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Write a Bestselling Novel in 15 Steps (Writing Mastery) (Udemy.com)

Discover the secret storytelling code behind all successful novels and use it to outline, write, or revise your own

Created by: Jessica Brody

Last updated December 2024

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What you will learn

  • Plot an entire novel from start to finish (in 15 steps)
  • Understand what makes novels successful
  • Craft a compelling "novel road map" or outline for a new novel
  • Obtain a deeper understanding of plot and story structure
  • Develop an effective revision plan for an existing novel
  • Determine what's broken in an existing novel manuscript
  • Discover the secret storytelling code found in all great stories
  • Analyze successful movies and novels using the storytelling code

How it compares

Against the other 1,210 rated Udemy courses in Business on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.7 out of 5higher than 90% of them
  • Reviews4,699#168 of 1,211 by number of reviews
  • Length3.7 hourslonger than 59% of them
  • Last updatedDecember 2024earlier than 64% of them

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Course Description

Anyone can write a successful novel.

You just need to understand what makes a novel successful…  

 
Have you ever noticed that your favorite books and movies follow a similar pattern? Have you noticed that there’s something specific that happens about 25% of the way through the story that sends the story in a new direction? Or that huge plot twists tend to come right in the dead center of the story? Or that 75% of the way through there’s usually distinct “low point” or “rock bottom” where all seems lost for the main character?

If you have, then you’ve stumbled upon the secret storytelling code.

The secret storytelling code can be found in all great stories ever told. Movies, novels, novellas, plays, memoirs, short stories. Wherever there’s a narrative being told, the code is there, hidden beneath the surface.

This code (which inspired Blake Snyder’s famous Save the Cat! plotting method) is made up of 15 key story “beats,” or “plot points.”  The beats are markers along the path of the story that are used to track a character’s journey and ultimate transformation. And strung together, in the right order, these 15 beats make up a blueprint that anyone can follow to write a successful novel.

Since discovering these 15 key story beats and harnessing their immeasurable power, bestselling author and award-winning writing instructor, Jessica Brody has sold more than 17 novels to major publishers like Simon and Schuster, Random House, and Macmillan. Her novels have been translated and published in over 23 countries and two are even in development as major motions pictures. Also, Jessica is repeatedly hired by Disney Press to develop and write novels based on popular Disney properties like the Disney Princess and the Disney Descendants franchises.

Jessica Brody is a certified instructor of the Save the Cat! plotting method and, in the past five years, has taught thousands of novelists from around the world how to harness the power of the 15 key story.

Now, in this one-of-a-kind online master class on plot and story structure, Jessica Brody shares her profound knowledge on the topic of novel writing and expertly guides writers (new and seasoned alike!) through the elements of plot, story structure, and character transformation, and ultimately helps them discover the secrets to what makes a novel really resonate with readers.


"This course is a must for anyone trying to write an amazing story." - CHLOE, UDEMY STUDENT


"Absolutely brilliant. So insightful..." -
JAYNE, UDEMY STUDENT


"I now can see the weaknesses in my novel plots." -
DEBRA, UDEMY STUDENT



Throughout this course, Jessica will:

  • Guide you step by step through the 15 key story beats that are found in all great stories ever told

  • Show you how the 15 key story beats form a novel blueprint (or road map) that any writer (of any level) can follow to craft their own successful novel

  • Analyze several examples (from both books and movies) of the 15 key story beats in action so you can firmly grasp the function and purpose of each beat and see how other successful writers have tackled them

  • Guide you through the process of brainstorming, crafting, and developing the 15 beats to outline, write, or revise your own bestseller

And by the end of this course you will have a complete “novel road map” (or outline) for a novel that you could begin working on immediately.

Or if you’re already working on a novel and need help structuring it or revising it, by the end of this course, you will have a full revision plan ready to go.

Check out the free preview lectures for a look at what to expect from this course, how this course is structured, and a free overview of the 15 key story beats that will be explored at length in this course.

Enroll now to get started on plotting, writing, or revising your bestselling novel today!


PRAISE FOR COURSES IN THE WRITING MASTERY SERIES:

  • 10 writing courses

  • Over 50,000 students enrolled

  • Average Rating 4.7 stars!


"Jessica is truly a gifted teacher!" - Vicky

"Jessica is a LEGEND...Completely worth it." - Ras

"Superb. Clear and engaging - Dan

"Just, WOW! Jessica Brody provides much more than a boatload... try a cruise ship FULL of tips, tricks, resources, references, and actionable steps" - Tracy

"Thorough, accurate, and well-presented --I would recommend Jessica Brody’s courses to any writer eager to rise." - Mark

"Jessica Brody breaks down these concepts with clarity and amazing insight."  - Mike

"Jessica Brody's courses are all thorough, entertaining, and extremely helpful." - Tricia

"As always, Jessica Brody delivers an insider's knowledge and the tools to move forward in the process, now!" - Sue

"Very informative and well worth the time and cost." - Noel

"Clear, concise, & well-narrated with an abundance of enthusiasm." - Christopher

"This course is worth far more than the price of admission!" - Talmage

"Jessica Brody has a gift for distilling lots of hard-earned information into concise and tasty bites." - Katherine

"If you write (or plan to write), get this course" - Scott


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Instructor Details

Jessica Brody

Jessica Brody is the author of the #1 bestselling plotting guide, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, as well as 20+ novels for teens, tweens, and adults including Sky Without Stars, The Geography of Lost Things, The Chaos of Standing Still, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, A Week of Mondays, Better You Than Me and the Unremembered trilogy. Her books are published by major publishers like Simon & Schuster, Random House, and Macmillan. She's also frequently hired by Disney Press to write books based on popular Disney franchises like Descendants and LEGO Disney Princess. Her books have been translated and published in over 23 countries and several have been optioned for film and television. She is also the founder of the Writing Mastery Academy, an online school for writers.

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Reviews

4.7

4,699 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By Jakub Kohút on 8/19/2026

Amazing step by step course, just missing some lessons on character creation and world building

By Joel Adams on 4/1/2026

So far it has been great for me! Thank you! I have just written a book besides the one I am beat sheeting from this course, and I now want to go back over it and see how it fits this beat sheet. I can see there are a number of ways to improve it.

By Udemy User on 2/27/2026

So far so good! Jessica is very clear and concise in how she presents her material.

By Theresa M Bové on 2/16/2026

These lessons have been great so far. I have completed about thirteen chapters of my story and I wanted to know the best format and ways to create a great story.

By John Philcox on 2/13/2026

This is an excellent course. I also have the save the cat writes a novel book and will read this next. This course certainly highlighted that my idea for a novel needs quite a bit of planning before it is going to be ready to write and this realisation has been extremely useful for me.

By Saskia Bannister on 1/20/2026

This course has been a game changer for me. Even though I was kind of familiar with different plotting structures, the various examples in this course have improved my understanding of different plot points and therefore given me new insights on how to improve my story.

By Une on 12/11/2025

I hope that it delivers (not yet finished the course, but good so far!). If I can finish writing my book draft by the end of this course, then it will have delivered what it promises because a lot of courses don't.

By Anna Marianne Bradaric on 11/1/2025

Ich habe parallel direkt angefangen zu schreiben und die Ideen sind nur so gepurzelt. Als absoluter Neuling war der Kurs sehr hilfreich um zu starten.

By Daniel L. Daugherty Jr. on 10/20/2025

Understanding the 15 beats of a successful novel is a game-changer. I am looking forward to creating something of much more value with this information in my toolbox!

By Alejandro Macias on 3/20/2019

course is great but the constant asking for rating the course is annoying, specially for us who listen to the courses while driving

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Overall Score : 94 / 100