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Unlock Your Story's Full Potential.​

Welcome to the
Author's
Compendium

So many people say that they want to write a novel and yet only a fraction of the population even starts. Writing is more than picking up a pen or sitting at a computer. A story has characters, plot, conflict, emotion, description and all the little pieces that an author needs to keep track of. It can be overwhelming.

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That's where the Author's Compendium comes to the rescue.

Your Guide to Story Creation

At its core, the Author's Compendium is a resource for authors, seasoned or brand new, to help them with their stories from conception to publication. There are three parts:

  1. Writing Resources in the Compendium Guide

    • We provide blog posts and videos on relevant topics related to writing and publication. Examples include character creation, writing complex emotions, story structure, and more.  

  2. Compendium Community

    • They say that writing is a lonely profession, but it doesn't have to be. Join with other authors and creatives in discussing your books, writing craft and more on the Compendium channel in the Inklings Discord Server.

  3. Compendium Project

    • Ever heard of a story bible? It's a comprehensive document or reference guide that some authors use to keep track of their characters and story. The Compendium Project aims to make an all encompassing workbook that acts as a story bible but has QR codes that link to guides along the way.

    • At the moment, the Project is in early development. As part of the Compendium, you'll be able to give feedback and ask for features before the workbook is available.​

Key Features

Image by Michał Mancewicz

Conception

  • Character Overview

    • See all your character​s at a glance.

  • Character Development​

    • Flesh out your protagonists, antagonists and side characters.​

  • Name Dump​

    • A place to keep all those potential names that won't get lost in a notebook.

  • Locations​

    • Keep track of each location, their descriptions, and relevance to the plot and characters.

  • Lore​

    • If there is relevant lore, there's a place for it here.​

  • Titles Page​

    • Keep track of your working titles before you choose your favorite.​

  • Consistency​

    • Keep track of all the little details that you always forget about. (i.e. Were his eyes hazel or green?)​

Development

  • Brainstorm​

    • Keep track of subplots, potential scenes, and ideas for the overarching series.​

  • Plot​

    • Structure your novel your way. If you're an outliner, write your outline here. If you're a discovery writer, place your landmarks to give yourself a direction.​

  • Chapter Overview​

    • Know what happens in each chapter without rereading.​

  • ​Antagonist Plot​

    • Keep track of what the antagonist is up to and how it affects your protagonist along the way.​

  • Research​

    • A designated place to keep track of what you need to look up later, so you can focus on writing during your writing time.​

  • Support

    • Keep track of your Alpha, Beta, and Advanced Readers.

  • Blurb

    • Have a designated place to develop your blurb, elevator pitch, and tagline so you're prepared for marketing or pitching to agents.

  • Quote Page

    • Your prose deserves some attention! Keep track of good quotes that you can use in marketing later.

  • Acknowledgements

    • Write your acknowledgements as you go, so you don't forget anyone.

  • Contact Page

    • For Trad, you can keep track of agents and publishers you want to reach out to. For Indie, you can list editors, graphic designers, illustrators, and more.

Publication

Why should I sign up for the newsletter?

The Author's Compendium Project won't be ready for publication for a little while. But in the meantime, you can still be working on your craft. As a newsletter subscriber you'll:

  • Receive early access to the blog posts and videos.

  • Get behind the scenes insight into the design and development of the Compendium Project.

  • Give feedback and requests for features that you want for the Project as well as what topics you want to have covered next in the Guide.

  • Show your support for the Author's Compendium and help to gauge interest.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Compendium mean?

Compendium means a collection of concise but detailed information about a particular topic. In the case of the Author's Compendium, it has two meanings:

  1. The collection of information on writing craft available through the newsletter and blog.

  2. Your personal collection of information for your own story.

 

Isn't this just a story bible?

The Compendium Project is similar to other story bible formats with two key differences: 

  1. It will be a self contained, paperback book.

  2. It will contain QR codes throughout the book. Each QR code will lead to relevant blog posts and videos regarding the content of that page. For example, if you're on the outline page there will be a QR code that will lead you to an article on different types of story structure and how to use them. In that way, it acts as a guide as well as your own personal collection for story creation.

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Will it be customizable?

The answer to this is yes, and no. Yes, because the entire compendium is designed to be a workbook. However, as it will be a static book, you won't be able to add or remove pages in the same way that you can with other story bible formats. Most story bibles are created by the author with a 3-ring binder, loose leaf paper, and page protectors. Some authors use digital formats to keep track of their outlines. Others use sticky notes and whiteboards. This is just another format that authors can use that is self contained, but also has additional resources that other story bibles do not have. There will be later editions of the Compendium specific to certain genres that will have more or less pages of a certain type to accommodate the needs to each novel, so stay tuned.

 

Who is this designed for?

 While anyone who wants to use the compendium is welcome, a lot of the resources in the Compendium Project and Guide are geared towards new authors who are just starting out.
 

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What does your newsletter look like?

 Every second and fourth Tuesday, you'll get an email about writing. This could be about character creation, world building, or other topics on the craft. Other weeks you may receive insights on the publishing world and how to navigate the post production of your novel. On occasion, these emails will contain updates on the Compendium Project. Each email will be available on the blog the month after it is highlighted in the newsletter, so you'll always have access to it.

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When will the Compendium Project be completed?

The goal is to have a physical copy of the first edition Compendium available at the start of 2024.

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