So, we all know that I am actually a pantser, but I’m trying to reform myself. I don’t go entirely based on my gut–I’ll usually put down plot pieces with bullet points and write some notes underneath them–but I tend to let my writing go where it goes. That means, even with my plot bullet points, sometimes I just don’t follow them and end up doing something else based on the flow, or my mood, or whatever the writing is naturally moving towards.

When I got signed by Oliver Heber Books to do a trilogy, I knew that because I’d be writing on deadlines, I couldn’t take the time to meander and write like a pantser. I needed to sit down and actually plot this trilogy. I allowed myself (I always do) to go “off-script” and diverge from the original plotting, but basically I wanted to write off of a more detailed blueprint and have the thing be a coherent work.

I’ve collected TONS of plotting worksheets and guides over the years, and I can absolutely tell you without a doubt that the one that worked for me the best is the “Single Novel Plotting Template” from PBW Stories (Paperback Writer’s Fiction Blog).

The thing is, this template is ancient. It is twenty years old. I don’t know how or why it’s still standing, and I don’t even remember how I found it…I just know that it might not be around forever, so I hurriedly copied and pasted the template into a Word file and saved it for all future writings. I suggest you do the same.

I don’t know what all is going to happen in my stories when I sit down to write them. It has always been this way. I only have a general idea, some scenes, and the ending. Plotting worksheets such as this one force me to come up with a more detailed plan and to make connections between ideas.

I’m unable to plot an entire trilogy in one go, though. I did do The Name and the Key first, then about 3/4 of the way into that book I started filling out the plot worksheet for The Step and the Walk. While there is some divergence, I mostly kept to my outlines.

It’s time to do The Fear and the Flame. This one needs the most help because it’s the series ender, and I only have a few scenes (mostly vibes) in my head. I would’ve started working on the outline earlier except my brain has been entirely consumed by the first two books in the trilogy, which were pretty clear for the most part in my mind.

While I’ve hemmed and hawed on this blog as to when to start working on The Fear and the Flame (I was thinking about giving myself 2-3 weeks after completing The Step and the Walk before starting the first draft), I don’t think it’s necessarily going to do me harm if I at least look at the plot worksheet to start figuring things out.

If you copy + paste the worksheet into your own file and use it going forward, I hope you find it as helpful as I have. It really has made things easier for me.