Your Next Draft
Your Next Draft is a podcast for fiction writers who are revising their novels. Host Alice Sudlow, a developmental editor and book coach, explores the editing process through interviews with authors, editors, and coaches. The show offers practical revision tips and workshop-style critiques of scenes in progress. It aims to help writers discover the true story they want to tell and shape their drafts into powerful, polished novels.
Episodes
Are You Chasing the Wrong Olympic Gold?
This skater didn't win an Olympic medal, and I'm obsessed with him.I watched Cha Jun-Hwan’s figure skating routine last week in the Olympic men’s short program competition. I never finished watching that competition—I was busy rewinding Jun-Hwan’s routine to watch him over and over again.I filmed my TV screen on my phone and watched it again while I sat in the courthouse on jury duty. I
How Will You Know When Your Novel Is Done?
When will you be truly satisfied with your novel? How will you know when you’ve succeeded?How will you know when you’re done?Will it be when you LOVE your book? When you stop cringing as you read it? When you can’t think of a single change left to make?When beta readers rave about it? When they tell you the romantic scenes made them swoon and the funny scenes made them laugh, the scary scenes gave
6 Reasons to Love Editing (From People Who Actually Do)
What if editing isn’t drudgery, but the most delightful part of your writing process?So you’re revising yet another draft. You’re hoping against hope that this draft will be your final draft. Which, coincidentally, is also what you hoped for the last draft, and the one before that.Editing is a slog you’re trudging through. You dream of the day when you can escape this drudgery and return to the fr
What Makes a Story Excellent? (And How to Know When You've Reached It)
Is story excellence something you "know when you see it"—or can it actually be measured?Is excellence defined by hitting bestseller lists? Filling seats at every book tour stop? Being selected for “Best Books of 2025” lists?Is excellence defined by getting gatekeeper approval? Getting agent representation? Landing a book deal? Winning awards?Is excellence defined by earning money? Gettin
What to Do When Feedback Gets You Stuck
If you get feedback that grinds you to a halt, there's a problem. But YOU are not the problem—the feedback is.Recently, a writer came to me with feedback she was struggling to implement. She’d written a draft of her story, but she knew it needed revision. So she’d gotten a manuscript evaluation from another editor. And the feedback she got in that evaluation really threw her off.When this wri
3 Non-Obvious Problems Hiding in Well-Developed Drafts
If the line writing is lovely, but the story still falls flat, check for these surprisingly hard-to-spot problems.You’ve written a draft of your novel. It’s a pretty good draft, actually. Maybe you’ve revised it—once, or twice, or five times. The line-by-line writing is evocative, and a lot of the scenes are exciting and fun.But.Come on, you knew there was a “but” coming. You can feel it in your g
What Genre REALLY Measures (And Why Every Genre You Try Feels Wrong)
What do you do when your genre just refuses to work?When you’ve tried every content genre you know—Action, Crime, Horror, Thriller, Performance, Love, Society, and more—and every single one just does not fit your story?Sure, some parts of several of those genres fit your story. Those parts even seem essential.Some parts feel like a stretch, but you can make them work if you squint.And some parts d
Where the Turning Point Goes (And How to Know If Yours Is in the Right Place)
If you’re second-guessing your pacing, give your turning point this two-part check.Where the heck is the turning point?If you’ve ever tried to spot the turning point in a story you love, you’ve probably asked some version of this question.I always feel like I’m playing that old children’s video game: Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?(In my imagination, the turning point is captured in shadowy
Turning Point: How to Find and Write the Moment That Changes Everything
It's the hinge your entire story turns on—and one of the hardest story elements to identify and write.Can I be honest? I struggled with turning points for years.I knew they were essential. They’re the moment when everything changes. The moment that forces the character to face a crisis choice. The moment that reveals what the story is really, at its heart, about.And yet . . . I couldn’t see t
The Hidden Half of Your Protagonist's Goal (That Makes Story Structure Work)
If your structure is perfect on paper, but your story still falls flat, this might be what you're missing.Have you ever structured a story with all the right pieces, but something still feels flat?You check all the boxes on paper:✅ Inciting incident✅ Progressive complications✅ Turning point✅ Crisis✅ Climax✅ ResolutionAnd yet it still falls flat. They mostly align, probably, you’re pretty sure
When Should You Work With an Editor? (It's Earlier Than You Think)
What if you've already done enough to work with an editor—right now?You’ve been working on your novel for so long. Not just months—years, maybe even decades.And yet you have a long way still to go. The day when you have a polished manuscript you’re proud to pitch or publish feels so far away, and you're starting to wonder if you're missing something crucial.And in the back of your m
How to Use Genre as a Revision Tool (with Savannah Gilbo)
Here’s what to DO with your genre once you know which one you’re writing.So you know your story’s genre.It’s an Action story with a Worldview internal genre. Or it’s a Love story with a Status internal genre. You’re, like, 32% sure of it.Which is great, because you’ve studied story enough to know genre is important. You’ve heard that it shapes the foundations of your story, that it has conventions
The 12 Core Genres That Power Every Great Story
Genre isn’t what you think it is. Here’s how to use it better.Genre. Let me guess:It’s the bane of your existence. A convoluted soup of arbitrary descriptors that almost but not quite mean the same thing. Sci fi or fantasy? Paranormal or supernatural? Upmarket or book club? Do words even have meaning?Or, it’s a restrictive box with tropes and conventions you feel like you need to cross off a check
How Great First Lines Make Readers Pay Attention (with Abigail K. Perry)
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a fiction writer in possession of a brilliant story must craft a captivating opening line.No pressure, right?Your opening line is your story’s first impression. Agents, editors, and even readers decide fast whether they want to keep reading or drop the book altogether. And yes, they can make that judgment in as little as the very first sentence.So your o
Where Progressive Complications Go WRONG (and How to Fix Them)
Are your readers bored? Disappointed? Confused? Here's what that tells you about your story's middle.You’re stuck in the messy middle. Languishing in the doldrums of your story. The inciting incident is long past, the climax is so far ahead you can’t see it over the horizon, and you’re drifting, lost at sea.What is actually supposed to happen here?Where did your plot momentum go?Why do y
Make Sense of Your Messy Middle With the Most Underrated Story Element
You don’t need more filler. You need better progressive complications.Your inciting incident hooks your readers and promises them a story they’ll love.And then comes the middle.The messy middle. The quiet doldrums of your story, where plot momentum goes to die.Where your characters wander, your conflict blurs, and you start to wonder if any of it is working.So what do you do? Add some “stuff that
How Great First Chapters Make Readers Care (with Abigail K. Perry)
Your first chapter has a monumental task: to make potential readers care about your book right away and hook them to keep reading.Every sentence is a chance to earn your reader’s attention—or lose their fragile, baby-fresh interest before your story even begins.And that’s assuming that your book makes it to the bookstore shelves. If you’re traditionally publishing, the first chapter’s burdened wit
Inciting Incident: How to Revise an Unputdownable Beginning
Your inciting incident sets the stage for everything that follows. Here's what to revise so it can carry the story.A great inciting incident does a lot of heavy lifting.→ It hooks your readers, pulling them into the story.→ And it sets up everything to come, laying the foundation for a brilliant climax your readers will love.The beginning matters. Which means there’s a lot of pressure to get
What If You Do Everything Right and the Book Launch Still Goes Wrong? with A.S. King
“It really broke my heart, actually. . . . For the rest of my life, it will break my heart.” A.S. King gets honest about what happened when the publishing industry failed her book.What happens after you edit your book?What happens after you’ve bared the story of your heart, crafted it into an excellent novel, and presented it to the world?What happens when you get traditionally published, when you
Think You Need a Line Editor? Try This First
Do you need to hire a line editor? Or should you line edit your manuscript yourself?After all, you want to write an excellent novel. You know that great writing takes shape in revision, and you don’t want to skimp on any layers of editing.Nor do you want to overestimate your writing skills and leave your book littered with clunky sentences that a wordsmithing line editor could polish into shining
How Surrealist Pantser A.S. King Revises Award-Winning Novels
“Revising is about making sure that you're saying what you want to say in the way you want to say it. . . . To me, revision is the sport. It's the impact. It's the reason we're writers.”Have you ever read a book and thought, Holy cow, this is amazing. How did this author DO this?Or, maybe you’ve read a book and thought, Wow, I wish I could write (or in my case, edit) a book lik
The Editor Life: 5 Days Behind the Scenes with Alice
Ever wondered what an editor actually does all day?What it looks like to spend all day supporting writers in their stories?Or what your editor’s doing in all that time when they’re not sharing their feedback with you?If those questions pique your curiosity, you’re in luck. I’m pulling back the curtain to share a week in my life as a developmental editor and book coach.You’ll get a behind-the-scene
How to Use Revision Tools Like the Story Authority You Already Are with Brannan Sirratt
When to use frameworks to solve your story problems—and when to trust yourself and lean on your own story authority. You’ve heard of Save the Cat! Story Grid. Blueprint for a Book.These are all frameworks designed to help you edit a novel. If you don’t know these names, I bet you know others—Hero’s Journey, Freytag’s Pyramid, 7 Point Story Structure, Dan Harmon’s Story Circle, there are dozens mor
Ask This Question When You’re Overwhelmed by Your Story
Escape analysis paralysis with one powerful question. It’s deceptively simple—and yet it unlocks everything.If you’re like most of the writers I work with, you’re pretty savvy about story structure. You know your Story Grid, your Save the Cat!, your Hero’s Journey. You’ve probably analyzed your story six ways to Sunday, and you’ve got the spreadsheets and outlines and diagrams and graphs to prove
How Multiple Layers of Editing Combine to Perfect Your Story (with Cathryn deVries and Kim Kessler)
The best novels combine rock-solid story structure with scenes that are unputdownable on every page. Here’s how one writer and two editors polished a story at every level.If you want to move your reader in every moment, keep them hooked on every page, you need to refine your scenes until each one is unputdownable.And that refinement? It’s SUCH a joy. It’s my favorite thing to do and it will transf
What Is a Manuscript Evaluation? (And Do You Need One?)
It’s the most common developmental editing service you’ll see. Know what to look for and when (or if) you need one.If you google “developmental editor” and start looking through editors’ websites, you’ll see a common service appear again and again:A manuscript evaluation.(Or assessment, or diagnostic, or critique. A rose by any other name, etc.)Typically, in a manuscript evaluation, an editor will
Scene Workshop: Hook Your Readers in Chapter One with Cathryn deVries
You get one shot to grab their attention. Don’t waste it with characters staring off into space.You've put all this work into uncovering your character's internal arc. You know them SO WELL.When you step into a scene, you're giving your absolute all to uncovering the deep meaning and purpose behind it, the profound arc of character transformation that's happening in even the sm
The Unskippable Process to Create Unputdownable Books
It’s unpopular, but essential if you’re aiming to craft your best work.Picture this: one year from now, you’re holding your book in your hands. You see the gorgeous cover art, feel the slight resistance when you open the cover for the first time, run your hands over the soft, smooth paper, flip the pages and smell that delicious new book smell.Does that sound amazing? Holding your book in your han
How to Edit Your Novel When Disaster Strikes
Your book is important. But sometimes, worthy interruptions will delay it for a while.For the last few months, this podcast feed has been quiet. It went dark with no notice in mid-June.I didn’t mean to disappear on you. In fact, I didn’t plan to pause the podcast at all.But a family emergency struck, and all my best-laid plans for summer 2024 changed in a matter of hours.This summer, I learned wha
How Taylor Jenkins Reid Crafts an Exceptional Opening Scene
Your reader experiences your story one scene at a time. Make every scene un-put-down-able.Great stories are made of great scenes.Sure, your novel has a clever plot with twists and turns from the first page to the last. But the way your readers will experience that plot is . . .. . . one scene at a time.Which means if you want your readers to fall in love with your novel, you need to captivate them
2 “Showing” and "Telling" Ways to Convey Time Passing in Your Novel
Show and tell your readers why time matters to your characters.Time matters.When you look up and it’s dark outside, time matters to you.When your characters look around and summer is turning into fall, time matters to them.When your readers are reading a novel and they can’t figure out how time is passing? Well, time matters to them, too—mostly because they’re confused.In this episode, I’m sharing
3 “Telling” Ways to Convey Time Passing in Your Novel
Don’t lose your readers. Just tell them what time it is.The passage of time seems intuitive. It just happens, right? (Like, whether you want it to or not. Time and tide wait for no man, etc.)Here’s the thing, though. If you don’t tell your readers that time is passing in your novel . . .. . . they won’t know.It seems wild, I know. It feels like time passing should be obvious. But I promise you, it
Why You Must Show Time Passing in Your Novel
This is often overlooked, but it’s essential for great stories.How do you make time pass?Well, when you’re living your regular life in the real world, you don’t have to do anything.Time is constantly passing, no matter what you do. And when a timer goes off, or you look outside and see the sun’s gone down, or you feel your stomach growl with hunger, you notice time has passed.You hardly have to th
When Should You Practice, and When Should You Publish?
Write your best stories—and know when to let go and publish them.In order to write great books, you first have to learn how to write great books.But when it comes to writing, there’s always something more to learn.So how do you know when to practice your writing skills—and more importantly, when to publish the stories you’re creating?That’s what I’m talking about in this episode.In it, you’ll lear
You Can't Skip Learning How to Write a Novel. Here's Why
Before you can master writing great stories, you have to learn to craft great stories. When I was fifteen, I got my learner’s permit and began learning how to drive a car.This made me very unhappy.See, I wanted to know how to drive a car. I didn’t want to learn to drive a car.Knowing how to drive a car was fun, freeing, and exciting. Learning to drive a car was dangerous, tedious, dangerous, diffi
4 Tips for Your First Time Working With an Editor
Because working with an editor should be delightful, not scary.Let's be honest. When you start working with an editor for the first time, it can feel a little scary.You’re sharing your manuscript, the project you’ve worked so hard on, with a stranger on the internet. You’re inviting another person into a process that up until now has been entirely solo.And you’re entering an industry of profe
4 Tips to Find the Right Editor for Your Novel
What you need to know BEFORE you start working with an editor—and how to tell if they’re the right fit for your novel.Working with a developmental editor can be the most rewarding part of your editing process.But if you’ve never worked with an editor before, it can also be . . . intimidating. Confusing. Scary.After all, you’ve got to hand your manuscript that you’ve worked so hard on to a stranger
Why Writers Resist Measuring Their Craft (And Why You Shouldn’t)
What we get wrong about creativity—and the truth that will make your writing and editing so much more effective.Do you know how great stories work?Scratch that. Let’s start with an easier question. Do you know how your stories work?Not all writers do. Even published authors often struggle to articulate how they created the books their readers love. They rely on intuition, following gut feelings to
The Pros and Cons of Group Coaching for Writers
Why group coaching might be the perfect way to get feedback on your writing.When I was first getting started, I pictured editing like this:A writer writes a manuscript and sends it to their editor. The editor writes feedback and sends it back. The writer takes that feedback and uses it to edit their manuscript.That’s the classic form of editing. But it’s far from the only form of editing.Editing d
5 Steps to Edit the Second Draft of a Novel
The simple editing process to turn your messy first draft into a second draft you love.“I’ve written first drafts before, but I’ve never edited a second draft. How do you actually do it?”A writer asked me this a few days ago. And they’re not alone—it’s a question I hear a lot.How do you actually edit a novel? Is there a process? A system? A strategy? Something, anything, to guide you after you fin
Why a Page One Rewrite Is Actually Worth Celebrating
It sounds scary, but it’s actually MAJOR editing progress.What if the best way to make progress on your novel . . .. . . is to go back to the beginning?Sometimes, the most effective editing strategy is a page one rewrite.Yes, that means exactly what it sounds like. You open a blank document and begin writing an entirely fresh manuscript.It might feel like you’re moving backwards. But you’re not. A
What It REALLY Means to Make Progress Editing Your Novel
Editing progress doesn’t always look like you’d expect. Here’s how to recognize it.If your editing is going great, you’ll enjoy this episode. Honestly, though, if editing feels like the worst thing in the world right now, you’ll love this episode even more.Here’s what’s in store: How do you know whether you’re really making progress editing your novel?In the episode, you’ll learn:Why editing progr
The Most Joyful Editing Feedback I Ever Give
Here’s what happens when you absolutely NAIL IT in your story.Sometimes, you just nail it.The ideas click. The words flow. The revision works.Those days are my favorite days to give my clients feedback. When the pieces finally fall into place and the story is transformed for the better.On those days, I get to share my most joyful editing feedback.And in this episode, I’m sharing that feedback with
The Top 5 Lessons From Year 1 of Building My Editing Business
Your editing process has more in common with building a business than you might think.Editing a novel and building a business . . . well, they’re actually not all that different.That’s something I’ve been thinking about all year. As I’ve coached writers through the editing process, I’ve been struck again and again by how similar novel editing and business building really are.After all, they’re bot
The Top 5 Editing Tips From Your Next Draft in 2023
The year’s most popular editing tip, plus four more strategies I don’t want you to miss.What’s the best editing tip you’ve learned this year?If you’ve been listening to Your Next Draft all year, there are quite a few to pick from—fifty, in fact.So in this episode, I’m taking a look back at this year on Your Next Draft. I’ve selected the top five editing tips from 2023, tips you can put to use in y
My Biggest Takeaway From Coaching Writers in 2023
What dozens of manuscripts and dozens of writers all have in common.This weekend, I celebrated the one year anniversary of launching my editing business.And since the one year mark is a pretty major milestone, and we’re nearing the end of 2023, I’ve been looking back.I’ve edited dozens of novels and coached dozens of writers this year. And while the stories vary widely, there’s one theme I’ve enco
How to Make Sure Even Your "Slow" Scenes Keep Your Readers Hooked
Four questions to make every scene of your novel un-put-down-able.Some of your scenes are really exciting. They’re the big ones, the reasons why your readers picked up your book: the first kiss, the epic battle, the discovery of the body.And some of your scenes . . . well, they’re the stuff that happens in between the exciting scenes.In those scenes, the story slows down. Sometimes it slows down a
How to Figure Out What Your Character REALLY Wants
Make your readers care about your story by getting specific about what your protagonist wants—and why.What does your protagonist want?I bet you have an answer for that question. I also bet that your answer is a little . . . generic.See, the thing your protagonist wants is good. They might want to save a victim from a villain, or fall in love, or get a promotion, or solve a mystery. We all agree th
Behind the Scenes of a Deep Dive Manuscript Evaluation
The 7 layers of analysis I use to edit a fourth draft of a novel.I don’t know about you, but right now, my schedule is full. My days are packed with editing. I have several manuscripts I’m absolutely loving on my desk right now, so many pages to read, and so many notes to share with writers.With all this editing, I didn’t have time to put together a typical episode of Your Next Draft for you. So .
How to Flesh Out Flat Characters With Just 4 Questions
The minimum viable character questionnaire to develop all your side characters.How do you flesh out a flat character? Create a cast your readers will fall in love with? Make each character realistic, well-developed, and believable?There are tons of character development questionnaires and personality tests and character sketch templates out there.They’ll ask you everything from “What’s your charac
The Most Important Principle When Choosing Your Point of View
Use the limitations of your POV to enhance your story.Your story’s point of view impacts everything. It shapes how your readers get access to information about your story. And it shapes what information they have access to.And since at its core, storytelling is just telling your reader information about a story, this is huge.In this episode, I’m tackling a common POV problem I’ve seen in many, man
What NOT to Say to Your Developmental Editor
How to make the most of your editor’s feedback—even if you disagree with it.If you want to make the most of your editor’s feedback, there’s one phrase not to say.It’s natural. It’s normal. It’s something I’ve definitely said in other areas of my life.But when you’re collaborating with an editor to make your novel the best it can be, this phrase won’t help you.And in this episode, I’m sharing what
Use This One Editing Tip for Everything You Write
How to developmentally edit absolutely ANY piece of writing.There’s an editing tip that applies to literally every kind of writing.Bold statement, I know. But I stand by it.Actually, “tip” is understating the matter. This “tip” is actually a mission-critical principle. It’s essential to every writing project.Also, it’s my current favorite writing and editing tool. Lately, I’ve been using this ever
[BONUS EP] How to Choose the Right Writing Resources for YOU Right Now, Part 2
A simple decision-making framework to help you find YOUR best writing path.Yesterday, I shared a framework to help you make any decision about your writing career.Well—yesterday, I shared part one of that framework.And today, I’m back on the podcast with part two!In yesterday’s episode, I coached you through how to identify your values in your writing. What’s truly important to you?And in today’s
How to Choose the Right Writing Resources for YOU Right Now, Part 1
How to answer the question, “When should I work with an editor?”Hire an editor. Join a writing course. Work with a book coach. Gather beta readers. Join a writing group.There are so many resources to help you write and edit an amazing novel.This is great news when you know exactly what resource you need. If you need a very specific type of support, I can almost guarantee that it exists.But it’s te
Scene Structure: How the 6 Elements of Story Work in the First Scene of How to Train Your Dragon
See the masterful story structure that undergirds the opening scene of How to Train Your Dragon.Great stories are built on great story structure. And my favorite story structure framework is one that you can apply on every level of story.It’s called the six elements of story, and it’s an editing tool you can use on every layer of your story.To prove it, I’m doing a deep dive into the structure of
Act Structure: How the 6 Elements of Story Work in Act 1 of How to Train Your Dragon
The story structure that makes the first act of How to Train Your Dragon work.One of my favorite things about the six elements of story structure is the fact that they work everywhere.You can use them to structure your entire novel. You can use them to structure each act. And you can use them to structure each scene.And to prove it, I’m breaking down the first act of How to Train Your Dragon to sh
Story Structure: How the 6 Elements of Story Work in How to Train Your Dragon
See the story structure that makes this brilliant movie work.The six elements of story are the essentials of great story structure. And in the last few episodes of Your Next Draft, I’ve shared a lot of theory about them: what they are, how they work, and where to use them.But theory only gets you so far. Story structure makes a lot more sense when you can see it at work.So in this episode, I’m bre
3 Ways to Apply the 6 Elements of Story Structure to Your Novel
How to use one story structure tool to edit every part of your story.The best story structure is the one you can apply to your story.For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been discussing a lot of story theory on the podcast. Today, I’m getting back to application.In this episode, I’ll show you three ways to apply the six elements of story to your novel.You’ll learn:How to apply one story structure to
Why the 6 Elements of Story Are the Key to All Great Stories
The story structure framework I use in every story I edit.What do fractals and nesting dolls have to do with story structure? More than you might think.Last week on the podcast, I shared my favorite story structure framework. It’s the same structure I use with all my one-on-one clients and in every novel I edit.But I didn’t tell you why.Why is it so powerful? Why do I use it in every story? Why do
The 6 Essential Elements of Every Novel, Act, and Scene
A simple, flexible story structure framework that works for every kind of story.Great stories are built on great story structure.And while there are a lot of story structure systems out there . . .. . . I do have a favorite. It’s one that I use every single day in my editing. I apply it to every story I edit. And it works every time.In this episode, I’m breaking it all down for you.You’ll learn:Th
Where Does Story Theory Come From, Anyway?
Story theory doesn’t sap creativity—it helps us reflect truths about the human experience in our art.When you edit a novel, much of your job is to use story theory to evaluate what’s working and what’s not.But often, I find that this makes writers uncomfortable. They’re afraid that applying story theory will suck the life, creativity, and originality out of storytelling.Have you ever felt that way
How to Read Like an Editor: 5 Tips to Make the Most of Every Book You Read
Build a reading habit that helps you edit amazing novels.“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”This quote from Stephen King gets shared a lot in writer circles.But I have a confession: when I became an editor, I fell into a reading slump. Worse, I stayed in the slump for several years. (After all, Stephen King was talking about writers, n
One Insidious Cause of Disappointing Endings (and How to Fix It)
Does your story’s climax solve a problem that’s different from the one you have?The last thing you want is for the ending of your novel to disappoint your readers.Yet as an editor, I’ve seen my fair share of disappointing endings.And in this episode, I’m sharing one of the most common problems I see with endings that just don’t work.You’ll learn:What happens when your story pays off something you
One Critical Problem You’ll Find in Boring Scenes (And How to Fix It)
Your characters MUST take action in every scene. Look out for scenes where they don’t.I’ve edited hundreds of scenes. (In fact, editing scenes is one of my favorite things to do!)In all that editing, I’ve picked up on some patterns. Things that work really well in scene after scene—and common pitfalls that many scenes fall into.And in this episode, I’m sharing one common scene mistake I often see.
What to Do When You Get Feedback From an Editor
Gotten feedback from an editor? Use this process to turn developmental feedback into actionable edits.One of the most exciting moments in your book writing journey is the day that you get feedback from an editor.But just getting feedback isn’t enough. Once you get it, you have to apply it.And the challenge of applying your editor’s feedback can feel . . . intimidating. Scary. Overwhelming.How do y
Your Story Has Deep Meaning. Do You Know What It Is?
Your story has the power to shape the way your readers think.So what is it communicating?That’s the topic of this episode. In it, I’m sharing why storytelling is absolutely essential for humanity, plus the responsibility—and honor—that gives you as an author.You’ll learn:Why your writing is a gift to the world6 stories I love and how they’ve shaped meWhy it’s YOUR responsibility to weave a point i
How to Create an Editing Process That Works for You With Author JD Edwin
A prolific author shares her editing process and strategies for designing the process that works for you.There are as many ways to edit novels as there are writers.Which editing process is best? The one that works for you. The process you customize, refine, and repeat, novel after novel after novel.And in this episode, we’re talking about how to create your very own editing process.I’ve invited my
Extended Edition: How Spider-Man’s Leap of Faith Makes Us Feel Triumphant
Two editors break down how Spider-Man creates a transcendent moment of triumph that feels like story magic.Last month, I asked a big question:How do you make your readers feel?See, the writers I work with are telling fantastic stories. But often, those stories are missing some essential piece, some spark of magic that captures my emotions and makes me laugh, cry, swoon, grieve, worry, or—well—feel
The 3-Step Formula to Evoke Emotion and Make Your Readers Feel
The best stories capture our emotions and make us feel so deeply, it seems like magic.The good news is, it’s not magic.Want to make your readers feel? There’s a simple three-step process to do just that. And in this, I’m sharing that process with you.You’ll learn:Why explosive action is NOT enough to make your readers feelHow to figure out what emotion you want to create for your readersHow to mak
How Spider-Man (And All Great Stories) Makes Us Laugh, Cry, and Feel the Feels
The magic of storytelling is in making your readers feel. Here’s how great stories capture emotion.One of my favorite questions to ask writers is, “What does success mean to you?”And usually, I hear some version of the following:You want to make readers feel. You want them to fall in love with your book. You want to make them laugh, to make them cry, to make them feel fear and excitement and relie
3 Ways to Create a Scene List That Makes Your Editing Process (Almost) Easy
A flexible method to create a scene list with exactly the information you need—no more, no less.For the last few weeks, I’ve been touting the magic of scene lists.Because I do think they’re magic, or pretty darn close to it. The simple scene list is one of my absolute favorite editing tools. I wouldn’t know how to edit a book without one!So far, I’ve covered why it’s worth making one, plus two way
2 Simple Strategies to Format Your Scene List
Plus, two scene list templates for you to download and customize.Your scene list is infinitely customizable. It can be as simple or as complex as you like. And you have a lot of choices when it comes to how you’ll create it and what information you’ll include.Your first choice? What format you’ll use.My first-ever scene lists were created with paper and pen. But I recommend you use something a lit
4 Ways to Use a Scene List, Your Indispensable Editing Tool
Your scene list is your map to all your revisions. Here’s how to make the most of it.If you’re doing a developmental edit on your manuscript, you need a scene list. Seriously—I can’t think of a single book I’ve edited without one.Why? What makes a scene list so essential?That’s what I’m covering in this episode of Your Next Draft.You’ll learn:4 ways that a scene list will make your editing process
How Do You Know When You're Done Editing Your Novel?
Is your novel ready to publish? Here’s how to tell when you’re finally done editing.One of the hardest parts of writing a book is knowing when to let go.After all, you don’t want to write just any book. You want to write something amazing!But at the same time, you could tinker with your manuscript forever, always finding something new to change. And if you’re always editing . . . well, you’ll neve
Value Shifts: How to Craft Compelling Change in Every Story
Stories are about change. Here’s how to craft compelling change in every scene, act, and novel.In fact, change is one of the fundamental things—maybe the fundamental thing—that makes stories useful, interesting, and fun.How do you make sure something changes in your story? And not just any change, but the right change?Let me introduce you to one of my favorite editing concepts: the value shift.Mas
5 Novel Editing Tips for When You’re Afraid You Don’t Have What it Takes
Overwhelmed by your novel? Try these five strategies to edit with confidence.Sometimes, editing your novel feels really scary.Yep, I said it. Sometimes, you get overwhelmed. You feel stuck. You wonder, do you even have what it takes to edit a book?I’m a professional editor, and even I feel that way sometimes. Right now, I’m working on a new novel from a fantastic author. And halfway through, I sta
4-Act Structure: The Simple Structure to Edit Your Novel (And Why 3 Acts Aren’t Enough)
Three acts aren’t enough. If you’re stuck in the middle of your story, try this four-act structure instead.Recently, a writer told me she was stuck in the middle of her story.She’d written the complete first draft. She’d gotten an editor’s feedback. She was editing her second draft, and she’d made it just past the fifty percent mark.And then . . . she got stuck.After all that, she had no idea what
5 Free Ways to Get Feedback on Your Writing
You can get fantastic feedback on your writing for free. But first, you need to know whom to seek out, when to ask for feedback, and what kind of feedback to ask for.Ask the wrong people, and you’ll get uncritical praise, unhelpful critique, or even rejection.But ask the right people . . .Ask the right people, and you’ll get feedback that:Helps you finish your first draftPrepares you to work with
3 Simple Steps to Edit Absolutely Anything in Your Novel
Most writers miss this simple editing principle. But when you understand it, when you truly master it, you have the power to craft your best story.Here it is:When you’re doing a developmental edit on a story, you can change absolutely anything.It sounds obvious, yet it’s so hard to do. In this episode, I’ll show you why—and share a simple three-step process that will give you editing superpowers.Y
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