How to Plan Your Novel Draft (Without Losing Your Sanity)

So you’ve got this book idea bouncing around in your brain, and the thought of drafting it has you both excited and terrified.

I get it––the blank page can feel like a monster under your bed. There’s so much sitting between you and the finished product that it almost seems too hard to think about.

But here’s the truth: you don’t have to write perfectly right now.

In fact, you don’t even have to write yet.

What you do need is a plan––a roadmap that makes drafting your novel feel achievable, not overwhelming.

And that’s where I come in.

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a step-by-step plan to take your messy idea and turn it into a draft-ready blueprint so the writing process feels easier, clearer, and way less overwhelming.

Here’s how to plan your novel draft (without losing your sanity).

Let’s get into it.

PS. I recommend downloading the freebies from our resource page here at So You Wrote A Book to help with the plotting process. There are tonnes of templates and freebies to help you plan your book!

Step 1: Get Clear on Your “Why”

Before you do anything else, pause and ask yourself: Why am I writing this book?

I mean, really ask yourself. Not the polite, ‘I like writing’ answer––the one that digs down into your soul.

Your ‘why’ is your North Star. It’s what will keep you showing up when life gets messy, deadlines loom, your brain screams, ‘maybe i’m not a real writer,‘ or when that first draft feels like wading through mud. Without it, planning can feel like pulling teeth. With it, you’ll have a reason to push forward no matter what.

Digging Deeper Into Your Why

Ask yourself questions like these:

• Is this story something I need to tell?
  Sometimes we chase ideas because they sound cool or trendy. But the strongest, most compelling stories are born from a need––a personal truth, a question you can’t stop thinking about, or an emotion you’re desperate to explore.
• Am I writing for me, for readers, or for publication dreams?
  It’s okay if it’s all three, but knowing the primary reason will help you make decisions later. For example, writing for yourself might give you more freedom; writing for a specific audience might guide tone, genre, or content (more on this later).
• What will I feel when I finally finish this draft?
  Picture yourself holding that manuscript. Excited? Relieved? Proud? Maybe even a little terrified? All of it is normal. This emotional snapshot becomes a motivator when the drafting process feels slow or frustrating.
• What would happen if I didn’t write this book?
  Sometimes, framing the absence of your story makes your why clearer. Would you regret it? Would there be an emptiness? Let that feeling fuel your planning and drafting.

Bonus Exercise: Craft Your Writing Manifesto

Grab a notebook, sticky notes, or your notes app, and write a mini manifesto––something that will remind you why you’re doing this every single day.

Here’s a simple template:

I am writing this book because…

I want to…

I hope my readers feel…

Be honest. Be messy. Be real. You can make it as short as three lines or expand it into a full page. The key is that it resonates with you.

Once it’s written, put it somewhere visible: above your desk, taped inside your planner, or as a lock-screen reminder on your phone. When you hit a plot snag, when your outline feels confusing, or when your inner critic starts screaming, your manifesto will act as a tiny pep talk from your future self.

And remember, this step isn’t a one-and-done. Your ‘why’ can and will evolve as you plan and write. Revisit it at key points throughout your drafting process or when you feel stuck. Trust me, the more connected you are to your why, the easier it is to navigate the messy, glorious process of drafting a book.

Step 2: Brain-Dump Your Story Idea

Now we get to the fun part of planning your novel: letting your brain go absolutely wild.

Your head is probably buzzing with half-formed ideas––characters, scenes, dialogue, plot twists, random imagery, vibes, even weird little details that might never appear in the story.

This is the time to grab all of it and dump it on paper. Don’t think. Don’t organise. Don’t judge. Just spill it all out.

Think of this step as shaking a jar full of ideas. Some will stick to the lid, some will fall to the bottom, and some will explode all over your desk. That’s okay. That’s how gold is found.

Exercise 1: The 5-Minute Brain Dump

Set a timer for 5 minutes (or 10 if you’re feeling ambitious) and write. EVERYTHING. Don’t stop for spelling, punctuation, or logic. Misspell words. Scribble nonsense. Make arrows, draw tiny doodles, and underline random thoughts.

The goal: get the ideas out of your head before your inner critic hijacks them.

Pro tip: If your brain goes blank, prompt it with questions like:

• Who is my main character, and what do they secretly want?
• What’s one scene I have to include in this story?
• What would happen if my character made the worst possible choice?

By the end of the timer, you’ll be amazed at how much you’ve unearthed. Even tiny sparks can evolve into major story moments later.

Bonus Tips for a Messy Brain Dump

1. Use multiple mediums: Write in a notebook, type on your phone, record voice notes, make a Pinterest board. Different formats can unlock different ideas.
2. Don’t worry about ‘story sense’ yet: This is pure chaos, and that’s exactly what makes it productive. You’ll organise and structure later. For now, embrace the mess.
3. Keep it fun: Add doodles, colour-code characters, make mini mind maps. Your brain responds better when the process feels playful rather than forced.
4. Save everything: Even scribbles you hate or ideas that seem dumb. Sometimes the act of revisiting ‘failed’ ideas sparks brilliance later.

Remember, brain-dumping is like shaking a snow globe. Everything gets jumbled, messy, and chaotic. You’re building raw material for your story. Later, you’ll turn this chaos into a map, but for now, trust your brain to spill the magic.

By the end of this step, you’ll have a notebook or digital folder full of seeds ready to grow into your story. And honestly? That’s one of the most exciting parts of planning a book.

Step 3: Get Clear on Your Core Story Foundations

Now it’s time to get down to business.

Before you outline scenes, arcs, or even decide on chapter order, you need to lay down the foundational pieces that will guide every creative choice. Think of this step as setting the GPS for your book––it keeps your story on track and makes plotting and drafting way less stressful.

If you skip this part, your draft can often wander off into random tangents, your characters might act out of character, and your tone might shift like a rollercoaster… and nobody wants that.

Here’s what you need to get crystal clear on:

1. Genre

Genre defines the type of story you’re telling and sets the rules and expectations for your plot, characters, pacing, and emotional beats. It tells you what kind of journey you’re taking your readers on and what kind of story conventions you can lean into or subvert.

Ask yourself:

• Is this contemporary romance, fantasy, thriller, literary fiction, or something else?
• Are there genre conventions I need to follow? If so, what are they?
• What are the emotional beats my readers expect from this genre?

Pro Tip: It can be really helpful to read 2–3 books in your genre. Take notes on pacing, character arcs, dialogue style, and story tropes. This doesn’t mean copying––it’s research that helps you plan strategically.

2. Audience

Your audience is the specific group of people you are writing your story for, and understanding them shapes everything from tone to pacing to the type of conflicts you explore. Knowing your ideal reader ensures your story resonates with the right people and delivers the emotional experience they’re craving.

Ask yourself:

• Who is the person you are writing this story for? Describe them in as much detail as you can!
• What is their age range? Gender?
• What do they do for work?
• What are their interests? Likes and dislikes? Reading habits?
• What kind of emotional experience do they want from my story?
• What ‘problem’ or craving does this story solve for them––entertainment, escape, inspiration, catharsis?

Exercise: Create an ‘Ideal Reader Profile’ in 3–5 sentences. Give them a name, age, a few quirks, and what they love in books. Keep this visible while you plan.

3. Tone

Tone is the overall emotional flavour of your story––the mood and attitude that comes through in your narration, dialogue, and scenes. It shapes how readers feel as they read and makes your story feel cohesive and unique.

Ask yourself:

• Is it witty, snarky, playful, heartfelt, introspective, dark, brooding, or magical?
• How should my narration, dialogue, and scenes reflect this energy, and how can I do it consistently?

Exercise: Pick three adjectives that describe your book’s tone.

Example: ‘Warm, witty, heart-tugging’

4. Themes

Theme is the central idea, message, or question that your story explores––the deeper meaning your book communicates beyond the plot. It’s what gives your story emotional resonance and keeps your narrative focused, even as characters and events change.

Ask yourself:

• What is this story really about?
• What do I want readers to think about or feel after finishing?
• How does this theme connect to my characters’ growth?

Exercise: Summarise your theme in one clear sentence. This will act as a guiding light while planning scenes, character arcs, and plot twists.

Example: ‘This story is about learning to trust yourself, even when everyone else doubts you.’

5. Core Promise

Your core promise is the emotional takeaway you are offering readers––the feeling they should have when they close the book. It’s what makes your story memorable and motivates readers to keep turning pages until the end.

Ask yourself:

• How do I want readers to feel by the final page? Inspired, thrilled, heartbroken, amused, or empowered?
• Does every plot point and character choice contribute to this emotional payoff?

Exercise: Write a one-sentence ‘core promise’ and keep it visible while planning and drafting.

Example: ‘By the end of this story, readers will feel empowered to embrace vulnerability in their own lives.’

6. Point of View (POV)

Point of view determines who is telling your story and how much the reader knows about your characters’ thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Choosing POV early makes your narration consistent and helps you make decisions about voice and intimacy.

Ask yourself:

• First person? (I/we––close, personal, immersive)
• Third person limited? (He/she/they––insight into one character at a time)
• Third person omniscient? (All-knowing––can jump into multiple minds or provide overarching commentary)

Exercise: Try writing a short scene in two different POVs and notice how the story feels. Which one gives the emotional impact you want?

7. Tense (Present vs. Past)

Tense determines the time frame of your narration––whether events are unfolding now (present) or being recounted after the fact (past). This choice affects pacing, immediacy, how you write your story, and the reader’s experience of the story.

Ask yourself:

• Present tense: fast, immersive, immediate––good for stories with urgency or intimacy.
• Past tense: traditional, flexible, reflective––good for stories with broader scope or layered narratives.

Step 4: Build Your World + Characters

Now that your story foundations are crystal clear, it’s time to zoom in and give life to the people, places, and rules of your novel. Characters and worldbuilding are the heart and soul of your novel––they’re what make your readers care, stay hooked, and fall in love with your story.

Think of this step as giving your story skin, bones, and a heartbeat.

For this section, I recommend downloading the freebies from our resource page here at So You Wrote A Book!

Part 1: Characters

Characters are the engine of your story––their desires, fears, and choices drive your plot and engage your readers emotionally. Great characters feel real, flawed, and complex, and they change over the course of your story in ways that feel earned.

Key Character Elements

1. Name, Age, and Role

• Decide who your character is and what function they serve in the story (protagonist, antagonist, mentor, love interest, etc.).

2. Core Desire

• What does your character really want? Not just superficially, but deep down. This drives their decisions and makes them relatable.

3. Obstacle or Fear

• What’s standing in their way? Internal doubts, external enemies, societal pressures––this is what creates conflict and keeps the story moving.

4. Unique Quirk or Trait

• A small but memorable detail such as a gesture, habit, or phrase that makes your character feel alive and human.

Download our Character Profile Sheet to help you create amazing characters!

Part 2: Worldbuilding

Your story world is the playground where your characters live and act. It can be a real town, a fantasy kingdom, or a futuristic city, but it must feel tangible, consistent, and alive. Even contemporary settings need detail; every element you describe builds immersion and credibility.

Key Worldbuilding Elements

1. Setting Basics

• Where and when does your story take place? City, village, house, school, forest? Historical, present day, or futuristic? Detail as much information about each of the settings as you can!
• Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch — sprinkle these details into your plan. The more sensory input, the more vivid your story will feel. How does the place feel? What does it look like? How does it smell? Etc.

2. Rules & Culture

• If your world has magic, advanced technology, or unique societal rules, decide how it works and what limits exist.
• Even in realistic worlds, think about culture, social norms, and daily routines.

Worldbuilding Exercises

• Map It Out: Sketch your world or make a list of key locations. Even a simple neighbourhood map or floor plan helps you visualise scenes.
• Rules List: For fantasy, sci-fi, or magical realism, write a clear list of ‘rules’ your world follows––what’s possible, what’s forbidden, and what surprises exist.

Part 3: Character Arcs

Every strong character has a flaw, a goal, and a life lesson. This is what gives your story emotional weight and keeps readers invested. Let’s break it down.

1. The Problem (Flaw)

Definition: The problem or flaw is the internal wound your character carries––the thing they believe is holding them back, or the way they’ve been living that prevents them from fully experiencing life. This is the thing inside them, festering and unresolved.

Questions to ask:

• What does your character think is wrong with their life?
• How have they been living to accommodate others or avoid conflict?
• What fears or insecurities are driving their decisions?

Exercise: Write a paragraph describing your character’s biggest problem/flaw. Include specific examples of how it shows in their life.

2. The Want (Goal)

Definition: This is what your character thinks will fix their problem––the external goal or desire they pursue throughout the story. Often, it’s exciting and tangible: adventure, love, career success, or freedom.

Key point: The want often conflicts with the problem. The more they chase the goal, the more they bump up against their own flaws.

Questions to ask:

• What does your character think will make them happy or whole?
• How do they try to achieve this, and what obstacles (internal or external) get in the way?

3. The Need (Life Lesson)

Definition: The need is the true resolution of the character’s flaw and the lesson they must learn to truly grow. This is often different from what they want; it’s deeper and more emotional. The need addresses the ‘shard of glass’ inside them that they alone can’t fix.

Questions to ask:

• What lesson must your character learn to resolve their internal flaw?
• How do their desires and mistakes teach them this lesson?
• What would truly fix their problem? Not just temporarily, but at the core?

Step 5: Choose Your Story Structure

Okay, so you have your ‘why’, you have your chaotic brain dump, you are clear on your core story foundations, you have a solid idea of your characters and world… now it’s time to figure out how on Earth you’re going to write this masterpiece.

Let’s bring a little shape to the chaos and figure out the framework you want to follow for your structure.

There are many, many ways you can structure a book, but here at So You Wrote A Book, we recommend the Three-Act Structure as defined by Save the Cat! Writes A Novel.

This structure highlights a classic beginning, middle, and end, which is broken into 3 Acts.

• Act 1 sets up your characters and conflict
• Act 2 deepens complications and character growth,
• Act 3 resolves the stakes.

I recommend purchasing a copy of Save The Cat! Writes A Novel and following the outline structure set out by Jessica Brody. It is a highly informative read that has changed the lives of millions of writers around the world!

I also recommend downloading our beat sheet and other plotting templates over on our resource page to help you structure your story!

Step 6: Outline Your Story (Your Way)

This is where your messy ideas meet structure. Outlining isn’t a cage––it’s a compass. And now is the time to outline every scene, beat, or chapter the way you want it so you have an easy map to follow when it comes to drafting your book.

A few methods you may want to follow:

• Scene Cards: Write one scene per index card. Shuffle, reorder, or add new cards as your plan evolves. This method is tactile and visual, perfect if you like moving things around to see patterns. Some people like to use lists for their scene cards, while others like to use sticky notes to plaster on the wall near where they write. The most important thing here is that the structure of your scenes flows and makes sense to you!
• Beat Sheet: Focus on major beats such as the inciting incident, midpoint, climax, and resolution. This keeps your story moving and ensures nothing vital gets skipped. You can download my beat sheet cards here!

Pro Tip: Each scene needs to serve a purpose: advancing plot, deepening character, or reinforcing theme. If it doesn’t, it’s either a bonus scene or a candidate for the cut pile.

Step 7: It’s Time To Write!

By now, you’ve laid the groundwork for something amazing. You have your plan, your story structure, your characters, their arcs, and the world they live in. You’ve mapped out your acts/scenes/beats, sketched your scenes, and given your story a lot of thought.

And now it’s time to write…

But here’s the thing to remember: this is a marathon, not a sprint. Your story doesn’t need to spill out perfectly all at once. Give yourself permission to take your time. Let the scenes breathe, let your characters surprise you and let the story grow organically. Consistency matters more than speed. Even small, steady steps like a few hundred words, one scene, or an hour of writing each week are progress. They add up, and they move your story forward.

And most importantly: have fun. Play with your characters, revel in the quirks you’ve given them. Imagine the plot twists no one sees coming. Celebrate the small victories—finishing a chapter, nailing a tricky scene, or simply showing up at your desk. Your first draft is messy, it’s imperfect, and that’s exactly where the magic lives. Think of it as your playground, your sandbox, your story laboratory.

Trust your plan. Trust your characters. Trust yourself. And most of all, trust the process. Let your story come alive at its own pace, one word, one scene, one joyful moment at a time. You’ve done the prep work. Now it’s time to let the story write itself through you.

Happy writing xxx