PLOTSTORMERS

How to plot a novel, from idea to outline in six weeks

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (see reviews)

TAKE THIS COURSE

£20/month. Access all WHQ membership courses.
First month half price!

SINGLE COURSE

£90. Six months access.

Part of the WHQ membership

Six week course. Rolling access with membership, or one-off fee for six months single course access.

Join our kickass community

Learn how to plot a novel from beginning to end and make your stories compelling, complex and memorable

Writers’ HQ’s online creative writing course means you can learn the fundamentals of plotting your story, wherever you are in the world. Designed to fit around everyday life and a busy schedule, you will start with a simple idea, and finish with a comprehensive outline of your novel ready to be first drafted.

They say everyone has a novel inside them – the tricky part is getting it out without painful invasive surgery. This in-depth online plotting course contains everything you need to plan out your story from start to finish so that you’re rip roaring ready to get that first draft out, without too much swearing.

Over the six weeks, we’ll help you to build a practical understanding of story structure and plotting. By the end, you’ll walk away with a comprehensive outline of your story and a plan for what to do next (clue: write!).

Exercises, examples, group discussion, swearing and crying will enable you to grow your fictional world and build your story plan, taking it from ‘idea in your head’ to ‘actual real story that’s ready to be properly written’.

You’ll learn the fundamental elements that make up every good plot and the basics of story structure; explore who’s in your story, what their roles are, and how to make your characters compelling; how to add tension and conflict to your story; how good beginnings, middles and ends work; how to break your story down into chapters and scenes and more; and what to do with your outline once you have it.

WEEK 1: THE COLOUR AND THE SHAPE
What are you *really* writing about? What’s the fundamental human truth at the bottom of your novel? What shape is your story? Get that first, very brief, very reductive outline nailed

WEEK 2: FINALLY, THE BEGINNING
The Magical 16 Point Plot Planner of Your Dreams

WEEK 3: AND NOW THE MIDDLE
Why the midpoint is the most glorious point of your story

WEEK 4: IN A SURPRISE TURN OF EVENTS, LET’S LOOK AT THE END
Make your end kick-ass awesome

WEEK 5: AND THEN?
Turning chapters into scenes

WEEK 6: GETTING READY TO WRITE
What now?

1. Enrol
Once you’ve joined you’ll get an email confirming your place and explaining how you access the course. Spoiler: you click a link. Super simple.

2. Read, watch, do
The lessons are a mix of text, images, videos and exercises. To get the most out of the course, try to give yourself at least an hour a day to read or watch the material and do the exercises. We’ve made them as bite-size as possible but also if you wanna do the thing you gotta do the work.

3. No rush
This course is written to be done over six weeks but if you miss a day or something comes up, don’t panic! Go at your own pace. We’ll be waiting for you in the community forums when you’re ready to catch up.

4. No money? No problem
Membership is the cheapest way to access this course, alternatively, if you can’t wait and have no cash, have a look at our bursary scheme.

5. Milk no sugar
Drink plenty of tea, stock up on biscuits, gin for later. Enjoy it. It’s supposed to be fun. Love you. Mwa.

Daily online classes and exercises to lead you, step-by-step, towards a comprehensive chapter-by-chapter, scene-by-scene outline of your story, ready and waiting to be first drafted.
Lessons from brilliant authors who are at the top of their game, including Costa Award winner Emma Healey, Polari Prize winner Paul McVeigh, and Bridport Prize winner Vanessa Gebbie.
Lessons on story structure and how to make your story fit or break the rules.
Learn how to turn big picture chapter ideas into unputdownable scenes with believable and complex characters.
Access to our private forum to discuss ideas and techniques, and get advice from fellow writers and WHQers.

Explore the fundamentals of structuring a story and how to use and abuse the rules to best suit your story

Finish the course with a chapter-by-chapter, scene-by-scene outline of your story and a plan of what to do next

Join our lovely little online community to support you through plotstorming and beyond, plus peer feedback

LOVE FOR WRITERS’ HQ

Thanks so much. Feeling great. And very nice to connect in such a strange, disconnected time. A really lovely way to start the week.

Heather

Journaling

Detailed and easy and fun to follow ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve only just started, but I can tell this course and the group is going to help, especially as I’ve done more short story courses than I can remember.

Jacqui Dickson

Writing Short Fiction

Loved it – though ideas I came up with were a bit mad ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Excellent content and some great feedback – even if it all got very silly from me on the writing/ideas front..

Vernon

Seven Ideas In Seven Days

A solid foundation ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
At the beginning of this course I had an idea for a novel that I could have comfortably written down on a single sheet of paper. Six weeks later I have a detailed narrative structure, with subplots and well-drawn characters. I have the confidence to take this outline forward and begin the actual novel writing process.

Mark Sadler

Plotstormers