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You can know your characters, imagine the ending, and still struggle to work out what happens in the middle. A useful plotting book gives you a way to connect those ideas into a story that moves forward through choices and consequences.
This guide compares seven books by the writing problem they address. You will also find an original exercise for strengthening your outline before you commit to a new plotting system.
Key Takeaways
- Start with Plot & Structure for a broad foundation in building and revising a plot.
- Compare Save the Cat! Writes a Novel when you want a visible beat framework.
- Consider Story Genius when the plot needs a stronger connection to the protagonist’s internal experience.
- Apply one method to a small part of your outline and check the chain of choices and consequences.
Table of Contents
- Which plotting book should you choose?
- 1. Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
- 2. Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell
- 3. Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland
- 4. Story Genius by Lisa Cron
- 5. How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson
- 6. The Anatomy of Story by John Truby
- 7. Take Off Your Pants! by Libbie Hawker
- How to choose the best novel plotting book for your project
- An original plotting exercise: connect choices and consequences
- Make the subplot affect a decision in the main story
- Test the method before rebuilding the entire outline
- Frequently asked questions about books on plotting a novel
- Choose a plotting book you can put to work
Which plotting book should you choose?
Start with the problem you can identify in your current project. If you have not started writing yet, choose the approach that makes planning feel manageable.
| Book | Best fit | Choose it when… |
|---|---|---|
| Save the Cat! Writes a Novel | A clear sequence of major plot beats | You need a framework for the whole book |
| Plot & Structure | A practical overview of plotting | You want help developing ideas and fixing plot problems |
| Structuring Your Novel | Story structure, scenes, and pacing | The middle feels slow or the turning points lack impact |
| Story Genius | Character-driven story planning | Events happen, but the protagonist’s choices feel unconvincing |
| How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method | Expanding an idea into an outline | A full novel feels too large to plan at once |
| The Anatomy of Story | Connecting premise, character, and theme | Your story’s pieces do not yet work together |
| Take Off Your Pants! | Outlining with character arcs and pacing | You want a planning method to try before drafting |
How these books were selected: This research-based buying guide uses author and publisher descriptions to compare each book’s stated scope. It does not claim that every book has been read or tested for this article. The application prompts, exercise, and fictional example below are original to this guide.
Need somewhere to put your notes? Use our free novel outline template alongside whichever book you choose.
1. Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
Best fit: turning a loose idea into a recognizable plot framework.
Brody adapts the Save the Cat! approach for novels, explaining fifteen plot beats and illustrating the method with examples from published fiction. The book also discusses story categories and provides templates for developing a novel.
Consider it when you know several exciting scenes but cannot see how they fit into a complete story. Its visible framework gives you places to examine what changes, how pressure increases, and what the ending resolves.
Try this application: Write a sentence explaining the consequence of each major turning point in your outline. If an event leaves the protagonist’s situation unchanged, investigate what would make it matter.
Keep in mind: Use a beat sheet as a planning and revision aid. Let your character’s situation determine what happens within the framework. Check that you are buying Jessica Brody’s novel-writing guide; Blake Snyder’s original Save the Cat! focuses on screenwriting. If you are writing for film or television, compare our books for script writing instead.
Book details: author’s overview.
2. Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell
Best fit: learning the fundamentals and diagnosing a plot that has stalled.
Bell’s Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure covers developing plot ideas, crafting beginnings, middles, and endings, and correcting common plot problems. Its publisher describes diagrams, charts, novel examples, checklists, and exercises.
This makes it a practical candidate if you want a broad introduction before committing to a more specialized method. It can also suit a writer who has drafted several chapters and needs help deciding why the story has lost momentum.
Try this application: Identify what the protagonist is attempting in the opening, what makes that goal harder in the middle, and what decision resolves it near the end. Look for the point where the pursuit becomes vague.
Keep in mind: A broad guide works best when you bring a specific problem to it. Choose one chapter or exercise that addresses your draft, apply it, and then assess the change.
Book details: publisher’s overview.
3. Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland
Best fit: examining turning points, scene progression, and a sagging middle.
Weiland’s guide connects overall story structure with the scenes that carry it. The revised and expanded second edition covers major plot points, structural weaknesses, the story’s midpoint, and building a sequence of scenes that supports the dramatic arc.
Consider it when your outline contains the expected big events, but the chapters between them feel repetitive. Structure becomes useful when each scene changes the conditions under which the next scene takes place.
Try this application: Examine the protagonist’s strategy before and after the midpoint. What do they learn, and what do they attempt differently because of that knowledge? If their approach never changes, investigate whether the middle is developing the central conflict.
Keep in mind: The main guide and Structuring Your Novel Workbook are separate products. The Amazon link below is for the revised and expanded guide; compare the edition and format when ordering.
Book details: author’s overview.
4. Story Genius by Lisa Cron
Best fit: giving plot events a convincing connection to the protagonist’s inner life.
Story Genius offers a process for developing a novel from its first idea into a scene-by-scene blueprint. Its focus on the protagonist’s internal experience makes it relevant when an outline has plenty of activity but little emotional urgency.
Choose it when you can explain what happens, yet struggle to explain why this particular person makes these particular decisions. A stronger reason behind a choice can change both the scene and what follows it.
Try this application: For a major decision, write down what the character believes they are protecting. A protagonist who thinks asking for help will cost them independence may create problems by attempting everything alone.
Keep in mind: This is a broader story-development approach, rather than a quick catalogue of plot twists. Allow time to work through the planning. For more resources on motivation and internal change, see our best books for character development.
Book details: publisher’s overview.
5. How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson
Best fit: expanding a small idea into a workable novel plan.
Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method develops a story through successive expansions, beginning with a brief overview and growing into more detailed planning for plot, characters, and scenes. His book teaches the approach through a fictional story, giving readers an example of a writer learning the method.
Consider it if sitting down to outline an entire novel feels overwhelming. Working at increasing levels of detail can help you discover gaps before you draft the chapters around them.
Try this application: Start with the shortest useful account of your story. Expand the part you understand least, then check whether the added detail changes your original idea. Keep the overview current as the story develops.
Keep in mind: The repeated expansion is part of the method’s appeal, but it may feel excessive if you prefer to discover much of the story while drafting. Read the author’s free explanation to see whether the process suits you.
Book details: author’s explanation of the method.
6. The Anatomy of Story by John Truby
Best fit: developing the relationships between premise, plot, character, and theme.
Truby’s guide examines story design through elements including premise, character, moral development, and endings. Although his background includes screenwriting, the author presents the approach as applicable to novels and other story forms.
Consider it when your premise sounds compelling, but the antagonist, character arc, and resolution feel like separate ideas. This book’s scope makes it relevant to rethinking how those parts support the same central conflict.
Try this application: Describe how the main opposition challenges the protagonist’s values. If your story concerns forgiveness, identify the specific person or situation that makes forgiveness difficult and consequential.
Keep in mind: This is a substantial exploration of story design. If your immediate goal is to sketch a simple first outline, one of the more directly organized planning guides above may be easier to apply first.
Book details: author’s overview.
7. Take Off Your Pants! by Libbie Hawker
Best fit: trying an outlining approach that connects character arcs, plot, and pacing.
Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing explains Hawker’s approach to planning a story before drafting. The publisher’s description emphasizes developing character arcs and plots, pacing the book, and creating a complete story.
Consider it when you want a concrete outlining method to experiment with, especially if your current notes consist of interesting moments without a clear route through them.
Try this application: Choose an internal difficulty that affects the protagonist’s pursuit of their goal. Plan situations in which their usual response creates a cost, then ask what a different response could make possible.
Keep in mind: The title promises faster writing, but your results depend on how you use the method and how your project develops. The link below opens the Kindle edition; check the listing’s edition and available formats before buying.
Book details: publisher description on Google Books.
Prices, editions, sellers, and available formats can change. Check the current Amazon listing before placing an order.
How to choose the best novel plotting book for your project
Write down one sentence about the problem you need to solve. “I need to get better at plotting” is difficult to act on. “My protagonist stops pursuing her goal halfway through the draft” gives you a useful starting point.
- You have scenes but no overall shape: Start with Save the Cat! Writes a Novel.
- You want a first overview of plotting techniques: Consider Plot & Structure.
- Your middle repeats the same kind of conflict: Examine Structuring Your Novel.
- The protagonist acts mainly because the outline requires it: Work with Story Genius.
- You have a premise and an intimidating blank outline: Try the Snowflake Method.
- Your premise, theme, and ending feel disconnected: Investigate The Anatomy of Story.
- You want another approach to planning character arcs and pacing: Look at Take Off Your Pants!.
Choose one primary approach for the current draft. You can borrow a useful exercise from another book later, once you know what your outline still needs.
An original plotting exercise: connect choices and consequences
Use this exercise on a new outline or a manuscript that feels episodic. It is an original exercise for this guide, rather than a reproduction of any book’s worksheet.
- Give the protagonist a specific goal. State what they want to accomplish and how you would recognize success.
- Identify the obstacle that demands action. Make it difficult to achieve the goal through the character’s usual approach.
- Choose a consequential response. Write what the protagonist decides to do about the obstacle. Give the decision a reason that fits this character.
- Show the result. The choice should change their options, relationships, information, or stakes.
- Create the next decision from that result. Ask what the protagonist must attempt now and what makes the new choice harder.
Example: Tessa’s cinema fundraiser
Goal: Tessa wants to raise enough money at a fundraising gala to keep her independent cinema open.
Obstacle: Ticket sales are slow. She fears that admitting she needs help will prove she cannot run the business.
Choice: To attract attention, she announces that a popular director will attend before receiving confirmation.
Consequence: Sales improve, but the director declines. Her co-organizer discovers the announcement and questions whether Tessa can be trusted.
Next decision: Tessa must decide whether to admit the mistake and risk refunds or continue misleading the audience. That decision now affects both the cinema’s future and the relationship she needs to repair.
Each turn grows from the previous one. You can vary the genre, setting, and scale while keeping that connection between action and consequence.
Apply the exercise to five important moments in your own outline. If two moments are connected only by time passing, investigate whether a decision, discovery, or consequence could create a stronger link.
Record those changes in our free novel outline template so you can review the story as a whole.
Make the subplot affect a decision in the main story
Write the subplot’s question, then identify where its result changes the protagonist’s options in the main plot. If the two strands never affect one another, the subplot may feel like an interruption even when its individual scenes are engaging.
In an invented mystery, the main question is who sabotaged a fishing boat. The subplot concerns the investigator’s promise to protect a younger brother’s job. The strands connect when the brother’s employer controls evidence the investigator needs.
| Connection | Effect on the story |
|---|---|
| The promise is established | The reader understands what an investigation might cost personally. |
| The employer becomes relevant | Obtaining evidence threatens the promise. |
| The investigator makes a choice | The subplot changes the method used in the main plot. |
| The consequences return | The main investigation changes the family relationship. |
Try the same test with a romance, friendship, rivalry, or financial subplot. The connection may involve information, access, time, obligation, or emotional commitment. It need not be a surprise revelation.
Mark the scenes where the strands intersect and the scenes where they develop independently. Keep enough independent development for the subplot to feel lived, while checking that its movement contributes to the whole story.
Test the method before rebuilding the entire outline
Choose a short sequence that exposes your actual problem. Apply the selected plotting idea to that sequence and compare the resulting decisions with the existing draft. A framework is useful when it clarifies the story, not merely when every box can be filled.
- Name the problem: an unmotivated turn, an episodic middle, or an ending without preparation.
- Keep the old sequence available.
- Apply one relevant concept from the chosen guide.
- Draft or summarize the changed scenes.
- Check motivation, consequences, and the reading experience.
If the revised outline requires a character to behave implausibly to reach a prescribed position, examine that decision. You may need better preparation, a different event, or a more suitable method. Moving the scene to a new chapter number does not automatically repair it.
For discovery writers, evaluate what the draft revealed before insisting on the original plan. For planners, check whether the completed scenes deliver what the outline promised. Keep the parts of the resource that help you explain the chain of decisions in your actual manuscript.
Frequently asked questions about books on plotting a novel
What is the best book on plotting a novel for beginners?
Plot & Structure is a practical choice for a broad introduction. Save the Cat! Writes a Novel is a useful alternative if you want an explicit beat-sheet framework. Choose the one whose sample and approach make the next step in your project clearer.
What is the difference between plotting and outlining?
Plotting develops the events, choices, and consequences that make up the story. An outline is the plan you use to organize those elements before or during drafting. You can outline extensively or keep a short plan while continuing to develop the plot as you write.
Can discovery writers use plotting books?
Yes. You can apply a plotting approach during revision. After finishing a draft, map its main turning points and examine what causes each one. That gives you a way to diagnose weak connections while preserving discoveries you made through writing.
Are these books useful for plotting romance novels?
They can help with structure, motivation, escalation, and consequential choices. A romance also needs the developing relationship to carry the central story. Pair a general plotting guide with genre-focused resources from our best books for writing romance novels guide. For reusable worksheets and a scene tracker, our paid Romance Plotting and Revision Kit helps you plan the couple’s relationship arc and organize scene revisions.
Should I buy a plotting guide or its workbook?
Check how the products relate. A guide generally explains the method; a companion workbook may help you apply it. For Weiland’s Structuring Your Novel, the guide and workbook are separate purchases. Read the description before choosing a companion volume.
Do I need to read all seven plotting books?
Start with one that addresses a visible problem. Apply an exercise to your current story, then assess what improved and what still needs work. Buying another guide is most useful when you can explain what additional help you need.
Choose a plotting book you can put to work
The best books on plotting a novel become useful when you apply their ideas to the story you are writing. Start with Plot & Structure for a broad foundation, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel for a beat-based framework, or Structuring Your Novel for a closer look at scene progression and pacing.
Choose the guide that fits your current problem, then use it to revise a small section of your outline. A stronger chain of choices and consequences is a useful result you can build on.