Any author can learn to write faster with the right techniques. In fact, drafting quickly can improve<\/em> your story and your prose, for reasons I explain in my article about Stephen King\u2019s routine<\/a><\/strong>. Give it a read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But this post is about another author, a highly successful one: Brandon Sanderson. Whatever one might think of his books, we can\u2019t deny their popular appeal. In 2023, he raised a record\u2011breaking $41.7 million on Kickstarter for four new novels. Some readers pledged hundreds of dollars for a single campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n George R. R. Martin divides writers into two camps: architects<\/strong>, who design an outline before drafting, and gardeners<\/strong>, who plant the seed of a story and discover its shape as it grows. Sanderson outlines extensively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m (usually) an architect. I\u2019ve found that the best way to get the kinds of endings I like, I have to know where I\u2019m going before I start.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n He needs to know the story\u2019s conclusion before drafting. He admits, \u201cI write for endings.\u201d His outlines are engineered so every plotline converges toward a single climactic moment. He dislikes rewriting and wants his first draft to be as close to final as possible, in contrast to discovery writers like Martin or King, who revise heavily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That said, Sanderson balances planning with improvisation through what he calls a \u201cfloating outline<\/strong>.\u201d His \u201cPoints on the Map\u201d philosophy gives him enough structure to avoid getting lost, yet enough freedom to invent along the way. I analyzed his method and broke his process into seven steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you have a story idea, visualize the big moments, like emotional climaxes, plot turns, major character revelations. Some writers start with themes; others begin with the mood and core emotions of their story\u2011in\u2011the\u2011making. Either way is fine. Use whatever method drives your imagination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These major scenes become the \u201cpoints\u201d your story must reach. To ensure your story engages your audience, define the main conflict as early as possible. It can be external, like an existential threat or a major challenge for the protagonist, internal, or both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sanderson does his worldbuilding <\/strong>before drafting, and that\u2019s a wise approach. Drafting and worldbuilding at the same time will slow you down. You don\u2019t need a full compendium before writing, just enough information about the key elements, like the main conflict and character arcs. The world exists to support the narrative, so resist the temptation to invest too much time in aspects that won\u2019t matter to the plot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some writers prefer the three\u2011act structure; others lean toward its five\u2011act cousin, the Hero\u2019s Journey, or different frameworks entirely. This technique works regardless of the number of acts. Think of your plot as a living organism and don\u2019t force it into a rigid template just to follow convention. You might end up with three acts, four, or even six. Don\u2019t worry about the number at the start, you can adjust later as your outline develops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regardless of structure, every story needs a few essential elements: setup, inciting incident, rising action, crisis, climax, and resolution. You can add optional beats like a midpoint, falling action, or denouement. But your first task is to visualize the overall shape of your story and identify its key turning points, the moments that define the emotional arc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Step 1. Imagine major scenes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 2. Divide the book into broad parts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
![\"Book](\"https:\/\/willraywood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Natural-Laws-of-Story-320px-190x300.jpg\")
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