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Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Last updated on Dec 09, 2022

Book Writing Templates: A Writer’s Secret Weapon [Download]

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Dario Villirilli

Editor-in-Chief of the Reedsy blog, Dario is a graduate of Mälardalen University. As a freelance writer, he has written for many esteemed outlets aimed at writers. A traveler at heart, he can be found roaming the world and working from his laptop.

No matter what level of experience you have as an author, you can always use a little help to get your manuscript off the ground. Book writing templates are tools that authors can leverage to fuel their progress: from brainstorming characters, to worldbuilding, to structuring a story, templates can help you make sure you start off on the right foot. 

The goal of using a template is not to make cookie-cutter novels, but rather to better shape your book idea into a unique story. If you’re keen to receive a little help, here are 10 different types of book writing templates you can use to sketch out your stories.

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Download: Reedsy's top writing templates

Sign up below to receive all ten book writing templates featured in this post (or continue reading to download individual templates).

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The Top 10 Book Writing Templates

Use these to develop your characters, outline your plot, and write your book.

Or if you'd like to build your story directly in a writing app, we recommend using the free Reedsy Studio. Simply create your account with one click below and start outlining with the pre-made story templates — right away!  

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Use the Boards feature to plan, organize, or research anything.

Developing an idea

The most fundamental type of book template concerns concept development. Think of book ideas as seeds: not all of them have the potential to become a great big oak — but some do. 

1. Book Development Template

To help you determine if your idea is 'fertile' enough, we've made a book development template designed to test the waters.

Our seven-part book development template will guide you step-by-step in nailing down your protagonist, supporting characters, antagonists, as well as your worldbuilding and plot structure. If that wasn’t enough, it will also help you pick your voice and perspective .

In other words, it will help you germinate that idea into a sapling that will eventually become your first draft. To download this specific template, insert your email below — or sign up above to receive all templates.

FREE RESOURCE

Get our Book Development Template

Use this template to go from a vague idea to a solid plan for a first draft.

Structuring your narrative

Once you have a great story idea, you need to actually put it down on paper (or in a book editor , but paper sounds better, doesn’t it?). Many authors write when  inspiration strikes, following their intuition for chapters on end without a plan. While this approach might be powerful to get things going, it can be useful to think about how you'll structure your story early on in the writing process to avoid running into plot holes and writing yourself into a corner.  

Luckily, in literature there are a few common story structures every author can refer to when plotting, starting with the most popular of them all 一 the Three-Act structure. 

2. Three-Act Structure Template

Originally defined by Aristotle two thousands years ago, the Three-Act structure divides a story in a beginning, middle, and end . This method is one of the most commonly used when plotting novels, as it provides a basic skeleton for your story that ensures all your plot points are in place, building tension and stakes until the climax and resolution.

To download this specific template, insert your email below — or sign up above to receive all templates.

Free Download: Three-Act Structure Template

Effortlessly plot your story with our customizable template. Enter your email, and we'll send it to you right away.

By dissecting the story in three parts of equal importance, you’ll be able to create a strong narrative that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. You can print out the template or edit it online 一 for each section you’ll be asked to write a synopsis of what happens in the story, and a specific example of it. 

3. Hero’s Journey Template

Another, more hands-on take on the Three-Act structure is the Hero’s Journey, which focuses on the transformation of a single protagonist . Divided in twelve distinct phases, it helps you deconstruct your protagonist's journey, from the initial call to adventure to the return home as a changed person.   

Our template will help you write down a short synopsis about important story elements, such as: 

• The ordinary world where it all starts;
• The call to adventure and refusal of it;
• Mentors, enemies, and allies on the hero’s journey;
• The moments of greatest fear and reward;
• The lesson to bring home, and more.

These timeless elements have been used in countless stories, from Biblical tales to Star Wars , and will give you creative freedom while ensuring your narrative stays on track. To download this specific template, insert your email below — or sign up above to receive all templates.

Free Download: Hero's Journey Template

4. save the cat beat sheet.

If you have trouble figuring out your list of scenes, you can get more granular with the Save the Cat template , which tells you exactly what should happen on what page. Originally developed for screenwriters, it has been widely adopted by novelists to plan their stories with theme, character development, and pacing in mind.

The Save the Cat template builds upon the classic Three-Act structure, but further dividing a story into 15 beats that tell you when the inciting accident, subplots, and other key elements should happen. In our template, you can simply enter your target word count and it'll tell you exactly when and for how long each beat should last, so that your story doesn't lag in places where it should be motoring along.

Free Download: The Beat Sheet template

You’ll get it in your email inbox right afterward.

Outlining your story

Once you have defined your larger story structure and developed your idea, you can use a book template to go in scene by scene and keep track of the main plot and subplots, and how they fit into your book’s overall timeline.

5. Book Outline Template

Save it in your Google Sheets, edit it, move scenes around, and tweak it until you’re satisfied with the narrative flow.   

Depending on your preference, our book outline templates includes three exercises that can help you create:

• A basic story outline that includes all of the main variables;
• A plot-driven outline that tracks your main plots and subplots by chapter; and
• A simple scene list that defines each scene's purpose in the story arc.

Free Download: Book Outline template

You'll get it in your email inbox right afterward.

Building the world of your book

Apart from large-picture templates, some templates can help with specific aspects of your stories, like creating a fictional world from scratch 一 from your world’s history, to geography, to technology and more. 

6. Worldbuilding Template

If you’re a fantasy or sci-fi writer, or you simply want to go deep with your creating your story's world , use our 7-part template to establish aspects such as: 

• Name and location;
• People and language;
• Social systems (religion, history, etc.);
• Technology and magic; and
• Economy and politics.

If you struggle to piece together all of your world’s features, this template is for you 一 print it out and spend some time with it. This will help you map the environment to the point where it feels like a real place, and you can better communicate it to your readers. To download this specific template, insert your email below — or sign up above to receive all templates.

The Ultimate Worldbuilding Template

130 questions to help create a world readers want to visit again and again.

Creating compelling characters

Since characters are the heart of any story, it’s important to sculpt them to the smallest detail. To help you create remarkable characters, we made two separate templates: one to thoroughly define who they are, and one to test their boundaries in hypothetical scenarios. 

7. Character Profile Template

Similarly to building a world from scratch, developing an identity is not an easy task. After all, think about yourself: how long did it take you to become the person you are today? As many years as you’re old. So, how do you replicate that same process not just for one, but multiple protagonists 一 so that they feel like someone you could bump into in real life? Well, you can start by creating a detailed profile. 

For each major character in your novel, you can print and fill out our character profile template. It will guide you step-by-step in detailing your character’s features, such as: 

• Basic information (i.e. age, occupation);
• Physical appearance;
• Personal relationships;
• Family history;
• Major life events;
• Psychological traits; and 
• Their hopes and dreams. 

The template may start with superficial traits such as appearances, but then it urges you to also look beneath the skin. So, take the time to ponder over each of the sections to give yourself the chance to create truly compelling characters that readers will resonate with. 

Reedsy’s Character Profile Template

A story is only as strong as its characters. Fill this out to develop yours.

8. Character Questionnaire 

Reedsy’s Character Questionnaire

40 questions to help you develop memorable characters.

Formatting your manuscript to professional standards

Not all book templates concern the writing aspect of authorship. Some are just useful to format your manuscript in a way that adheres to industry standards before you send out your query letters. 

9. Manuscript Format Template

While content matters more than how it’s presented, publishing professionals still expect you to present a professionally formatted manuscript. To help you not stand out for the wrong reason, you can use Reedsy’s manuscript format template. 

You just need to download a copy and edit it, either by writing directly in it, or copy-pasting (without formatting) the content of your novel.  Again, if you want to download this specific template, insert your email below — or sign up above to receive all templates. 

Alternatively, you could format your manuscript with one of the three free book templates available in Reedsy Studio .

Manuscript Format Template

Get your manuscript ready for submission to agents and publishers.

10. Children's Book Manuscript Template

If you’re writing a children’s book, there are slightly different formatting rules you need to be aware of 一 for example if you’re writing in verse or adding illustration notes. Whether you’re submitting to traditional publishers or publishing independently , you can use our template to get professional results. Again, you’ll just need to download a copy and edit it without changing the formatting. 

Free Download: Children's Book Manuscript Template

Enter your email address and get your copy right away.

We hope that these templates will help you quickly test your story idea, and develop it into a solid draft. They'll hopefully serve as the framework for your wild imagination. It’s time to get writing .

Continue reading

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What is a plot outline.

A plot outline is like your story’s skeleton. It’s the bones on which you hang the flesh, blood, sweat and tears of your story.

It sketches out the underlying  structure  of your novel: its key stages, including critical developments and pivotal moments.

It doesn’t list all of the chapters, or everything that happens in them. Its sticks to the heart of the story – which is usually the personal journey of the protagonist, from who they are at the beginning to who they are at the end.

For some people an outline may simply be a few ideas floating around their head , for others it may be a 50,000 word document.

For our purposes, we’ll assume a plot outline is a written document of a few pages, covering key stages and turning points.

The most basic plot structures

The simplest plot outline could be based on the  three act structure :

For example:

• Beginning – Harry is a bullied orphan living with his aunt and uncle, who mistreat him
• Middle – He joins a magical school and learns of great friends, enemies and challenges
• End – He manages to stop an evil wizard from stealing an important artefact, and returns home confident and able to stand up for himself

But that’s simplistic to the point of being of limited use. So you may want to expand it into something like this:

• Rising Action
• Falling action
• Final Outcome

For many people, this is enough of a structure on which to hang the main points of their story. Using these stages will help ensure the story feels satisfying to a reader.

Imagine how a reader might feel if you wrote a story with the stages in this order:

• Final outcome
• Falling Action

It hurts just to look at it. Imagine what it would be like to read.

Applying this distortion to the simplest of plot outline makes it clear why getting the stages out of order can be confusing, unsettling and even nonsensical.

This is an important lesson, because while the diagram above is almost laughable, it might not be so obvious when stages are out of order when using a more advanced structure. However, there’s a high chance that readers will still feel less engaged and emotionally involved.

The most popular and widely used plot structure is probably the Hero’s Journey, which goes something like this:

• Ordinary World
• Call to adventure

Refusal of the Call

• Meeting the Mentor

Crossing the Threshold

• Tests, allies, enemies
• Approach the innermost cave
• Resurrection
• Return with Elixir

In this diagram, the higher the line, the higher the tension and stakes. The dip towards the end additionally represents a loss of hope.

Traditional diagrams depict the Hero’s Journey as a circle, but I find that doesn’t sit right with me, as it means the end point appears to be exactly the same as the start point.

For me the linear diagram better represents the concept the the hero returns ‘home’ (back to the baseline), but they are further forward than they were at the start.

Here’s a  very  brief explanation for each of these stages:

You can read about the stages of the Hero’s Journey in more detail  here .

Before we go any further, let’s address some questions that writers sometimes raise with regards to the Hero’s Journey and other plot outlines.

It’s important to realise that each of these stages can be interpreted in an infinite number of ways, leading to an infinite variety of stories.

At first, it’s easy to be misled (especially by the wording) that this template will force your story into a particular style.

For example, at the most fundamental level, the word ‘Hero’ may give the impression you have to present a sword wielding, brawny young man who longs for adventure - but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

The ‘Hero’ just means the protagonist, and they don’t have to display any traditionally ‘heroic’ qualities at all. We are all the protagonist of our own experience, however flawed and morally questionable.

Similarly, the Call to Adventure doesn’t have to have anything to do with sirens, evil Kings or swordfights. It can be anything that unsettles and ordinary life.

So, while the hero  could  be a young man longing for exciting quests, and his call to adventure  could  be an old wizard telling him of a dragon who’s kidnapped a princess, it could equally be:

• A high school airhead who’s just been dumped and decides to go to law school to try to win her boyfriend back.
• A little girl who follows a rabbit down and hole, then has to find her way home.
• Or even a widowed fish who needs to find his missing son.

Click here  for more examples of the Hero’s Journey in a range of stories.

If you start looking out for it as you watch movies and read books, you will start to see how varied the interpretations are, and how the same concepts that be found in all genres and mediums.

In fact, because of your own personal experience of life and the world, you couldn’t write a book that was the same as someone else by following these stages, even if you tried.

One of the most important things to remember when following the Hero’s Journey and its variations, is that nobody  invented  them.

An academic called Joseph Campbell is credited with analysing thousands of stories spanning the globe, from those told around tribal campfires to modern books and movies.

In doing so, Campbell identified similarities that emerged beyond all the borders and ages, and attempted to distil these common patterns into one fundamental ‘monomyth’. The Hero’s Journey is a modernised interpretation of that monomyth.

So, they are not a set of rules made up and laid out by some authority. They are a fundamental structure that emerged from the collective consciousness of our human psyche.

The success of the vast majority of bestsellers and box office huts is testament to the power of the Hero’s Journey to resonate with large numbers of people.

Cautions of the monomyth

Having said that… all interpretations we make of the world are shaped by our own experience, and the original monomyth laid out by Campbell certainly contains problematic terminology and elements.

Glaringly, there are those which focus on the traditionally male perspective and experience, but there are also issues with bias towards the western experience and attitudes of the time regarding dominance and individuality.

Campbell can’t be blamed for that, none of us can see the limitations of our own perspective because they are beyond our peripheral vision. However, it also means that we don’t need to treat his analysis as ‘sacred’.

And of course, the Hero’s Journey is already an interpretation of the original work, so it has already begun.

Despite these qualifications, disregarding the monomyth and Hero’s Journey would be throwing away some of a writer’s most useful tools.

And we can continue that work by evolving it to fit our changing experiences and attitudes to the world and our way of existing in it.

Of course, you could choose to throw it all out and start from scratch, creating your own stages, pacing and progression. But there is a much stronger chance you won’t tap into the collective unconscious; in which case you’ll need to work much harder to engage the audience.

Many have already begun this work, and created interpretations and variations which make it clearer that the emphasis is on a personal journey, rather than anything to do with men slaying dragons.

An excellent one is the Character Driven Hero’s Journey, as developed by Allen Palmer:

Genre specific novel outline templates

And of course, people who write in specific genres are able to identify stages and elements which tend to crop up consistently within their own genres, and have a positive effect on the popularity of their stories.

We’ve created a bunch of genre specific plot outline templates, including:

• Detective Noir
• Character Driven Hero’s Journey
• Mystery / Crime Thriller
• Short Story

You can access all of these below.

Stronger first draft

If you outline your plot before you start writing, you can be confident your first draft will have a solid structure from the outset, rather than hoping for it to emerge organically, or having to retroactively go and apply it

This will save time and effort when it comes to redrafting and editing towards your final manuscript.

Direction and Completion

Knowing where you’re going helps you get there.

Writing a novel is a mammoth task which can feel overwhelming. Having a plot outline helps break it down into manageable chunks, with clear goals.

It can keep you motivated and on track.

Frees up creativity

Contrary to stifling creativity, having a plot outline frees you up to let the words flow, because you don’t have to be preoccupied with the worry that you’re going to write 50,000 words then find yourself in a dead end.

Could take away the thrill of discovery

Many writers don’t want to know too much about their story before they start, as the knowing sucks out the excitement of discovering the story as they write.

And some successful writers report that they never plan before they start.

But when you analyse their work, you will usually discover that the stages are in fact. So what gives?

It’s not that they’re being dishonest, it’s that they have absorbed these patterns from their experiences of books, movies and life and are applying them sub-consciously.

If you don’t feel writing out a plot outline works for you, then it’s even more important to internalise the universal structures, so you can rely on your subconscious to take care of it.

Procrastination

Writers can sometimes be procrastinators to professional levels, so make sure you’re not doing your plot outline to death just to avoid starting your first draft.

But the fact is that there are certain things that tap into our human psyche. Skilled writers will subvert and break traditional structural conventions to great effect – but it’s unlikely they’ll do so by accident.

You have to know the rules before you can consistently break them effectively, so know about plot outlines and what they do is a great tool to have in your writer’s toolbox, whether you decide to use them in the end or not.

Find a plot outline that suits you

Read through a range of plot outline templates and see which resonates with you the most.

Write a few sentences for each of the stages

For each of the stages write a few sentences, or a paragraph which describe how that stage manifests in your novel.

Read through the entire thing and make sure it flows and makes sense. Make adjustments for consistency.

Ongoing improvement

As you’re writing your first draft and subsequent drafts, treat your plot outline like a working document, not a set of commandments carved into stone.

If it needs tweaking and updating, that’s fine. You may decide to reorder the stages, add new ones, or remove some.

Don’t be too rigid

As with all rules of thumb, you can break the conventions to great effect – the important thing is that you know what you’re doing and why, rather than just fumbling because you don’t have the right tools in the first place.

Following the stages fairly closely is the easiest way to take advantage of the patterns of the collective unconscious. Deviating from them is to be encouraged, but you have to be aware of the impact it will have, and realise you may have to work harder and use other techniques to engage the audience and keep them emotionally hooked.

Good luck with your plot outlines! Please share your plot outlines and other plot outline resources in the comments!

8 Plot Outline Templates: Free Downloadable PDFs

The plot structures below are available as free downloadable PDFs, but there  is  a better way to use them.

They are all fully integrated into the Novel Factory novel writing software.

There, you can select a template from the dropdown menu and begin writing within the software.

You are given the option to add and delete your own stages, sort them into acts, and drag and drop them into the order you prefer.

It takes using these novel outline templates to a new level of efficiency.

Get a free trial of the Novel Factory  to see it in action.

If you like these, you may also like our  free book writing worksheets.

Character Driven Plot Outline

This story outline is driven by the development of a compelling character arc .

The protagonist begins with something missing from their existence, even though they may not be aware of it.

Through the story, they learn why they feel incomplete and must face their demons and deepest fears in order to evolve as a person and become whole.

Incomplete  - establish the hero's 'want' and their 'need'

The protagonist is unfulfilled in their normal life. There will be two things missing – one thing that they think they want (like money, fame, a Porsche – you get the idea) and another thing which they haven’t thought of, but is the real thing that will give them fulfillment. (compassion, self-confidence, etc).

Unsettled  -  an outside force appears (e.g. invitation or threat)

The protagonist’s world becomes unsettled by an outside force. An invitation, threat, or attack, perhaps.

Romance Novel Story Outline

The classic romance story structure, including all the major story beats and complications.

Based on characters having personal character arcs and motivations that conflict with the romance aspect.

Introduce the protagonist (who feels incomplete)

Introduce the main character’s world. They may be successful in many areas of life, but clearly, there’s a gap when it comes to a loving relationship. Foreshadow the conflict that will create challenges for the romance to come. Establish the hero’s non-romance based goal.

The protagonist meets love interest but there is conflict

When the two main characters first meet it is extremely likely that they will hate each other on sight. Show how they are from different worlds, with strongly contrasting views on life.

Characters are forced to spend time together

Due to external factors, the characters are forced to spend time together, and even to cooperate to achieve a goal. They are still at odds, but the sparks are kindling some fire… A friend may even comment on it, but the couple-to-be both hotly deny there is an attraction.

Hero's Journey Novel Plot Outline

The Hero's Journey, as proposed by Joseph Campbell, trimmed to the bone and applicable across all genres - not just sword-wielding fantasies.

The Ordinary World

To begin with, you set the scene and introduce the main character. This is the place to establish what’s missing from the main character’s life, and give hints about the story to come.

Call to Adventure

An external force challenges the main character. This is usually an invitation or a threat.

The protagonist often expresses reluctance to answer the Call to Action. They may be afraid or feel poorly equipped for such a challenge. Sometimes the reluctance is expressed by a supporting character, not the hero.

Meeting with the Mentor

The mentor is a character of authority to the protagonist. They provide advice and useful gifts, such as weapons or talismans. The mentor often reflects the tone of the story - a tragedy will have a one who is toxic or destructive (or one who is already dead), a children's fairytale will have a benevolent all-knowing one, a dystopia may have an unreliable one. The mentor is usually a recurring character.

Mystery / Crime Thriller Plot Outline

A fairly detailed structure that explains how to develop the sleuth's inner character journey alongside solving the crime and uncovering deeper conspiracies.

Present the crime

Mysteries and crime thrillers often begin with a prologue in which the inciting crime takes place. The first crime is very likely to be a murder or kidnapping. This is from a POV that is not the main protagonist, it may be from the point of view of the victim, the killer, or an omniscient narrator.

Introduce the sleuth

Next, we meet the sleuth, who is the protagonist. This person is often a professional detective, but not always. Sometimes they are a normal person thrust into a situation that gives them no choice but to take action – usually because someone they love is missing or threatened.

Universal Novel Plot Outline

Based on the hero's journey, but rejigged to make the terminology more generic and easy to apply across genres.

The Status Quo

Introduce the main character’s world and establish their want and their need. The character clearly has things missing from their lives and they are unsatisfied with their current existence.

The Complication

Something happens to shake the character’s world and offers them an opportunity, or creates a threat.

In pursuit of the goal, the character crosses some kind of barrier (could be physical but doesn’t have to be), which means it is not possible to return to their old life.

A New World

The character is now in a new and unfamiliar world, trying to navigate unknown rules and challenges.

External Obstacles

The character must face a series of conflicts, each of increasing difficulty and stakes. Some they will win, some they will lose.

Internal Obstacles (temptation)

The most compelling stories will pit main characters against their inner demons, forcing them to overcome them in order to become a better person.

Dark Moment

In order for the high of the climax to have the greatest effect, you should precede it by taking your character as low as they can go. Despite all the progress they’ve made against external and internal obstacles, something should happen at the end of the second act which makes everything fall apart and makes them certain that all is lost.

The Final Conflict

This is the final battle where they throw everything they’ve learned and everything they’ve become, against the great enemy - and in the vast majority of cases, they will be victorious.

The Return Home

Bring your readers back down to earth after the climax, show the hero's new normal and tie up any loose ends.

Detective Noir Novel Plot Outline

Drawn from the detective noir / hard-boiled genres, a dark mystery structure with dark undertones and plenty of betrayal.

The protagonist of a detective noir is often an anti-hero. An outcast, often someone who held a heroic position in the past, such as a police officer or soldier, but who has fallen from grace. A sense of alienation should be established and maintained throughout the story.

The siren walks in

A client will appear, seeking help with a case – usually a murder or missing person. They may appear vulnerable or wanting to help, but they will have a deep, dark secret that is bound to get the protagonist into hot water.

Although the femme fatale trope is common, there is no requirement for the siren to be female, or sexy, and in fact, mixing it up may make your story more refreshing.

Initial investigation

The protagonist begins their investigations, searching for clues. This will often be done at night, and in the shadows. Throughout the investigation, there should be a healthy amount of red herrings.

Note - click here to read about the difference between hard-boiled and noir.

And you can read more about the elements of detective noir here.

Screenplay Plot Outline

Based on Hollywood Blockbusters.

Stage I: The Setup

Create the world and transport readers there. Introduce your hero in their everyday life and create empathy with them. Hint at the hero’s inner conflict (their ‘need’).

Turning Point #1: The Opportunity (10%)

10% into the story something new and different must happen to the hero. The Opportunity begins the journey and presents outer motivation.

Stage II: The new situation

They find themselves in a new situation. The newness of the situation may be internal (a new emotional state or attitude) or external (change in circumstances / location). The hero tries to navigate this new, unknown territory and begins to formulate a plan for achieving their outer motivation.

Turning Point #2: The Change of Plans (25%)

The outer motivation transforms into a specific, visible goal with a clearly defined endpoint.

Stage III: Progress

The hero makes progress towards their outer motivation. They may receive training and / or mentoring. There are conflicts and setbacks, but overall they seem to getting closer to achieving their goal.

Short Story Plot Outline

A seven-point system for writing a short story.

A character

In a short story you can often get away with characters being larger than life, or having distinctive qualities that are more exuberant, because the reader won’t be experiencing the character for so long that these characteristics begin to become tiresome or irritating.

Is in a situation

Very quickly you need to introduce the character’s world and their place in it. What is interesting about this character and their life? Make sure the reader feels excited and intrigued.

With a problem

At the heart of all good fiction is conflict. What problem does your character have to solve? Try to get to the problem as quickly as possible (within the first few paragraphs) so the reader is hooked and needs to know how the problem is going to be resolved.

They try to solve the problem

The character should begin to make efforts to solve their problem.

But fail, making it worse

But these efforts have the opposite effect, and the originally small problem begins to grow into something really serious.

Templates for every kind of writing

Make your pages pop with a customizable template for you to put your words into. everything from academic and research papers to work assignments to personal writing and journaling can benefit from starting your writing with a template. see which one gets the words flowing for you..

Write your way with a customizable template matched to your project

There are endless ways to write, to get ideas onto the page (or screen). No matter what kind of writing you're going to do, starting with a customizable writing template can help guide your work (or brainstorming). From resumes , and business plans , to school essays, journal writing, and other hobbies , there's a template for you to take advantage of. Dive into keeping a diary or meal planning. Keep a planner with pen and paper. Practice your penmanship—or your typing. However you like to do your writing, there's an easy-to-use, customizable template to help you get started.

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The 28 Best Notion Templates for Writers in 2024

With so many apps and documents out there, it’s easy to lose track of your writing ideas, novel concepts, storyboards, and writing procedures.

Thanks to Notion, you can streamline everything in a single workspace, with templates available to help you start a blog, novel, fictional story, and so much more – from intro to conclusion, cover to cover!

To help you tighten up your writing process and bring your ideas to life, we’ve rounded-up the best Notion templates for writers! Let’s jump in.

Looking for more productivity tips and tools? Subscribe to The Flow — our quick, snappy, value-packed focus and recharge newsletter. Also, don’t miss our several other  Notion template round-ups and guides !

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Table of Contents

All-in-One Notion Writing Templates

Notion story & novel writing templates, notion blog writing templates.

• Free Notion Writing Templates

Poets, novelists, bloggers, and screenwriters rejoice! Notion can help you streamline your writing process and take your creativity to the next level. Check out the best all-in-one Notion writing templates below!

Notion for Writing Premium Template Pack

Every element of your writing life in one place – sounds great, doesn’t it? Bring everything under one roof and streamline every aspect of your writing process all into one workspace with the Notion for Writing Template Pack. Whether you’re writing blog posts or stories, this template pack helps you organize outlines, character sheets, research, word count tracking, project tracking, and so much more!

Template Available Here

W.I.P. – Advanced System for Novel Writers

Designed in a beautiful minimalist layout, this novel template enables you to efficiently manage all aspects of multiple writing projects in Notion, including research, world building, character development, storyboarding, tasks, revision, and editing.

Writer – Minimalist Distraction-Free Writing Workspace

A clean, distraction-free workspace is key for doing your best work – and this template offers just that! Use this template to move your story through the drafting, editing, and finalization stages, organize research, and design character personas for your writing projects.

Second Brain for Writers

Seeking a second brain template for your next big writing project? Second Brain for Writers lets you round up all your ideas, inspiration, and notes into handy databases to make planning your next novel a breeze! Hubs for timelines, outlines, revisions, and editing means you’ll have a clear idea of where you are in the writing process. Scene cards, research notes, and prompts are available to help break through pesky writer’s block.

Writer’s Toolbox

The Writer’s Toolbox covers all stages of the writing process, from crafting your plot to preparing for publication. Access dozens of writing prompts to stoke your creativity, flesh out your characters with worksheets, and create the perfect fictional setting with world-building tools. Book launch checklists, marketing plans, and self-publication roadmaps ensure you’ll hit the ground running when your WIP is ready for the world!

Writer’s Knowledge Organizer

Store all your research and references in this Notion second brain template designed specifically for writers! Using the template, you can tag and organize your notes and learnings – making them easily accessible to gain clarity, inspo, and direction in your writing.

Whether you’re working on your first story or you’re a seasoned novelist, Notion is on hand to help you get your WIP ready to publish. Scroll down for the best Notion story and novel writing templates!

World Building Bible

Create your perfect fictional world and bring your story to life with the robust World Building Bible template! If you’re looking for a place to build character profiles, story settings, and centralize details about your fictional world – this is the template for you.

Novel & Fanfic Writer’s Hub

Amateur fanfic writers and pro authors will get plenty of use out of the Novel & Fanfic Writer Hub. You’ll find 10 main pages and 21 sub-pages, including a Pomodoro timer for deep work, a space for your book cover, and a 27-chapter structure to fill out. Get organized for your next big writing sesh with a directory including pre-writing task lists, to-do lists, moodboards, name vaults, and much more!

Book Builder AI

Use technology to spark your creativity with Book Builder AI! This Notion writing template uses AI for idea generation, world-building, character creation, and more. Plus, you’ll find tools for structuring your plot, organizing feedback, and building a publication plan — all with AI as a handy guide.

Scriborg – The Novel Writing Template

With its clear, user-friendly layout, Scriborg is an excellent writing template for novelists new to Notion. Different tabs for viewing your WIP as a timeline, in acts, or as an overview make plotting a breeze. Plus, Scriborg’s character template sheets make crafting the perfect protagonist a little easier. Collab with your beta readers through comments, view each chapter’s completion with progress bars, and more!

The Modern Writer, for Book Writing

A workspace to collect and refine all of your writing ideas and concepts, separating them by chapter, The Modern Writer template hones in on specifically book writing and storytelling. Create timelines, compendiums, and moodboards while writing your story – without leaving your workspace!

Notion Story Wiki: Worldbuild, Plot, Write

The Notion Story Wiki is tailored for authors, screenwriters, and other storytellers looking to plan, plot, world-build, write, and complete their stories! It’s a comprehensive tool that will help you through every step of the writing process, and includes 38+ thought-provoking templates for characters, species, groups, flora, cultures, lore, history, languages, and more.

Storybook Pro – Simple Story Outline Tool for Notion

Storybook Pro is a simple outlining tool for Notion, with just the right amount of features to make story outlining easier without being overwhelming! The template includes a progress tracker, full outline tool, chapter outline support, and a bonus section for world building – including character and location creation. It’s a great tool for outlining one book, multiple standalone novels, or an entire series!

Character Workbook

Check out Character Workbook if you’re looking for an easier way to create character sheets. Character Workbook allows you to build characters from the ground up, from their basic details to their relationships to their character arc. Create wiki-style pages for quick and clear overviews of character’s traits, backgrounds, appearance, and more!

Posting on multiple platforms, managing your subscribers, and tracking your affiliates — bloggers have a lot of irons in the fire. Luckily, Notion can help you juggle your important blogging responsibilities. Check out some of our favorite Notion blog writing templates below!

For more templates like these, check out our full round-up of Notion blog templates .

Notion for Blogging Template Kit

If writing online is your bread and butter, the Notion for blogging template kit gives you everything you need to create amazing blog content, and simplify every other element of managing your writing business!

Use the content creation hub to store blog and social content, the tasks template to stay on track with deadlines, the brand kit to keep your branding consistent, and lots more with the Premium Notion for Blogging Kit!

Medium Writing System

Keep tabs on all your published Medium works with the Medium Writing System! Plan your future posts, manage your tag list, and track your earnings. A built-in subscriber database makes it simple to reach your target audience. Medium Writing System isn’t just for Medium — you can also manage databases across multiple writing platforms.

Free Notion Templates for Writers

Want to check if Notion is the best system for your next big writing project? Test the waters with these free Notion templates for writers!

Simple Aesthetic Writing Templates

• Drafting Template: Cotton Candy City Theme | Eerie Forest Theme
• Revision Template: Garden Theme | Cyberpunk City Theme
• Master WIP Template: Mountain Vibes Theme | Witchy Vibes Theme

Creative Writing Space

Book Writing Template

Green Writing Base Template

Writing Novel Tracker

Simple Novel Notion Template

Character Builder – Notion Template for Writers

Simple Story Writing Process Template for Notion

Simple Aesthetic Writer’s Dashboard

Fictional Story Timeline Template for Notion

Simple Writing Project Dashboard

Simple Writing Portfolio Template

Storybook for Notion – Outlining Tool for Writers

Are we missing any Notion templates for writers? Let us know in the comments below!

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Novel Plan template Template

Organize your novel in one place

Starting a new novel can be an exciting but daunting experience. It's the beginning of the creative process—where your mind is overflowing with ideas, inspiration, and plans.

This template will help you organize everything in one place so you can begin writing with confidence. You'll brainstorm ideas, collect inspiration, research your topic, dream up unique characters and create an outline for your story. At the end you'll have a solid foundation and reference that will speed up the entire writing process.

This template is part of the Writers collection .

• Brainstorm ideas
• Collect inspiration
• Organize visually
• Share with others
• Gather feedback

How to use this template

Whether you’re writing a novel or a screenplay, follow this step-by-step guide to learn the modern process of planning a novel in Milanote, a free tool used by top creatives.

1. Open the Novel Plan template

The Novel Plan template is the central hub for your project. It includes the key parts of your creative process: Your ideas, research, inspiration, outline and, character profiles. There are also checklists for your workflow so you have everything in one easy-to-access place.

Create a new board for your novel.

Create a new board

Drag a board out from the toolbar. Give it a name, then double-click to open it.

Choose the Novel Plan template.

Choose a template 

Each new board gives you the options to start with a beautiful template. Find the Photoshoot Plan template, then choose "Use this template".

2. Open the Research template

Whether you're writing a sci-fi thriller or historical fiction, research is a crucial step in the early writing process. It's a springboard for new ideas and can add substance and authenticity to your story. As author Robert McKee says "when you do enough research, the story almost writes itself. Lines of development spring loose and you'll have choices galore."

Open the  Research board in your Novel Plan.

Choose the Research template. 

Each new board gives you the option to start with a template. Find the Research template, then choose "Use this template".

3. Start your research

Wikipedia, blogs, and news websites are a goldmine for researchers. It's here you'll find historical events and records, data, and opinions about your topic. Video and movie clips can help you understand a mood or feeling in a way that words sometimes can't. Collect everything in your research board so you can reference it through the writing process. Learn more about collecting and organizing your research in our guide: How To Organize Research for a Novel .

Add a note to capture interesting facts.

Drag a note card onto your board

Start typing then use the formatting tools in the left hand toolbar.

Use the built-in image library.

Use the built-in image library

Search over 3 million beautiful photos powered by Pexels then drag images straight onto your board.

4. Open the Brainstorming template

You have an idea for a story. It's just a spark at the moment, but you can't stop thinking about it. Now is the time to harness your creative energy and turn your idea into something real. And brainstorming is the perfect technique for the job.

Brainstorming is a classic creative technique for generating new ideas quickly. You can use it to dream up new characters, settings, or even explore themes you want to include in your book.

Open the  Brainstorming board in your Novel Plan.

Choose the Brainstorming template.

Each new board gives you the option to start with a template. Find the Brainstorming template, then choose "Use this template".

5. Add as many ideas as you can

Start by writing the central concept for your story in the middle of the board. Next, spend 5 minutes adding ideas related to your concept.

Think about different parts of your story, locations, characters, or even the history of your topic. Explore every thread until you fill the board. Finish by sorting the best ideas into groups. This gives you a strong foundation for your novel. Master brainstorming with our step-by-step guide: How To Brainstorm Story Ideas .

Add a note for each idea.

Upload images from your computer.

Upload a file or document  

Click the "Upload file" button or just drag a file onto your board. You can add images, logos, documents, videos, audio and much more.

6. Open the moodboard template

During brainstorming, you imagined the different parts of your story. It's time to start collecting inspiration with a moodboard (or "inspiration" board). It's a technique used by designers, filmmakers, and photographers but works just as well for creative writing.

Moodboards can help you visualize any aspect of your project. You can use them to figure out how a character or location could look. Or they could be centered around the era or the emotion you want to capture. You can create a moodboard for each of these separately or mix them all into one board. There are no strict rules.

Open the  Moodboard  in your Novel Plan.

Choose the  Novel Moodboard  template.

Each new board gives you the options to start with a beautiful template. Find the Novel Moodboard template, then choose "Use this template".

7. Add inspiring images & references

Drag in images from your computer and drop them onto the image placeholders on your moodboard. Then, use the built-in image library to add inspirational references. Finally, move and crop your images to get the layout you need. Learn more about how moodboarding can enhance the writing process with our step-by-step guide: How To Make A Moodboard For A Novel .

Drag files from your computer.

Crop images.

Crop images

Double-click an image and press edit to crop or rotate it.

8. Open the Outline template

A novel outline is often described as a roadmap or blueprint for your story. It helps you see the big picture and plan the sequence of scenes, characters, and ideas that will become your novel. It's a simple, flexible technique to help all types of writers stay organized. Think of it as the modern, digital equivalent to the corkboard or wall of sticky notes, but much easier to manage.

Open the  Outline  in your Novel Plan.

Choose the Outline template.

Each new board gives you the option to start with a beautiful template. Find the Outline template, then choose "Use this template".

9. Map out the main plot points

Start by laying out the major scenes or events you know so far. These might be the key turning points, locations, or plot twists. Next, add a sentence or a short paragraph for each scene. Think about what's being communicated in this scene, the location, and the characters involved.

Finally, collect visual references that will help bring it to life. While imagery probably won't make an appearance in your novel, this is a great technique for kickstarting new ideas. Experiment by adding images or movie clips that relate to your scenes.

The are many different ways to outline your story. Find the approach that works best for you in our story outline template collection: Five visual templates for outlining your next novel

Add a note to describe the plot points.

Upload files from your computer.

10. Open the Character template

One of the most integral parts of any story is crafting relatable and vivid characters. As writer Ernest Hemingway said, “When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature.”

The character profile is a popular technique for developing genuine personas for your story. It will help to shape a narrative as well as provide a handy reference point for their personality traits, backstory, goals, flaws, and challenges.

Open the  Character board in your Novel Plan.

Choose the Character Profile template.

Each new board gives you the option to start with a beautiful template. Find the Character Profile template, then choose "Use this template".

11. Craft your character

Just like people, characters are made up of their past experiences, goals, and aspirations. Craft a backstory to help make them more believable. Next, give them quirks and flaws. Your character should come from an authentic place. That means that the character probably has some contradictions that make them a little out of the ordinary. If a character is too simplistic, it can feel cliched.

Finally, find some visual references. Even if you're writing a novel, images and inspiration can help bring your character to life.

Add notes to describe your character.

Add reference images from the built-in library.

You're done!

Hopefully, this template has helped you stay organized while building a solid foundation for your novel. Remember, creativity and inspiration are constantly evolving so come back and add to it when inspiration strikes. If you're just starting a new story, use the Novel Plan template below to get set up in minutes.

Start planning your novel

Organize your ideas & planning in one place.

Sign up for free with no time limit

Milanote is where creative professionals organize their most important work.

Free with no time limit

Create your account

The 12 Best Free Evernote Templates for Creative Writers

Writing a novel becomes easier when you plan everything from your characters and plot to your publishing steps, especially if you’re going it alone.

Evernote has several free templates specifically designed to help creative writers lay out their stories and self-publishing journey. Some you can access straight from the website, but you need the right links for others.

The Best Evernote Templates for Creative Writers

Here are your obvious options when it comes to Evernote’s creative writing templates .

1. Story Dashboard

If you want a simple planner for writing and publishing your novel, Evernote has a template that lets you outline the book, set goals, and track your progress.

It’s a perfect addition to the handy widgets on your Evernote home dashboard , all of which can make you more efficient when organizing your work as an author.

As for the template itself, you can add the novel’s title, genre, word count, and important links, while also setting dates and deadlines for outlining the story, writing the first draft, getting beta reader feedback, and so on.

2. Story Premise

This Evernote form lets you establish the key parts of your novel, including its setting, situation, protagonist, antagonist, inciting event, and conflict.

The point is to be able to summarize all the elements above in two sentences. The template offers the relevant box at the bottom, as well as an example summary.

3. Three-Act Novel Plotting

Sometimes you need to get your storyline on paper to visualize and make sense of it. Evernote can help with its plotting template for classic three-part narratives.

It gives you a structured outline of your book’s beginning, middle, and ending, each part featuring several key elements a good story should have. So, the template lets you plan the book, but also guides you on how to do it well.

4. Character Profile

Characters are essential to any plot, and the better you plan them, the easier you can insert and develop them in your book. This is where Evernote’s character profile template comes in handy.

It prompts you to think about obvious and obscure details about your character, such as their appearance, occupation, religion, greatest fear, and biggest secret. If you have character art, you can even add that to their profile.

Secret Evernote Templates for Creative Writers

Bookmark the following links as they don’t appear on Evernote's website. You still don’t have to spend anything to use these tools for authors, a winning feature when it comes to comparing Evernote’s free and paid plan .

5. Character Biography

Another character-related template available on Evernote involves their backstory. Unlike the profile template, this form focuses on key moments in the character’s life.

You can include their name and role in the novel before setting and dating events they experienced, as well as their age at the time.

6. Character Master List

It’s just as useful to have a full list of your book’s characters, which Evernote has thought of, too.

This template has you establish your main characters, antagonists, and additional cast, including their names, ages, notes, and images.

7. Novel Chapter Outline

The best novel writing plan includes a breakdown of its chapters. Evernote has an outline template just for that.

You can add a summary of your book at the top and then use the form’s simple checklist to lay out the events of each chapter. Even if your plot changes while writing, it’s handy to have a clear overview of minute details to refer to whenever you need.

8. Story Beats

You could also have a plan for your book’s important scenes without putting them into specific chapters yet.

Evernote’s story beats template, based on Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat screenwriting structure, breaks down key plot elements, like the theme stated, the inciting incident, the bad guys closing in, and the finale.

Next to each beat description, add your scene ideas in as much detail as you want. To come up with these, think about what events would best reflect your book’s goals. Free mind map tools are great for putting your thoughts in order.

9. Story Timeline Tracker

If your narrative depends on a timeline, you may want to plan and track what happens when. Then, you’re less likely to make mistakes, for example, when linking up parallel plots.

A template is available on Evernote that lets you sort through events by date, day, and time. Besides organizing your book’s core plot, you could track the timelines of different characters or the story’s background events.

10. World-Building Basics

There are many ways to plan your fictional universe, so see which one helps you visualize it best. If mind maps or world-building apps on Android don’t cut it, try Evernote’s practical template.

It’s basically a questionnaire about your story’s overall setting, namely the place where events unravel, as well as its people and culture.

This is another template you can use for multiple parts of your story, adjusting it as necessary. If, say, the plot involves different countries, some of the form’s questions can help flesh out each culture.

11. Snowflake Novel Writing Method

Randy Ingermanson developed the Snowflake method for designing and writing a novel, which Evernote simplified further with a template taking you through each step.

You start with a short synopsis of your book and expand that with more and more detail, including different characters’ perspectives of the story and a list or spreadsheet of all the scenes.

Choose the right elements for your narrative, and you’ll end up with a meticulous plan that only needs you to put it into words. To build your skill and confidence, keep practicing and learning from the best platforms for online writing courses like MasterClass .

12. Self-Publishing Checklist

A final template on Evernote that might interest you contains a handy checklist of the steps to self-publishing your book—after you’ve finished writing it.

Completing the manuscript is the first item on the list to tick and date. From there, the template prompts you to write the blurb, get the book edited and designed, format it as an ebook, and more.

You could also use the date column to set deadlines for each task and either tick them when done or adjust your schedule as you work.

Templates for Creative Writers Can Make Your Life Easier

Skipping the planning stage of writing a book is not a good idea as it will affect the quality of your story. Fortunately, Evernote has many templates to choose from, depending on your plot and writing style.

What’s even better is that this isn’t the only resource for creative writers around. Keep exploring websites and apps for tools you can use on your computer and smartphone.