Plot Your Novel in One Hour with Naz Kutub

Naz Kutub is author. His debut novel LOOPHOLE came out last year. His next novel NO TIME LIKE NOW comes out in February 2024 (and we all get a sneak peek at the cover!). 

We are going to plot an entire novel in one hour. Come along for the ride. 

Grab pen, paper, and keyboard and get ready.

Starting with the seed (an idea). And we all start with this: When she found the ticket, everything changed...

Choose one of these age groups and genres.

A story needs to be plotted out so that your have story progression; increase tension and raise the stakes. Put your story on an upward trajectory. 

Set up goal posts first! If you know the beginning and the ending, your mind can start to fill in the blanks in the middle. 

Naz is setting us up to walk through the Hero's journey (with a few tweaks).

Act 1

• Who is she? 
• Something that tells her she needs to go on this adventure (she finds the ticket)
• She doesn't want to go on the adventure... (Why? Because life is comfortable as is?)
• Someone gives her advice, could be a traveling companion, or a random stranger.
• She decides to go through the door of no return. (Something she can't undo or backtrack from.)

Act 2

• She encounters a friend, group, and/or enemy, both who test her resolve. (Will they help or hinder?)
• She approaches an uncomfortable moment/event (something she's never done before)
• A series of challenges to help her become stronger, better than before, teach her a lesson (or maybe just one major challenge)
• She receives something to aid her in future battles/confrontations (a special item? new knowledge?)

Act 3

• She heads on her way to the final destination, knowing this is it (the final uphill climb)
• Final fight, but does she survive and carry on stronger than before? 
• She's armed with the knowledge to solve any problem now (Is this the same ending you envisioned earlier?)

Did you get a skeleton of something plotted? It's not easy, as Naz reminds throughout the process. Naz suggest studying the Hero's Journey, practicing, adding twists, and breaking the rules. 

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If you want to view this session to hear the full content, along with the rest of the conference, register at https://www.scbwi.org/events/summer-conference-2023. Replays of the conferences will be available until September 10, 2023.