Plot a novel with a simple three-part structure

Use this guide if you have a story idea and characters but stall in the middle, or if a previous draft wandered and never reached an ending. You need your idea, a few index cards, sticky notes or a blank document, and a rough target length for the book.

Step by step

1. Write a one-sentence story promise

   Complete this sentence: 'When [event], [character] must [goal] or else [consequence].' For example: 'When her brother vanishes during a winter storm, a retired Lake District guide must find him before the police close the case.' This sentence is your compass; if a scene does not relate to it, question whether it belongs.