Write Smarter,
Not Harder
Outline your novel with confidence in this plotting crash course hosted by Mel Torrefranca.
Learn essential plotting skills like…
- How to write a killer book premise
- How to make and use a tag cloud
- How to develop your story’s central conflict
- How to choose a theme shapes your protagonist
- How to plan an instantly relatable protagonist
- How to develop an antagonist to be reckoned with
- How to write an irresistible inciting incident
- How to outline your 16 story beats
Course Curriculum
Lesson 01: Premise
11 minutes
Craft a single sentence that captures the essence of your story.
Lesson 02: Central Conflict
11 minutes
Outline your protagonist and antagonist to ensure their goals directly clash.
Lesson 03: Theme
11 minutes
Develop your story’s theme to guide your protagonist’s growth arc.
Lesson 04: Setup
Story Beat 1 11 minutes
Plan your protagonist’s ordinary life and dissatisfaction.
Lesson 05: Disruption
Story Beats 2-4 11 minutes
Plan an event that shakes your protagonist out of their routine.
Lesson 06: Premise Payoff
Story Beats 5-7 11 minutes
Plan escalating challenges that prepare your protagonist to face the antagonist.
Lesson 07: Midpoint
Story Beats 8-10 11 minutes
Plan an event that changes the protagonist’s perspective and raises the stakes.
Lesson 08: Setback
Story Beats 11-13 11 minutes
Plan how your protagonist embraces the theme after hitting rock bottom.
Lesson 09: Final Showdown
Story Beats 14-16 11 minutes
Plan a climax where the antagonist puts your protagonist’s growth to the test.
Meet Your Instructor
Mel Torrefranca, award-winning novelist and founder of Lost Island Press, introduces her carefully-honed method for plotting a book. By the end of this crash course, you’ll have extensive chapter outlines and reference notes, empowering you to write your first draft with confidence.
This course offers video lectures, downloadable/printable worksheets, and homework assignments to keep you on track. You can customize the completion time to suit your schedule, but it was designed to be completed in 21 consecutive days. Each lesson requires 10-20 minutes of active lecture time, followed by 1-2 hours of personal time dedicated to plotting and homework assignments.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned writer looking to elevate your process, this course provides simple, actionable steps to develop your simple book idea into a complex page-turner.
Mel Torrefranca is a speculative fiction author and founder of Lost Island Press. Her journey began when she published her debut novel as a junior in high school. Leaving Wishville earned the 2021 Readers’ Favorite Bronze Metal Award and was later adapted into a short film co-written by her and director Sebastian Delgado. Her sophomore novel Capsule, published at 18, became a #1 Amazon Bestseller overnight.
Mel’s five books have amassed over 500 ratings on Goodreads, and her YouTube channel has over 60,000 subscribers. Alongside her writing projects and publishing responsibilities, Mel collaborates with other authors as a writing coach.