Sometimes, when I talk about a book map, authors picture a totally different type of map altogether. So let's get to a definition right away. 

We're not talking about a visual representation of your story's setting, a la Tolkien and Le Guin,  like you might include in your book's front matter to help readers anchor themselves in your fictional world. Those kinds of maps are *awesome*, don't get me wrong, but I have no idea how to make one!

If you work in publishing, you might know 'book map' to be a much simpler document that lists out what content the book contains and where it will go. That's not what we're looking at here either.

The sort of book map we're talking about is a visual representation, sure, but it's of your plot and structure, broken down scene by scene. It's called a map because it lets you see where your story is going, where certain threads connect, how you're taking your characters from A to B to C. 

You can step back and get a bird's eye view of your entire novel in one place, allowing you to see the gaps, the potential links, the character arc progression, the theme development, all on the screen (or page) at once.

It’s a useful way of seeing your story all in one place and spotting emerging patterns or gaps, and it can help you understand what’s actually on the page rather than just what you might *think* is on the page. 


It's a great idea to map out your book like this before you start writing, so you can get a clear idea of how your plot is going to play out and how your character's going to change over the course of the story. Lots of authors do this with post-it notes, index cards, whiteboards or even software like Scrivener and it's a brilliant way of keeping your manuscript on track and being sure you've got all the fundamental building blocks in place before you get too far in your story.

But today we're going to be talking about mapping your book after you've written it.

When it comes to revisions, it can be hard to step back after months or even years or work and figure out how to untangle that messy plot or strengthen that weak character arc or weave theme into every scene. Where do you start?

A book map is a fantastic way to take control of your manuscript again and see it through fresh eyes when you can't see the wood for the trees anymore.

It's like getting an editor to tell it to you straight: you forgot to mention this character for five chapters; I thought your MC's goal was to save her sister but she doesn't actually work towards that until the second half; These ten scenes don't change anything in the plot; Your main character hasn't made any choices for quite a while.

Except you can spot those issues yourself because they're all spelled out in your book map.​​​​