Authaurus
The Authaurus Library
Come in. Relax. Have a browse. No rush, your writing can wait. You've earned a moment away from the desk. And if something here catches your eye and sends you rushing back to write the next chapter, well, that's rather the point.
57+
Guides
3
Floors
46
Published
9
Rooms
Colour Key
Craft
Practical
Psychology
Publishing
Where to start
Forty-nine guides is a lot to take in. You don't need most of them yet, you need the right four or five, in the right order. Here's what's on each floor, and when to read it.
Ground Floor
The Writer's Level
The Planning Room · The Craft Room · The Drafting Room · The Prose Workshop
1
Start in the Planning Room, every time. Sort your story, your characters, your method and your word count before you write a single chapter.
2
Then dip into the Craft Room, Drafting Room and Prose Workshop while you draft, in any order, for as long as you need.
First Floor
The Maker's Level
The Editing Room · The Production Room
Avoid
3
Leave this floor closed until you have a finished first draft. Most of this won't make sense before then, and reading it early is just a way to avoid writing.
Second Floor
The Publishing Level
The Submissions Room · The Self-Publishing Room · The Author's Study
4
Pick one route, traditional submission or self-publishing, not both. The Author's Study applies either way, once you're published or about to be.
Ground Floor
The Writer's Level
How this works
Every guide here is yours to read. A Ticket tag means popping in your email first. Do that once via WordPlan Builder and every Ticket guide unlocks. A Members tag means the guide is written and ready, it's just waiting on our paid tools to launch.
Click any book to open the guide in a new tab
A
Stage 1 . Read First
8 guides
Every book starts with decisions: how long, what story, who's in it. Get those sorted here before you write a single chapter. The last two are habits, not decisions, start them now and keep them running for the whole manuscript. Keep an eye out for the Story Bible again on the shelf in the Drafting Room, it earns its place in both.
How Long Should My Book Be?
Why You Haven't Started Yet
Your Story Idea
Ticket
Plotters & Pantsers
Building Your Characters
Writing Non-Fiction
Ticket
Members
Files, Versions & Backups
Members
Your Story Bible
B
Stage 2 · Read before you draft
5 guides
As you start writing. Two of these earn a second shelf further along: Story Structure comes back into play in the Editing Room, and your Writing Schedule matters just as much mid-draft as it does now.
Story Structure
Building a Writing Schedule
Ticket
Pont of View
Setting and Atmosphere
Finding Your Voice
Soon
Soon
Writing Non-Fiction
C
Stage 2 · Dip in while you draft
9 guides
While you're writing your first draft
The most demanding part of the journey, most writers face their hardest moments here. This room and the Prose Workshop next door work together, not in sequence, pick whichever guide answers the problem in front of you today. The last two on the shelf are old friends, your Writing Schedule and your Story Bible, both worth reopening while you're actually drafting.
Story Structure
Building a Writing Schedule
Ticket
Pont of View
Setting and Atmosphere
Finding Your Voice
Soon
Soon
Writing Non-Fiction
Ticket
Why You Haven't Started Yet
Your Story Idea
Members
Plotters and Pantsters
How to Build Your Characters
Writing Non-Fiction
Soon
Novel Outline Template
Soon
Character Worksheet
5 guides
As you start writing
Story Structure
Building a Writing Schedule
Point of View
Setting and Atmosphere
Ticket
Finding Your Voice
12 guides
While you're writing your first draft
The most demanding part of the journey. Most writers face their hardest moments here.
How to Get Unstuck
The Saggy Middle
Writing Consistently
Writing Scenes
Ticket
The Inner Critic
How to Master Pacing
Members
Writing The Final Act
The Comparison Trap
The Imposter Syndrome
The Post-Draft Crash
Writing Through Difficulty
The Loneliness of Writing
Soon
6 guides
We get more technical here. Don't forget to keep writing but you can pick up some great writing tips in this section.
Dialogue That Sounds Real
Show, Don't Tell
Members
Action & Tension
Writing Scenes
Getting The Pacing Right
Ticket
Mastering Subtext