Resources
Handy Tools, Sheets, and Templates
The WordFam maintains a Digital Goodie Bag of various tools and templates for writing and writers. You can download the whole goodie bag as a zip file, or grab individual sheets and tools from the sections below.
These files are all Copyright (c) WordFamily. They are provided under the Creative Commons license and free to use. If you reproduce or repost these anywhere, please credit the WordFamily and link to this site.
Our Scrivener template contains all of the sheets included in our Digital Goodie Bag (and in the sections below this one), along with additional templates and configuration to help you build your story.
Scrivener v3 template | Mac / Windows
Scrivener v1 template | Windows (deprecated, provided for backwards compatibility)
To use our template, you must import it into Scrivener as a template; you cannot open it directly. Do not double-click on it or attempt to force Scrivener to open it.
First, save the template linked above to a location you can easily find on your computer.
In Scrivener:
Scrivener v3 template | Mac / Windows
Scrivener v1 template | Windows (deprecated, provided for backwards compatibility)
To use our template, you must import it into Scrivener as a template; you cannot open it directly. Do not double-click on it or attempt to force Scrivener to open it.
First, save the template linked above to a location you can easily find on your computer.
In Scrivener:
- Go to File -> New Project…
- In the Project Templates pop-up, go to Options -> Import Templates…
- Find and select the template you saved to your computer.
- Click Import.
- Ensure you have the imported template selected in the Project Templates window. If you don’t, you should be able to find it in the Fiction section.
- Click Choose…
- Enter a filename for your new Scrivener project and click Create.
- Check out the How to Get Started section for how to use the template.
- Write your story!
Sheets
- Central Plot Sheet: plan your story as a whole
- Subplot Sheet: plan the subplots in your story
- Scene Sheet: plan specific scenes in your story
- Scene List Spreadsheet (Numbers / Excel): plan and analyse your story, available in Apple and Microsoft formats
- The Three Act Structure for building stories is a good place to start.
- The Snowflake Method of story planning offers an in-depth story planning strategy.
Sheets
- Major Character Sheet: detailed character profile for your main cast members
- Character Cheat Sheet: quick-reference cards to fill out for each of your characters, to keep key details to hand while you write
- Character Quiz: things to ask your character if you get stuck
Sheets
- World Sheet: outline and detail your world as a whole
- Magic System Sheet: define how magic works in your story's world
- Scene Setting Sheet: define specific locations in your story
Sheets
- Series Metadata: information about your story series, if you are writing one
- Book/Story Metadata: information about your story you will need if you wish to publish it, including metadata and marketing resources
- Submission Log (Numbers / Excel): log where and when you have submitted your story for publication, available in Apple and Microsoft formats
- Synopsis: information about how to write an effective synopsis for submission to a publisher or agent
- Cover Template: a template for how to put together a cover for a 5" x 8" paperback book
- How to get Unstuck: tips for how to break loose when you hit a writing block
- Extra Challenges: some challenges or dares for you to use in your story
- How to Boost your Word Count: tips for how to maximise your word count. Handy if you're doing a challenge like the WordFam Writing Extravaganza!
- Plot Bunny Storage: for capturing those ideas that crop up while you're writing something else. Don't let them get away!
Useful Software and Sites
There are so many options for what to use to support and do our writing. Here are the WordFam’s recommendations!
Recommended software for planning stories or world building:
- Scapple | Mac / Windows | Paid
- Campfire | Web browser | Paid
- World Anvil | Web browser | Free
- Notebook.ai | Web browser | Paid
Here are some great resources for creating character pictures and concepts:
- Artbreeder: provide two images and it generates a merged picture
- This Person Does Not Exist: refresh the page to get a randomly generated image of a person
- The Character Creator: build a full-body avatar from a series of options
Protect Yourself and Your Writing
There are many services, sites, and offerings for writers around. Sadly, not all of them are legitimate or good for you as a writer. These are some resources to help you protect yourself from the less reputable deals on offer.
These sites can help you to identify suspicious or fraudulent publishing services:
- Writer Beware: a resource run by the SWFA to identify sites and services of which writers should be wary
- Preditors & Editors: a useful site where you can check the reputations of editors and agencies
- Vanity Presses and what to avoid
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