Plot with a Reliable Story Compass with Sandy Vaile

Date: Saturday 19th September 2026

Time: 9am ADEL time/9:30am AEST time

Duration: 90 minutes

Member Discount: use code RWAus Academy15 at check out

About the course:

Unlock the true purpose of your story and avoid getting lost in a plot-hole wilderness
by crafting a compelling novel that brings your vision to life.

But it is so much more than a plotting class.

There are hundreds of plot maps in cyberspace and having one doesn’t
automatically mean you’ll write a cohesive book. What you’re missing is a compass
to help you navigate the process.

We shake out the excess baggage of minor characters, subplots, truckloads of
research and fascinating backstory, to reveal the underlying structure of your story,
which makes it easier to choose the right ideas and see opportunities for
improvement.

Whether you’re refining a manuscript, reviving an abandoned project or planning the
next book, this course will provide a fail-safe compass to keep your plot on track.

What you’ll learn:

• Move from big idea to detailed concept.
• Create compelling characters that drive the plot.
• Understand how genre affects reader expectations.
• Map plot arcs to ensure you are hitting the right plot points.
• Build high stakes and conflict into the narrative.
• Leverage a story summary to stay laser focused as you write.

About Sandy:

Sandy is an internationally published author with more than a decade of
experience in the fiction industry, teaching fiction writing craft and writing romantic-
suspense for Simon & Schuster US. She empowers aspiring authors to write novels
they are proud to share with the world (and which get noticed by agents and
publishers), through coaching, craft workshops and developmental editing. In her
spare time, Sandy also does a little ghost writing, judges writing competitions and
runs The Fearless Novelist Facebook group.

Sandy is also a motorbike-riding daredevil who isn’t content with a story unless
there’s a courageous heroine and a dead body. Being lucky enough to live in the
McLaren Vale wine region, naturally she supports the local economy by eating plenty
of cheese platters and drinking wine.