A Goal-Checking Trick for Plotting Your Novel

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy 

Here's a handy trick to make sure your plots are strong and driving your novel to the end.

I’ve just finished a rough draft of my latest novel, and like all my rough drafts, I have to fill in some holes and fix a few issues before it’s done enough to call it a first draft. This is all part of my usual process, so I don’t worry about things that don’t yet line up or work (I’ll get there). The rough draft is my way of getting the idea down and giving me something to work with to bring my story to life.

One of my first steps is creating a brand-new editorial map. I already have an outline, but it gets messy with notes and old ideas I forgot to edit out, so I like to do a fresh map to make sure my outline matches what I’ve actually written. It’s also a nice way to remind myself of the story flow and spot holes and things I need to fix on round two.

How to Create an Editorial Map

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy


Before any revision, it's helpful to know exactly what you have to work with. Novels often change during a first draft, so any outlines or summaries you did could be outdated by the time you’re ready to revise.

Doing an editorial map (or book map) lets you know exactly how the novel unfolds and where it needs tweaking. It’s also a handy reference tool when you need to check when, where, or how something happens in the novel.

Study the Pros: Map Your Favorite Novel

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

One of the many things I enjoy about writing is that the techniques can be used for a variety of purposes. Many of you just completed (or are on the way to completing) my recent Revision Workshop, and one of the first tasks there was to create an editorial map of your manuscript. But an edit map isn't just for revisions. It can be a handy way to study a novel to better understand how it was written.

This exercise works well for studying novels in your own genre, as well as getting a feel for novels outside your genre or market. If you're about to try writing a different genre, this could be a useful first step to get a handle on how that type of novel is written.