Ironclad Outline
Time to Take Your Writing to the Next Level?
Grow with the Power of Outlines
Ironclad Outline
Time to Take Your Writing to the Next Level?
Grow with the Power of Outlines
Why are strong outlines
the greatest ally of the professional author?
Strong outlines let you:
Spend your valuable time writing not rewriting
Focus each writing session to cultivate creativity
Expand your backlist by writing more in less time
Why are strong outlines the greatest ally of the professional author?
Strong outlines let you:
Spend your valuable time writing not rewriting
Focus each writing session to cultivate creativity
Expand your backlist by writing more in less time
But how do you know if your outline is strong?
To answer that question Clark Chamberlain developed Ironclad Outlines with 4 goals:
1) Clarify the story and audience to gain maximum reader engagement
2) Save countless hours of rewrites by solving story issues and plot holes upfront
3) Be affordable for indie authors seeking an alternative to developmental edits
4) Give the author confidence to write by certifying they have the strongest possible outline
How It Works in 3 Simple Steps
1) Send Your Outline
You’ll send Clark your outline and background materials (up to 20k words). He will spend the next few days reviewing them point by point to help you make your story work before you even write the first page.
2) Receive Your Notes
After reviewing the materials Clark will send you his detailed notes to make your outline Ironclad. When you’ve read through them, you’ll schedule your hour long one-on-one story coaching call with Clark.
3) Author Coaching Call
This call will let you ask questions, work through story problems, brainstorm additional elements, and give you the right tools to make your story the best it can while targeting the reader you want.
What Authors Are Saying About Clark Chamberlain’s Work
“Clark helped hone my story with incisive questions and suggestions for improvement. It was fantastic to have input at this early stage on a new series, especially as I am usually a discovery writer.”
“I can’t say enough good things about Clark and his story engineering. A one-one-one consultation always works magic with my plots and gets me right where I need to be to start a new novel!”
Imagine sitting down to write feeling filled with creativity, being able to switch off your inner editor, and knowing you’re one more writing session closer to your next published book.
Your Ironclad Outline Includes
Detailed Outline Review ($400)
A point-by-point review of your outline examining plot, characters, setting, pacing, genre tropes, theme, and dialogue. This isn’t a red pencil parade of what’s not working Clark will point out what’s working and how to execute changes that will exponentially improve your books chances of success based on your target goals and reader.
1-Hour Author Coaching Call ($200)
You can use this hour long call to discuss questions you might have had on the notes, brainstorm ideas for individual scenes, connecting your protagonist with the reader, focusing the subgenre, or any other story coaching you need. It’s your hour to use as you see fit.
Plus over $800 in bonuses!
Genre Market Report ($75)
Knowing what you want to write is good, but understanding what your target reader wants is even better. This report will breakdown the current genre conditions and outlook, and help you identify your ideal reader in your chosen genre.
Author Inventory ($650 Value)
Includes 2 one hour calls with Clark Chamberlain and a personalized writing productivity plan to multiply your efforts without upending your life or having to learn some complicated system.
Outstanding Outlines ($100 Value)
Outlines are the professional author’s greatest ally. Being able to master the outline will be a lifelong tool in your creative kit. Through five simple to follow lessons, Clark Chamberlain will teach you how to create great outlines in record time.
“Moving on to the one-on-one sessions for a deep dive into (angels singing) my story was exhilarating. Clark’s feedback and brainstorming were invaluable in shaping my finished product.”
“Working with Clark was an amazing experience… I knew where I needed to end up, but I wasn’t confident in the path I’d chosen to move from beginning to middle to end. Clark’s insights to the written outline were easy to read, and it was helpful that he sent them a few days before our phone call. When we finally did talk, Clark was knowledgeable and a great listener. He gave me free rein of the conversation, which meant I was able to hit all of my questions and concerns and even address ideas that arose as we spoke. I will most definitely be using this service again and again. I can write my novel now with the confidence that I’m moving in the right direction, and that’s a fantastic feeling.
Who is Clark Chamberlain and why should I care?
If you’ve never worked with, taken a class from, or heard Clark speak at a writer’s conference then you might not know about his passion for story.
There are a lot of editors who turn and burn author’s work as fast as possible, but Clark is committed to your story.
Hello, I’m Clark Chamberlain. As an author, editor, and expert on story I’ve been fortunate to teach thousands of students the power of creative writing and privileged to work on over 150 books with authors who are just starting to New York Times bestsellers.
I served in the army for ten years and sustained two traumatic brain injuries (TBI), neither was fun, but the second TBI drove me to the edge where I almost lost everything, including my love for all things story.
The experience taught me the power of assembling a supportive team. Not just the “you can do it” positivity, but a coach who knows what you aren’t doing, creates a workable plan, and pushes you to finish strong. The plan might surprise you.
Read more about my journey back…
In the fall of 2015 I received my second TBI. I knew my mind and body had changed, including memory loss, migraines, difficulty reading, and anger outbursts, but I felt I was strong enough to work around it, but in a short two-year span I lost almost everything and found myself homeless and hopeless.
In November 2018, thanks to a writer and fellow veteran, the Dallas Center for Brain Health reached out and helped me start my healing path. In the spring of 2019 the VA TBI clinic in Salt Lake City put me through a day of hell, but at the end of being tested by seven specialists they worked out an aggressive treatment plan.
During the following six months I worked with speech and physical therapists, had special prism lens crafted for my glasses, and even took part in several sleep studies. All of this gave me the tools I needed to work around and even overcome some of my disabilities.
The plan included treatments I never would have considered, like my eyes no longer aligning center and the need for corrective glasses.
I have a new lease on life thanks to my team’s direction and encouragement to keep pushing forward no matter what.
Tell me more about how it works
Send Your Outline
I can’t tell you how many times an author has confessed how anxious they were after sending me their outline. They were so worried I would tear their ideas to pieces and trash their dreams.
I’m not here to judge your ability…I’m here to guide you on your journey.
I love working with authors at all stages of their journey and I love developmental editing.
Getting to work with an author and mentor them to new levels is an amazing feeling, but developmental editing is intensive in both time and money. So when an author first approached me with the request to edit their outline I jumped at the chance to offer an affordable developmental stage edit. It didn’t take long before I developed Ironclad Outlines.
The process is simple and only takes about seven days to get through the material. You can send up to 20k words worth of material for me to work through. This material should include the outline (in either a chapter by chapter or scene by scene structure), a brief synopsis of the story, and a list of characters including any details you feel are important about them.
The above is standard but I’ve found the following material will help me be your Yoda. Include what genre or subgenres you want the story to fit, is the book part of a series or larger shared universe, and what goals you have for the book and your author career.
This is your book and I want to help actualize the vision you have.
“I was super impressed with the work I received from Clark. I sent him 8K outline and he came back with a two page assessment that included what worked great as well as key Trope Gaps. This was so important to me since I’m writing in a new genre. In a follow-up call, we brainstormed those gaps and I landed in a much richer place. I highly recommend using Clark at the development stage of your manuscript, he knows his stuff.”
Receive Your Notes
What can you expect when you open your notes from me? Don’t worry it won’t be a howler! My notes are placed as comments in your outline so you can see directly what I’m discussing. At the end of your outline, I will also include a summary and if needed go into more detail on specific areas needing work.
Don’t worry, in over 100 Ironclad Outlines I’ve yet to see one where nothing works (that’s not a challenge). In fact, most outlines I’ve edited have a lot of things running smooth. I will highlight them in your outline so you can keep doing what works.
Your notes will also include specifics based on your genre and target reader. For example, some outlines have a chosen genre or target reader that just don’t fit while others might fit the chosen genre but with a few tweaks could dominate a different genre. If you don’t have either of those in mind I will suggest where your story could fit for maximum readership.
The bottom line is this: You’ll have all the information you need to make the best decisions about your book.
After you’ve got through my notes, the next step is getting on our call. When you send over your material, you’ll chose a date and time for our call, but if you need more time to process the notes or an emergency comes up don’t worry, I’m flexible. We can always reschedule our call.
With a simple outline critique, Clark was able to look straight into the foundations of my story and point out several crucial issues involving pacing, continuity, character development, and overall readability. On top of that, he gave me some really fantastic suggestions to overcome these issues and increase story tension at pivotal moments. I came away with a focused, actionable list of things I could do to take my storytelling to the next level. I’d recommend his services whether you’ve completed your manuscript or you’re still at the outlining stage and trying to make sure your story has legs. Clark knows stories, and (BONUS) he’s a super nice guy to work with!
Author Coaching Call
So, what is this call nonsense all about, anyway? The Author Coaching Call is the secret sauce setting Ironclad Outlines apart from any other critique service.
I always start each call the same, “We can talk about the notes or any specifics you’d like to address…this is your hour and I want it to provide the maximum benefit for you.” Why start like that? Because I don’t know what you’ll need help with. I’m committed to your success and want our call to deliver that. My commitment to my authors is also why I’m available for email follow-ups after our call.
During the first year I did Ironclad Outlines I’d get a few authors who would spend the hour defending their outline. I hated those calls, because like I said before I’m not here to judge plus it wasn’t helpful to the author. I examined how I wrote my notes in those early Ironclad Outlines and I adjusted how I was writing, not what I was writing. Thankfully, those calls are gone. The calls I have now always leave me energized with creativity.
I love the calls!
I hope you love the call too, but my number one goal is for your Ironclad Outline to be the best investment
After trying multiple plotting systems with little success, I found Clark’s outlining approach meshed beautifully with my pantsing-discovery writing style. What a relief! By adding personal consultation to small group instruction, Clark elevated my learning experience from informative to invaluable. Clark not only ensured I could translate the course lessons into powerhouse outlines, he tweaked his approach to complement my writing style rather than fight against it. Simply Priceless!
What if I don’t know how to write an outline?
When you book your Ironclad Outline, you’ll gain instant access to my course Outstanding Outlines. I designed each class to guide an author through the steps needed to create an outline. So if you’ve never even tried writing an outline or you just want to learn some tips and tweaks to write outlines faster this course will give you the skills you need.
An Ironclad Outline is the single easiest investment to make in your book. Starting it on the Legacy Asset journey with the potential to generate income for generations.
Ironclad Outline
Ironclad Outline
with Author Inventory- Detailed Outline Review ($400)
- 1-Hour Author Coaching Call ($200)
- Outstanding Outlines Course ($100 Value)
- Genre Market Report ($75)
- Author Inventory ($650 Value)
Ironclad Outline
with Author Inventory- Detailed Outline Review ($400)
- 1-Hour Author Coaching Call ($200)
- Outstanding Outlines Course ($100 Value)
- Genre Market Report ($75)
- Author Inventory ($650 Value)
Every Purchase Includes the Following BONUSES
$100 Value!
Outstanding Outlines
Outlines are the professional author’s greatest ally. Being able to master the outline will be a lifelong tool in your creative kit. Through eight simple to follow lessons, I’ll teach you how to create great outlines in record time.
Gain instant access.
$650 Value!
Author Inventory
This is a brand new service I’m offering and I’d like to have more feedback before the January launch, so I’m giving it all away to you this weekend.
It includes 2 one hour calls with me where we will navigate your writing to develop a personalized writing productivity plan to multiply your efforts without upending your life or having to learn some complicated system.
Gain instant access.
$75 Value!
Genre Market Report
Knowing what you want to write is good, but understanding what your target reader wants is even better. This report will breakdown the current genre conditions and outlook, and help you identify your ideal reader in your chosen genre.
Delivered after Ironclad Outline call.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT AUTHOR INVENTORY
YOU ARE HERE
Whether you’ve started writing, want to start, or don’t know how to start I’m here to help you move forward—no judgments.
I can’t tell you how many authors worried that I would tear them apart for not being at some perceived level or how many tried fronting a level they hadn’t achieved.
It doesn’t matter to me where you are in your writing journey as long as you are honest with yourself. I know how difficult it can be to have an honest self-assessment, but we will never generate the internal power needed to grow until we can admit where we are.
When I hit my lowest point I didn’t go into those clinics saying, “I’ve tried everything and here’s a list of reasons and people I blame.” No, I went saying, “I fucked up. My life is in ruins and I can’t live like this. Show me how I can change.”
Take personal responsibility in life. Responsibility is power. The same is true in writing.
A few years ago I worked with a promising new author who told me in our second call that she was serious and wanted to go to the next level. I started pushing and challenging her so she could stretch, get stronger, and reach new heights, but every step of the way I met pushback and excuses.
If you want someone to tell you how great you are, be an outlet to list excuses, or someone to write the book for you I’m the wrong person for you. Authors come to me when they’re ready to work, but I can’t do the work for them. I can work with them, encouraging, pushing, training, supporting, but ultimately they have to do it. After all, I’m the mentor, you’re the hero.
AUTHOR INVENTORY SESSION 1
We are often too close to know what the real problem is. I designed the Author Inventory to identify danger areas and how to make your strengths into force multipliers.
Feeling you don’t have the right environment, enough time, or even motivation to write are quite common. The real fix to these is rarely the most obvious.
I’ve always had great vision, but after my second TBI it was getting harder to read. I figured old age and hit me in a hurry. I even went to an eye doctor who prescribed a relatively weak pair of glasses but I still would have words floating around the page after only 20 minutes of reading.
Try editing a 100k word novel in 20 minutes 
I went over two years with this issue and it only took one TBI specialist with a bead on a string held to the bridge of my nose to see that my eyes were not aligning right. Three weeks later I had a pair of light bending prism lenses and the ability to read again.
How can we solve the writing problem if we don’t know where to look?
During our first call the questions I ask in the Author Inventory will examine a many parts of your life, not just your writing time.
But don’t worry, I’m not asking to know where you’ve hidden the bodies. Asking this wider range of life questions finds the real Why holding your writing back.
AUTHOR INVENTORY SESSION 2
I will spend a few days with the Author Inventory developing a plan that you can implement with minimum effort without upending your life.
I have been working professionally in publishing since 2014, but I can still remember working the day job and using my lunch break to squeeze in an extra hour of writing.
Life is busy, I get it, that’s why I’m not pushing you to write for hours and hours when you should be sleeping or remodeling your house so you can have a Feng Shui writing area with six inches of sound proofing to block out your neighbors.
Your plan is custom designed to work within the life you have not an “ideal” writer’s life.
We will leverage existing time and make small tweaks to your life choices to multiply the results of your writing efforts.
FAQ
I already own one or more of the bonus courses, can I give them to a friend?
Absolutely! These bonuses are yours to do what you’d like. Feel free to book an Ironclad Outline and give any of the bonuses away. Please just email me with your receipt and contact information of the author you’d like to gift it to.
You can also gift Ironclad Outline too!
I want to take advantage of the low price but I’m not ready to book, can I buy now and book later?
Absolutely!
Is the payment system secure?
Yes! Payment is processed using PayPal or Stripe. Your card information never touches my servers—only the PCI-compliant servers of PayPal and Stripe.
Aren’t you dead or something?
To quote one of the greats, “Oh, he’s not dead. Well, not yet.”
But to be honest, during the last two years I’ve had moments I wished I were dead.
This has been the second hardest time in my life. After being injured during an army training exercise I slowly watched as my world collapsed. My injuries contributed to the loss of my position in the army, my editing business, my health, and most devastating of all my family.
That’s life…we all have moments of greatness and moments of devastation. It’s what we do in each of those times that define who we are.
I’m safe and more importantly I’m moving forward with purpose.