How to Preview the World

Cover art? Check. Blurb? Check. Words for the inside of the book? Check! It’s all coming together nicely – and here’s a sneak preview of the cover, just for you. The release is currently scheduled for October with the pre-orders coming in September. If you liked my worksheets, please check it out – it’s got even more resources to help you with your work.

It’s been a busy year for me so far with a lot of deadlines, but I’m really looking forward to this one. Stay tuned for more news soon!

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Last week, I uploaded a worksheet on editing your novel. This one is kind of related in that it’ll help you keep track of which characters possess which items throughout your story, or which items are in which locations.

Inventory Worksheet

Occasionally, we get stuck when we’re writing. The two characters in your scene haven’t interacted in exactly the way you wanted them to and now the bank job is delayed. Or the wedding. Or someone didn’t get murdered properly. Whatever it was that ought to have happened, you’re not sure how to get back on track. So, what next? Here’s a worksheet that may help.

What Next Worksheet

Last week, I uploaded a worksheet on creating laws for your fictional world. This time, we’re going to punish all those characters that break them.

Punishment Worksheet

Every civilisation needs laws of some sort, whether they are defined by the state, social convention or a god. Law is one of those lovely things you can use to keep your characters in check. It’s also a great tool for forcing your characters to do things they don’t really want to do.

Law Worksheet

This week’s worksheet is designed to be used over and over whenever you visit somewhere new (or old) to build up your own reference library for sensory details in places. It’s one of the things that my beta-readers often tell me needs improving. I know what the places looks and feels like, but I’ve not put enough of it into the writing. By building up a reference library, you can look back at places you’ve visited and recall more clearly how it felt to actually be there.

Due to a quirk of nature by which I am both terrible at remembering things and using the internet, last week’s worksheet didn’t get uploaded. So, happy Monday, everybody. Here’s a bonus for you.

Since I added a Worldbuilding Worksheet a few days ago with the aim of using your characters to help flesh out your world, I thought I’d upload a straight Questionnaire about the settings you might use in your story. Like the last one, I’ve tried to make it as comprehensive as possible, which does mean some of the boxes won’t be useful all of the time – if you use it to design a city, for example, the “Anthem” field is probably not going to get filled.