Submitted by Cheryl P.
A friend told me she was writing a book. (She’s reads a lot, but I never knew she wanted to write. ) She told me about Story Drafts and how easy it was to use. So I tried it, and I’m about half way through my first draft of “The Partner Trap”.
Here’s my elevator pitch:
“Allison Stark has spent twelve years sacrificing everything for one goal: making senior partner at Manhattan’s most elite law firm. When she’s assigned to mentor Jamie Moretti—the managing partner’s brilliant, charming nephew—their undeniable chemistry threatens to destroy everything she’s built. As the partnership vote approaches and the lines between professional and personal blur beyond recognition, Allison must choose between the career she’s devoted her life to and a connection that could cost them both everything.”
I gotta admit it. I’m hooked!
Here’s my first draft of Chapter 1: Scene 1.
“The email arrived at 7:43 AM, and Allison Stark read it three times before allowing herself to exhale. “Partnership Committee Meeting: December 15th. Final vote to follow.” Twelve years of eighty-hour weeks, missed birthdays, abandoned friendships, and relationships that withered from neglect—all of it had been leading to this single date on the calendar.
She set her phone face-down on her desk, the glass surface cool against her palm, and stared out at the Manhattan skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows. The city stretched before her in steel and ambition, forty-three floors below. Her reflection ghosted in the glass—sharp suit, dark hair pulled back severely, the kind of polished armor she’d perfected over the years. At thirty-four, she looked exactly like what she’d worked so hard to become: untouchable, uncompromising, undeniable.
The knock on her door came before she could fully process the weight of the moment. Marcus Webb leaned against the frame, two coffee cups in hand and that knowing smile that had gotten them both through countless all-nighters. “I’m guessing you got the email,” he said, crossing to her desk. “You have that look. The one where you’re mentally calculating whether you can survive on four hours of sleep for the next ninety days.”
“Three,” Allison corrected, accepting the coffee. “Three hours. And yes, I got it.” She took a sip, let the heat ground her. “This is it, Marcus. Everything I’ve worked for.” The words should have felt triumphant, but something in her chest tightened instead—a feeling she couldn’t quite name and didn’t have time to examine.”
Have you ever finished a novel and found yourself thinking; “I’d have written that differently.” or “That ending made no sense.”
Then you probably have a book or two inside you, just waiting to get out. But asking “could I write a book” is the wrong question. Professional authors don’t WRITE books, they BUILD them, by following step-by-step recipes.
And the difference between these two approaches is huge.
“Could I WRITE a book?” implies staring at a blank page while you’re waiting for the “Writing Fairy” to show up and sprinkle “Inspiration Dust” on your head. And we both know that ain’t gonna happen.
Picture grandma in her kitchen, pulling out her recipe book and setting her ingredients on the table. No waiting for the baking fairy…. nothing mysterious or mystical. She simply followed a recipe.
And that’s how the professional writers do it… they simply follow recipes.
My first novel took me 12 years to finish. My last book took me less than a month. The difference? The tools and formulas found in “StoryDRAFTS”.
Can’t come up with a killer story idea? With the app, you simply click through a series of multiple choice questions, and when you’re done, it will take those choices and generate two story ideas. If neither of them trips your trigger, just go back through the Story Wizard, clicking different choices.
Don’t know how to structure a plot? No worry, just choose one of the story outlines in the app.
Have characters rattling around in your head, but can’t seem to bring them to life? Use the app to create believable characters — with backstories, motivations, fatal flaws, and the kind of depth that makes readers fall in love with them. Or hate them. Which is sometimes even better.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Could I actually write a novel?” Then you owe it to yourself to create a free account and spend some time playing with the tools.
At worst… it’s really good therapy. At best? You might become the next John Grisham. Or Nora Roberts… the next writer whose book somebody else finishes and thinks “I wish I could write like that!”
But I gotta warn you, creating characters so real that they literally tell you what to write is so addictive you may wind up cured of your Youtube addiction, and disappear from Facebook altogether. Wouldn’t THAT be a tragedy!
So… if you’ve ever asked yourself, “Could I actually write a book, one that people would enjoy reading?” Then click the link below this video, register for free, and let the system personalize your workspace.
Then, just follow the yellow brick road.
And prepare to be amazed!
Just so you know… (Especially in the early stages.) the more thought you put into your plot and your characters, the better the AI’s output will be. If you want a quality product, the best way to hurry is to SLOW DOWN!
Start with the Wizard
The Wizard asks you a series of multiple choice questions about the kind of story you want to tell. Just click the ones that feels right. At the end, AI hands you a story idea… based on your choices. And don’t worry, you can change any THING at any TIME in the process.
Meet your Cast
In the Codex you’ll find the core characters the Wizard suggested for that book. Fill in what you know about each one — their wound, their want, their flaw, their strength. The more you give the AI to work with, the more consistent and human your characters will become.
See your Blueprint
The Blueprint is in the Edit section of each of your books. It holds your story premise and notes — the DNA of your book. Like everything else in the system, you can edit it any time.
Open your Outline
Your Outline breaks your story into chapters and scenes, each one with a purpose. You don’t have to fill it all in before you start writing — but knowing what a chapter is supposed to do makes it a lot easier to write.
Write
Click any scene in your Outline and you’re in the editor. Write in your own words, at your own pace. If you get stuck, hit Help Me Write This Scene and the AI will take a pass — you keep whatever you want and throw out the rest.