Write one sentence, around fifteen words, that describes your story. Do not name the main character in this sentence, but rather describe him, such as "retired journalist" or "first year teacher." The sentence should explain who the character is and what major conflict he faces in the story.
Write a paragraph that expands on that sentence. Explain the catalyst, which is the event at the beginning of the story that spurs the character into action, the middle "disaster" or turning point in the novel, and the climax and subsequent resolution.
Write a page for each of your main characters that includes their name, a sentence summary of their role in the story, their motivation, their goal, their conflict, their epiphany and a paragraph that explains the story from beginning to end from that character's point of view.
Write a three- to five-page summary that expands upon every sentence you wrote in Step 2. This is just a deeper, more thought-out explanation of your plot thus far.
Write a one-page summary of the story as told from the point of view of the protagonist, antagonist, and each of the most important supporting characters.
Take your summary from Step 4 and write a full paragraph for every sentence, expanding that idea further. This step is like Step 4 in that you are simply diving deeper into the plot of your story and adding new ideas and twists.
Take your character information from Step 3 and create a detailed character chart for each that includes all of their vital statistics (physical descriptions, birthdays, favorite food) as well as an explanation of how they learn and change throughout the story.
Create a spreadsheet that organizes the scenes you have written in your summary from Step 6. Use the form to keep track of the novel's timeline and which character has the point of view for that scene.
Take each scene from your spreadsheet and create a document with a narrative description of that scene.
Write the first draft, moving scene by scene and using the narrative description from Step 9 to guide you through the story as you find your voice and work in the dialogue and action.