# Plots for Authors - 25% Off Sale Ends 1/31



## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

*Do you love to write romance or mystery novels but struggle with plotting?*

Many authors enjoy writing but hate plotting so I created a series of plot templates for various romance sub-genres. Each template has a chapter by chapter breakdown so that you can complete you plotting in record time and get to the fun part - writing!

I'm a USA Today bestselling author of several genres of fiction books. I've worked with authors of all levels from those just starting out to NYT bestsellers.

*Check out www.plotsforauthors.com for the latest sales and discounts!

Available templates:*

Dark Romance
Romantic Suspense
Cozy Mystery
Reverse Harem
Contemporary Romance - Family Series
Menage Romance
Science Fiction Romance
Memoir
Erotic Romance Novella
10 Romance Tropes
10 MORE Romance Tropes

To find out more about the templates and to see special offers and discounts, go to:

*





Plots for authors


Plot templates for authors who write romance books.



www.plotsforauthors.com





Mix and Match?*

You can mix and match from the 10 Romance Tropes Plot Template and the 10 More Romance Tropes Plot Template. The cost for 10 is $375 no other discounts apply.

Just PM me the following:

1. A list of the 10 tropes you'd like to purchase.

2. Your Paypal email so I can send you an invoice.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Greetings, PlotBunny! You're welcome to promote your business and website here in the Writers' Cafe.

Now that you have an official thread, you'll want to add your listing to our Yellow Pages, found here: http://www.kboards.com/yp/. The listing is free to KB members and is completely self-service; you can add and edit your listing from the page. More information on our Yellow Pages listing can be found here.

In your thread here, we ask that the same basic rules be followed as we have for authors in the Book Bazaar: you may have this one thread about your service and must post to it rather than start a new thread each time. New threads about the service will be removed. Please bookmark this thread so that you can find it again when you want to post.

You may not make back-to-back posts to the thread within seven days. If someone responds (as I'm doing with this post), you may reply to them, but otherwise you must wait seven days. Any pattern of posting designed to artificially bump your thread to the top of the forum is prohibited. Please note that very short or (one- or two-word) posts with no meaningful information are discouraged and may be deleted at the moderators' discretion.

Lastly, your posts and images will need to meet our "forum decorum" guidelines, which is the case for every member.

You may find that members ask searching questions -- about how your service works, for example, or what they will get for their money, or whether your service adheres to Amazon's terms of service. Such "vetting" is a common here and can be rigorous.

Note that members are allowed to provide civil and honest feedback about your service in this thread. This feedback may include criticisms as well as kudos. You may respond to criticism in a civil manner, but name-calling, badgering, accusations of lying, and other breaches of forum decorum can lead to loss of vendor posting privileges.

Any and all disputes between you and your clients should be handled off-site.

Thanks,
Becca
KBoards Moderator

_(Note that this welcome does not constitute an endorsement or vetting of a service by KBoards. Members should do due diligence when considering using a service.)_


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

Great! Thank you for the information. I put the Yellow Pages post up yesterday so everything should be all set.


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

I've had some people asking if they can do a mix and match from the 10 Romance Tropes Plot Template and the 10 More Romance Tropes Plot Template.

Yes! I can do that. The total is $375, no other discounts apply. Just PM me the following:

1. A list of the 10 tropes you'd like to purchase.

2. Your Paypal email so I can send you an invoice.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me or ask them in this thread. Thank you!


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

*New sale and new template!*

www.plotsforauthors.com

*New Template: Romantic Suspense*

*ABOUT THE TEMPLATE*

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Title: Should hint at both danger and romance and it should be fairly short. You want a punchy title. Romantic suspense is punchy in general, so you need to start that pacing with your title.
E.g. - Mine to Protect, Perilous Trust, Defending Amy, Rancher's Hostage Rescue, Ruthless.

Series Name: A <Series Hook> Romantic Suspense
The series hook can be a location name; a FICTIONAL police or fire department or military unit; or it could be related to a particular trope.
E.g. A Blackwood Falls Romantic Suspense, A Smoke Jumpers Romantic Suspense, An Alpha Wolf Protectors Romantic Suspense.
For keyword purposes, try to keep "Romantic Suspense" in the series name. Sometimes Amazon will get uppity about keywords in series names, but it's worth a shot.

POV: Most of the time it's third person dual POV. However, I've seen first person single POV and first person dual POV. If I was just starting out and wanted to make sure I hit all the usual subgenre expectations, then I'd write in third person dual POV. Only use the FMC and the MMC (To keep the outline simple, I'm using a FMC and a MMC, but obviously you can have two MMCs or two FMCs). Sometimes you can also add scenes from the bad guy's POV, but I'd only recommend that for books longer than 300 pages. I normally only see this in books around 300 - 400 pages.

*Sample Blurb Outline*

_Punchy Tagline_

When <FMC's name> <has a dangerous problem>, she knows she's in <some kind of trouble>. She <needs help from the MMC> but <he doesn't want to help her because of a particular reason> (OR) <she doesn't want to ask him for help for a particular reason>. They have to work together to <accomplish a specific goal> before the <bad guy accomplishes his/her goal>. They're both attracted to each other, but they can't be together because <reason why they can't be together>. However, they still need to work together to stop the bad guy while protection their hearts.

*FMC -* Female main character. She's always the one in jeopardy, not the MMC. Don't try to change this up if you like money.

*Has a Dangerous Problem -* The stakes are life and death. Her problem is huge and it's not something she can easily fix on her own. E.g. Someone is stalking her; she accidentally witnessed a mob hit; she found out her boss has been embezzling from the company; she's a reporter running from guerilla forces through an unforgiving jungle; her ex-husband wants her dead, etc.

_NOTE: A description of each component will be included in the template. This sample only shows the first two components.
_
*Example Blurb #1 - Unknown Subject*

Accountant Abigail Brit never expected to end up on the mob's hit list. Now she's on the run and she can't trust anyone, not even the police. Five years ago, she left FBI agent Max Gunner at the altar. Now she needs his help. To stay one step ahead of the ruthless killers, they will have to put aside their painful past and use every skill in their arsenal to outwit her enemies. But the longer they run, the harder it is to deny their sizzling attraction. As the killers close in, they must fight their growing desire for each other and do whatever it takes to stay alive.

*Example Blurb #2 - Known Antagonist*

Three years ago, Jessica Reynolds escaped from the Pentagram Killer's secret dungeon. Now he's back to claim his only surviving victim. She's taken into protective custody by FBI agent Alan Butler, a man with dark secrets of his own. Hiding deep into the Tennessee woods, she's entirely dependent on Alan for protection. The longer they spend together, the more she's drawn to him and if she's not careful, she'll have to trust him with more than just her body, she'll have to trust him with her heart.

There are two kinds of romantic suspense antagonists:

*A known assailant (known antagonist)*

The FMC already knows who is after her and why they want to kill her.

e.g. An ex-husband; a specific mob boss; her neighbor who tried to attack her because she won't date him, etc.

Thrillers generally fall into this category.

*An unsub (unknown subject)*

A stranger. The FMC doesn't know who is after her or why they want to kill her.

e.g. A serial killer obsessed with women who look like the FMC; a stalker; FMC doesn't realize she saw something she shouldn't have seen, or she has some information that she shouldn't have.

Mysteries generally fall into this category.

Before you begin your plot, you have to decide which kind of story you're writing because the structure is slightly different. I'll give examples for both types in the chapter by chapter breakdown. If you know the assailant, then you don't need suspects because the FMC already knows who is after her and why. If the assailant is unknown, then you need suspects.

*NOTE -* The antagonist can be male or female. Typically, they are male so I'm using that gender throughout the template but some of the best plot twists I've read were because the unsub killer was a female.

*Suspect List*

I like to keep a short suspect list handy so it's easy to refer to it without going back to the main character list.

Only use this list if you are working with an unsub.

#1 <First Last Name> (<Relationship to FMC>)
Reason whys s/he might want to harm her.
e.g. Husband, fiance, ex-husband, mother, sister, next door neighbor, boss, employee, etc.
#2 <First Last Name> (<Relationship to FMC>)
Reason why s/he might want to harm her.
#3 <First Last Name> (<Relationship to FMC>)
Reason why s/he might want to harm her.
#4 <First Last Name> (< Relationship to FMC>)
Reason why s/he might want to harm her.

Depending on your book's length, you could add more suspects. But 3-4 is generally enough.

*Characters -* _THIS IS JUST A SMALL SAMPLE OF WHAT EACH CHARACTER WILL LOOK LIKE_

*<First Last Name> - FMC*

She's <years old>
<description of who she is and what she's good at>
e.g. An accountant who has an eidetic memory (a photographic memory)
She likes to <hobby>
e.g. Bake animal-shaped cupcakes.
Reason to like her
e.g. She volunteers at the local animal shelter and fosters dogs.
One of her personal philosophies
e.g. She believes that everyone has some redeemable quality and that no one is pure evil.
Details about her relationship with the MMC (if they had a past relationship)
e.g. She left the MMC at the altar because she was afraid of marrying an FBI agent. Her father was an FBI agent killed in the line of duty. She doesn't want to lose someone she loves.
She's single and although she'd like to fall in love at some point, she doesn't want to because <reason>.
This can be specific to her or it can be the reason why she doesn't want to fall in love with this particular MMC.
e.g. She doesn't believe in love because her parents had an unhappy marriage. She's never been in love before and doesn't think it's real. She thinks it's a lie everyone tells themselves so that they will fit into society.
e.g. She won't marry anyone who works in a dangerous profession because she lost a loved one to a dangerous profession. (Her brother was a firefighter who died in a forest fire. She'd never dream of marrying a firefighter now.)

*<First Last Name> - MMC*

He's <years old>
<description of who he is and what he's good at>
e.g. An FBI agent who can shoot the cap off a coke bottle at 1000 yards.
He likes to <hobby>
e.g. Go running every day for at least 5 miles to help clear his head.
Reason to like him
e.g. He's the primary organizer for the Children's Christmas Toy Drive in his small town.
One of his personal philosophies
e.g. He believes that the only thing standing between good and evil are law enforcement officers who are willing to lay down their life to protect the innocent.
Details about his relationship with the FMC (if they had a past relationship)
e.g. He's always had the hots for the cute waitress at the diner (FMC), but he doesn't want to get involved with anyone because he's too busy with his job.
He's single and although he'd like to fall in love at some point, he doesn't want to because <reason>.
This can be specific to him or it can be the reason why he doesn't want to fall in love with this particular FMC.
e.g. He doesn't believe that he can work as much as he does and still have time to maintain a relationship too. He's tried before and has failed every time.
e.g. The FMC is his law enforcement partner and although they've shared a sizzling attraction for years, he wouldn't dream of acting on it because she's also his best friend's sister.

Choose 1: Known Antagonist or Unsub

*<First Last Name> - Known Antagonist*

The FMC knows for sure that he's after her.
She may or may not know exactly why he wants to kill her.
He's very smart and always seems to be one step ahead of the FMC and MMC.
He wants to kill the FMC because <reason>.
e.g. She rejected his romantic advances and he doesn't take rejection well.
e.g. He's her ex-husband and if he can't have her, no one else can.
e.g. She saw him kill someone else in the midst of a crime and she's the only one who can ID him and send him to prison.
e.g. She's the only woman who has ever escaped from his underground dungeon.
He hates women/people he kills because <reason>.
To have a well-developed antagonist, he needs to have a deeper motivation for wanting the FMC dead.
e.g. (Totally cliche but worth mentioning) - His mother, father, or both parents abused him as a child and now he wants to inflict the same pain on anyone who looks like his parents.
e.g. He thinks he's entitled to all the drug money he's getting because people are weak addicts and they aren't worth anything more than what he can get from them.
If he's a serial killer, list his previous crimes and go into detail about how he committed the crime. Serial killers typically follow the same MO, so keep a list handy so you can keep it consistent from murder to murder.

*<First Last Name> - Unknown Antagonist Suspect #1*

Skip this step if the FMC already knows who's trying to kill her.

<Relationship to FMC>
e.g. Boss; family member; neighbor; etc.
<motive for trying to kill the FMC>
He's capable of it because <dark secret in his past>
He <does something suspicious during the course of the book>
NOTE: Additional antagonists are included in the template.

*<First Last Name> - Victim #1*

If the killer kills anyone else in the course of the book, or if he has killed other people before the book started, list them here.
<how the person was killed>
<why the murderer killed them>
<how the murder was committed including when and where>
Relationship of the victim to the FMC and/or MMC.
It's common to have the FMC or the MMC become part of an investigation into the murder of a close friend or relative.
e.g. The MMC's sister was killed by the serial killer. Now he'll stop at nothing to find the killer and put him to justice.
Repeat this section for as many victims as you want.

*<Additional Characters> -* <Role or relationship to other characters>

This is a space to add supporting characters. Not suspects or main characters.
If there are multiple other victims, you would add them here.
e.g. Maybe a sheriff's deputy shows up in a scene by name. Put him here.
These generally don't have to be fully fleshed out, but you need to list them, so you don't forget who's who. If they are victims, then list how and when they were killed as well as why the killer

*Setting*

Romantic suspense can take place in a small town or a big city.
Make your setting interesting enough to carry a series. Although some romantic suspense is stand-alone, series still sell better.
Town is located in <cool or interesting location>
Some readers will pick up a book just because they like the location, so pick something unique or interesting.
Lots of options here. Think it through because you could be "stuck" with it for several books if your series takes off.
Try to think of a location where you could have a lot of plot or murder options. The more people coming through the town, the better.
e.g. If you go with a small town, make sure it's a tourist destination like a ski resort or a beach town.

*The Reader's Primary Question in a Romantic Suspense Novel:* Will the characters live long enough to fall in love and get their HEA?

The template includes two complete 20 chapter outlines - One for the "Unknown Subject" plot type and one for the "Known Assailant" plot type.

*Plot Outline - Unknown Subject*

*Chapter 1 - Inciting Incident*

Scene 1 (FMC Name - FMC POV)

Goal - Escape from the killer.

Complication(s) - The FMC is going about her normal day when she's put in danger. She's attacked either actively (someone's shooting at her, trying to kidnap her, etc.) or passively (someone set her house on fire, but the bad guy isn't in the house anymore). She needs to get out of danger before she's killed. Her life should be in jeopardy from page 1.

Choice - How is she going to escape the killer?

Consequences - She fights like hell to escape the situation. She's in serious trouble and she needs help. The scene ends with her still in jeopardy.

POV Character's Feelings - She's terrified and confused. She doesn't know why someone would want to hurt her.

Scene 2 (MMC Name - MMC POV)

Goal - Protect the FMC.

Complication(s) - He's pulled into the situation somehow. (e.g. The MMC is a firefighter who can tell it's an arson fire because he can smell gasoline. He hears her screaming from somewhere inside the house.)

Choice - Should he help her get out of immediate danger?

Consequences - It's in his nature to protect people, so he helps her get out of immediate danger. (E.g. He rushes into the burning house to save her.) There is an instant spark of attraction between them. (E.g. - The firefighter notes that she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen even though she's totally covered in soot from the fire.)

POV Character's Feelings - His protective instincts take over and he risks his life to save her. He's worried about her even if she's a complete stranger

*Chapter 2*

Scene 1 (FMC Name - FMC POV)

Goal - Try to make sense of what just happened.

Complication(s) - She has no idea why someone would try to kill her. She doesn't know who she can trust or who she can turn to for help.

Choice - Should she trust the MMC?

Consequences - Even if she already knows the MMC, she will have some reason why she can't trust him. (E.g. She left him at the altar. How can she expect him to protect her after what she did to him?) There's a spark of attraction between them, but for some reason, she's unwilling to acknowledge it.

POV Character's Feelings - She's afraid to get involved with the MMC for some reason so she's left feeling scared and alone. She feels like she's not going to be safe ever again. She's ignoring the spark of attraction between them. Now is definitely not the time to be thinking about how hot the MMC is.

Scene 2 (MMC Name - MMC POV)

Goal - Find out why the FMC was attacked.

Complication(s) - The MMC doesn't believe that she has no idea why someone would want to attack her. He asks her questions about why she thinks someone attacked her. She tells him she doesn't know why.

Choice - Should he believe her?

Consequences - He doesn't believe her. Based on what happened during the attack in chapter 1, someone clearly wants the FMC dead. She must be hiding something.

POV Character's Feelings - He doesn't trust her at all. She's hiding something and he doesn't like it.

*Chapter 3: Refusing the Call*

Scene 1 (FMC Name - FMC POV)

Goal - Get away from the MMC.

Complication(s) - She can tell that the MMC isn't willing to help her beyond getting her out of immediate danger.

Choice - Should she try to get him to help her find out who's trying to kill her?

Consequences - She has trust issues and doesn't want the MMC to be involved. She thanks him for helping her get out of immediate danger but tells him that she doesn't need his help anymore. She will deal with this situation herself.

POV Character's Feelings - She doesn't trust him. Instead of accepting any more help, she stubbornly decides that she alone can find out why someone is trying to kill her.

Scene 2 (MMC Name - MMC POV)

Goal - Don't get emotionally involved in the situation.

Complication(s) - For some reason, the MMC doesn't want to get emotionally involved in the situation. (E.g. She's his ex-fiancee and she left him at the altar. How can he trust her to listen to him?)

Choice - Should he continue to help her?

Consequences - Since his character type is the ultimate alpha protector, he's going to try to help her even though she doesn't want his help. However, he's going to guard his heart against getting emotionally involved. He has good reason not to want to get emotionally involved. (E.g. He's an FBI agent who got emotionally involved with a witness in a mob trial case. Because he was distracted by their relationship, he didn't realize that his partner was on the mob's payroll. His partner killed the witness. The MMC can't afford to fall for another person he's supposed to be protecting.) Ultimately, she rejects his help. She walks away from him at the end of this chapter.

POV Character's Feelings - He's willing to help her, but he's not willing to get emotionally involved with her. He's angry, frustrated, and/or annoyed because she doesn't want his help.

*Chapter 4: Turning Point 1*

Scene 1 (FMC Name - FMC POV)

Goal - Ask the MMC for help.

Complication(s) - The FMC can't ignore the danger anymore. A second attempt is made on her life or the killer does something to scare her. (E.g. She comes out of the police station after refusing to let the cop follow her home to make sure she gets home safely. She finds a threatening note on her car.)

Choice - Should she continue to be stubborn and refuse the MMC's help?

Consequences - She knows she needs help. She can't fight back against a deranged killer by herself. She decides to accept the MMC's help.

POV Character's Feelings - She's shocked out of her stubbornness and is forced to ask for the MMC's help. She doesn't have anyone else she can turn to.

Scene 2 (MMC Name - MMC POV)

Goal - Decide whether to help the FMC.

Complication(s) - The FMC comes to him and asks for his help.

Choice - Should he help her?

Consequences - He agrees to help her because it's clear that she needs protection from the stalker/killer. She explains why he's the only one who can help her.

POV Character's Feelings - He's still wary because she initially rejected his help. However, he knows she's in terrible danger, so he's going to set aside his worries and help her. He's still keeping his heart guarded and he tells himself that he's only doing this because she's a woman in danger. It has nothing to do with that spark he felt when they met.

*END SAMPLE *- But in the actual outline, you get a chapter by chapter breakdown for both of the romantic suspense plot types: Known Subject and Unknown Subject. 20 chapters each for a total of 40 chapters.

Buy it at www.PlotsForAuthors.com

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I am traveling over the next week for a funeral so please give me some time to get back to you.


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

Two New Templates! www.plotsforauthors.com

Erotic Romance Novella Plot Template: https://www.plotsforauthors.com/collections/frontpage/products/erotic-romance-novella-plot-template

Science Fiction Romance Plot Template: https://www.plotsforauthors.com/collections/frontpage/products/science-fiction-romance-plot-template


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## Brian Drake (May 22, 2010)

Hi, everybody. I purchased PlotBunny's romantic suspense plot template yesterday, and it's terrific. 

I've wanted to get into this genre for some time (thanks to my wife--she's always watching Hallmark romances and I got to thinking how it might be nice to blend my thriller writing with romantic elements) so after seeing her posts and samples here I decided to take the plunge.

This morning, eager to try using the template, I went back to a partial outline that's been on my hard drive forever. The R/S template not only helped me organize the plot better, but helped add terrific character moments between the FMC and MMC, and I'm so excited I can't wait to start writing! My little 5 page summary turned into a 17-page outline with plenty of detail, action, mystery, romance, everything it needs to be a solid read.

Now I just need a new pen name for R/S hahaha.

Hey, PlotBunny, how about a pen name generator on your site?


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## markpauloleksiw (Jan 15, 2019)

I guess being creative is no longer a prerequisite to writing.

Mark


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## Brian Drake (May 22, 2010)

Mark, You should try one of the templates and find out how wrong you are. Just sayin'.


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## Blerg et al. (Mar 27, 2015)

markpauloleksiw said:


> I guess being creative is no longer a prerequisite to writing.
> 
> Mark


Was DaVinci any less creative for studying anatomy?

Glancing at the samples on the website, there is little difference between the structure of these outlines and the advice you would get from a good romance editor.


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

Blerg et al. said:


> Was DaVinci any less creative for studying anatomy?
> 
> Glancing at the samples on the website, there is little difference between the structure of these outlines and the advice you would get from a good romance editor.


Exactly. Someone could spend years studying structure and reading thousands of romance novels like I did. Or they could skip all that work and just buy a template and follow that structure. There's still a huge element of creativity. You could give the exact same template to 100 authors and get 100 different stories.

The idea that one has to suffer for their art is outdated. Why struggle when the tools are easily available?


Brian Drake said:


> Mark, You should try one of the templates and find out how wrong you are. Just sayin'.


Thank you Brian! I'm glad the template is making plotting easier.


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## Brian Drake (May 22, 2010)

PlotBunny, I purchased the Romantic Suspense template as you may recall, but I've found it can apply to non-romantic suspense too. It's a great value.


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## H.C. (Jul 28, 2016)

markpauloleksiw said:


> I guess being creative is no longer a prerequisite to writing.
> 
> Mark


So...I take it you would never read a book "on writing". How great for you. The rest of us like to improve our skills and become better writers/artists.

Constraint breeds creativity, not my rule that's from science. Numerous studies show that having some applied restriction, blueprint, limitation allows for innovation and creativity. Staring at a blank page is about the most inefficient and least likely way one can produce good writing.


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## nail file (Sep 12, 2018)

markpauloleksiw said:


> I guess being creative is no longer a prerequisite to writing.
> 
> Mark


Good Lord, what an ignorant thing to say.

These plot templates are not the book written for you to just change the names.

The creator has dissected genres down to their constituent parts and made suggestions what goes at each point. Not every writer can do that on their own.

Then, it's up to the writer to use them where they are, move them around where it makes narrative sense, drop or combine chapters as they see fit.

It's no different than writing an outline, just that the creator has made coming up with the skeletal framework that the outline can hang on easier to do.

I purchased a template and used it religiously for the first few books. Now that I have some experience under my belt, I don't need to follow them that closely. They were a God-send when I stumbled on them and took my story creation to the next level in far shorter time than it would have taken if I hadn't had the help.


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## H.C. (Jul 28, 2016)

nail file said:


> Good Lord, what an ignorant thing to say.
> 
> These plot templates are not the book written for you to just change the names.
> 
> ...


I've never understood why people snide comments about things like this. If we'd read craft books that tell us the same thing as templating (in a more roundabout 50k word way) no one would think badly of it. But as soon as some writers see structure being introduced out side of an essay on writing they flip their lid.


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## Trioxin 245 (Dec 29, 2017)

markpauloleksiw said:


> I guess being creative is no longer a prerequisite to writing.
> 
> Mark


No kidding. Next thing you know authors will be paying for "book awards" instead of earning one.


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

nail file said:


> Good Lord, what an ignorant thing to say.
> 
> These plot templates are not the book written for you to just change the names.
> 
> ...


Thank you! I'm so glad the templates helped you with plotting. I love hearing about how much the templates are helping authors. I've had some authors purchase their favorite genre then go on to become huge bestsellers in the genre because they understand the genre conventions and tropes now. Continuing to learn and grow is always a good thing.

This business requires you to know your genre inside and out. If you're not learning and growing, then everyone who is will pass you by. This is one of my favorite feedback quotes of all time. I love watching other authors succeed:

"My new dark romance novel just hit the highest rank ever for any of my books. It went under 500 in the whole Amazon store! It's the best rank I've ever had. Thank you so much. It was your amazing outline that helped me get here." - Sara


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## philstern (Mar 14, 2011)

If you really can't plot your own work, maybe it's time to take up another hobby.

_Edited. Drop me a PM if you have any questions. - Becca_


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## nail file (Sep 12, 2018)

philstern said:


> If you really can't plot your own work, maybe it's time to take up another hobby.
> 
> _Edited. Drop me a PM if you have any questions. - Becca_


Not everyone comes out of the womb with an intimate knowledge of how story structure works. So glad you were gifted at an early age and blessed with the ability to write. The rest of us should just go home, I guess.


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## markpauloleksiw (Jan 15, 2019)

Blerg et al. said:


> Was DaVinci any less creative for studying anatomy?
> 
> Glancing at the samples on the website, there is little difference between the structure of these outlines and the advice you would get from a good romance editor.


You realize that there was no "anatomy" template for Da Vinci to use, right?


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Folks, if you think a service like PlotBunny is a bad idea, then don't use it. Posting with the sole purpose of belittling those who are interested in the service is obnoxious.

Posts have been edited and removed.


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## Fortunate (Jul 31, 2018)

markpauloleksiw said:


> You realize that there was no "anatomy" template for Da Vinci to use, right?


Sure there were.
Millions of them. Walkin' and runnin' around until you gave them a little stab.
But to take all of those templates (err, people) and find out what the underlying structure was, and then turn it into one diagram took skill.

That's what Plot Bunny does.
I mean, I'm not saying she's Da Vinci, obviously: He didn't know crap about modern genre fiction.
But if he'd been around today, he could, maybe, have been a PlotBunny.


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## H.C. (Jul 28, 2016)

markpauloleksiw said:


> You realize that there was no "anatomy" template for Da Vinci to use, right?


He didn't have anatomy templates? If you've studied Da Vinci you'd know he viewed the physical forms as a template and would often sketch the forms in a notebook so he could refer back to it later (there were no camera) back then. Makr, I think you made an offhand slight and can just leave it at that.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Ahem. My post above means those of you defending the existence of PlotBunny can also let the matter go, at this point.










Please carry on with specific questions about the service or reviews of it by those who've used it -- normal content for vendor threads, in other words. Thanks.


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## ShawnaReads (May 9, 2019)

Are you ever going to add more that aren't romance? Like urban fantasy? Or maybe even _clean _romance? Just glancing at what you've got, it seems like a lot of it relies on insta-lust and specific kinks.


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

ShawnaReads said:


> Are you ever going to add more that aren't romance? Like urban fantasy? Or maybe even _clean _romance? Just glancing at what you've got, it seems like a lot of it relies on insta-lust and specific kinks.


I am working on Urban Fantasy as well as Thrillers, Mysteries, etc. To be notified when a new template is available, sign up for my newsletter here: https://www.plotsforauthors.com/pages/newsletter

Clean romance is basically just a heat level, not a trope. If you wanted to choose a trope with low heat, there are plenty. Ones that come to mind are:

Fake Relationship
Brother's Best Friend
Woman in Jeopardy
Amnesia
Forbidden Love (_love_, not sex)
Reunion Romance
Forced Proximity
Disguise
Fish Out of Water
Kidnapped
Redemption Romance
Opposites Attract

These are available in my romance tropes templates. You can mix and match any of the templates to make a custom order. Just message me if you're interested in a custom order.


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

SAVE 50% PLOT TEMPLATE SALE. Discount is Automatically Taken at Checkout (ENDS 11/30 @ 11:59 pm Pacific Time)

www.plotsforauthors.com


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## ShawnaReads (May 9, 2019)

Have you considered offering some sort of cheaper option for people who aren't sure if this is something that would be helpful to them? It looks like you've got a bundle of 10 romance trope plots for $500. That's way too expensive (even at your half-price discount) for someone who's unsure to take a chance on. Could you offer, like, one trope plot for a much lower price? I'm looking at your website going, "Hmm, I wonder if this would be an interesting thing to try," but for $400 or $500, there's no way. I need an entry point.


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

ShawnaReads said:


> Have you considered offering some sort of cheaper option for people who aren't sure if this is something that would be helpful to them? Could you offer, like, one trope plot for a much lower price?


Yes! I can sell the individual tropes for $50. If you would like to do that, just PM me which trope you would like as well as your PayPal email for payment.

Eventually I'll put individual tropes up on the website but it won't be until next year. I don't have time in my schedule to do it this year but it's been something I've been thinking about. I'm glad you asked. Let me know if you have any more questions.


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## ShawnaReads (May 9, 2019)

PlotBunny said:


> Yes! I can sell the individual tropes for $50. If you would like to do that, just PM me which trope you would like as well as your PayPal email for payment.
> 
> Eventually I'll put individual tropes up on the website but it won't be until next year. I don't have time in my schedule to do it this year but it's been something I've been thinking about. I'm glad you asked. Let me know if you have any more questions.


That's good to know, thanks. I'll look at your website again and contact you if I have more questions.


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

ShawnaReads said:


> That's good to know, thanks. I'll look at your website again and contact you if I have more questions.


Sounds good. I'm always happy to answer questions.

For anyone else interested in the tropes as individual templates, feel free to PM me for now. I will get the website updated so you can buy individual tropes in the first quarter of 2021.


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## WriteHot (Apr 25, 2019)

I purchased the 10 plot bundle, and I have to confess I'm disappointed.  The bundled plots are not broken down into scenes like the single plots appear to be.  It gives chapter suggestions with a few sentences (approx 2-5 apiece) that feel very generic.  It is likely my own fault because the samples on the website are accurate.  However, I thought the bundles contained the same kind of detail that the single plots contain.  Even for the discount price of $250, the bundle seems overpriced.

Caveat emptor.


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## WriteHot (Apr 25, 2019)

I want to add that this won't stop me from buying a template in the future.  I'll just stick to single templates.


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

WriteHot said:


> The bundled plots are not broken down into scenes like the single plots appear to be. It gives chapter suggestions with a few sentences (approx 2-5 apiece) that feel very generic. It is likely my own fault because the samples on the website are accurate.


Thank you for your feedback. The tropes are broken down into chapters and there are samples on the website. The trope templates are more generic since it's covering so many tropes. In the future when I break them down into individual templates, I'll do scene by scene breakdowns.


WriteHot said:


> I want to add that this won't stop me from buying a template in the future. I'll just stick to single templates.


All of the non-trope templates are scene by scene with more detail. They also have exact samples on the page so you can see exactly what you're getting. Thanks again for the feedback.


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

*25% Off - All Plot Templates until December 31!*

www.plotsforauthors.com


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## Silent Bob (Jun 18, 2017)

PlotBunny said:


> SAVE 50% PLOT TEMPLATE SALE. Discount is Automatically Taken at Checkout (ENDS 11/30 @ 11:59 pm Pacific Time)
> 
> www.plotsforauthors.com


Damn, I missed it. Any chance you can bring this one back for 24 hours lol?


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## thischickwrites (Oct 5, 2014)

I'm hoping for another 50% sale. I have a stimulus check to spend!


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

Hi guys! I don't have any more 50% off sales planned. Those are very rare. However, I do have a 25% off sale running until the end of Feb. www.plotsforauthors.com

Happy Plotting!


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

25% Off - All Plot Templates until March 31!

www.plotsforauthors.com


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

25% Off - All Plot Templates until April 30!

www.plotsforauthors.com


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## Crystal_ (Aug 13, 2014)

I'm not a plotter. I can't plot to save my life. Well, it's not that I can't plot. I can write an outline. I just can't follow it. I go in a different direction by chapter two. Outlines don't work for everyone. If they don't work for you, that's great. If they do work for you, that's great.

Similarly, beat sheets like these work for some and not others. For me, they're too vague. But if I get more specific, then it's an outline, and now I'm off in a different direction. I've accepted my fate as a mostly pantser.

I took a glance and these trope breakdowns sound helpful and smart. It's hard to say without seeing them in full. What I would want to see more of is a real breakdown of why readers love a trope, what readers are looking for in a trope, key scenes or moments you must have. I.e. in a pretend relationship book, I must see the characters fake a kiss and go woah, that felt real.

I would buy these if they were cheaper, even though I'm a pretty experienced author. Always good to have more resources. Of course you are well within your rights to charge whatever you like. If you're selling plots, you're selling plots. But I think $500 is a lot to ask of newer authors. And for authors who don't mind spending $500... well, they're less likely to need these kinds of trope breakdowns.

If these were $50, I'd buy without blinking, but for $500, I'm going to pick up my copy of _Romancing the Beat. _Just my opinion, of course.


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

Crystal_ said:


> If these were $50, I'd buy without blinking, but for $500, I'm going to pick up my copy of _Romancing the Beat. _Just my opinion, of course.


_Romancing the Beat_ is a great book for general romance outlines. For specific tropes, it's helpful to have a template specific to the trope. I do have samples of what is included in each template on the website. www.plotsforauthors.com

If anyone has any questions, feel free to reach out. With the 25% off sale, the 10 Romance Tropes template is $375. Anyone can take the time to research tropes, but this is a concise template so writers don't have to spend hours and hours trying to understand what should be included into the outline for a particular trope. Everyone has their own learning style and everyone should do whatever works best for them.


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## Crystal_ (Aug 13, 2014)

Your prerogative, of course! If you're selling a ton, don't listen to me. I just feel $400-500 is too high for new authors. If there was a $40 for one romance trope option, I think that would be much more doable for new authors.

Just my opinion, of course. I think this is a needed service, but I think the target audience won't be able to afford it.


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

As always, it's up to each person to decide what works best for them. For the value I provide in the templates, the cost is well worth the amount of time an author saves because they don't have to do all the research themselves. I've worked with many satisfied authors who are plotting faster than ever now. If the price doesn't work for you, _Romancing the Beat_ is a great alternative.


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## travelinged (Apr 6, 2014)

Crystal_ said:


> Your prerogative, of course! If you're selling a ton, don't listen to me. I just feel $400-500 is too high for new authors. If there was a $40 for one romance trope option, I think that would be much more doable for new authors.
> 
> Just my opinion, of course. I think this is a needed service, but I think the target audience won't be able to afford it.


I tend to agree. I took a look at the cozy mysteries template and it is clear that you've put a lot of work into these... almost too much. It's just my sense, but I think you'd click incredibly well with some authors but fail totally with others, and there isn't a way to figure out which is which... at that price its a gamble. I'd consider a simpler option (in addition to, not instead of) set of templates that just provided the ideas for overall story, theme, and key scenes. That might be a nonstarter, and could involve too much work, but at a low price point would be interesting to see what feedback you got on them. 
If I used one of your detailed ones, by the time the book was done, I seriously doubt your blurb assistance would be relevant any longer. But that's just because of how I work.


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## Crystal_ (Aug 13, 2014)

I suggested the $40 romance trope, since that is what people are paying with the 10 Trope Deal. I understand you may want to keep the discount, but if it was $50 or $60 for the single trope outline, that would be much more doable for new authors. And I imagine a more experienced authors (or others with more cash to spend) would also one-click out of FOMO.

That would be a better deal for most authors, since they would get exactly what they want, when they want it. And they aren't taking a huge risk. If they don't find the format useful, they're only out $50. If they do find it useful, they can come back and buy the next trope they write. It's a win for authors. But obviously $50 is less than $500.

FWIW behavioral economics suggest people find a collection with less things more valuable than a collection with more things, if the additional things are things they don't want. They'll actually pay more for say ten plates than ten plates plus three broken plates. Even though they still get the ten plates with the second sex.


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

Crystal_ said:


> I suggested the $40 romance trope, since that is what people are paying with the 10 Trope Deal. I understand you may want to keep the discount, but if it was $50 or $60 for the single trope outline, that would be much more doable for new authors. And I imagine a more experienced authors (or others with more cash to spend) would also one-click out of FOMO.


That's a good suggestion. It will take me a while to implement it because of all the other projects I'm working on, but I'll circle back on it when I have a bit more time.


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## Bite the Dusty (Aug 9, 2020)

I don't know how I'd use them, even my own outlines aren't very structured, and I don't end up following them too closely, but I am curious about yours. I'm sure Crystal is right, if there was an affordable, less risky entry point you might get a bunch of people who end up buying them all up after realizing your outlines work for them.


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

*New!* Urban Fantasy Plot Template

Vampire bounty hunters, shapeshifters on the hunt for justice, kidnapping, murder, and mayhem! Magic and mystery combine to create this sizzling, evergreen subgenre.




  






*Urban Fantasy Plot Template

Genre:* Urban Fantasy
*Projected Word Count:* 75,000 – 100,000
*Number of Chapters:* 26
*Number of Scenes:* 55
*Template Length: *40 pages, 17,700 words

*SAMPLE

Creating an Urban Fantasy Book Title and Series Name

Genre:* Urban Fantasy

*Title:* It should hint at both danger and magic, and it should be fairly short. You want a punchy title. Urban Fantasy is punchy in general, so that pace needs to begin with your title.
E.g., Magic Rises, Sin & Magic, Moon Called, Fallen Angel

*Series Name:*

The series name is typically the Female Main Character’s (FMC) name, but it can also be a location name or a FICTIONAL police or paranormal enforcement unit’s name.
E.g., A Faith Blackwood Novel, Hellbound in New Orleans, Sci-Ops Enforcement
*POV:* Always first-person, usually past tense.

*Sample Blurb Outline -* _See below for a description of each component._

*Punchy Tagline (E.g., She’s always ready for a fight.)*

<FMC> is a <type of job she does> who makes her living <doing something related to magic>. But when <a crime happens>, her quest to <solve the crime> draws her into <a dangerous situation involving one or more magical factions> within <name of city>’s magical world. <Under immense pressure to solve the crime>, <FMC> realizes she’s <in over her head>—but she <has to solve the crime because of a very important reason>.

*Type of job she does –* Magical mercenary, auto mechanic, etc. There will be more on this in the FMC section.

*Does something related to magic –* Capturing magical criminals, works on cars fueled by magic, etc.

*A crime happens –* A kidnapping, murder, missing magical artifact, etc.

*Solve the crime* *–* Find the missing person, the murderer, or the missing artifact, etc.

*A dangerous situation involving one or more magical factions *– Give some details about the conflict between magical factions. You want readers to realize there is more going on in this world. It’s not just about the crime.

*Name of city* – Urban fantasy needs to be set in a large urban city. It should never be set in a small town.

*Under immense pressure to solve the crime* – Something terrible will happen if she doesn’t solve the crime. These are the stakes. If a kidnapper has been taking people, then he may start killing them. If a murderer is on the loose, more people are going to be killed. If a dangerous magical artifact is missing, it needs to be found before it is used to destroy the city.

*In over her head* – She is up against a powerful magical enemy, or she’s immersed in tricky faction politics. Either way, she feels overwhelmed by the situation.

*Has to solve the crime because of a very important reason –* Again, this goes back to the stakes. This is the ultimate bad outcome. Her life is in danger. Other people will die. The city will be destroyed by magic. The stakes have never been higher. She has to solve the crime; otherwise, there will be dire consequences.

*Example Blurb

She’s always ready for a fight.*

Laura Williams is a mercenary for hire who makes her living hunting down magical criminals. But when her mentor is murdered, her quest to find the killer draws her deep into San Francisco’s dark, magical underworld. Hired by the Order of the Protectorate to solve the crime, Laura realizes she must navigate faction politics while evading a dangerous enemy. If she can’t find the killer before he strikes again, the magical world will descend into chaos, and no one will be safe.

*Characters

<First Last Name> - FMC*


NOTE: This outline is specifically for the type of UF that has a FMC. UF’s featuring a Male Main Character are slightly different, particularly when it comes to his romantic relationships.
She is a total badass. Some people are in awe of her, while others are intimidated by her. She’s beautiful but in a non-conventional way. She may be physically strong.
She’s smart and resourceful. She is not a damsel in distress waiting for a man to save her. But she’s willing to accept help when she knows she needs it.
She carries weapons and is really good at using them. E.g., guns, daggers, swords, knives, etc. She may name her favorite weapon the way some people name their cars. Her weapons may contain their own magic, or she may be able to infuse her weapons with magic. E.g., she might have a dagger that glows whenever there are vampires around.
She uses magical wards to protect her home.
*MORE INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED ABOUT HER AND ALL THE OTHER MAIN CHARACTERS.

Magical Organizations/Magical Factions/Magical Councils*

There are at least three councils of magical creatures plus at least one council/organization tasked with keeping law and order in the city. (E.g., a council of vampires, a council of shapeshifters, a council of witches, a council of magical enforcement. If humanity is aware of the supernatural realm, there may be a human law enforcement division dedicated to supernatural crimes, etc.)
The most common types of creatures in Urban Fantasy are: vampires, shapeshifters, witches, and fae. You can have other types of creatures in your book, but it should have at least three types.
Each council only represents one type of magical creature. You’d typically never have a council that represents both witches and vampires. There would be one council for witches and a separate one for vampires.
*MORE INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED IN THE TEMPLATE

The Magical World/Setting*

Supernatural creatures live amongst humans.
If the government and the public know about the magical world, then they don’t approve of it.
If the government and public don’t know about the magical world, then the supernatural creatures try to keep it a secret.
The series is set in a densely populated metropolis like New Orleans, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or a large, fictional city.
Magic can affect technology, rendering it more useful or useless.
All kinds of paranormal creatures can inhabit the world: vampires, werewolves, shape shifters, zombies, ghosts, fairies, witches, elves, trolls, flying snakes, creepy worms, ancient gods and goddesses, zombie animals, and more!
There is always a central mystery or crime that needs to be solved in each book.
*MORE INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED IN THE TEMPLATE

Tips for Setting Up the Rest of Your Series*

Somewhere in the story, add a throwaway line about something that becomes significant later in the series.
The resolution of the mystery in Book 1 immediately leads into Book 2.
One of the councils has a vendetta against the FMC because of events that happened in this book.
She makes various deals in each book that come back to haunt her later in the series.
*Plot Outline

Chapter 1*

*Scene 1

Goal –* Complete a task in her ordinary world. (E.g., kill a vampire because she’s a vampire slayer, meet someone trying to hire her for her bounty hunting skills, she gets sucked into a bar fight and has to fight her way out, etc.)

*Complication(s) – *The FMC is going about her day doing something ordinary in her ordinary world when she’s interrupted by a magical disturbance or attack. (E.g., someone is trying to break through the wards on her house, a magical creature has managed to sneak past her defenses and is about to attack.) There might be a magical fight, or something blows up. The scene needs to start with some kind of action that shows off her magical skills or fighting abilities. The attack may be related to the crime that was committed in this book, or it might just be related to her regular job (e.g., if she’s a bounty hunter, she’s trying to capture a bounty and ends up in a fight).

*Choice – *Should she give up on fighting or keep going?

*Consequences – *She keeps going. She’s not about to back down from a fight. She is able to defeat or capture the foe.

*POV Character’s Feelings – *She’s determined to win the fight. She’s comfortable fighting, so if it’s a more challenging fight than normal, she’s mildly annoyed because she just wants to get it over with and win.

*Scene 2

Goal –* Decide whether she’s going to get involved in solving a magic-related crime.

*Complication(s) – *Once the dust settles after the fight from scene 1, FMC finds out about the crime. She may have been on her way to a meeting to find out about the job when she was attacked by the creature from the previous scene. Or maybe the creature was there to deliver a message to her about the crime but decided to attack her, too. The crime typically involves one of these things: Someone was killed, someone was kidnapped, or a magical artifact was stolen. The magical creature (e.g., vampire, shapeshifter, witch, fae) telling her about the crime wants her help to solve it. (E.g., they want to hire her because she’s a mercenary, or the victim of the crime is someone the FMC cares about.)

*Choice –* Should she take the assignment or get involved in hunting down the criminal(s)?

*Consequences –* She decides to get involved despite her reservations. She decides to take the case because either the money is too good to pass up, or she knew the victim and wants vengeance.

*POV Character’s Feelings – *She is deeply disturbed by the crime. She’s angry because her ordinary world is being disrupted.

*Chapter 2

NOTE: The following scenes (Scenes 3-6) can happen in any order, but they should all happen in scenes 3-6. Don’t move them past scene 6 in your book. Choose the order that makes the most sense for your particular story. 

Also, in one of the scenes (Scenes 3-6), *she meets the *Love Interest #1*. This needs to be incorporated into one of the scenes. You can pick which scene makes the most sense for your story based on the characters. The way to incorporate it is to copy/paste the Complication, Choice, Consequences, and POV Character’s Feelings from the *Love Interest #1* scene into one of the other scenes. This action will happen in addition to the action already outlined in that scene.

*Introduce Male Love Interest #1 Scene: *Add this to one of the upcoming scenes #3-6. It should not be a separate scene. It needs to be incorporated into another scene since romance accounts for 10% or less of the plot.

*Goal: * Ignore his advances.

*Complication(s) -* A dangerously hot male character, *Love Interest #1*, is introduced. He’s already friends with the FMC, or she is just now meeting him for the first time. She notices how hot he is but doesn’t comment on it or do anything to indicate she’s attracted to him. He flirts with her.

*Choice –* Should she respond to his flirtation?

*Consequences –* No. He’s hot as hell, but there is some reason why she’s not interested in a relationship. (E.g., he’s her friend, or he’s some type of magical creature that she doesn’t want to be with.) She ignores his flirtation. You could also introduce him earlier in the book, but the introduction is brief and isn’t directly related to the main storyline.

*POV Character’s Feelings – *She’s very interested in the magical clue she found. It adds to the mystery and makes her wonder if she is on the right track. The clue might reinforce her suspicion of who the criminal might be, or it might make her question her earlier assumption. She’s not interested in romance and ignores *Love Interest #1*’s flirtation. She has more important things to worry about right now.

*Scene 3

Goal –* She begins looking for information that will help her solve the crime. (E.g., she goes to one of the magical councils to get something that will help her solve the crime.)

*Complication(s) – *She’s nervous about approaching the council. Heading into their lair is always dangerous. (E.g., they are vampires, and she never knows when they’re going to want to feed on her. Or, maybe they’re witches who use powerful magical wards to defend their coven’s mansion. She hates trying to get past their wards.) She gains access to the council and asks for either information or some other type of help. (E.g., her friend who died was a werewolf. She’s trying to find out if any vampires have died, too. She wonders if the death is an isolated incident or if there are other murdered people she isn’t aware of yet. Have there been other murders in the city recently?) The magical council is reluctant to get involved. She needs to work to convince them it’s in their best interests to help her. They agree to help, but with stipulations. They ask for a favor in return. Either the favor is explained at that moment, or they tell her that she will just “owe them” later. (*NOTE*—every time she talks to someone, they ask for a favor, or she owes them.)

*Choice –* Should she accept this bargain?

*Consequences -* She doesn’t like the stipulations but agrees because she needs their help. The help they provide could be anything from magical tracking skills to their ability to access every camera in the city, to access their records about the magical beast responsible for hurting/kidnapping the person that is important to her. They may have a special type of spell or artifact that she can use to hunt down the killer. Or she might ask them to simply let her know if they hear anything about the murder.

*POV Character’s Feelings – *She’s on high alert as she heads into the council’s lair. It’s a dangerous place, so she needs to be ready in case they attack. She hates negotiating with the council but manages to get what she wants. She’s happy about that, but she also wonders what they will want in return if they haven’t already told her. If she knows what they want, she doesn’t really want to give it to them, but she does it because she really needs their help. She doesn’t feel like she has a choice.

*END OF THE SAMPLE - But in the actual outline, you get a scene-by-scene breakdown. 26 chapters with a total of 55 scenes.*

*BUY IT NOW!*


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

*All Plot Templates - 25% off until May 31!*

www.plotsforauthors.com

New! Urban Fantasy Plot Template


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

*All Plot Templates - 25% off until June 30th!*

www.plotsforauthors.com

New! Urban Fantasy Plot Template


----------



## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

*All Plot Templates - 25% off until July 31st!*

www.plotsforauthors.com

New! Urban Fantasy Plot Template


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## Madeline2015 (Jul 3, 2021)

PlotBunny said:


> *All Plot Templates - 25% off until July 31st!*
> 
> www.plotsforauthors.com
> 
> New! Urban Fantasy Plot Template


Hi, let me say I've lurked on Kboards since Harvey started it and I have never made an account before now or ever attempted to post. But, I had no choice but to come out of hiding because I have always been interested in your plots and I had some questions. First off, why do you not have a way for potential customers to contact you on your site As a business, I don't understand this. This is why I had to post here because there is no email address or not even a form for people to ask you questions.

My main question is this, last year you said you'd start offering plots the average person could afford. I've always wanted to try one of your plots but they are way too expensive. I've gotten plots before from Fiverr as well as plot writers whose companies I've found on FB and all of them have been reasonable. The most some charge is a 100 dollars and sometimes that's for a whole series. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to tell you how to price, just sharing my opinion as a potential client. Your prices are very, very expensive and you mentioned you would start selling cheaper plots but I've checked your site a few times this year and you haven't offered any yet. Also, my two cents, you are missing out on business not offering cheaper alternatives because I've heard other authors who say they would love to buy your plots but they just can't afford it. So, I do hope you really will start offering plots that normal people can afford and if so, could you please elaborate here on when you will be doing so? I'd love to check them out. And, please add a way for people to contact you on your site.

Have a good day!


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

Madeline2015 said:


> I do hope you really will start offering plots that normal people can afford and if so, could you please elaborate here on when you will be doing so? I'd love to check them out. And, please add a way for people to contact you on your site.


Thank you for reaching out. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. The plot templates are priced according to the amount of time and effort it takes to produce a high quality product. I've had a lot of feedback that the templates are worth much more than the price.


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## Crystal_ (Aug 13, 2014)

Like I said upthread, if you're selling a lot, then your business is going well, and you should keep on doing what you're doing.

But I don't think any of us would advise a new author to price their books based on the effort it takes to produce a high quality product. We advise people to price their books for maximum profits.

My books are every bit as good as a 9.99 trad books IMO, but I won't make as much money if I price at 9.99. It doesn't matter what I think of my books. It matters what readers are willing to pay. I price 3.99 to 4.99 (though I may experiment with higher prices) and that is where I sell the most books (I do need to experiment more).

My book is worth more than free, but I still do free runs, because I know they'll net me more money overall.

Most new authors don't have $400. It doesn't matter how high quality your product is if your target audience can't afford it. For most new authors, $40-50 is already a stretch for a creative resource. They simply don't have the cash to spend.


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## Oaklandish (Oct 30, 2014)

I've purchased three plot templates from @PlotBunny (Menage romance, Urban Fantasy and Cozy Mystery) and I have found them indescribably useful while writing. 

I have a pacing issue. I know I have a pacing issue. My chapters run way too long or way too short. And it wasn't until I used the Menage Romance template from PlotBunny here that I got it under control and could see exactly what I was doing wrong and what I'd been leaving out of my books. 

The template was worth every penny in the sheer time it saved me from doing a dozen extra drafts to figure my stuff out.


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## ShayneRutherford (Mar 24, 2014)

Crystal_ said:


> Like I said upthread, if you're selling a lot, then your business is going well, and you should keep on doing what you're doing.


You've said a couple of times that if Plot Bunny's business is going well she should keep doing what she's doing. And she seems quite happy to keep doing what she's doing, so one might assume that her business is going well.




Crystal_ said:


> Most new authors don't have $400. It doesn't matter how high quality your product is if your target audience can't afford it. For most new authors, $40-50 is already a stretch for a creative resource. They simply don't have the cash to spend.


Just because someone is a new author doesn't mean they don't have money to put into their business. And it would seem that the target audience for these templates is people with more money who are willing to invest in their business, rather than people who don't have a lot of money.


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## Crystal_ (Aug 13, 2014)

Well, yeah, obviously, they are happy with their prices, or they would change them. Just as it should be obvious it's my opinion that they're pricing themselves out of the market/their product is not priced realistically.

I don't make assumptions about how well they are selling or not. That is why I offer a qualification, that, my advice is if they would like to sell better. Maybe they do. Maybe they don't. They can take the feedback or ignore it.

But I will restate my point: it doesn't matter how hard someone worked on something or how long it takes once that thing is a product. Effort is not relevant to customers. Customers buy something based on the value it offers them, not the effort it took the creator.

We wouldn't let writers use "I worked hard" as logic for how to price their books, so why should we do it here?


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## ShayneRutherford (Mar 24, 2014)

Crystal_ said:


> Well, yeah, obviously, they are happy with their prices, or they would change them. Just as it should be obvious it's my opinion that they're pricing themselves out of the market/their product is not priced realistically.
> 
> I don't make assumptions about how well they are selling or not. That is why I offer a qualification, that, my advice is if they would like to sell better. Maybe they do. Maybe they don't. They can take the feedback or ignore it.
> 
> ...


You say your advice is if they would like to sell better, but would selling 'better' actually mean more money? How much more would she have to sell to make up the difference? And if the templates are selling well already, is she really pricing them out of the market?

We might point out to people who are whining about a lack of sales that "I worked hard" isn't a good basis for overpricing their books, but that isn't the case here. Plot Bunny isn't complaining about a lack of sales or asking how to sell more. And the fact is, it's not up to us if writers use "I worked hard" as logic for how they price their books anyway. We don't have to pay that price, but they can certainly price however they like. If they price too high and no one buys, that's the consequence of pricing too high. But if an author can price their books high and sell lots of copies, would anyone be happy if readers came along and complained that they didn't want to pay that much and that the author should lower the price? I'm thinking the answer to that would be no.

As to why should we do it here? Again, it's really not up to us. It's up to the person selling the thing to decide how much to price the thing for. And yes, customers buy something based on the value it offers them, not on how much effort it took the creator. But the fact is, plenty of people seem to be finding lots of value in these templates. The people who've bought them and commented here have said they were worth the price because they got useful info and saved themselves a lot of time. So regardless of how Plot Bunny arrived at the price she's charging, people seem to be happy with the value she's providing. If she wants to target the luxury-priced audience rather than the bargain-seekers, that's a valid choice.


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## Crystal_ (Aug 13, 2014)

I don't know why you're arguing. I didn't say it wasn't a valid choice. I simply offered my opinion.

It is based on a number of things: my knowledge of the resource people recommend, what those things cost, how often I have heard these plots recommended (never), and how much I, an author who can afford these, would pay.

You're entitled to your opinion as well. None of us know the sales, and we haven't run any experiments to see what sales would be at different price points, so none of us can truly say what the post profitable price point would be.


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## ShayneRutherford (Mar 24, 2014)

Crystal_ said:


> I don't know why you're arguing. I didn't say it wasn't a valid choice. I simply offered my opinion.
> 
> It is based on a number of things: my knowledge of the resource people recommend, what those things cost, how often I have heard these plots recommended (never), and how much I, an author who can afford these, would pay.
> 
> You're entitled to your opinion as well. None of us know the sales, and we haven't run any experiments to see what sales would be at different price points, so none of us can truly say what the post profitable price point would be.


I'm not arguing - I'm simply offering my opinion. Which is that if a reader came in here and kept suggesting that an author should lower their price because the reader didn't want to pay that much, that would be considered uncool.

No, none of us know the amount of sales, or what the most profitable price point might be. But that's not up to us. That's up to Plot Bunny. And she didn't ask for pricing advice. If she wanted to sell them cheaper, she could put them up for sale at the 50% discount like she used to. But the lowest discount for quite a while has been 25%, which should probably suggest that she doesn't want to sell them any cheaper.


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## Crystal_ (Aug 13, 2014)

That's not really what I'm saying though. I'm saying the majority of people interested in this kind of product can't afford it.

That would be more like a reader coming in an saying they love to read but can't afford $20 ebooks.

But it's not really comparable because this is more of a business to business service.

You wouldn't price your premades at 5x market average just because you worked hard on them. You'd look at what comparable premades cost and price somewhere in that range. If you sold a lot, you'd raise prices. If you didn't sell enough, you might lower prices or try a new niche.

Of course, that's not one to one either, because you can only sell one premade, wheras an author can theoretically sell unlimited books/resource materials.

To me, there is a gap between a product designed to help new authors make money (by writing commerical books) being too expensive for the vast majority of new authors. That seems like a missed opportunity, which is why I previously suggested selling some products at a lower price point.

It's all theoretical at this point. Plot Bunny can do whatever they want, though I'll continue to hold the opinion I have.

I do think you are overestimating the financial resources of new authors. Hell, even uh... long term authors. Most authors don't have a lot of extra money.

I have heard so, so many authors say they have to check if they can afford a BookBub promo! BookBub! The most coveted promotion out there. They understand the value. They want the access. But they don't have the money.

They're going to spend the money somewhere else first, before they spend it on writing to market resources. (I mean, they'll buy a $5 eBook, maybe... I've had to really talk ppl into some of those too). Obviously, just my opinion, but it is based on my experience talking to many authors, both new and old hat, both broke and rolling in dough.


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## Madeline2015 (Jul 3, 2021)

Sorry, but confused. Which ones are 25% off? These look like your normal prices unless I am mistaken. Also, how come there is no email address for customers to contact you if they have questions? Thanks!


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

Madeline2015 said:


> Sorry, but confused. Which ones are 25% off? These look like your normal prices unless I am mistaken. Also, how come there is no email address for customers to contact you if they have questions? Thanks!


They are all 25% off. The discount is automatically added when you add the template to your cart.


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

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## Jennifer-Lewis (8 mo ago)

PlotBunny said:


> The November sale is here! 25% off until 11/30!
> 
> www.plotsforauthors.com


Which genres are you working on adding to your site?
Do you have any plans for fantasy?


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

Jennifer-Lewis said:


> Which genres are you working on adding to your site?
> Do you have any plans for fantasy?


I don't have plans for fantasy right now. I may circle back to it in the future.

My upcoming templates will be:

Beauty and the Beast Romance
MC Romance


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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

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## PlotBunny (Jun 20, 2017)

Happy New Year!

I'll have several NEW templates coming out this year. The Cinderella trope template will be coming soon. Keep an eye on this thread for updates.

All plot templates are 25% off until 1/31!

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