Writing a novel can be a difficult experience, especially if it’s something you haven’t done before. There are a lot of questions to consider about the characters, the world, the plot, and more. And then there’s what to do once you decide to publish. Authors need to consider building a brand, marketing strategies, and more, even if they’re publishing traditionally.

AspenHouse Publishing designed these workbooks to help authors in their journey as they pursue their writing goals. Each book focuses on an aspect of the writing or publishing process, from worldbuilding to character creation, and branding to plotting a series. The books can be used to jot down notes while writing the novel or ahead of time as the author plans their story.

We suggest you use a combination of pen and pencil while making your notes, especially in those books where you’re building the world, plot, and characters. Use a pencil when the information is in flux, for details you’re still brainstorming. Use a pen when you want to lock that detail in as absolute. Having those notes locked in will help when you go back through in the self-editing and re-writing processes. It will help remove plot holes, keep characters consistent, and help you world feel real.

You can download a PDF version of the books for free here.

For episodes with basic instructions about how to use these notebooks, check out the October 2021 series, A Guide to Writing Selfishly.