The Thread That Changed How I Write Novels
(And can change how you write them, too.)
Sound familiar?
You pantsed a novel telling yourself, It doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be done. But then, once it was done, it was such a mess, you couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
Or…
You plotted a novel, but your draft started to deviate from your outline, and before you’d even reached the 50% mark in your manuscript, your outline was completely useless.
Or…
A flash of inspiration hit you so strongly, you thought, This is it. The manuscript I finally finish.
And then it started veering off in so many interesting but unrelated directions, you had absolutely no idea how to tie it all together and…
into the drawer it went.
The problem, often, isn’t about plotting vs. pantsing, outlining or winging it.
The problem is most likely that you were missing one crucial element from the very start: the emotional core of your novel.
After more than 15 years in the publishing industry (as a writer, indie publisher, and editor), I have finally realized the key is surprisingly simple:
Your character’s wound creates their lie. → Their lie determines the adventure they undertake. → The truth they learn is the book’s theme.
That’s it. One Golden Thread connecting all three elements.
I’ve packaged everything I’ve learned into a compact, 18-page craft guide. It has fundamentally changed the way I approach writing a new novel, and I believe it will do the same for you as well.
You shouldn’t have to slog through 200+ pages of writing theory. My Golden Thread Method will get you where you want to go fast, and includes:
Clear explanations to find your novel’s heart
Prompts to spark ideas
Reflection and integration questions to help refine your Golden Thread, making sure it’s as strong as it can be before you begin to draft
And it works for plotters or pantsers.
It was really important to me to offer something that would work for pantsers as well as plotters. I feel as though pantsers have been somewhat overlooked in the writing craft space. But this Golden Thread Method works for either camp. Once you’ve completed the guide, you’re in shape to begin to plot further, breaking your book into acts, chapters, and scenes, or you can feel free to start pantsing your draft.
Either way, you’ll wind up with a first draft that is far cleaner, more focused, and more emotionally resonant, requiring fewer rewrites afterward.
Look, it’s not about how you draft your story. It’s all about knowing what story you’re actually telling.
Stop writing stories that go nowhere. Start writing stories that matter.
The Golden Thread Method - $6.99
Less than your coffee run
More valuable than another abandoned manuscript