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Date: February 02, 2025
Time: 11:00 - 15:00 EST
Cost: $99
Location: Online (gain access to Reedsy’s event space when you register)
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12-month access$249
Enjoy 12 months of exclusive access to events with bestselling authors and top publishing professionals from the Reedsy Marketplace.
Save 60% with membership
$594
12-month access$249
Enjoy 12 months of exclusive access to events with bestselling authors and top publishing professionals from the Reedsy Marketplace.
Learn more📚 Overview
Writing a novel is about more than just having a good idea – you also need a solid writing plan. Plotting before you write will give your novel shape and purpose, and you’ll have a framework to fall back on as you write.
In this one-day event, you will learn how to plan your novel from some of the best minds in publishing. They will teach you the ins and outs of story structure, common plotting tactics, and how to build a strong foundation before your first draft.
If you want to write a novel in 2025, join us for a day of presentations, panel discussions, and Q&As. By the end, you’ll have the tools you need to finish a book that keeps readers intrigued.
🎓 What You’ll Learn
✅ What's included
You’ll hear from NYT bestselling authors, editors, and seasoned writing instructors who’ll share their insights through talks and presentations. Each presentation will be followed by a live Q&A, giving you the chance to ask your questions. You’ll also receive our exclusive book development template, which breaks down the process of turning your book idea into a robust plan. Finally, if you'd like to work with a professional mentor to develop your story further, you'll get post-event guidance on hiring a book coach or editor through Reedsy, plus $25 credit towards a collaboration.
⏱️ Schedule
11:00 - 11:45 EST
5 Things to Plan Before You Start Writing
Tom Bromley, ghostwriter and creative writing instructor, breaks down the five key things you need to plan before you put pen to paper: your main character, your point of view, your plot structure, your setting, and your elevator pitch.
12:00 - 12:45 EST
Plot Like a Pro: The 3 Core Elements of Story Structure
Developmental editor Alyssa Matesic shares her tried and tested approach to plotting, with a breakdown of core plotting principles, examples of common outlining methods, and advice for how to avoid common pitfalls. Whether you’re a steadfast plotter or prefer to work with a rough outline, this session will help you create a strong foundation for your story.
13:00 - 13:44 EST
What I Learned From Plotting My Books
In this panel talk, three authors share their best tactics for plotting. We’ll also discuss how to find the right balance between plotting and pantsing, how to establish a writing routine that works for you, and much more. With Caroline Leavitt (Pictures of You), Andy Maslen (The Seventh Girl), and Alice McIlroy (The Glass Woman).
14:00 - 14:45 EST
Plotting Q&A with Editors
After a day of learning about plotting and story structure, you’ll now have the chance to ask experienced editors and story experts your questions. Jonathan Oliver (former Editor-in-Chief of Solaris and Abaddon Books), Amy Ewing (NYT bestselling author and editor), and Rebecca Heyman (veteran freelancer editor) will take part in this panel discussion.
Speakers
Tom Bromley
Writer, Editor, and Ghostwriter
Tom Bromley is an author, editor, creative writing instructor, and ghost (not the scary kind). He has published twelve books and ghostwritten fifteen more, including prize-winners and international bestsellers. As a commissioning editor for Little, Brown, and a founding publisher of Pavilion’s imprint, Portico, he has edited and commissioned over 150 titles. Tom is currently Reedsy’s Head of Learning, where he teaches How to Write a Novel.
Alyssa Matesic
Editor
Alyssa Matesic is a developmental book editor and publishing consultant specializing in adult fiction. After holding editorial roles at Henry Holt & Company (an imprint of Macmillan), The Book Group literary agency, and Ballantine Books (an imprint of Penguin Random House), she founded her own editorial services company. She also shares writing and publishing insights to help aspiring authors on her popular YouTube channel. Alyssa graduated summa cum laude from New York University’s English Literature and Creative Writing programs, where she also earned a Certificate in Book Publishing.
Amy Ewing
Editor and Author
As the daughter of a librarian, books were a crucial part of Amy Ewing's childhood. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School, and her young adult fantasy novel The Jewel became a New York Times and international bestseller. Amy lives in New York City with her senior rescue dog. She recently published The Irish Goodbye, her debut novel for adults.
Jonathan Oliver
Editor
Jonathan Oliver is a multi award-winning SFF editor. The founding editor of Abaddon Books and the editor-in-chief for Solaris for thirteen years, he is now a freelance editor working in Oxford. When not editing or reading, Jonathan has been known to write. You can find a collection of some of his weirder stories in The Language of Beasts, published by Blackshuck Books.
Rebecca Heyman
Editor
Rebecca Heyman has a BA/MA in English and American Literature from NYU, and has been a freelance editor since 2009. She is the founder and director of The Work Conference, an annual writers' event in New York City. She lives outside of Boston with her husband, two kids, and a precocious Siberian cat.
Caroline Leavitt
Author and Editor
Caroline Leavitt is a New York Times bestselling, prize-winning novelist, a developmental editor at Reedsy, a book critic for People Magazine and the Boston Globe, a columnist for Psychology Today, and the founder of A Mighty Blaze, a book initiative that interviews authors and booksellers. Her 13th novel, DAYS OF WONDER, is now available in all good bookstores.
Andy Maslen
Author
Andy Maslen is an international best-selling author of crime thrillers. To date he has sold over two million books. He published his first novel in 2015. Since then, he has written a further 37, all of which are available in ebook, paperback and audiobook. He has also written award-winning short stories and poems. Before turning to fiction, Andy was a successful advertising and marketing copywriter. Andy lives in Salisbury. When he isn’t writing, he plays guitar and sings in The Boxcar Blues Band and jazz quartet Centrepiece.
Alice McIlroy
Author
Alice McIlroy is a novelist born and based in London. Her writing has been longlisted for the Stylist Prize for Feminist Fiction, Grindstone International Novel Prize and her articles have been published in BookBrunch, The Author, CrimeReads and Shots Magazine. She’s taught creative writing for over ten years and her debut novel, The Glass Woman (2024), explores the impact of AI technology on mental health and identity.
