Hooray! Today, I am so happy to be sharing with you not one but two book launches—a revised and expanded second edition of Structuring Your Novel and a brand-new “sequel” Next Level Plot Structure. (And be sure to check out the giveaway for a Freewrite Alpha at the bottom of the post.)

If you want to write a story that works (and that doesn’t have you pulling out an unreasonable amount of hair), plot structure is the foundation upon which everything is built. Once you learn to recognize and understand the structural underpinnings that create a story’s arc, you can turn your imagination loose on your own stories, “knowing that you know” what you’re doing.

Structuring Your Novel is one of the most important books I have ever written. It was based on my cornerstone blog series “Secrets of Story Structure,” which I will be re-publishing starting next week (so if you’ve already read the first edition, you can catch up on the most important updates for free).

Structuring Your Novel continues to be one of the books I hear about most often from writers who are celebrating their successes in finishing and publishing manuscripts. When the book reached its official ten-year anniversary last year, I was inspired to revisit it, to update some information, add three new chapters (on the Inciting Event, Midpoint, and Third Plot Point), and just generally spit and polish it up a bit.

While working on the second edition, I realized how much I’ve learned about structure in the past decade. I wanted to share the nuances, theories, and understandings of structure that have helped me fall even more in love with story and to understand how and why plot structure works on a deeper level. However, because Structuring Your Novel has become such a mainstay for so many writers (80,000 and counting at this point!), I didn’t want to change it too much. So I decided to create a sequel!

Next Level Plot Structure compiles my last decade’s worth of discoveries and teachings about story theory and plot and scene structure. Specifically, it looks at how all of structure—from the macro level to the micro—can be constructed as two halves that mirror each other.

Not only does this create built-in foreshadowing and solid plots with cohesive set-ups and pay-offs, it also offers incredible opportunities for deepening character arcs and leveraging the built-in symbolism and meaning found within the plot beats themselves.

I am so happy to celebrate the second edition of Structuring Your Novel with all of you. Thank you for embracing it and making it a part of your writing journeys for the past decade! And I am ecstatic to get to share Next Level Plot Structure as a thoroughly up-to-date exploration of all my favorite ways to write stories that explode off the page and screen to remain with audiences for their entire lives. I can’t wait to hear about the new stories you will write with these books!

Where Can You Buy The Books

You can purchase Structuring Your Novel (Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition) at the following links:

If you have already read the first edition, I would totally appreciate it, if you’d consider leaving a review on the new one! Creating a new edition meant losing the thousands of reviews the book collected over the past decade. I would totally appreciate it if you’d help me rebuild the review section!

Also, in case you’re wondering, I am planning to update and create a second edition of the Structuring Your Novel Workbook next year sometime.

You can purchase Next Level Plot Structure at the following links:

(Audiobooks are hopefully coming later this year!)

More About Structuring Your Novel (Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition)

Is Structure the Hidden Foundation of All Successful Stories?

Why do some stories work and others don’t? The answer is structure. In this 10-year anniversary edition, you will discover the universal underpinnings that guarantee powerful plot and character arcs. An understanding of proper story and scene structure will help you to not only perfectly time your story’s major events, but will also provide you with an unerring standard to use in evaluating your novel’s pacing and progression.

Structuring Your Novel will show you:

• How to recognize and create powerful plot points at the right moments throughout your story.
• How to determine the best methods for unleashing your unique and personal vision for your story.
• How to identify common structural weaknesses and flip them around into stunning strengths.
• How to eliminate saggy middles by discovering your “centerpiece.”
• Why you should NEVER include conflict on every page.
• How to craft a solid line of amazing scenes that create your story’s dramatic arc.

Revised and expanded with updated information and three brand new chapters, this second edition will help you join legions of writers who have learned how to write masterful plots.

Story structure has empowered countless bestselling and classic authors. Now it’s your turn!

More About Next Level Plot Structure

Elevate Your Storytelling with Expert Plot Structure

Unlock the secrets of compelling storytelling with Next Level Plot Structure, a brand-new guide from K.M. Weiland, author of the popular Structuring Your Novel. This comprehensive resource delves deep into the intricacies of plot structure, revealing the rich vein of narrative techniques and philosophical underpinnings that have shaped storytelling throughout history.

• Delve beyond plot beats to explore deeper symmetry and symbolism in story.
• Discover how every plot beat and scene is composed of two mirroring halves, contributing to the narrative arc.
• Introduce readers to chiastic structure, a mesmerizing mirroring technique that unites the two halves of a story.
• Master the dual beats of each major plot point to create dramatic scene arcs.
• Explore innovative ways to structure scenes to keep readers engaged and eager to turn the page.
• Examine the symbolic significance of a story’s four “worlds” and their influence on plot and character arcs.
• Evade formulaic story structures by understanding the deeper meaning and purpose of each plot element.

Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, Next Level Plot Structure provides invaluable insights and practical techniques to help you take your storytelling to new heights.

 

Enter to Win

To celebrate the launch of Structuring Your Novel and Next Level Plot Structure, I am giving away a Freewrite Alpha (value $349).

Description of Freewrite Alpha:

Alpha is a dedicated drafting device for anyone who wants to write without the distraction—or temptation—of browsers, email, or notifications.

Get in writing flow and develop more prolific writing sessions by separating the drafting and editing processes. When it is time to edit, your drafts wirelessly sync to the cloud for export into your software of choice.

Push your productivity forward and tap into writing joy.

To Enter

Winners will be announced Monday, July 15th (via email and on Instagram). Enter below! (Note: no purchase is necessary to enter.)

Good luck to everyone in the drawing, have fun, and thank you for helping me celebrate the launches of Structuring Your Novel and Next Level Plot Structure!

Click the “Play” button to Listen to Audio Version (or subscribe to the Helping Writers Become Authors podcast in Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, or Spotify).

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