For Writers

Know where you're going before page one

You've got the idea. Plot Compass helps you turn it into a structure you can write from — pick a framework, work through the stages, and start your draft with a plan

Built for novels and screenplays

Plot Compass structures handle full narrative arcs — the kind that span hundreds of pages and dozens of chapters. This isn't a beat sheet for a blog post

Dozens of structures, zero learning curve

Save the Cat!, the Hero's Journey, Freytag's Pyramid, Story Circle — the frameworks writing teachers talk about, all here and ready to use

Export and go write

Export to Markdown, Word, or JSON. Drop it into Scrivener, Google Docs, or wherever you write — Plot Compass isn't trying to be your writing app

Plot Compass showing a novel outline using Save the Cat! structure

Good places to start

Save the Cat!

The go-to for commercial fiction — 15 beats that keep readers turning pages

Hero's Journey

Joseph Campbell's monomyth, the structure behind Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and countless novels

Seven-Point Story Structure

Dan Wells' approach — good for plotting twists and turning points

Three-Act Structure

The foundation: setup, confrontation, resolution. Start here if you're not sure

Start with a map, not a blank page

Pick a structure, answer the guiding questions, and sit down to write with a plan. Plot Compass gets you from idea to outline — then it gets out of the way

Start outlining