discover the book’s theme, and then finally put the book back together into a better more cohesive whole. The examples were clear, the language friendly and knowledgeable, and the content very useful to any writer. I feel that this book should be in every author’s library and recommend it to all my author friends.

Story Engineering
By Larry Brooks

I have found this book to be instrumental in explaining the components of what makes a good story and how those elements can be combined. Brooks takes you from story concept through character development, scene construction and the basic structure of your tale. I found the book to be easy to understand and to have a fresh viewpoint on the subject. Once you have finished that rough draft, this is a great primer on where to move the various elements of your story or how to strengthen scenes and characters to make them more memorable.

The 90 Day Rewrite
By Alan Watt

I have to include Alan Watt’s sequel to the 90-Day Novel in my list. The first book helped me overcome a major blockage in a series that I was writing and allowed me to complete a Nanowrimo project on schedule. I recommend the former book for anyone prepping for the 30 writing experience of Nanowrimo, it will get you to the finish line.

It was with great expectations that I picked up this book once my first draft was done. Once again, Watt designed a workbook that guides you through the process, in this case, of the first rewrite. Your work is broken down into thirteen weeks of tasks to accomplish that lead you on to clean up your book’s structure, strengthen characters, and do all the necessary things in your rewrite. If you feel as if you are wandering lost in the woods when doing your first rewrite, this book will leave you a trail of breadcrumbs to follow.

The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Author Can Master
By Martha Alderson

As you may have guessed by now, plot and structure are my two problem children as a writer. I come up with real characters and interesting locations, but what they do in those places sometimes is a struggle for me. The Plot Whisperer helps to address these issues. She shows you have to create plot lines and subplot that work together, a method of scene tracking, how to show character transformation during the climax of your story and much more. This is a well-written book with many good ideas to help you become a better author.