outlining my next novel | VLOG | save the cat writes a novel story beats + three act story structure

Using Save the Cat Writes a Novel story beats plus the three act story structure I'm going to outline the third book in my latest series.
Mentioned in video:
◦ My Outlining Template (with all the questions and notes pictured here) on Patreon: / resource-library-66129037
◦ (VIDEO) My Outlining Process/Tutorial: • how I OUTLINE my books...
◦ The Secret Gift: books2read.com/thesecretgift
◦ (VIDEO) Help Me Choose What to Work On Next: • CHOOSE FOR ME... I don...
◦ Save the Cat Writes a Novel: www.amazon.com/Save-Cat-Write...
◦ (VIDEO) How I Title My Books: • How to Title Your Book...
___
📚 T H E S T O L E N K I N G D O M S E R I E S :
www.bethanyatazadeh.com/thest...
◦ COLLECTOR'S EDITION / BOX SET: amzn.to/34A9wFw
◦ THE SECRET GIFT: books2read.com/thesecretgift
◦ THE STOLEN KINGDOM: books2read.com/thestolenkingdom
◦ THE JINNI KEY: books2read.com/thejinnikey
◦ THE CURSED HUNTER: books2read.com/thecursedhunter
◦ THE ENCHANTED CROWN: books2read.com/theenchantedcrown
◦ The Stolen Kingdom Audiobook: www.audible.com/pd/B088FVQNJK...
___
📖 B E C O M E A P A T R O N :
Where you can receive digital early reader copies of my books, writing & publishing advice, help with your author platform, meet writer friends, and more!
/ bethanyatazadeh
💻 M Y A U T H O R N E W S L E T T E R :
Sign up for FREE exclusives (the first HALF of The Stolen Kingdom + a step-by-step self-publishing guide): www.bethanyatazadeh.com/contact
❤️ M Y M E R C H :
teespring.com/stores/bethanya...
📚 M Y S E L F P U B L I S H I N G C O U R S E :
www.udemy.com/course/novel-se...
___
📒 M Y O T H E R W O R K :
◦ EVALENE'S NUMBER: amzn.to/3sZPlKi
◦ PEARL'S NUMBER: amzn.to/3Kyp63Q
◦ MARKETING FOR AUTHORS SERIES: amzn.to/3pTrbPG
◦ THE CONFIDENT CORGI: amzn.to/36aJd9m
◦ Novel Planner Notebook (mug cover): amzn.to/3hYnzYo
◦ Novel Planner Notebook (laptop cover): amzn.to/3KwvW9Z
___
❤️ C O M P A N I E S I L O V E & A M A N A F F I L I A T E F O R :
◦ PUBLISH AND THRIVE: heartbreathings.teachable.com...
◦ WRITING STICKERS & the book launch planner (10% off discount code is BETHANY10): stoneridgestickers.com/?ref=Q...
◦ EPIDEMIC SOUND (where I get my music! If you'd like to try it for a month, using this link gives me a free month! Thank you in advance!): www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
◦ DRAFT2DIGITAL: www.draft2digital.com/bethany...
💬 L E T ' S C O N N E C T 💬
Website | www.bethanyatazadeh.com
Instagram | / authorbethanyatazadeh
KZbin | / bethanyatazadeh
Patreon | / bethanyatazadeh
___
Thanks for watching!
❤️ Bethany
Note: some of these links are affiliate links and will support me with a little extra income at no extra cost to you. :)
#Authortube #NovelWriting #SelfPublishing

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

p.s. for those who have reached out to me asking for a copy of this outlining template that I compiled, I am adding it to my Patreon Resource Library in May, as a free download for anyone who supports me in that tier! So if you're interested, you can check that out here: www.patreon.com/bethanyatazadeh

[@shoshana831]

Hi! Love your video. It’s so fun and motivating seeing other authors create and outline. Is your outline template compiled from the end of chapter questions from Save the Cat or does it include other questions you’ve added from other resources?

[@lesleybarklay798]

Ha, ha, ha I was literally about to comment and ask if it was in the patreon resource library! Thanks!

[@charleneanderson155]

Hi, just wondering where in the Resource Library is this outline template located? I haven't been able to find it. Or where will it be when you add it to the Library?

[@jenag]

It's so wonderful that Zion will have an online "baby book" of your spending time with him and talking about how much you think about him and demonstrating how much you drop everything to attend to him. He'll have this fabulous record of how much you do for him and how much he's on your mind. You're creating such sweet "memories" he wouldn't have otherwise! How cool! Love it. Oh, and the part about outlining was cool, too! lol

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Aww I love that!! Thanks Jena, that's such a cool thought!

[@fionahowellwrites5302]

I am so impressed that you're writing as a new mom! I can't comprehend that...I really enjoyed The Stolen Kingdom! I need to continue the series. :)

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Aww yay, thanks Fiona! It's harder to find time now, but the creativity is coming back at least haha! So glad you enjoyed it, and hope you'll love the rest of the series! (Book 4 is my fave hehe)

[@ericarowanarts]

Your excitement is contagious! I can't wait to read the next 2 books!! I also love that you remain so flexible with your process. I know I can get kind of, idk, ritualistic with how I write and then I end up wearing myself into a groove that I get stuck in. Shaking off my "normal" routine every once in awhile has helped me be more productive and happy with the process of being creative overall. I still have tried and true methods that I use, but approaching the process a different way helps WAY MORE than I ever could've anticipated. So, thank you for demonstrating that. Now I wanna reread The Cursed Hunter. I just love Nezrin so much haha

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Yayyy! Oh my gosh I can't wait too, for them to be out in the world to be read!! And trust me, I can relate to that, I actually tend to have a hard time with change. Zion has really forced me to grow and try new things, and I'm really thankful for it because it's working really well haha!

[@SketchMyStory]

This is inspiring to all of us that don't feel like we have the time to do things. Whether it's an employment job or being a mom, those "breaks" are so tempting to do nothing, but we all just saw you push through what is a tiring yet rewarding job of being a mom. Amazing and thank you.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

That means a lot to hear, thank you!! Gosh it's definitely tough to push through all the time, but when I have the energy, I am so often thankful that I did! So glad you enjoyed it!

[@sunshinejulie5687]

Love triangles are my favorite trope, and I don't give a yup what anybody says. You go girl!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Haha YAY! (I love them too hehe...) Thank you!

[@MandiGraceAuthor]

Loved watching your outline process! I got way behind on watching your videos, but I'm catching up today and enjoying 'spending a day with you' as it were.

[@sjryarbrough]

After my daughter started sleeping in 12 hour stretches it took me SO long to feel normal. You’re so sleep deprived, I think you need a few months of regular sleep before you feel better. I started feeling more myself between 6-9 months old.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Oh my gosh yesssss!! I can relate to that so hard haha... That's really encouraging to hear, thank you!

[@LakeyLuvlok]

If you want to fall asleep fast id recommend unwinding while you feed your baby before you actually get to bed. But when you are in bed try not to have any obsessive thoughts. Think of a fond memory that creates a peaceful mindset but doesn’t cause you to think too much. Then when you want to wake up do the opposite. Start thinking of all the stuff you want to do and start with whatever inspires you the most. This works for me and i raised both my boys as the sole caregiver. Might not work for you but worth trying

[@elizabethruth5270]

I relate to this so much! I avoided outlining my third book in my debut trilogy for so long. I just felt like I didn't have enough of it figured out yet. But I made my self get some sort of out line down. I wasn't super happy with it but it was something and gave me a place to start! I am now 9 chapters in with drafting and went back through the outline and flushed it out with details and now I am feeling much more confident! Love your videos! Good luck with drafting book three!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

That describes it perfectly haha - it's just a starting place! I think once we take the pressure off ourselves, it also helps remove some of that writer's block or avoidance of working on the project. Nice work, you're rocking it, and thank youuu! :D

[@The_WriterVerse]

Hey Bethany, your resilience and drive is unbelievable. With both children, it took me 2 years to really “feel like myself” after giving birth. That being said, I don’t feel like I live in the same body that I used to. I don’t have as much stamina and I now suffer from vertigo (which I never did before) Of course, I hope you get back to place where you feel healthy and are able to do all of things you want to do, but I mostly want to say is that after having a baby, there is a whole new person you have to get to know… and that person is “you.” We get to know our babies so quickly, but it takes longer to get know our new selves. Our bodies look and feel so different and require completely different things than it did before pregnancy. It’s a phenomenon that is hard to put into words (maybe that’s a story prompt for me.) In all, that person that you’ll eventually come to find may never be the same person you used to be. And that’s okay. It’s wonderful, actually. A little sad too-to let go of the past version of ourselves. But who we become after we have children is ultimately our full form. It’s a journey. You’ll get there. I’m still in that journey myself ♥️

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Thank you Christine

[@jasminel9653]

Yay for option 2! I think that’s such a good idea because now when you go back to book 2 (after working on #3) you can make sure everything fits leading up to book 3 :)

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Woohoo!! Thanks Jasmine, and you're so right, it's going to work really well!

[@heatherkirchhoffwritesya]

Love this video!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

thanks Heather! :D

[@sarahmatthews5878]

I dealt with an Iron deficient with my son and a little while after he was born. And I found Cream of Wheat really helps. I ate that in the morning for a hot cereal. Also, Vitamin C and Vitamin B 12 are often taken together and help get you out of fatigue.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Oooh interesting, I have also wondered if it was an iron deficiency a little bit because I lost so much blood... I was taking supplements, but I heard somewhere it can take like six months to build it back up, which is crazy! But yeah, vitamins for the win haha, thank you!

[@AskEndy]

The outline is also the chapters + 3 step structure + save the cat! Writes a novel all in one 🤔

[@chelseajacques8984]

Hey Bethany I am currently finishing up reading The Jinni Key and can't wait to read the rest of these books. It's taking me longer to read the second book i this series compared to the first. But I think it's because and I'm sure you notice this to that you either read or work on writing projects and. Usually 50 % of the time I choose to write instead of reading.

[@jaimecole4656]

I take magnesium right before bed. It helps me sleep. Your hormones can take a long time to get back to normal after childbirth.

[@TerryKitto]

I love your writing vlogs, Bethany! Always gets me pumped to work on my WIP's. I'm currently writing the sequel to my debut novel. If you get the time in the future, it would be great to see you do a tips video for writing sequels. Would be awesome to hear your take on it.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Yay thank you so much! And I actually do have some videos on that topic, if you're interested! Here's my KZbin playlist with 5 or 6 videos about writing sequels/series: kzbin.info/aero/PL3IFBPbxQRyrI7g9Zmt9Q2fOKDrxoRinN

[@TerryKitto]

@@BethanyAtazadeh Eek amazing, thank you!

[@sharondavis3535]

Great mom, too 🥰

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

You are so kind, thank you!

[@bodine219]

I am so anti-spoiler that I don't even watch trailers. I can't wait to binge-read your series (after camp nano XD) so I can watch the big outlining video

[@Falconlibrary]

I'm not saving that cat. He's on his own. It's the only way he'll learn. Hey, he's got nine chances.

[@michaelcopple1736]

Bethany, in order not to give away spoilers, just say, "Some stuff happened."

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

😂 LOL!

[@josaop]

Very nice video

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Thank you!

[@chelseajacques8984]

Hey Bethany you and I both have a love triangle going in both of our books, as I am currently working on book two of my series ''Crime & Discipline and today is actually 3 months since the release day of my debut ''Worthless '' the first book in the series

[@reneegunn9143]

Can you tell me where in your process so you submit the copyright? I've done some research and finding different answers. Thanks!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

At the very end. As in, only when the book is completely finished. And sometimes, not even then, because in the U.S. your book is copyrighted from the moment you write it, so paying the copyright fee is literally just for the filing, not for the actual copyright - you already have copyrights, paying for filing just gives you legal coverage.

[@jenag]

PENNYYYYYYYY!!!!!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Haha yayyy!

[@tzoneo8029]

Alright Beth, this is another fantastic video. I am inspired. But I have something I want you to make me understand, if you can. It has to do first-Kindle with ebooks. Is it normal to leave no space between chapters for an book to look okay? Because often my formatting scatters once I upload my ebook manuscript on kdp. Secondly, I want to know more about Kindle Create software. I have used it a couple of times even though I have not mastered it. Do I import my DOCS files with no space in between the chapters for a better experience. This is because no matter how hard I try, a number of chapters start far or lower down the respective pages. I would be very grateful if you can help with these questions, even though you are not under any obligation to answer them, if you choose not to. Thanks.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Thanks! And no, there should never be blank pages between chapters :) If you need help with formatting, you could check out my whole playlist on formatting here on KZbin, or you could also look into hiring a formatter. Good luck!

[@Neil-writer-author]

How long do you wait between finishing a draft and editing it?

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Usually my goal is to wait a month or so. It's not a strict rule, but at least a few weeks!

[@Neil-writer-author]

Ok.

[@Ttcopp12rt]

Hi Bethany. I have a question. I want a handful of endorsements for my book when its complete. But Who decides that? Me (the author), the publishing company (if I pitch it to them and they are helping out), or both?? I have sooo many more questions and dont know where to start 😔

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

I don't have a publishing company, but I assume that if you do, that would be their job. If you're self-publishing, like me, then it'd be your job.

[@Ttcopp12rt]

@@BethanyAtazadeh I thought about self-publishing but would I have to pay expensive taxes each year?

[@Musikchic47]

I don't usually post comments that sound personal, but since you said you feel a bit "off" have you talked to someone about possible post partum? I have heard it can present itself in many different ways. One of my friend's daughter was almost a year before her post partum kicked in. Also, yes as a fellow Midwest viewer (from Iowa) I understand the lack of vitamin D, lol

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

I definitely struggled with some heavy postpartum feels the first three weeks after birth, and a less intense for another three weeks after that. This could be related, but in comparison I'm definitely doing a lot better and I think at this point it's more physical symptoms that I'm trying to pin down somehow. But totally reasonable to consider that possibility, and something I'm trying to stay aware of, thank you for checking!

[@levinelson9625]

Hope you can get back to normal, or as normal, as you can be with a new family member. :) And if the Stolen Kingdom ever becomes a movie tell me please! I will defiantly will audition, I also want to become an actor. Hope you have a great rest of your day God bless!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Thank you, I hope so too! And gosh that'd be so fun if it became a movie someday, I would definitely be doing lots of videos about that if it ever happened! :D

[@mattmallecoccio8378]

Was that a Corgi?

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Yep!

[@miaramck6746]

Have you heard of the big 5 personality traits? They are agreeableness, neuroticism, conscientousness, openness (to new experience), and extroversion. I am guessing you are high in conscientiousness, which would be why you'd rather work on your book than nap when you get a chance (and I'm guessing anyone giving you guff about it is low in conscientiousness 🙈).

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Very interesting, I hadn't heard of those before!

[@jameswright5627]

Bethany, I'm falling in love with your family, You are THE BEST!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Thank you!

[@virginiaweir-hj1rt]

I've listened to a few of these vlogs/postings now but remain unimpressed. The ideas may appeal to the lowest common denominator but strangely lacking in appeal. Granted, I'm the opposite of YA but nothing would induce me to buy it. With current publishing trends focusing on series and fantasy, I'm convinced publishing execs are looking for the literary equivalent of a film franchise for teens, so they can present the same characters in endless plot combos in a reel 'em in, keep 'em hooked way. A novel.means something new but such concepts are the opposite of new and quickly become derivative and cliched. The result is a cash cow with diminishing returns, the intellectual equivalent of old chewing gum but with less appeal.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

you're welcome to your opinion! ;)