Contents

1. Copyright

2. Why Pre-Write Your Project?

3. 1) Jumpstart Your Creativity

4. 2) Expand Your Story Idea

5. 3) Identify Your Ideal Reader

6. 4) Craft Character Stories

7. 5) Outline Your Plot Arcs

8. 6) Expand Your Story Guide

9. 7) Research Your Story

10. 8) Build Your Story World

11. 9) Create Fictional Societies

12. 10) Explore Magical Elements

13. 11) Outline Available Technology

14. Facing The First Draft

15. About The Author

16. Free E-Course: Rock Your Writing Practice

17. Additional Resource: The Novel Planner

Copyright © 2017 by She’s Novel LLC.

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Requests to the author and publisher for permission should be addressed to the following email: kristen@well-storied.com. You may also mail requests to the following address:

Kristen Kieffer

PO Box 225

Woodstown, NJ 08098

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WHY PRE-WRITE YOUR PROJECT?

HELLO, WRITER! I'M so thrilled you decided to pick up this workbook today.

Pre-writing is the process of exploring and expanding upon a story idea before beginning to write.

Completing this process can help you determine an idea’s potential and gain intimate knowledge of your story, thereby helping you avoid the messiness of writing by the seat of your pants and instead embrace the power of drafting with a plan in place.

In this workbook, I’ll guide you through all of the common pre-writing elements writers explore, including getting to know your characters, outlining your plot, defining your settings and story elements, and more.

By the time you complete this workbook, you’ll have a full reference guide you can use to maintain focus, avoid inconsistencies and errors, and otherwise smooth out the all-too-often bumpy process of writing a book.

As you work through this workbook, keep in mind that there is no one right way to write a novel—or, in this case, pre-write a novel.

While I personally find that completing each section in chronological order works best for my pre-writing process, feel free to jump around or skip sections as you see fit.

You may also find it helpful to print multiple copies of certain pages throughout this workbook (if you are working in the PDF version of the workbook) to properly complete your story guide. To do so, simply open your print options, identify the individual page or page range you’d like to copy, and press print.

1) JUMPSTART YOUR CREATIVITY

IS THERE A story idea you’re just dying to explore?

Without the seed of a story in mind, it would be impossible to dive into the pre-writing process. That’s why we’re first going to spend time stirring our imaginations to life.

If you already have a story idea in mind, feel free to skip this section and dive right into the second section of our workbook, Exploring Your Story Idea.

If, however, you’re just not sure what to write, it’s time to jumpstart your creativity! Use the following activities and questions to dig up a gem of a story idea you just can’t wait to write.

Activity #1: Explore your interests.

Use the questions on the next several pages to begin exploring the kinds of stories that most capture your heart. Thinking about these questions in depth will help you plant the seeds of a story idea you just might grow to love.

Question #1: Who are some of your favorite characters from literature? Describe what you love about these characters. Try to be as specific as possible, considering their traits, flaws, backstories, and beyond.

Question #2: What are some of your favorite stories of all time? Describe what you love about these stories, paying special attention to their genres, plots, settings, and themes.

Question #3: What are some of your story pet peeves? Make a list of anything you hate seeing in stories (e.g. love triangles, gore, tragic endings, shallow characters, info dumps, etc.).

Question #4: What are some of your interests and favorite things? Make a list of things you love (e.g. pirates, rainy days, 80’s music, baseball, the smell of coffee, outer space, psychology…).

Activity #2: Begin brainstorming story ideas.

Taking your answers from Activity #1 into consideration, begin forming a story idea. Ask:

Question #1: What kind of hero or villain would I love to write?

Question #2: What stories most capture my interest?

Question #3: Can I put an exciting twist on a personal pet peeve?

Question #4: How can I incorporate some of the things I love most in life into this story?

2) EXPAND YOUR STORY IDEA

DOES THE THOUGHT of pre-writing your story overwhelm you?

Taking the small seed of a story idea and transforming it into a full-length novel is a lot of work. It’s no wonder so many writers freeze up at words like “character development” and “outlining.”

The good news is that pre-writing doesn’t have to be as daunting a task as it seems. By breaking down large tasks into small, manageable steps, we can make the massive undertaking of pre-writing much more exciting.

In this section of our workbook, Expand Your Story Idea, we’ll begin pushing at the boundaries of our story ideas, exploring elements we’ve yet to consider so we can tackle pre-writing’s larger tasks with confidence in sections to come.

Activity #1: Establish Your Story Idea.

If you skipped section #1 of our workbook, Jumpstart Your Creativity, because you already had a story idea in mind, use the two questions in this activity to help ensure your story idea is the right one to pursue as you work through this workbook.

Question #1: What is your story idea? Brain-dump everything you currently know about your idea. Don’t worry if it isn’t much. Every scrap of inspiration counts!

Question #2: What about your story idea excites you? Don’t waste precious writing time on a story you aren’t passionate about. Write down why you love your story. What about it grabs your interest?

Activity #2: Expand your story idea.

For each of the following prompts, set a ten-minute timer and brainstorm as much as you can to build and expand upon your current story idea:

Prompt #1: Your characters

Prompt #2: Your scenes & plot

Prompt #3: Your setting & world-building

Prompt #4: Any genre-specific details (e.g. a magic system, suspects for a mystery, info about historic cultures, the romantic meet-cute, and so on…)

3) IDENTIFY YOUR IDEAL READER

DO YOU KNOW who you’re writing for?

We’re just one step away from diving deep into the bulk of our pre-writing tasks (character development, plotting, research, oh my!). But before we get started, it’s time to define who you’re writing for.

Knowing your target audience before digging into major pre-writing tasks will help you focus on crafting a story that will most appeal to your future readers.

Pre-writing with your ideal reader in mind doesn’t mean you’re not writing for yourself as well. First and foremost, you should always write the story you want to write.

But identifying your story’s parameters by getting to know your ideal reader is what will help you write a story that you not only adore but that your readers will adore, too.

Activity #1: Identify your ideal reader.

Use the questions in this third section of our workbook to help you identify your ideal reader and shape the boundaries of your story’s framework.

Question #1: What is your story’s genre? Examples: fantasy, romance, thriller, historical, science fiction, adventure, mystery, paranormal, drama, dystopian, horror…

Question #2: What age market are you writing for? Examples: children’s, middle grade, young adult, new adult, adult…

Question #3: Who would your story best suit? Feel free to add any demographic qualifiers that further define your ideal reader. Examples: adventurous girls, Christian moms, children of divorced parents, Jewish women, gay men, disabled adults, non-binary individuals, Muslim teens…

Question #4: What are your ideal reader’s favorite books, movies, and television shows? (Note: these stories may be similar to your own in some respects and therefore worth knowing!)

Question #5: Why does your ideal reader love stories? Do they find their favorite books to be entertaining, informational, encouraging, inspiring, therapeutic, etc?

Question #6: What are your ideal reader’s biggest struggles, fears, and insecurities?

Question #7: What makes your ideal reader happy, sad, angry, and excited?

Question #8: Outside of reading, what does your ideal reader love to do? What activities do they enjoy?

Question #9: How does your ideal reader see the world? (i.e. Are they optimistic, pessimistic, or realistic; introverted or extroverted, etc.?

4) CRAFT CHARACTER STORIES

CHARACTERS ARE THE backbone of any good story.

Our characters’ actions drive our plots forward, their personalities liven up the page, and their motivations and backstories create powerful emotional connections with our readers.

Without well-crafted characters, stories fall flat—no matter how fantastic any other element of our stories might be.

That’s why we’re going to focus on getting to know our story’s main characters, as well as those important to them, in this section of our workbook.

Activity #1: Get to know your main characters.

Answer the prompts on the following pages to gain a comprehensive understanding of your main character(s).

Question #1: What is your character’s name and age?

Question #2: What does your character look like?

Question #3: What are some of your character’s mannerisms? How would you describe their general posture and gait?

Question #4: What are some of your character’s positive traits?

Question #5: What are some of your character’s negative traits?

Question #6: What makes your character happy?

Question #7: What makes your character sad?

Question #8: What makes your character angry?

Question #9: What makes your character excited?

Question #10: What does your character want from life?

Question #11: What are your character’s biggest fears and regrets?

Question #12: What is your character’s darkest secret?

Question #13: What events define your character’s backstory?

Question #14: What is your character’s life like at the beginning of your story?

Question #15: Who are the most important people in your character's life at the beginning of your story?

Question #16: How is your character unsatisfied at the beginning of your story?

Question #17: What is your character's story goal? (i.e. what do they want to achieve, prevent, or overcome?)

Question #18: If all went according to plan, what steps would your character take to achieve their goal?

Question #19: What is your character’s ambition? (i.e. what does your character think they need to find fulfillment—revenge, romance, wealth, etc?)

Question #20: Will your character actually find fulfillment if they achieve their ambition? If not, what will bring them fulfillment?

Question #21: How does your character’s ambition play into their fears or flaws?

Question #22: Who will help your character as they work to achieve their story goal? How will they help?

Question #23: Who will refuse to help your character or stand in direct opposition to their success? How will they do this?

5) OUTLINE YOUR PLOT ARCS

AT LAST, IT’S time to lay out our stories.

Plotting isn’t every writer’s favorite part of the writing process, but it doesn’t have to be the worst part either. We can take away a good bit of plotting overwhelm simply by keeping our characters in mind.

Remember, our characters’ actions define the plot. By utilizing the goals and motivations you crafted for your characters in the previous section of our workbook, you can begin planning the events of your story with clarity and focus.

The following section contains guided outlining questions based on the 3-Act Story Structure, literature’s most popular plotting device. Utilizing this structure is a great way to purposefully craft a well-paced plot without succumbing to predictable storytelling.

Activity #1: Identify your hook.

The first chapter in any story has many jobs, most importantly being to introduce readers to your main character in a way that hooks readers into the story for the long haul. Use the following questions to help you map out the perfect hook for your story.

Question #1: What instance of conflict might your protagonist encounter while still living their everyday life?

Question #2: What does this conflict reveal about who your protagonist is at the beginning of the story?

Question #3: How does this instance of conflict unsettle and/or motivate your protagonist?

Question #4: In most cases, your protagonist won’t yet decide to pursue their story goal. What makes them hesitate?

Question #5: What is your protagonist doing immediately before this initial conflict breaks out? (This is often where a story should begin.)

Question #6: What is one intriguing insight about your protagonist or your story world that you can use to open your novel? (This will be your hook.)

Question #7: What exposition do you need to relay in the first few chapters to clarify reader understanding? (Consider setting, character details, relationships, world-building, etc.)

Question #8: What event will push your protagonist past their hesitations and make them set out on a journey to achieve their story goal?

Question #9: If your story has an antagonist, how will you reveal that they are also on a journey to achieve a goal that conflicts with your protagonist’s goal?

Question #10: If your story has no clear antagonist, who or what will cause conflict for your protagonist and how will you reveal this?

Activity #2: Lay out the first half of your story.

It’s in the first half of your story that the main character begins their journey, the source of conflict is revealed, and new and intriguing revelations begin to come to light. Use the questions in the following section to help you map out the well-paced events that will cover the first half of your story.

Question #1: What initial steps will your protagonist take to try to achieve their story goal?

Question #2: How will your protagonist struggle to make progress toward their goal during these initial events?

Question #3: How are your protagonist’s fears, flaws, regrets and/or secrets holding them back from achieving strong forward progress?

Question #4: How are your protagonist’s sidekicks and/or mentors helping them in their journey to achieve their goal in these early events?

Question #5: If your story has an antagonist, what 2 - 3 initial steps will they take to work toward their goal? Will readers know their actions?

Question #6: If someone is helping your antagonist/antagonistic force work toward their goal, how are they doing so?

Question #7: What major conflict will occur between your protagonist and the antagonist or antagonistic force?

Question #8: What loss or setback occurs as a result of this conflict that solidifies your protagonist’s determination to achieve their goal?

Question #9: How does this loss or setback shape your protagonist’s outlook, change their plan of action, and/or spur their personal growth?

Question #10: What does this conflict reveal about your story’s antagonist or antagonistic force? How will it affect their plan to achieve their goal?

Question #11: Will readers know your antagonist’s motivation during the first half of the book? If so, how will you reveal it?

Question #12: What 2 - 3 steps will your protagonist take after this conflict to continue working toward their story goal?

Question #13: What 2 - 3 steps will your antagonist or antagonistic force take after this conflict to continue working toward their story goal?

Question #14: How will you continue to develop your protagonist during the first half of your story? What will readers learn about them?

Question #15: What flaws, fears, regrets, or secrets has your protagonist yet to reveal or overcome, and how are these things holding them back?

Activity #3: Plot a game-changing midpoint.

A story’s mid-point provides another instance of direct conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist or antagonistic force that stands in their path to success—only this time, the conflict is bigger than ever before.

In this activity, use the questions to plot out an epic conflict that will serve as the game-changing midpoint of your story.

Question #1: What brings your protagonist and antagonist or antagonistic force into the biggest conflict of the story thus far? Describe what occurs during this major conflict.

Question #2: What losses or setbacks do your protagonist and antagonist or antagonistic force face as a result of this conflict?

Question #3: Does anything good result of this conflict for your protagonist, such as new knowledge, skills, or reward? For your antagonist or antagonistic force? How so?

Question #4: Has this conflict challenged or revealed any of your protagonist’s fears, flaws, regrets, or secrets? How so?

Question #5: How has this conflict changed the way your protagonist will fight to achieve their story goal?

Question #6: Has this conflict revealed anything new about your story’s antagonist or antagonistic force to readers? How so?

Question #7: How has this conflict changed the way your antagonist or antagonistic force will fight to achieve their story goal?

Activity #4: Outline the second half of your story.

The events of your story’s mid-point have forever changed your protagonist’s outlook. Suddenly, they go on the offensive, taking definitive action that moves them closer to defeating the antagonist or antagonistic force and achieving their goal.

Use the questions provided in this activity to help you outline the second half of your story and avoid pesky pacing problems.

Question #1: What 2 - 3 steps will your protagonist now take to continue working toward their story goal?

Question #2: What progress will your protagonist achieve during this time?

Question #3: What setbacks will your protagonist face during this time?

Question #4: How does your protagonist evolve during this time?

Question #5: How are your protagonist’s fears, flaws, regrets, and/or secrets still holding them back or stunting their progress?

Question #6: What 2 - 3 steps will your antagonist or antagonistic force take during this time to make progress toward their story goal?

Question #7: Will your antagonist or antagonistic force face any setbacks during this time? How so?

Question #8: If you haven’t already, how will you reveal your antagonist’s or antagonistic force’s motivation to achieve their goal?

Question #9: Will your antagonist or antagonistic force undergo any character development? How so?

Question #10: What event will occur just before your story’s climax that serves as a breaking point for your protagonist? Describe this event.

Question #11: How does this event force your protagonist to finally face the fear, flaw, regret, and/or secret that has been holding them back?

Question #12: What will motivate your protagonist to overcome or reveal this fear, flaw, regret, and/or secret and continue striving to reach their goal?

Activity #5: Craft an epic climactic sequence.

Everything in your story has been building toward this moment: the final conflict between your protagonist and the force that has kept them from achieving their goal. Use the questions in this activity to help you pull all your story’s threads of conflict together and bring its defining conflict to life.

Question #1: What brings your protagonist and antagonist or antagonistic force into the biggest conflict of the story?

Question #2: What action does the protagonist take to defeat the antagonist or antagonistic force and/or achieve their story goal?

Question #3: What action does the antagonist take to defeat the protagonist and/or achieve their story goal?

Question #4: Is anything new revealed about the protagonist, antagonist, or antagonistic force at this time? If so, what?

Question #5: If something new is revealed, how does this affect the character, opinions, or actions of the opposite party?

Question #6: How do the events of your story’s climactic sequence play out? Is there a clear winner? If so, how did they achieve success?

Question #7: Did the winner achieve their goal through their victory over the loser? If so, are they now content or do they still have unfinished business?

Question #8: If the winner has unfinished business, how do they plan to resolve it?

Question #9: Did the protagonist suffer any losses during the climactic conflict? If so, how do those losses affect them?

Question #10: Does the climactic sequence affect any of your secondary characters? If so, how?

Question #11: What does the winner plan to do now that they have overcome the loser?

Question #12: What does the loser plan to do now that they have been defeated?

Activity #6: Wrap up your story’s plot.

With the conflict of your story’s climactic sequence complete, your story begins to wind down. Use the questions provided in this activity to help you tie up the loose ends of your plot and play out the remainder of your characters’ stories.

Question #1: What consequences will your protagonist face following your story’s climax?

Question #2: What consequences will your antagonist face following your story’s climax?

Question #3: If your protagonist has not yet achieved their story goal, how will they do so in the final pages of your story?

Question #4: Has your protagonist undergone any character development? If so, how are they a different person at the end of your story?

Question #5: Does your protagonist have any unfinished business? If so, how will they work to resolve it?

Question #6: If your protagonist doesn’t have any unfinished business, what remaining threads of tension will carry readers through to the final page?

Question #7: Will these threads of tension be resolved? If so, how? If not, how are you hoping your ambiguous ending will make readers feel?

Question #8: Where will your protagonist’s story end?

Question #9: Where will your antagonist’s story end?

Question #10: What happens to your secondary characters in the final pages of your book?

Question #11: What kind of mood would you like your story to end on, and how will you achieve this?

6) EXPAND YOUR STORY GUIDE

IT’S TIME TO put the finishing touches on your story guide.

By filling out this workbook, you’ve been compiling a comprehensive guide that you can reference to help you maintain focus, clarity, and consistency while writing and editing your story.

At this point in our workbook, we’ve covered the most important elements of story—specifically, characters and plot. But we’re not about to cut corners and leave our story guides incomplete.

In this section of our workbook, we’ll complete several activities that will help us expand the scope of our story guides so they’ll be as useful as as possible when it comes time to write and edit.

Activity #1: Define your story and scene settings.

A story setting is the general time and place in which your story is set, while scenes settings are the specific backdrops for each individual scene in your story. Use the questions in this activity to help you define the story and scene settings for your book.

Question #1: How many story settings does your book feature? Outline each now, including the general location, year or time period, time of year and weather, culture and society, and any other important notes.

Question #2: What are some of your important scene settings? Outline each, describing the sights, sounds, and scents of each place, as well as any other important notes.

Activity #2: Map out important story elements.

Story elements are techniques and devices that you can use to frame your story and add to its intrigue.

In this activity, utilize the provided questions to help you map out the important story elements of your book so you have a strong framework for your story in place before you begin to write.

Question #1: How many points of view will your story feature? Which characters will have the point of view?

Question #2: What point-of-view (first, second, third omniscient, third limited, etc.) and tense (past, present, or future) will you write in?

Question #3: What themes (i.e. main topics) will your novel explore? For example: friendship, revenge, coming-of-age, love, loss…)

Question #4: What is your story’s thematic statement(s)? In other words, what statement are you, as the author, trying to make about your story’s themes?

Question #5: Does your story contain any motifs? Describe them below. (Note: a motif is a recurring element with symbolic significance.

Question #6: What important plot events do you want to foreshadow in your story? Take time to brainstorm some ways you might foreshadow these events now.

Question #7: Will your story contain any flashbacks? If so, where will you include them in your plot? Describe each flashback now.

Question #8: Will your story contain any secondary plot lines? If so, describe them now. (Note: a secondary plot line is a chain of events separate but related to the main events of your story.)

Question #9: Will your story contain a prologue or epigraph? If so, describe it now.

Question #10: Will your story contain an epilogue? If so, describe it now.

7) RESEARCH YOUR STORY

A LITTLE RESEARCH can go a long way.

By researching key contextual information, writers can add incredible depth to their stories, elevating common and/or shallow storytelling to extraordinary and captivating new heights.

At first glance, the research process can seem more than a little intimidating. That’s why we’re breaking down an easy research process that will work well for many writers in this section of our workbook.

Don’t think you need to complete any research? Explore today’s section anyway. You may just discover a few interesting topics you can use to add some of that captivating depth to your own story.

Activity #1: Prepare to research.

Write down the broad topics you’d like to research before you write. For example: injuries from car accidents, 1940’s fashion, island living, how to play the violin…

Then, take time to detail exactly what you’d like to research about each topic. For example: air bag injuries and medical response times, popular NYC fashion houses, famous violinists…

Activity #2: Begin researching.

Begin researching your topics, taking notes and listing citations as you delve into the work at hand.

There are many ways to research a novel, but which types of research you’ll explore will depend largely on both the topics you need to research and the resources that are available to you.

Here are some of the most common ways to research a story:

- Online: Conduct research online using credible websites, such as those ending in .edu, .gov, and .org.

- Books: Take valuable and credible research notes by reading books written by experts on your topics of choice.

- Interviews: Conduct an interview with an expert on your topic or with someone who’s experienced first-hand the topics you’re covering in your story.

- Experiences: Visit a place you’d like to research, take part in your characters’ favorite activities or habits (when safe and legal, of course!), and keep a keen observational eye when out in public.

8) BUILD YOUR STORY WORLD

ARE YOU WRITING speculative fiction?

The remaining four sections of our workbook are designed specifically to help authors who write stories set in fantastical, magical, supernatural, paranormal, or futuristic worlds.

Authors of speculative fiction often have additional pre-writing work to complete because they will be writing in a fictional world (or a modified real-world setting) and therefore must map out these new elements.

Are you one such author? If so, don’t skip out on the remaining sections of our workbook.

In this first section, we’ll begin by sketching out the basics of our story worlds, particularly as pertains to their physical characteristics. Ready to dive in?

Activity #1: Define the parameters of your story world.

Begin defining the basic geography of your fictional world. List your world’s major continents, countries, cities, and/or any other regions of note.

Activity #2: Build your fictional world.

Use the following questions to gain a stronger understanding of each country or region in your fictional world.

Question #1: In the space below, describe the terrain and weather in this region.

Question #2: Are there any well-known physical landmarks or buildings? Describe them.

Question #3: To which real-world country or region does this place physically compare?

Question #4: What natural resources can be found in your fictional region?

Question #5: Does this region maintain any industries? If so, describe them below.

Question #6: Are there any unnatural or magical elements in this place? Describe them.

Question #7: Which cultures are represented in this region? Make a quick list below.

Prompt #1: Lay out a basic sketch of this region in your story world. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be neat. Just get your idea out of your head and down onto paper.

Activity #3: Map out your unique real-world setting.

Are you writing a real-world setting with non-realistic elements? Then this activity is for you. Use the prompts on the following pages to map out what makes your story’s version of our world different from the real one.

Question #1: Where in the real world does your story take place?

Question #2: What fantastical, paranormal, magical, or futuristic elements appear in your version of our real world?

Question #3: Does everyone in your story know about these otherworldly elements, or only certain characters?

Question #4: How do these otherworldly elements work? Can they be used, wielded, or communicated with? Outline any important details about these elements now.

Question #5: Does your story contain any fictional settings that can be found in or traveled to from the real world? Write down the important details about these settings now, and consider answering some of the questions in Activity #2 with this setting in mind.

9) CREATE FICTIONAL SOCIETIES

WITH FICTIONAL WORLDS come fictional societies. And, of course, the fictional societies we create for our worlds will have a massive effect on who our characters are and how their stories play out.

That’s why it’s so important that speculative authors take time to outline their world’s societies before diving into the first draft.

Creating realistic and believable fictional societies can be an intimidating process when we think about just how nuanced our real-world societies are. That’s why we’re diving straight into nuance and detail in this section of our workbook.

Activity #1: Outline the parameters of your fictional societies.

The following prompts will help you lay out the elements commonly found in any real-world society—with your own unique twist, of course!

Question #1: Is your fictional society inspired by a real-world society? If so, describe the elements of that society you’re carrying over into your own below.

Question #2: What other societies does this society interact with, whether amicably, financially, contentiously, etc?

Prompt #1: Describe your society’s government.

Prompt #2: Describe your society’s social classes.

Prompt #3: Describe historical events important to your society.

Prompt #4: Describe your society’s economy.

Prompt #5: Describe common professions held by those from your society.

Prompt #6: Describe how different people groups in your society are treated.

Activity #2: Explore your world’s cultures.

Within a fictional society, you’ll find at least one fictional culture. And just like societies, cultures are complex and nuanced.

Using the prompts provided on the following pages, begin exploring the complexities of your own fictional culture(s) by working through some of cultures’ most common elements.

Prompt #1: Describe the arts in your culture.

Prompt #2: Describe the entertainment in your culture.

Prompt #3: Describe the food and drink of your culture.

Prompt #4: Describe the clothing people of your culture wear.

Prompt #5: Describe the written and spoken language(s) found in your culture.

Prompt #6: Describe any customs or symbols important to the people of your culture.

Prompt #7: Describe any historical events, holidays, or frequent practices important to the people of your culture.

Prompt #8: Describe the culture’s gender norms.

Prompt #9: Describe the culture’s religious and/or moral beliefs.

10) EXPLORE MAGICAL ELEMENTS

DOES YOUR STORY world contain magic? If so, you’ve come to the right place.

In this section of our workbook, we’re going to explore your world’s magic system in depth. Why? Because not all magic systems are built the same!

There are many ways in which magic can be explained and utilized in fiction, as evidence by any number of fantasy novels. How exactly will magic work in your world? Let’s find out.

Activity #1: Outline your magic system’s rules.

Just like societies and cultures, your magic system should be nuanced and well-developed. That’s why this section will walk you through the process of building a magic system step by step.

Use the prompts on the following pages to begin building your magic system today.

Question #1: Who receives magic in your story world?

Question #2: How does magic manifest itself?

Question #3: Is magic wild and untamed or does it follow a specific order?

Question #4: How can one learn or gain magic in your world?

Question #5: Is magic innate or does it come from an external source?

Question #6: Who created magic? Who has control over it now?

Question #7: Are items such as wands or staffs needed to use magic?

Question #8: How do religious leaders in your world view magic? The government?

Question #9: Do any social classes or people groups shun or fear magic? If so, why?

Question #10: Is there good and evil magic? If so, who practices each type?

Question #11: Is magic used differently by people of a certain gender, age, or social group? If so, how?

Question #12: Can magic be created or destroyed? If so, how?

Question #13: Does magic cost the user anything? If so, what?

Question #14: How does one go about learning how to use or control magic?

11) OUTLINE AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY

LET’S GET TECHNICAL, shall we?

The technologies available in most fictional worlds aren’t comparable to those available in real life. In some cases, the technologies in your story world may be far more advanced than those of our real world. In other cases, they may be far behind.

No matter the kind of technology available to your characters, don’t skip this important final section of our workbook.

Activity #1: Outline the technologies available in your story world.

Because technology affects how a society operates in so many ways, it’s important that you know what technologies are available in your story world before beginning to write. Begin outlining those technologies today using the prompts provided in this activity.

Question #1: What everyday problems do people in your fictional society face?

Question #2: What technologies are used to combat these problems?

Question #3: Do people in your world use any form of technology to communicate?

Question #4: Do people in your world use any form of technology to travel?

Question #5: Do people in your world use any form of technology for education?

Question #6: Do people in your world use any form of technology for entertainment?

Question #7: Do people in your world use any form of technology as weaponry?

Question #8: Who can afford each type of technology in your world?

Question #9: How does the government use technology to control or protect its citizens?

Question #10: Who creates and/or holds power over the technology in your world?

Question #11: What powers the technologies available in your world?

Question #12: How does technology create problems or conflict for the people in your world?

FACING THE FIRST DRAFT

CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING The Pre-Write Project, writer!

Preparing to write your story takes time, but with a finished story guide now under your belt, the time has finally come for you to approach the first draft.

But where do you begin? The simple answer might be “With chapter one!”, but just as it is with pre-writing, there is no one right way to go about drafting your story.

Authors work in many different ways. Some fast-draft their stories, shedding care for how the words sound so they can get their story down as quickly as possible and move on to revisions.

Other writers prefer to take their time, carefully crafting the very best version of their story in the first draft—even if they’ll have to revise it later.

Some authors write their stories in sequential order, while others jump from chapter to chapter, drafting whatever most strikes their fancy on any particular day.

These examples are just a small sampling of the many ways in which you can go about writing your first draft. If you aren’t sure of your process just yet, it may take time and experimentation to get it just right. And that’s okay!

The best thing you can do is simply dive in and get started.

Trust in the power of your pre-writing. Lean on the story guide you’ve created throughout this workbook, and let it guide you as you work your way through the drafting process.

And remember, writing isn’t always easy. You’ll have your fair share of doubts, and you may be tempted at times to give up. When this happens, bear in mind that you can’t edit what you haven’t written.

First drafts aren’t meant to be perfect. They’re meant to be completed. It’s in editing that the magic happens.

Consider setting a goal for yourself—whether it be to write a certain number of words per week, to write for a certain amount of time each day, or to finish your draft by a certain date—then get to work.

If you’d like additional guidance as you prepare to draft your newly pre-written story, I’ve gathered a list of articles and resources that you may find helpful, which you can find at www.well-storied.com/facingthefirstdraft.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KRISTEN KIEFFER IS an author of fantasy fiction and creative writing resources.

On her website, www.well-storied.com, Kristen strives to help writers craft sensational novels and build their very best writing lives. Her resources for writers include the extensive blog archives, free email courses, The Well-Storied Podcast, workbooks, and communities on Facebook and Twitter.

When not writing for Well-Storied, Kristen can be found working on her upcoming fantasy series, bringing home library book hauls, listening to true crime podcasts, and playing with her rescue dog, a boxer mix named Aggie.

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