My FAVE Storybuilding Tool

(Free download!)

When I work with romance authors, one of the most common issues I find is that the essential building blocks of the story are simply missing or are not fully developed. For example, let’s say you’re writing a male-female contemporary love story and the female main character is a baker on the hunt to save her bakery from financial ruin. She’s sunshine and sweetness, and you think you have a working premise. The male main character is the grumpy, so you’ve got the grumpy-sunshine trope. Sounds like a great read, right? Well, without an equally well-developed goal for the male main character, this book won’t rise. (Ha, sorry! I couldn’t resist the baking pun!)

Whether it’s authentic stakes, fully developed goals, or conflict that keeps the tension between the characters high, having a well-paced romance always starts with a strong foundation. My Storybuilding Worksheet breaks down every essential building block and challenges you to ask the right questions so you can give your characters what they *knead* so their love story *rises* to the top. (Yikes, I’ll stop with the puns now!)

In all seriousness, this worksheet is a critical tool for authors. I use it as well, whether I’m writing my own books or ghostwriting. When you are inspired to write, you should absolutely start with characters you are passionate about. Who are they? What makes them unique? Why will readers care about them?

But beyond the basics, if you want to build an unbreakable book, test your essential story elements by completing this storybuilding worksheet. If you can’t answer one of more of the questions, one or more aspects of your story may need development.

If you’re editing a draft, be honest when you fill out this worksheet. Could anything be stronger? More clear? More time-critical or pressing?

Whether you’re writing a new WIP (work in progress) or revising, the Storybuilding Worksheet will help you build an unbreakable book.

The Storybuilding Worksheet

622KB ∙ PDF file

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A romance novel is the story of two characters who see, confront, and resolve the internal and external obstacles which have until now, in this story at this moment, in this place/time, prevented them from finding love. Use this worksheet to keep track of all the story elements you’ll need to craft a strong romance novel. You don’t have to answer every question but answer as many as you can to help you craft the most thorough and concise storybuilding elements.

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While this one focuses on romance novels, you can absolutely apply these questions to other genres! Is there a genre you write that you’d like a worksheet for? What issues do you encounter when writing or revising your work? Let me know in the comments and I’ll get to work on more helpful tools!