Details

This highly requested workshop will take writers on a fun and practical journey through plotting and planning a novel.

Whether your sub-plots are in a knotty mess or you'd like a helping hand at the early stages of your novel, this plotting and planning workshop will help you feel more confident and excited about your novel. The ability to effectively structure a novel is the most daunting stage for so many writers, but it doesn't need to be. During this workshop, we'll go through a number of practical steps that will help you turn your idea into a plan you can work from.

The workshop will take place on Zoom with plenty of opportunity for interaction as well as dedicated writing prompts that will see you leave with an arsenal of useful prompts and next steps. Afterwards, there will be an optional Q&A so that participants have an opportunity to ask the host specific questions, or to brainstorm solutions to any plotting or planning problems you may have.

Please note: This is a re-run workshop

Workshop outline

• Recalibrating your writerly mindset - the time is now!
• Why the genre you write in makes a difference
• Writing an elevator pitch (that you only need the germ of an idea for)
• The three-act structure of story
• Writing a straightforward synopsis
• Developing your plot using ‘the snowflake method’
• Adding detail through ‘story beats’ to keep your plot sharp
• Character arcs and narrative arcs
• Turning all of the above into a practical plan you can work from
• Getting to the end of your manuscript - tips for staying on track

Workshop: 7:00pm-8:30pm

Optional Q&A: 8:30pm - 9:00pm

The workshop will be recorded and a link to the playback will be made available for 30 days after the workshop ends.

Additionally, if you would like personalised feedback on your synopsis, plan, or a specific project query, this can be arranged for an additional fee of £25.

Please email abigailemannwriter@gmail.com for more information.

Testimonials

"Honestly, your workshop is the best writing course I've been on - I've been to so many writing courses where the instructors just make wishy washy statements or treat the whole thing as an ego exercise. Yours is the first one that gave practical, helpful advice."

"Abigail has completely demystified the plotting process for me. Her funny, engaging manner and fantastic practical activities have made me feel like maybe I can actually get this book in my head written!"

"As someone who struggled with sticking with a text longform, the planning tips and prompts were very inspirational and motivating. I started plotting right after the workshop!"

"This was my second Abigail Mann Workshop and I enjoyed it just as much as the first! Once again it was interesting and fun, providing lots of useful information and ideas without feeling too congested or jargon heavy."

"I came into the workshop with a very vague idea and came out of it with more of a concept for my novel."

"Abi is a wonderful teacher, I didn’t know what to expect as I haven’t attended a writing class in 16 years but I didn’t need to worry. I feel a lot more confident now than ever before."

"Abi is friendly, funny and engaging. I came away full of ideas without feeling like I was bombarded with information!"

"Abigail is a wonderful workshop host - you can tell she has teaching experience - and the content of her workshop was accessible and fun to work through. A mix of resources, prompts & skill-sharing helped make comedy writing accessible for people at every stage of their writing journey."

About Abigail

Abigail is a comedy writer living in London and surviving on a diet of three-shot coffee, bourbons, and vegetarian sausage rolls. She was born and brought up in Norfolk, which she says is to blame for the sardonic humour that runs through her novels. Abigail was the runner up in 2019's Comedy Women in Print award for THE LONELY FAJITA: her debut novel, with THE SISTER SURPRISE due in Spring '21 and a third on the way - published by One More Chapter / HarperCollins. She is a qualified teacher who specialises in making writing accessible, fun, and uplifting.

Abigail takes inspiration from unconventional cross-sections of modern society and the impact this has on identity and the relationships we create, with lots of laughs along the way.

She has featured in The Simple Things, Marie Claire, S Magazine, Creative Countryside, Thryve, My Weekly, Waitrose magazine, The Guardian, and others.