Wiggins Novel Blueprint

This post for Jane Friedman’s “Electric Speed” newsletter shares my story of the evolution of this novel-writer’s tool. My comprehensive blueprint adapts Larry Brooks’ story structure methodology into a visual planning tool for novelists. It maps the four-part story structure with scene-by-scene guidance for use as a printable four-page letter-size PDF.

Example: The Corpse Bloom Blueprint

Here’s how I applied the blueprint to create my chapter-by-chapter breakdown of my award-winning medical thriller, The Corpse Bloom in Adobe InDesign:

Example: Last Catch Timeline Blueprint

For my current work-in-progress, Last Catch, I needed to incorporate hourly timelines, phases of daylight and night, and tidal charts in the Adobe Illustrator plan I charted from my blueprint.

Create Your Own Blueprint Template in Scrivener

For the novel I just completed, Tremolo Pond, I developed a workflow in Scrivener that uses the program’s “corkboard” view to create the chapter frames that let me adopt my blueprint to that program. The three screen shots below are your step-by-step guide for doing the same.