Author Resource · Pre-Writing

Story Planning Workbook

Outline your book before you write a single chapter.

Most first drafts collapse in the middle because the writer started typing before they knew what the story was about. This resource walks you through the planning work that turns a vague idea into a chapter-by-chapter blueprint.

14 min read 6-point checklist 2 templates included

Practical checklist

What a finished pass looks like

Work through each item before you call this phase done.

One-sentence premise

A protagonist + a goal + an obstacle. If you can't say it in 25 words, the book isn't ready.

Three-act spine

Inciting incident, midpoint reversal, climax, resolution — written as four single sentences.

Protagonist want vs. need

What they think they want at chapter 1 vs. what they actually need by the end.

Antagonist with a reason

Opposition has a coherent goal that conflicts with the protagonist's.

Chapter list with goals

Each chapter has a one-line goal: what the protagonist tries, and what changes.

Stakes ladder

Stakes get worse every act. Map them: personal → relational → external.

Step by step

The full walkthrough

Step 1 — Lock the premise

Write your premise in one sentence. Rewrite it ten times. The version that survives is the spine of the book.

Step 2 — Map the three acts

Draft four sentences: inciting incident, midpoint, climax, resolution. If any sentence is fuzzy, the act needs more thought.

Step 3 — Build the protagonist

Answer four questions: what do they want, need, fear, and what false belief holds them back?

Step 4 — Design the opposition

Your antagonist needs a goal that genuinely conflicts with the protagonist's.

Step 5 — Break it into chapters

For each chapter, write one line: what the protagonist tries and what changes by the end.

In this resource pack

Templates & worksheets

Bundled with every StoryMaster.ai project — open them inside the app or export to your tool of choice.

PDF