(But not necessarily before your first draft!)

Understanding how plots work is the keystone to writing an excellent plot outline, just as it’s essential to writing a good manuscript.

In this blog, I’ll explain how to write a plot outline, when to use a plot outline, and my Big Picture Philosophy of storytelling that’s based on beliefs about telling stories held by E.M. Forster, Aristotle, and Shakespeare. 

Most writers fall into two categories: “writers who love to plot” and “writers who love to create characters.” Generally speaking, plot writers tend to visualize events, and they love to write outlines and plan what will happen when. Character writers like to dive in with only a loose idea and get to know the people in their story as they write the first draft. Character writers often tell me that they hate outlines or that outlines take the fun out of writing.

I get that.

But all writers who are crafting a novel should write an outline.

You do not, however, need to write that outline before you write your first draft.

Wait, what?

Writers are often confused by this, so let me back up a bit. 

Plot writers versus character writers

Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages. Plot writers create stories where lots of exciting things happen but run the risk of creating characters that feel underdeveloped. Character writers create complex relationships and backstories but sometimes craft stories that feel stagnant. (Scene after scene of two people talking, anyone?)

The most important piece of advice I can give any writer is this: Write to your strengths. Revise to your weaknesses. 

You don’t need to start with an outline.  But an outline is an essential tool for writers, either when beginning writing or as part of the revision process. (Or both.)

If you love to work with plots, then an outline is a great way to brainstorm events and kickstart your creative process.

If you love to work with characters, then an outline is the best way to revise your first discovery draft.

Outlining a novel doesn't make writing go more quickly

The reason to write an outline is not that it will make writing easier or faster, at least, not exactly. Because the outline itself is a lot of work, and writing an outline--if you do it properly--will slow you down at first. The reason to write an outline is that it will force you to boil down your scenes to their essence. And when you do this, you can more easily see what can be eliminated or combined. You can see where the most emotional moments are. You can more easily assess the overall pacing.

Decisions, actions, and character impact each event

You cannot separate plots from characters or characters from plots. Every story is a story about someone who faces events and makes decisions. By making decisions and taking action, the character impacts events. But the events themselves impact and change the character. The person at the start of the story is a different person by the end of the story.

That is the purpose of the story.

There are some people who say that “everything happens for a reason.” Of course, in life this isn’t true. Random events—both good and bad—happen all the time. But in a novel, it is true. Everything happens for a reason. 

What reason? To make the character into the person they will be at the end of the story.

An outline should capture more than just events. If you are writing a novel, the outline also needs to capture why things happen, and the explanation is always found in the character, their relationships, and their emotions.

What Goes Into An Outline

A novel outline is not just a list of “this happened and then this happened”. Remember that a novel must supply a why, which means that an outline should capture character motivation.

Step One: Capture the Protagonist

Step Two: Determine the Ending

Step Three: Build Out the Cast

Step Four: Investigate the Setting

Step Five: Establish the Tentpole Moments for Main Plot

Step Six: Establish the Tentpole Moments of Subplot

Step Seven: Understand What You Need to Capture in Each Scene

Step Eight: Begin the Scene-By-Scene Outline

Step One: Capture the Protagonist

Your main character will determine your plot.

The main character will drive the main plot by taking action. Your character must want something, and usually what they want is to solve a problem. They will take action to solve the problem, but the action will have unexpected consequences. They will then take further action, resulting in more unexpected consequences.

One of the most common mistakes writers make is in creating dynamic characters ((insert link)) who experience events, but don’t take action to get what they want. Readers are not invested in characters who simply stand back. Even timid characters can take action—they can actively avoid a situation or flee a confrontation. 

In an outline, the four essential points you need to capture about your protagonist is their:

• Feature: their dominant positive quality

• Flaw: their dominant negative quality

• Want: the problem they wish to solve

• Guiding Belief: the way they think about the world
  

Step Two: Determine the Ending

Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash

You don’t need to know the exact ending of your novel before you write it, but you’ll need to have a sense of whether it will be a happy ending or a sad one from your character’s point of view. Stories that have happy endings usually start with characters who are flawed in some way and, little by little, grow and improve as people. Stories with sad endings are the opposite—the character starts off only slightly flawed, but gets worse and worse over time.

Knowing whether your character is improving as a person or becoming more flawed will make it easier to brainstorm plot events.

Step Three: Build Out The Cast

Interactions between characters create most plot points.

Your protagonist is not the only character who wants something. Your secondary characters want something, too. (Even your villain wants something—usually the same thing or the opposite of what your protagonist wants.) Again, the plot will be driven by the character’s want.

Your cast will help you determine your subplots. Create the rest of the cast in the same way that you created your protagonist: by determining their feature, flaw, want, and guiding belief.  The difference between a main plot and a subplot is that subplots are shorter and less intense.

Step Four: Investigate Your Setting

Your setting offers opportunities for plot points.

Many writers consider settings in order to build a mood or evoke emotions in a reader. They are also plot opportunities. When you think about the location where the action takes place, you can consider where cast members might interact and places that might escalate conflict. Think about who lives with whom, how close those locations are, where the common spaces are located, and what in the setting might cause conflict or struggle. Is there a mountain to climb? A river to cross? A diner where everyone comes for waffles? A tavern that attracts marauders and thieves? Each location has something to offer.

Step Five: Establish the Tentpole Moments For The Main Plotline

Photo by Tommy Lisbin on Unsplash

Tentpoles hold up your story

There are five major “tentpole” moments that support your story. Some people have given these moments names and divided them into Three-Act Structure or Five-Act Structure or The Hero’s Journey. But, fundamentally, they are:

• The set-up: Once upon a time

• The problem: And then one day

• The first major failure: When all of a sudden

• It seems as if all is lost: When just at the last minute

• The details are wrapped up: They all lived happily ever after

There are, of course, a large number of scenes between these major moments. In these scenes, things are either getting better or worse for the main character. Some ways that things could get better for your character are that they meet a mentor or friend, they find something useful (could be information), they make something useful, they improve their skills, they reach a destination. Some ways that things could get worse for your character are that they become injured, they are threatened by the villain, they attempt something and fail at it, their equipment fails, the clue they found is a dead end, someone steals something important that belongs to them.

Step Six: Establish the Tentpole Moments for Subplots

Smaller tents need fewer poles

Most subplots follow the same structure as a main plot, but are slightly shorter. Their major tentpole moments are often combined and there are fewer scenes between them. For example, we might meet our secondary character and understand their problem in the first few sentences of the introduction. Their first major failure and all is lost moments might be the same. And their happy (or sad) ending usually coincides with the main plot’s outcome. 

Determining between three and five major moments for each of your subplots will help you brainstorm and flesh out many of the scenes in your scene by scene outline.

Step Seven: Understand What You Need To Capture In Each Scene

A large part of writing a good scene-by-scene outline lies in understanding what makes a scene. Each scene should capture Six Essential Moments:

• time and location of the scene: setting

• the character’s opening emotion: what is your character feeling?

• the character’s expectation: what do they expect to happen?

• how that expectation is upended: what actually happens?

• how the character’s emotion changes: how the character feels

• the character’s new expectation or plan: or a cliffhanger

Step Eight: Begin The Scene-By-Scene Outline

For outliners with a Discovery Draft:

Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash

If you have already written a discovery draft, tackling a scene-by-scene outline is fairly straightforward. Simply re-read your work, breaking each scene into the Six Essential Scene Elements. If an element is missing, consider whether the scene is really working. You might need to combine what happens in this scene with another, more active scene. Or you might want to cut the scene entirely.

For outliners working on a first draft:

Once you have written your Five Tentpole scenes descriptions and subplot tentpole scene descriptions, it’s time to brainstorm how to get from point A to point B. Consider what your character wants, why they want it now (instead of earlier), and who or what is preventing them from getting it.

Every scene is a moment in which things either get better for the character or get worse for the character. What are some things that might happen that might make the character’s situation worse? Brainstorm as many as you can for two minutes. Don’t edit yourself here—feel free to think of ridiculous things, like Character gets hit in the head with a loaf of bread or Character falls in a well. 

Remember the setting and the other characters. What exists in the setting that might cause a problem? What could the other characters say or do that would make things worse? Just come up with as many as you can. You should have a list of at least ten events, but it will probably be a lot more.

Next, ask,what are some things that might make the character's situation better? Setting and characters offer opportunities for plot events. Making a friend or meeting a mentor is a great way for things to get better, and it is also a way to kick off a subplot.

Take a look at your two lists and choose at least one event to explore as a scene. Go through the Six Essential Moments for the scene and see where it leads you.

Every scene you write will set up the next scene. The next scene will either continue the plot or defer the plot.

These things get better/things get worse scenes are the fabric that connect your major tentpole moments, setting them up so that they have the right emotional impact.

When done properly, an outline serves as a map of your story, offering a bird’s eye view of each step along the journey. It can help you see where your story is off course and help streamline your storytelling process.

---

Lisa Papademetriou is a former editor with Scholastic, HarperCollins, and Disney Press, and has taught at Sierra Nevada College’s MFA program in Writing. She is the author of A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic (a South Asia Book Award Highly Commended Title), the New York Times-bestselling novel Middle School: My Brother is a Big, Fat Liar and Homeroom Diaries (both with James Patterson), and the Confectionately Yours series, among others. Her books have appeared on many prestigious lists, including Bank Street Best Books of the Year, the NYPL Books for the Teen Age, and the Texas Lone Star Reading List, and have been translated into multiple languages. Most recently, she is the founder of Bookflow.pub, a tool designed to help writers reach their goals by building skills, organization, and motivation.

Self care is a critical part of your artistic process. Give yourself the gift of rest.

Annie Spratt on Unsplash

I have been working on receiving this season, finding beauty in the icicles outside my window, the flurries that whip around the yard, the luscious quiet of nighttime snowfall. In short: receiving rest. Receiving what is being offered - ease - instead of demanding a book to show for all my time inside. 

I want to talk about what it means to receive rest, and to receive a place, a moment, a season of your life. As Natalie Goldberg says, "Practice comes from our body - we receive it." 

What does it mean to receive our writing practice in our bodies?

Sometimes it takes a long time for the seeds of a story to bloom. Sometimes, it just needs good ground to burrow in, and trust from the earth of your body that, when the time is right, the words will flower onto the page. 

Trusting that the words will come is hard. Preparing the way is even harder. What does it look like to be actively fallow? To celebrate seasons of rest, periods of preparation? 

Some of my resting places are:

• the moon

• windchimes on my back and front porches

• lighthouses

• my husband's eyes

• my morning cup of coffee

• the Sahara desert

• my grandmother's lap

• Minnesota

• Bowie’s Starman

• my childhood bunk bed

• The Boston Public Library

• the lake by my old place in North Carolina

• Little Women

• Anne of Green Gables

• my best friend's smile

• my sister's laugh

• my kitty's soft body

• a dark theater just before the curtain rises

• a blank piece of paper

• Mary Oliver

• Sunsets

• Sunrises

• My breath

What are your resting places?

Ilham Rahmansyah on Unsplash

I've been thinking a lot these days about how my writing can become more of a resting place for me. It's so often fraught - for all of us - with the weight of expectation, the inner critic, always feeling like we've fallen short, or behind. 

We crave and grasp and want, so very badly, to flow, to write the book, to finish the book, to get the deal. But after that mountain? More mountains. How do we rest during the climb, on the summit, on the way down, and in the valleys between?

What would it look like to receive rest, to give ourselves permission to reject the pressures of the attention economy: to set the phone down, to not do it all, to take good care of our bones?

Photo by Stacey Gabrielle Koenitz Rozells on Unsplash 

How do we, as people with wonderfully gifted imaginations, imagine our way into some rest? Some delight? Some time to jot down a few words?

One way is to see your words in the context of a gift economy, as a gift that is being offered you, and an opportunity for you to pay that gift forward. To see yourself and your words as an essential part of a larger ecological system that needs you to keep telling stories and writing poems and journal entries - not just to-do lists. A gift that you don't have to stand in line for, wrap, mail, or cross off a list.

This gift is already inside you, waiting patiently under the tree of your heart, wrapped and ready to be opened. 

A piece of Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass sums up the questions surrounding giving and receiving rest to ourselves, including the gift of our words and our words as resting places:

“A gift comes to you through no action of your own, free, having moved toward you without your beckoning. It is not a reward, you cannot earn it, or call it to you, or even deserve it. And yet it appears. Your only role is to be open-eyed and present.”

In 2022 I'm going to be resting more, and writing more, and giving more time to study.

If you feel that same tug, a whispered inner yes, then sit with that. Listen to it. Build the writing life you long for in 2022.

Written By: Heather Demetrios

Heather Demetrios is a critically acclaimed author, writing coach, and certified meditation teacher based in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

She has an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is a recipient of the PEN America Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award for her debut novel, Something Real. Her novels include Little Universes, I’ll Meet You There, Bad Romance, as well as the Dark Caravan fantasy series: Exquisite Captive, Blood Passage, and Freedom’s Slave. Her non-fiction includes the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection Code Name Badass: The True Story of Virginia Hall, and she is the editor of Dear Heartbreak: YA Authors and Teens on the Dark Side of Love.

She will be teaching our upcoming Craft Boost: Bingeable Chapters in April, 2022.

Every January, I set big writing goals. By March, the goals have dissolved or morphed, depending on what has happened in my life. After realizing I’ve missed my benchmarks, my brain naturally spirals into all the ways I’ve failed myself. My friends have published more books than me. Read more books. Posted more on social media. The self-loathing grows exponentially.

For many of us, sitting at a desk all day every day is not realistic. Some of us have other jobs, other commitments, even physical limitations, like bad backs, necks, bulging discs, and arthritis. (Welcome to the body of a writer.) So when we finally do sit down, we put all this pressure on ourselves to write something amazing, to be super productive, to get tons of words on the page. The pressure to create is intense. And the pressure to be a productive creator can be crippling.

Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash

On the best of days, we get into that state of flow, that glorious experience when fingers type furiously, in sync with the universe. Time stands still, and the words on the page are deep and poignant and exquisite. But sometimes, we sit at our computers and stare at our screens and all we can think about is our grocery list, or that the dog needs a walk, or that we can’t really think of anything interesting to write, and maybe this writing thing is a big waste of time because we can’t write anyway.

What if we considered process something bigger? What if we considered that those days of inefficiency, those days of no words, of just staring at a monitor with a blank mind, is part of the process that leads us to a state of flow? What if all those hard moments, those days when you slog at your computer, or when you can’t write anything at all, are as much a part of the creative process as those bursts of flow? What if flow doesn’t occur despite all those days of slogging, but instead, flow occurs because of it?

Photo by mosi knife on Unsplash

I once spent three weeks trying to solve a problem in a novel. I grew restless and irritated, stressed with myself. So I told myself I was giving up. I put the book aside, and I spent the next three weeks not writing. I went for walks. I chatted with friends. I cleaned my closet. And then one day, I went to a yoga class, did my downward dogs and Shavasana, and then left the building and walked outdoors. It was a glorious, sunny summer day. The sky was perfect, the temperature just right. I tilted my face towards the warmth of the sun and suddenly, the solution popped into my head. It just came to me.

In our Write Now! Group, writers often check in at the end of our sessions sheepishly confessing they didn’t accomplish the goal they’d set out to do. They say things like:

I wanted to write a chapter, but I only got through three pages.
Or
I wasn’t sure what to write, so I just reread my last chapter.
Or
I was so tired that I fell asleep. I didn’t get anything done.
Or
I spent the whole time revising one paragraph.

After almost 20 years in this business and two years of leading Write Now! groups, I need to say this out loud: They Count! Every one of those experiences counts!

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com

All these moments that feel unproductive are part of your process, and they count. The very commitment that you make to yourself to sit in a chair, even if you are staring out the window, counts. And we haven’t even talked about self-care. We can only write if our wells are full, so filling our wells is as important as the writing. Whale Rock instructor Heather Demetrios shared with students last spring that if they were so tired that they needed a nap during their writing time, then that nap counts. Because that nap helps heal the fatigue and fills the well. 

As I look at the months ahead, I’m going to be thinking about my process and about what I need to do to keep my creative juices flowing. Spoiler alert: some of that work will be boring and unproductive. I encourage you to do the same. And if you need to step away from your computer to walk your dog or buy some groceries, no worries. That counts. 

PhPhoto by lilartsy on Unsplashoto by lilartsy on Unsplash

The time we spend thinking and dreaming counts. 

The time we spend reading counts.

The time we spend journaling counts.

The time spent sitting in a chair, staring at our computer, whether we are productive or not, counts.

Whether we write one word or one thousand words…

It counts.

For more thoughts on the creative process consider reading (or listening to):

How to Fly a Horse, by Kevin Ashton

Creativity can't be forced. Take breaks and zone out to find new inspiration

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, by Matthew Walker PhD (Heather Demetrio recommendation)

Creative Pep Talk Podcast (Hannah Barnaby recommendation)

It’s that time of year. Time to think about your holiday gifts. We asked our Expert Instructors and Whale Rock Staff to share their top book picks from 2021 in three categories. For the next three weeks, we’ll introduce a new category for you to explore. Here are their recommendations for books to buy for a young reader.
Wishing you a lovely holiday season!

Instructors Picks

The book I would buy for a child / middle-grade reader or teen this year would be:  A Bird Will Soar by Alison Green Myers because through sparse prose, a young boy on the spectrum reveals heart and wisdom as he brings his family together.  

Kathy Erskine’s latest books are Lily’s Promise and All of Us.

The book I would buy for a teen this year would be Code Name Badass by Whale Rock’s own Heather Demetrios. This novel tells the true story of Virginia Hall, a spy for the Allies during World War II. While many wrote her off for being female and disabled (she used a prosthetic leg), she helped train French Resistance fighters and organize sabotage missions to take down Hitler. Meticulously researched, it reads like a Jason Bourne novel.

Lisa Papademetriou is a former editor, the author of over 20 novels, and the founder of Bookflow.

Anne Ursu’s The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy would make a fabulous gift for a middle grade or teen reader.

It is a powerful and compelling fantasy with a deeply satisfying conclusion about a kingdom where every boy has the potential to wield magic to protect the country but every troublesome girl is sent off to Dragomir Academy.

Phyllis Root is the author of over 50 books including, most recently, Begin With A Bee in collaboration with Liza Ketchum and Jackie Briggs Martin.

Randy Ribay's Patron Saints of Nothing is a YA novel that centers around Jay Regeuro, who lives in Michigan and travels to the Philippines to uncover the truth about his cousin's murder during Duterte's war on drugs in that country. It's a compelling, complex, and searing read.

Gary D. Schmidt is the author, most recently, of the novel Just Like That and the picture book, One Smart Sheep.

Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh/This Is How I Know by Brittany Luby and Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley because the illustrations are bold enough to engage a very young child, but still contain telling details and convey lots of emotion. It’s a bilingual book about the passing of the seasons. The English text is poetic and spare. You can listen to the Anishinaabemowin text on YouTube. Beautiful enough that you’ll want to pin the dust jacket on your wall; interesting and evocative enough that readers of any age will pick it up again and again. (P.S. This is how you say the title: Mee-MAN-dah AY-zhee ge-ke-END-mah.)

Shelley Tanaka is the longtime fiction editor at Groundwood Books, where she has edited more than a dozen Governor General’s Award-winning titles. She is the author of thirty books for young readers.

Whale Rock Staff

Yara's Spring by Jamal Saeed & Sharon E. McKay is a hard-hitting look at life during the Syrian War through the eyes of a young girl. The novel fiercely refuses to shy away from the brutality, senselessness and issues of a revolution that killed so many innocent victims. At once heartbreaking and hopeful, the novel captures a country in turmoil in striking detail as Yara grows from age 10 at the start of war to age 16 when she awaits her fate at Jordan's Azraq Refugee Camp.

Heather Camlot
Whale Rock Workshops’ Editor & Workshop Host.

Heather is the author of The Other Side and What If Soldiers Fought with Pillows? amongst others.

The book I would buy for a teen this year would be Radha and Jai's Recipe for Romance by Nisha Sharma as it whisks you right into a world where you can find new (or rekindled) passions and talents. It reminds you that you can grow as a person, conquer fears and anxiety, and find what really brings you joy.

Sarah Cassell
Whale Rock Workshops, Social Media Manager

It’s that time of year. Time to think about your holiday gifts. We asked our Master Instructors and Whale Rock Staff to share their top book picks from 2021 in three categories. For the next three weeks, we’ll introduce a new category for you to explore. Here are their recommendations for books to buy for a friend. Happy Reading!

Instructors Picks

I would buy The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey. The Perveen Mistry series is such an entertaining and informative view of 1920’s India through the eyes of a young Zoroastrian woman lawyer who defies stereotypes with dignity and determination as she unravels murder mysteries.

Kathy Erskine’s latest books are Lily’s Promise and All of Us.

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. I really loved this book. I love Shakespeare and found it fascinating to think about the family he left behind when he went off to London, and only rarely came back. But the writing is exquisite; she makes life live.

Patricia Lee “Patti” Gauch, author, teacher, former Editorial Director of Philomel Books.

The book I would buy for a friend this year would be: Gastro Obscura. This design-heavy celebration of world food is a delight to look at and super fun to flip through. It's the kind of book that you open and immediately start reading aloud from, sharing interesting facts and photos with your friends or even random nearby strangers.

Lisa Papademetriou is a former editor, the author of over 20 novels, and the founder of Bookflow.

The book I would buy for a friend this year would be Black Birds in the Sky by Brandy Colbert.

It thoroughly and brilliantly tells the story of the until-now little-known race massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma.   

Phyllis Root is the author of over 50 books including, most recently, Begin With A Bee in collaboration with Liza Ketchum and Jackie Briggs Martin.

The Warden by Anthony Trollope, which is the first of his six Barsetshire novels. After a year of such conflict and rancor, it's wonderful to watch a sweet, gentle character rise above the ambitions of the petty and ambitious.

Gary D. Schmidt is the author, most recently, of the novel Just Like That and the picture book, One Smart Sheep.

Whale Rock Staff

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer is a collection of essays that explores the reciprocal relationship humans must have with nature in order to sustain our ecosystem.

Kimmerer weaves stories about life with botany lessons and Indigenous teachings. Each essay is moving, poetic and a reminder to be grateful for the grass under our feet.

Shari Becker,
Whale Rock Workshops founder.

Shari is the co-author of Sprouting Wings and the author of The Stellow Project, amongst others.

Although it's the young readers' edition of bestselling The Hidden Life of Trees, Can You Hear the Trees Talking? By Peter Wohlleben (translated by our own Shelley Tanaka) is so dense with information and written in such an inviting way that it really is a wonderful read for any age.

Every page has nuggets to glean, from how trees breathe and drink to whether they are brave or afraid. Just fascinating.

Heather Camlot
Whale Rock Workshops’ Editor & Workshop Host.

Heather is the author of The Other Side and What If Soldiers Fought with Pillows? amongst others.

The book I would gift to a friend this holiday season is Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean.

My friends and I grew up loving the Princess Diaries books and movies. This story is a modern Princess Diaries tale, written in a humorous style like Crazy Rich Asians. The love story is deep and captivating.

Sarah Cassell
Whale Rock Workshops, Social Media Manager

It’s that time of year. Time to think about your holiday gifts. We asked our Master Instructors and Whale Rock Staff to share their top book picks from 2021 in three categories. For the next three weeks, we’ll introduce a new category for you to explore. Here are their recommendations for books to share with a fellow writer. Happy Reading!

INSTRUCTOR PICKS

Jeff Tweedy’s How To Write One Song is a perfect book for a writer because it is not specifically about writing!

At face value, this book is about songwriting, but really Tweedy examines the entire creative journey from anxiety to discipline to process.

Hannah Barnaby has worked as a children’s book editor, independent bookseller, and book reviewer. She is the author of multiple young adult novels, chapter books and picture books, including Monster and Boy and Home is….

A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders is my recommendation for writers.

The stories themselves, all Russian, are powerful and true examples of the finest writing. They are perfect stories in themselves and novels in miniature. Saunders follows with essays that are directed not at the reader, but the writer. A don't miss!

Patricia Lee “Patti” Gauch, author, teacher, former Editorial Director of Philomel Books.

The book I would buy as a gift for another writer this year would be My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson.

The language is exquisite. Reading any one of these short stories—profound in content—will make you want to up your game when it comes to clever, sharp, loaded prose.

Kathy Erskine’s latest books are Lily’s Promise and All of Us.

The book I would buy as a gift for another writer this year would be The Plot.

It's a novel about a writer with an insufferable student who happens to be writing a brilliant, potentially bestselling story. When the student dies unexpectedly, the writer steals the plot and decides to write it himself. All is well, until he starts receiving threatening emails... It's a fun, writer-centered psychological thriller with shades of Patricia Highsmith.

Lisa Papademetriou is a former editor, the author of over 20 novels, and the founder of Bookflow, a platform that helps writers stay organized and motivated.

I chose Wishes by Mượn Thị Văn, illustrated by Victo Ngai because in seventy-five words, the author and illustrator have created a story that moves me every time I read it. It’s a perfect example of elegant simplicity, relevance, and heart.

Phyllis Root is the author of, most recently, Begin With A Bee in collaboration with Liza Ketchum and Jackie Briggs Martin.

I Talk Like a River, written by Jordan Scott, illustrated by Sydney Smith is an astonishing picture book, a perfect collaboration of text and illustration, as a father gives his son, who struggles with a stutter, the metaphor he needs to begin to deal with the disability. The central illustration, which opens into a four-page spread, is a brilliant entry into the unconsciousness of the speaker, who is suddenly empowered by his new understanding.

Gary D. Schmidt is the author, most recently, of the novel Just Like That and the picture book, One Smart Sheep.

I chose The Greats book because it subverts so many writerly “rules." In Guyana, a giant prehistoric sloth comes to life. Meanwhile, a teenaged boy decides to kill himself after he is jailed as a young offender, and his grandfathers, all of whom died by suicide, return as ghosts to pull him back from the brink. This book “appropriates” voice, race, genre and setting and dares to turn a story about poverty, addiction, mental illness, suicide and grief into a celebration of life and nature. I hope it encourages every writer to reconsider the rules and embrace their inner weird.

Shelley Tanaka is the longtime fiction editor at Groundwood Books, where she has edited more than a dozen Governor General’s Award-winning titles. She is the author of thirty books for young readers.

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WHALE ROCK STAFF PICKS

I chose The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab because the story idea is wonderfully original. Every detail in the book is important and comes back to connect to the storyline in beautiful and meaningful ways. The build of tension and the pacing of the novel is one to be studied and admired.

Sarah Cassell
Whale Rock Workshops, Social Media Manager

I chose On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, a heartbreaking letter from a son to his mother, exploring the depths of their relationship and the immigrant experience.

Written in a poetic style, both the language and the story will completely blow you away.

Emelia G.
Whale Rock Workshops, Summer 2021 Intern

Social media. We know it’s important to have an online presence because our agent and our editors and other writer friends tell us it is. We’re navigating building a website, growing fans and followers, marketing our next books — all on top of writing, editing and publishing said books! We’re authors, not digital marketing experts. 

With limited resources and marketing support from publishing houses, social media is part of the job description for being an author. But I see social media as so much more than that. It is an exciting opportunity, a chance to engage with others in our community and authentically share ourselves and our stories with a larger audience. 

Here’s how you can start building your author brand authentically on social media.

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

Photo by Adem AY on Unsplash

Step One: Decide what channel you should be on.

Ask any entrepreneur how they started their business and they’ll say: small. You have to focus on one thing, one product in the beginning. It isn’t until you’ve built some capacity and are more efficient that you can grow and expand your company’s focus. So give yourself the same grace. Start small with one, maybe two channels that you really focus on. 

The channel you choose ultimately depends on who you’re trying to reach, what your goals are (book sales, marketing your events, connecting with other authors?) and what your strengths and comfort levels are. 

Consider Facebook if you...

• need space to process your  thoughts and reactions

• value engaging in a public dialogue about articles and news

• You plan and participate in many online events

• Your goal is to build connections with your fellow writing community and book influencers

Consider Twitter if you…

• Enjoy rapid conversations

• Admire brevity or have the ability to break complex thoughts down into digestible bits.

• Your goal is to share educational resources and videos with families and educators.

• Frequently read articles and news. 

Consider Instagram if you…

• You are a visual thinker or you find yourself constantly taking photographs.

• You are prone to doodling or drawing.

• Your goal is to engage young adults.

• Your goal is to engage with parents, educators, and book influencers. 

Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash

Step Two: Add value to the conversation

Just like we picture our characters in our minds while writing, I encourage my clients to imagine a character who will read all their posts. What do they want to know about you? What would you like them to know? What sort of topics would you two geek out about together? Picturing a person reminds you there’s a real person behind all those comments who’s reading your posts or tweets. 

Focus on how you can engage and add to the dialogues happening online, rather than commandeer them. Be an active participant. Offer ideas, opinions, listen (truly listen) and respond to the conversation. 

For example: If I wanted to post a book recommendation for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month,  I could say: “Loved The Name Jar. Highly Recommend!” But what value does that offer your followers, really? It doesn’t help them understand why you’re recommending this book, in particular. And if they’ve never heard of the book, the ownness is on them to learn more. Which we haven’t really inspired them to do. Instead, you might consider adding value to the conversation by responding: “I loved The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi. The main character, Unhei is new to America and lets her new class offer suggestions about what her American name should be. It’s a very poignant story about learning to embrace and celebrate all names. It subtly addresses the microaggression of mispronouncing someone's name. An important topic all year long, but particularly important right now as we really stop to think about how we can build more inclusive classrooms and communities.” 

What topics should you be posting about?

Editors and famous authors have told us time and time again that reading is so important. We can learn a lot from observing others’ craft. But reading also gives an author awareness of the larger publishing industry trends. It’s important to stay current and know what is going on in your perspective genre. Who are the debut authors in your genre? Who just sold a book? Celebrate others’ work and engage in conversations about their books.

Other common topics include:

• Your writing journey  

• Your writing process

• Values/themes that appear frequently in your work

• Educational resources that teachers can use for various books or subjects in their classrooms

• Elevating your local library and bookstores

Step three: Listening and engaging with others is part of the work

In the previous step, I outlined thinking of your online audience, like you’re writing to a specific character. I find this character framing helps decenter ourselves. And it’s only when you stop thinking about what social media can do for you, and start thinking about how it grows and strengthens communities, that you can actually start to thrive in the space. It’s called social media after all, not selfish media. 

No one likes that person at the party who only talks about themselves, or interrupts the dialogue without understanding what everyone is talking about. So when you’re on social media, reading and engaging with what others are posting an important part of building your authentic presence. Like, comment, and share posts by others. Reply to those who comment on your posts. The best comments are those that seek to continue the ... you guessed it .. conversation! 

To continue our book recommendation example. If someone commented. “Oh, I have been meaning to try this book!” Replying: “Check it out at your library and let me know if you liked it. I’d love to know if you thought [fill in the blank]”  is more meaningful to the individual because it shows you valued them and their engagement because you took the time to read and thoughtfully respond to them. 

Observing what is happening in social media can actually help you make your own content better, or inspire you with your own ideas of what you could post about. Pay attention to what type of content caught your eye. What did it look like? How long was the content? How did they structure their posts? 

Photo by Jessica Da Rosa on Unsplash

Photo by Erik Lucatero on Unsplash

Step Four: Be consistent

Think of the last time you made a new friend. Unless that friend is a very special soul, I bet it took time to establish your friendship. You met, got to know one another, and the seeds of trust and respect took root. The same is true for social. It takes time to build and grow your following and your brand. 

Keep tending to the seeds and in time you’ll see them bloom. 

About S.A. Cassell

S.A. Cassell is the Social Media Manager for Whale Rock Workshops. For more than a decade, she has weathered the tides of digital marketing. In this fast-paced growing world of technology, Sarah is passionate about sharing what she's learned with others to help them build authentic and meaningful relationships with their audiences. She has experience managing social media for both large and small nonprofits and experience managing email and loves to scroll through Instagram every spare minute she has. She holds a Bachelor's in Journalism from Ohio University and a Master's in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Learn more about Sarah at sacassell.com.

Are you still looking for holiday gifts this year?

We asked our Writers’ Winter Workshop Series instructors for their favorite reads of 2020. From preschooler to adult, you’re sure to find a book recommendation for everyone on your list!

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - Adult Fiction.
”When twins leave their small hometown, one conceals her true identity and the other returns home to pick up her life again. It’s about the importance of accepting who you are.”
Maria Modugno

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If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha - adult fiction
”I’ve been hand-selling this book since I first read it in November. I bought six copies that are going to every woman best friend from college and all my 20 year old nieces.”
Phoebe Yeh

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Theft by Finding by David Sedaris - Adult Non-Fiction
“A fascinating insight into what a "writer's notebook" can look like. Sedaris spends at least an hour journaling every day, and those journals have led to some of the funniest American nonfiction ever written.”
Lisa Papademetriou

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A Story About Afiya by James Berry and Anna Cunha - Picture Book
“My favorite book of 2020. An absolute stocking stuffer for me this year.”
Leah Henderson

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The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
Adult Fiction
”A gorgeously written, character-driven, audacious portrayal of a woman who lives for words.”
Heather Demetrios

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Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri - Middle Grade
”This poignant, touching and laugh-out-loud funny story shares Iranian culture, the struggles of being an immigrant, being poor and living in a difficult family situation.”
Kathy Erskine

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The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman-Middle Grade
”Vivid historical details and a parallel structure that leaps between the aftermaths of WW2 and Chernobyl make this layered exploration of friends and enemies a must-read.”
Hannah Barnaby

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The Silence of Bones by June Hur - Young Adult
”A gripping psychological thriller that is perfect for curling under the covers with or by the fire on a cold winter's night.”
Heather Camlot

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Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone -Middle Grade
“A powerful story about speaking up and getting adults to take your concerns seriously.”
Sarah Cassell

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Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson - Young Adult / Adult

“A violent, touching and darkly funny read that weaves contemporary indigenous life with supernatural folklore and good old-fashioned teen angst.”
Marc Reppin

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Outside In by Deborah Underwood -Picture Book

“Lyrical text and stunning illustrations are an invitation to reconnect with Nature.”
Anne Marie Pace

Covid-19 has dramatically impacted writers’ abilities to promote books, have book launch events, do school visits, and more. We’re dedicating our first Whale Rock blog installment to all our students who celebrated book birthdays in quarantine. If you’re shopping for a birthday or holiday gifts, please consider purchasing a Whale Rock Workshops student’s book.