Monster Writing Guides

Write your novel, find your community

An array of Monster Writing Guide materials
The Monster Novel Structure Workbook

The Monster Novel Structure Workbook

How to plot without getting stuck! eBook available now.

Preview of the course on a laptop screen

Bullet Journal NaNoPrep Planner Course

Plan your way to a successful NaNoWriMo with this short course.

Write a Novel Curriculum print mockup

FREE The Write a Novel Curriculum

25 books you should read to help you write your novel.

Coming Soon: More writing guides on the way!

Ask your burning questions about writing to get answers faster.

Novel Structure Workbook

How to Plot Without Getting Stuck

21 distinct beats to guide you through your novel. More than just the the inflexible Hero’s Journey, the Monster Workbook takes you through the most popular character arc—a positive one with a (mostly) happy ending—to maximize your book’s emotional satisfaction. With the aid of step-by-step explanations, examples, and analysis, you’ll understand how and why the structure works. And also how it can be broken and still work.

The book is enhanced with downloads, including printable and editable PDFs, a Scrivener template, and a NaNoWriMo calendar.

21 Beats to a Better Novel

Know where you’re going, before the first draft or during revision.

No More Muddy Middle

The bane of every writer, you can see now clearly see what to do next.

Emotionally Satisfying

Take your Protagonist, and your reader, on a journey of self-discovery.

Downloads include

A Taste of Act I

Praise from Reviewers

4.75/5
This book really helps the writer to visualize the structure, or, rather, what it should be, amid all the ideas and characters that bubble up when a story is forming. I wish I had it while I was writing my first novel. Now I can look back, though, and see how to revise and edit so the stories fit together more smoothly. Thank you!
This book also has the most useful downloads EVER, including worksheets, examples, a questionnaire, AND a Scrivener template. It feels like someone is holding my hand and saying, “You can do this. Baby steps!” And the steps are all spelled out so clearly. The downloads put an already fantastic novel-writing resource over the top. I know it sounds like I'm gushing, but I truly mean it. I'll be recommending this book to every writer I know.
I've read a number of 'how to structure your novel' books, and I found this one much easier to understand than some of the other books I've read. I write romance, so I have two main characters--most structure books do not cover how to deal with two character arcs. I was just wondering how the Monster structure would apply to this, when there is was - a section devoted to this!

Bullet Journal NaNoPrep Planner Course

NaNoWriMo is coming...

Use the power of bullet journals to prepare for NaNoWriMo

This course provides everything you need to prepare to write a novel–not just any novel, but a winning National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) draft!

    • Identify HOW you should prepare
    • Choose WHAT you want to do from 13 Tasks
    • Estimate how much TIME you really have
    • Set weekly GOALS
    • Have a flexible PLAN OF ACTION
    • Draft with CONFIDENCE

This is a one-time fee that will give you open access to the course. Use the materials over and over again!

Get help from a 10-time NaNoWriMo winner who always does prep work. Give yourself the best possible chance of winning NaNoWriMo this year!

Write a Novel Curriculum

25 Texts To Get You Writing

Want to write a novel but you’re not sure where to start? Start here! The Curriculum directs you to my 25 favorite resources for mindset, planning, writing, and publication.

It’s my free gift to you as a thanks for joining my mailing list.

What you'll get