
#257. Stuck in Chapter One or the Messy Middle? What Your Stuck Point Reveals
Stuck writing your novel? Wherever your draft stalls out—chapter one, 20,000 words, the messy middle—that spot isn't random. It's a clue that tells you exactly what your story is missing. Almost every...
21 Heinä 17min

#256. Why “Just Start Writing” Can Be Terrible Advice for New Writers
Everyone tells you to just start writing. Nobody tells you when. And if you keep starting your novel and stalling out a few chapters in, that missing piece might be exactly why. “Just start writing” i...
14 Heinä 15min

#255. Student Spotlight: How Grace Draven Learned to Write Faster (Without Sacrificing Quality)
Can a lifelong discovery writer write faster and embrace structure without losing the magic? Bestselling author Grace Draven wrote 62,000 words in 21 days and says absolutely. In this episode, Grace s...
7 Heinä 40min

#254. How to Outline Your Novel With the Hero’s Journey
Learn how to outline your novel using the Hero’s Journey—without mistaking this classic framework for a complete story blueprint. The Hero’s Journey is one of the most widely recognized story framewor...
30 Kesä 25min

#253. 5 Common Mistakes That Make Your Character Feel Flat
If your protagonist feels vivid in your head but flat on the page, this episode will help you diagnose what’s missing—and fix the specific piece of character development that will make readers care. Y...
23 Kesä 24min

#252. Value Shifts: How to Tell if a Scene Is Working (or Falling Flat)
If you’ve got a scene that feels flat and you can’t figure out why, this episode will help you diagnose what’s really going on—so you know whether the scene is working, needs strengthening, or may not...
16 Kesä 23min

#251. Student Spotlight: 5 Lessons Learned from Notes to Novel (Season 8)
What does it look like to go from feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure about your novel…to finally making real progress? In this episode, I'm sharing five clips from past Notes to Novel students who ...
9 Kesä 34min

#250. Why Your First Draft Doesn't Match the Book in Your Head (with Gala Russ)
A book coach who's written 15 novels pulls back the curtain on what's really happening when your messy first draft disappoints you. Ever finished a chapter, read it back, and realized the words on th...
2 Kesä 48min



















