This template is specifically for people writing a how-to type book.

<aside> 👉🏼 Click Duplicate to import this into your own Notion workspace. You can delete these instructions from there if you wish. Rename each version of this template for your chapters, and duplicate a new one for each chapter. Then you can move the documents around as you create your book.

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<aside> 💡 Why are you writing the book? What do you want your reader to know, understand, or feel at the end of it?

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<aside> ✍🏼 Use this template to plan your thoughts about your chapter. Note down anything you might want to include and keep it all together. This is as relevant for a book of essays as it is for narrative non-fiction, or self-help, or how-to, or fiction.

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Broad Chapter Topic or Subject

e.g. Stories build empathy

Introduction

Here's where you'll write notes for your introduction to this chapter. Think about:

• Chapter main message or story
• Why the chapter is here
• Where the reader is right now
• What you're promising in this chapter
• For example:

Your Reader

Go back to your reader journey: where is your reader right now, at the start of this chapter?

• Who is your reader when they pick up your book?

Problem

Pain + Consequences

What problem are you solving in this chapter, and what pain is it causing your reader?

• For example:

Solution

Instructions + Results

What can your reader do to solve their problem, and what are the effects?

• For example:

Story

To illustrate or support your Big Idea for the chapter. For example:

Smooshing the propaganda machine - Moxie Books

Evidence & References

If you have evidence or references for this chapter, note them down here.

• For example:

Research

Got research to use? Note it down here.

• You can link to other pages by doing this:
• Or if you have research yet to do, you can link to resources here. This is a good way to stop yourself from going down too many research rabbit holes. Like this:

Conclusion or Takeaway

What do you want your reader to take away from this chapter?

• How have they changed since the start of the chapter?
• What are they now thinking or feeling or able to do?
• What do you want them to do now? What action do you want them to take?
• For example:

Previous Chapter

What was the previous chapter about? Just a quick note.

Next Chapter

What will the next chapter be about? Just a quick note.

<aside> ✅ Keep updating these two grey boxes so you can see how each chapter or section fits into your book as a whole. Use them to think about how your book might fit together.

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