Plot A Novel - On One Page!

I’m euphoric! I’ve just finished the first draft of Against the Sun, my latest novel, and it only took two months. Scenes are (mostly) in the right place and my protagonist’s arc is solid. There isn’t a spare character in sight and I’m confident this book will take less time to edit than my last. I owe it all to Eva Deverell and her One Page Novel course.

(For transparency, some links in this post are affiliated. That means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase.)

I wrote in circles with The Children of the Mist (my first book). I rewrote and rewrote, and for years had no idea how this story would end. I’m a discovery writer and avoided outlines for years. Plotting seemed like a waste of valuable writing time! The more I struggled the less time I felt I had to sit back and analyse the bigger picture. Fool of a Took!

When I discovered Eva’s blog my mindset changed. I think it was her post 30 Scene Ideas For Plot Development that made me realise the value of slowing down and approaching a scene practically. I realised how useful plotting was. In fact, I came to regard it as essential. I started applying her advice and retroactively outlined my quagmire of a novel. As I inched towards the finish line, I cursed my stubborn nature. If only I’d known all this sooner! (At least now I can pass my findings on to you 😀)

At the start of this year I’d just finished my last edits on The Children of the Mist and was thinking about plotting the second in the series and my standalone (Against the Sun). Around the same time, Eva reached out to me to try her One Page Novel course. I couldn’t believe it! The timing was perfect. And I was bowled over that a writer I admire would give me the opportunity to learn from her. It’s little moments like this in blogging that make it all worthwhile.

One Page Novel appealed to me from the off. For a start, all the tools you need are a piece of paper, pencil, rubber and scissors. Oh, and your imagination! Secondly, as the course title suggests, the aim is to fit a whole novel onto one page. My brain struggles with pages and pages of notes. I work by intuition and rebel at anything that resembles diligence, precision or a detailed plan. It’s a weakness I regret but you’ve got to work with what you’ve got. Confining a novel’s plot to one page helped tackle my brain’s tendency to gloss over things. Only pertinent details went on the page. I could see the novel in its entirety at a glance without getting bogged down in details.

Brainstorming is key to the One Page Novel. Before you even start plotting, time is taken to consider who your main character will be, what problems they face and the resources they can draw upon. I really appreciated the timed brainstorming sections to keep my attention from wandering. While brainstorming, Eva suggests writing the first thing that pops into your head. Writing as fast as possible means your conscious mind doesn’t have time to object to how silly or difficult one of your ideas is. “Just write” says Eva. Sometimes a seemingly silly idea will be the thing to transform your story. Wild, unbridled imagination is the key to telling great stories 💖

Eva introduces a revolutionary (to me!) concept: plotting out of order. In One Page Novel we begin at the end. This is genius because you find your novel’s major puzzle piece straight away. From there you discover the beginning by considering the end’s opposite state. This juxtaposition tests your protagonist’s limits, setting them on an impressive arc. After that, we jump to the middle to discover the key event that enables the protagonist to reach their goal. The One Page Novel has eight plot points in total. Each performs a specific function within your story. At the finish you’re left with a masterpiece in miniature!

Here’s some of mine:

What I love about One Page Novel is that you can redo the course as many times as you like. I’ve probably been through it three or four times, and am now a dab hand at creating one page novels. I’ve used Eva’s system to plot the sequel to The Children of the Mist, Against the Sun and my short stories Seal Baby, The Traveller’s Curse and The Muse. It’s the perfect exercise for a rainy afternoon - you can create multiple one page novels and stash them away for a day when you’re low on inspiration.

Now I’ve finished draft one of Against the Sun, I’m itching to write a short story. I can already sense autumn in the air and plan to hunker down and redo One Page Novel for inspiration! It’s currently on sale here. If you’re going in circles with an existing story or want to know how to turn ideas into novels, I think you’ve found your solution ✨🌙