What do you think?
Rate this book
The Wordsmith's Guide to Planning the Perfect Plot
Do you struggle to finish writing a novel?
Do you lose momentum because you can’t see where your story is going?
Struggling with sagging middles, flat endings, or half-finished drafts? The Wordsmith’s Guide to Planning the Perfect Plot gives you the tools to take control of your story from the very beginning.
Inside, you’ll find flexible methods like the Snowflake Method, Beat Sheets, the Hero’s Journey, and the Inside Outline – plus guidance on subplots, pacing, themes, and series planning. Whether you’re a meticulous plotter, a discovery writer, or somewhere in between, this book helps you build structure without stifling creativity.
Packed with practical strategies, examples, and templates, it’s your toolkit for crafting engaging plots that keep readers hooked all the way to the last page.
Get your copy of The Wordsmith’s Guide to Planning the Perfect Plot today and give your story the strong foundation it deserves.
Do you lose momentum because you can’t see where your story is going?
Struggling with sagging middles, flat endings, or half-finished drafts? The Wordsmith’s Guide to Planning the Perfect Plot gives you the tools to take control of your story from the very beginning.
Inside, you’ll find flexible methods like the Snowflake Method, Beat Sheets, the Hero’s Journey, and the Inside Outline – plus guidance on subplots, pacing, themes, and series planning. Whether you’re a meticulous plotter, a discovery writer, or somewhere in between, this book helps you build structure without stifling creativity.
Packed with practical strategies, examples, and templates, it’s your toolkit for crafting engaging plots that keep readers hooked all the way to the last page.
Get your copy of The Wordsmith’s Guide to Planning the Perfect Plot today and give your story the strong foundation it deserves.
158 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 2, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 15, 2025
First up, as a Cumbria Lass... love reading and shouting about fellow Cumbrians!
This was the first book in Elizabeth's Series, 'A Wordsmith's Guide' that I have read - this is actually Book 4.
As an aspiring author (maybe one day!), I was really intrigued by this book and the Guide Series, too, as I love to see how other writers write and their thought process.
This book has absolutely delivered!
At only 158 pages, the guide is jam-packed full of practical approaches to writing to consider and try.
I honestly can't wait to try some of these approaches in my own work - I am thinking November will be a perfect time to try!
A great book!
This was the first book in Elizabeth's Series, 'A Wordsmith's Guide' that I have read - this is actually Book 4.
As an aspiring author (maybe one day!), I was really intrigued by this book and the Guide Series, too, as I love to see how other writers write and their thought process.
This book has absolutely delivered!
At only 158 pages, the guide is jam-packed full of practical approaches to writing to consider and try.
I honestly can't wait to try some of these approaches in my own work - I am thinking November will be a perfect time to try!
A great book!
September 18, 2025
When I was given the chance to review this excellent guide, I was really excited. After 6 full novels, and writing my 7th, you’d think I’d have the plotting down to a fine art, but there’s always space to improve.
A Wordsmith’s Guide to Planning the Perfect Plot described several options, from the Snowflake Method (my personal favourite and one I’ve been touting for a while now) through Beat Sheets, the Hero’s Journey and to the Inside Outline. Advantages and disadvantages of each method were provided, and the bits I loved best were the suggestions of how to work with each method to fit the author’s preferences. This made a lot of sense to me, and I finished the book full of motivation, determined to tweak the methods and combine the bits that I needed.
Additional sections on subplots, conflict, themes and avoiding the ‘saggy middle’ were useful – probably more so to newer authors, but there were still hints and tips that I hadn’t thought of and will definitely use.
Thank you to the author for providing an advance review copy of the book to me. I really enjoyed it, and I hope readers will find my review helpful. I would definitely recommend this book to all new authors and to those seeking to elevate their writing to the next level and beyond.
A Wordsmith’s Guide to Planning the Perfect Plot described several options, from the Snowflake Method (my personal favourite and one I’ve been touting for a while now) through Beat Sheets, the Hero’s Journey and to the Inside Outline. Advantages and disadvantages of each method were provided, and the bits I loved best were the suggestions of how to work with each method to fit the author’s preferences. This made a lot of sense to me, and I finished the book full of motivation, determined to tweak the methods and combine the bits that I needed.
Additional sections on subplots, conflict, themes and avoiding the ‘saggy middle’ were useful – probably more so to newer authors, but there were still hints and tips that I hadn’t thought of and will definitely use.
Thank you to the author for providing an advance review copy of the book to me. I really enjoyed it, and I hope readers will find my review helpful. I would definitely recommend this book to all new authors and to those seeking to elevate their writing to the next level and beyond.
September 5, 2025
As someone who has written a few stories, I found this book to be very useful in offering advice and tools which help the writer to plan their stories more effectively, and thereby hopefully produce better stories. I have scribbled a few notes to aid me in the past, but mainly I've written from the heart without thinking where it's come from or where it's going. Sometimes that's left the story muddled or at risk of being just plain dull. The guidance in this book has provided me with ideas of how I can personally improve my writing through careful planning.
I was particularly interested in the practical example of The Hero's Journey in a contemporary fantasy. A few short lines in each of the 12 stages told the whole story and I found myself reading each stage and almost writing the novel described because the guide was so clear.
At the end of the book there is an appendix of tools and templates which I intend to look at more closely when I begin to think about my next story.
Definitely one for the budding writer!
I was particularly interested in the practical example of The Hero's Journey in a contemporary fantasy. A few short lines in each of the 12 stages told the whole story and I found myself reading each stage and almost writing the novel described because the guide was so clear.
At the end of the book there is an appendix of tools and templates which I intend to look at more closely when I begin to think about my next story.
Definitely one for the budding writer!
October 15, 2025
✍️ A toolkit every writer should own ✍️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Plotting isn’t about control—it’s about clarity.”
Elizabeth M. Hurst’s The Wordsmith’s Guide to Planning the Perfect Plot is a breath of fresh air for any writer muddled in the messy middle or paused before the prologue. Rather than preaching a single ‘right' way to plot, Hurst embraces flexibility—offering an entire buffet of methods, enabling writers to pick whichever system(s) truly fit their style.
What I loved most is how accessible it feels. The tone is encouraging, never condescending, and the suggestions are practical enough to apply immediately—I actually wanted to open my WIP and face the blinking cursor! Managing to balance inspiration with actionable advice, this indispensable guide is ideal for both the overthinker drowning under tonnes of notes and the pantser terrified of outlines.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that, like the other Wordsmith’s Guides in the series, a paperback will become available as a copy is simply a must-have for my reference library!
Verdict: A smart, structured, and empowering resource that turns plotting from a chore into an art form. This book is an essential piece of kit for any writer determined to finish in a strong position.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Plotting isn’t about control—it’s about clarity.”
Elizabeth M. Hurst’s The Wordsmith’s Guide to Planning the Perfect Plot is a breath of fresh air for any writer muddled in the messy middle or paused before the prologue. Rather than preaching a single ‘right' way to plot, Hurst embraces flexibility—offering an entire buffet of methods, enabling writers to pick whichever system(s) truly fit their style.
What I loved most is how accessible it feels. The tone is encouraging, never condescending, and the suggestions are practical enough to apply immediately—I actually wanted to open my WIP and face the blinking cursor! Managing to balance inspiration with actionable advice, this indispensable guide is ideal for both the overthinker drowning under tonnes of notes and the pantser terrified of outlines.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that, like the other Wordsmith’s Guides in the series, a paperback will become available as a copy is simply a must-have for my reference library!
Verdict: A smart, structured, and empowering resource that turns plotting from a chore into an art form. This book is an essential piece of kit for any writer determined to finish in a strong position.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews