213. 5 Expert Tips To Edit Your Messy First Draft Without The Overwhelm

Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_03 (00:00):
Your if-only statements can be like a North

(00:02):
Star guiding you through yourrevision.
They can help you see where yourstory got off track.
Maybe you lost sight of yourprotagonist's external goal.
Or it can help you understandwhy your story seems to flatten
out sometimes.
It could be you've lost track ofyour internal arc of change.

SPEAKER_01 (00:22):
Welcome to the Fiction Writing Made Easy
Podcast.
My name is Savannah Gilbo, andI'm here to help you write a
story that works.
I want to prove to you thatwriting a novel doesn't have to
be overwhelming.
So each week I'll bring you abrand new episode with simple,
actionable, and step-by-stepstrategies that you can
implement in your writing rightaway.
So whether you're brand new towriting or more of a seasoned

(00:43):
author looking to improve yourcraft, this podcast is for you.
So pick up a pen and let's getstarted.
In today's episode, we'retackling a question that I know
so many of you are asking, andthat question is, how do I even
start revising this messy firstdraft that I just finished?
Now, finishing a first draft isa massive accomplishment.
Seriously, you should be soproud.

(01:05):
But then comes that moment whenyou stare at the pages and you
think, now what?
Where do I even start?
Well, to help answer thatquestion, I've brought together
five book coaches to share theirbest tips for editing your messy
first draft.
So you're gonna hear from MonicaCox, who will show you how to
finally see what's actually onthe page, not just what you
think is there.
You'll hear from Nita Collins,who will help you uncover the

(01:27):
one core message that keeps yourrevisions focused.
You'll hear from Elise Seal, whobreaks down how to tackle
revisions in manageable piecesso you don't get overwhelmed.
You'll hear from Aaron Haldin,who shares a two-sentence tool
that instantly clarifies whatyour story is really about.
And you'll hear from Aisha Ali,who reveals why starting with
your ending can save you monthsand months of work.

(01:48):
Now, these editors and thesebook coaches have helped
countless writers turn messydrafts into polished
manuscripts.
And I know their advice willhelp you as well.
So whether you've just typed theend or if you're knee-deep in
revisions already, let's dive inwith our first tip from Monica
Cox.

SPEAKER_00 (02:06):
Hi, my name is Monica Cox and I'm a writer and
a book coach.
I help communicationsprofessionals honor their
creative dreams, apply theirskills to fiction, and finish
their novels.
And I love helping writersthrough the revision process.
Over the course of my ownwriting and working with
writers, I have found that thefirst step of revision is often
the most overlooked, the firstread-through.
In order to make the most ofyour first read through, you

(02:28):
need to enter a reader'smindset.
So let's back up a second andtake a look at the three
different mindsets we encounterduring the writing process.
The first is the writer'smindset.
This is where you turn off yourinner critic and allow yourself
to simply write a messy firstdraft.
You can experiment, try newthings, discover your story as
you go, and just let yourimagination run wild.
No idea is a bad idea in awriter's mindset.

(02:50):
Eventually you do need to inviteyour inner critic back to the
table to employ the secondmindset, the editor's mindset
that will help you throughrevision.
This allows you to identify thethings that aren't working in
your story and do the work offixing them.
It's this mindset that knows tohold on to your story and keep
working until you're sure it'sready for outside eyes.
But there is a third mindset,this reader's mindset.

(03:11):
Writers who skip this step ofthe process may find themselves
unfocused or overwhelmed duringrevision.
You may jump into line edits toosoon because it feels like
progress, or worse, you mayfixate on plot instead of the
emotional layer of theprotagonist's arc of change,
leaving your revision incompleteand forcing another revision
pass, or several.
Reading your draft like yourideal readers allows you to see

(03:33):
what is actually on the page,not what you thought you put
there.
You can see things like wherethe story is dragged down by too
much backstory or where theprotagonist is acting out of
character.
You can better identify plotholes and weak stakes, and you
can also start to see yourthemes more clearly and
appreciate all the good thingsyou did on the page while
drafting.
Taking a beat to read your draftlike your ideal reader allows

(03:55):
you to then analyze how what youread matches up with the story
you intended to tell as awriter.
Putting those two thingstogether, what the writer
intended in the writer's mindsetand what the reader experiences
in the reader's mindset is whatarms our editor's mindset with
the right plan for revising inorder to create your perfect
story.
So how do you do this?

(04:16):
There are a few easy things todo to place yourself in the
mindset of a reader.
First, know who your idealreader is.
Understand their motivations forpicking up your specific book.
What do they hope to get out ofit?
Know what worries them and whatdelights them.
Spend some time exploring whoyour reader is first and get
specific.
Make that person real to you.

(04:37):
Next, take a break from yourmanuscript.
When you finish a rough draft,your entire story world is still
swimming around in your head.
You need some distance from thepage in order to see it clearly
with fresh eyes.
Take a few days at the veryleast, a few weeks is better,
and if you can spare a month or90 days, do it.
When it's time to read throughthe manuscript, change the font.

(04:58):
This is such a small step, butan important one to trick your
eye from autofilling things thataren't actually on the page.
Read your manuscript on a devicethat is not the one you created
it on.
Put it on an e-reader or atablet, maybe even print it out
as a hard copy.
But whatever you do, do notstart editing.
We're reading like a reader now,so no red pens or track changes

(05:18):
just yet.
If you need to, keep a notepadwith you when you read and jot
down only big picture problemsyou see, like a lack of stakes
on the page or a charactermaking choices that aren't
justified by what the readerknows so far.
Don't worry about continuityerrors or those line level
changes.
Those things will still jump outat you later during the revision
process.
Keep yourself in the reader'smindset of enjoying the story as

(05:40):
long as possible.
Finally, read in a place that isdifferent from where you write.
Read where you normally wouldread for pleasure to trick your
brain into thinking this isn't astory you've written, but rather
something else that's separatefrom you.
Personally, I like to read on myporch swing or curled up on the
sofa with a cozy blanket and cupof tea, like I would for any
other book.
Once you finish reading yourdraft, ask yourself questions a

(06:01):
reader might ask themselvesbefore writing a review.
What is the story about?
What did it mean to you?
What did you love about thestory?
And what could be improved?
Starting with these high-levelquestions will help you see the
bigger picture first, allowingyou to identify trends so you
can make a more specific list ofrevision needs.
This outside-in approach armsyour editor's mind with the

(06:22):
comprehensive information youneed to focus your revision
process, making it moreefficient and effective.
Now you can revise withconfidence knowing you're
creating the next five-star bookyour ideal reader will be
recommending to her book club.
Happy revising.

SPEAKER_01 (06:38):
Monica just shared a really golden tip here, and I
want to really emphasize thispoint about the reader's mindset
because it's such an easy thingto skip.
We think we know what's on thepage because we wrote the draft,
right?
But there is often a huge gapbetween what we intended and
what actually makes it onto thepage.
So I love all of Monica'spractical tips: changing the
font, reading from a differentdevice, even sitting in a

(07:01):
different location.
These might seem like smallthings, but they really do help
you see your manuscript withfresh eyes.
And here's something I'll add.
When you're in that reader'smindset, pay attention to where
you get bored or confused.
Those are the exact spots youractual readers will struggle to.
So mark them.
But like Monica said, don'tstart editing yet.
Just observe and take notes.

(07:21):
This will set you up for a muchmore effective revision process.
All right, so thank you so much,Monica, for sharing that tip.
As always, I will put the linksto where you can find Monica
around the internet in the shownotes.
Next up, we're going to hearfrom Nita Collins.
So let's dive right into hertip.

SPEAKER_02 (07:39):
Hi, I'm Nita Collins.
I'm a book coach in BritishColumbia, Canada.
And what I really enjoy doing isworking with writers who are
revising a finished draft or arestuck in the middle of a working
draft.
And I thought I would talk aboutthe first things that you should
do when you finish that messyfirst draft.

(07:59):
And the reason I wanted to talkabout it is because I've just
finished the first draft of myown current work in progress.
So that means I'm standing atexactly the same stage in the
process as you are.
So you'll have heard thisbefore, but the very, very,
very, very first thing that weall need to do when we finish
that draft is take our hands offthe keyboard and put the story

(08:20):
away for a little bit.
And it's also the hardest thingto do because we always want to
just dig in there and get towork and fix all the things.
But I'd like you to think aboutyour novel like it's a hot cup
of coffee.
That first cup of coffee in themorning, and you're holding it
in your hands, and you'rebreathing in the steam, and your
head is just full of thatwonderful coffee smell.

(08:41):
It's so good.
And it's all you can thinkabout.
And that's where you are in thestory right now.
Your head is full of it.
And before you can revise, youhave to let some space clear
away.
The story has to dissipate, likethe steam coming off of that hot
cup of coffee.
But while the story isdissipating, you're not going to
be doing nothing.

(09:02):
You're going to be thinkingabout the first revision
question that you need to askyourself.
And that is, what is my story'spoint?
What is it that I want my readerto take away with them when they
finish my book?
What is it that you, the writer,want to say through the medium
of this novel about the world?
If you could have a bumpersticker made for your book, what

(09:23):
would the bumper sticker say?
So if you're writing romance,it's probably love conquers all.
But what if you're not writing aromance?
What if you're writing a sciencefiction?
What if you're Cormac McCarthywriting The Road, which is very
dark and dystopian?
The bumper sticker for thatnovel might be love conquers all
even in the face of great evil.
Or what if you're writing comedyor women's fiction?

(09:45):
The bumper sticker forConfessions of a Shopaholic by
Sophie Consella might be that aperson's value doesn't depend on
material possessions or theapproval of others, though we
each have intrinsic value.
And as you revise, you'll wantto think that your protagonist's
arc of change should walk handin hand with that story point
the same way that the maincharacter in Confessions of a

(10:08):
Shopaholic does, Rebecca.
So your story point is yourtouchstone as you revise.
So every time your story triesto run off into the left field,
you're gonna reel it back inwith that bumper sticker point.
So it makes sense that it's thefirst thing you need to clarify
for yourself.
So why is this so important?
It's important because a novelthat resonates emotionally is

(10:31):
one in which the readerinternalizes the story point
through the protagonist's arc ofchange.
Remember, protagonist's arc ofchange should walk hand in hand
with the story point.
Same way that Rebecca inConfessions of a Shopaholic did.
So now I guess you have to goread that book.
Make your bumper sticker short.

(10:56):
Your personal worth doesn't comefrom how much you own.
So whatever that argument isthat you're trying to make,
whatever your story point isthat you want your reader to
take away with them, write itdown on a sticky and put it on
your wall.
And that's my tip.
While you're waiting for thatstory to dissipate in your mind,
examine the point that you setout to make.
Or if you didn't think aboutthis before you started writing,

(11:19):
think about it now.
What was the underlying messagethat you discovered as you
wrote?
Your point is your touchstonethat's going to keep you
centered throughout your entirerevision.
And it's going to make it be thething that emotionally resonates
with your reader.
And that's my tip.
And keep writing.
Can't wait to read your stuff.

SPEAKER_01 (11:40):
I love Nita's coffee metaphor.
Your head really is full ofsteam right after finishing a
draft.
And she's so right about needingthat distance before you can
revise effectively.
But what I really want tohighlight is this idea of the
bumper sticker for your book,your story's point.
And this connects beautifully tosomething you're going to hear
Elise talk about later, which isstarting with your story's

(12:01):
theme.
It's all about knowing whatyou're trying to say.
So I love that.
I really love Nita's examplestoo, because they are perfect.
So while you're letting yourmanuscript cool off, I want you
to really think about this.
What's the one thing you wantreaders to take away from your
book?
Write that on a sticky note, putit where you can see it, and let
it guide every revision decisionthat you make.

(12:21):
All right, so thank you to Nitafor sharing that tip.
We will link to where you canfind Nita around the internet in
the show notes as well.
Next up, you're gonna hear fromElise Seal.
So let's dive right into Elise'sclip.

SPEAKER_05 (12:34):
Hey everyone, I'm Elise Seal, and I help fantasy,
FiFi, and children's picturebook writers turn their rough
drafts into stories thatcaptivate readers by providing
story structure.
Today I want to share a tip forediting your messy first draft
and help you go from feelingoverwhelmed to feeling in
control of your story.
So today's tip is to start bylooking at the big picture of

(12:55):
your story.
So many writers skip thisbecause it can feel
overwhelming.
Like there's too much to tackleat once.
And instead, they go from startto finish when they're editing.
But the thing is, you need tolook at the big picture first.
You need to see the whole story.
And here's the paradox Bybreaking the big picture into
smaller steps, you manage boththe details and the vision of

(13:18):
your story.
So in practice, this meansfocusing on one element at a
time, like plot, character arcs,or world building.
Always considering how eachpiece serves the story as a
whole and how they relate toeach other.
Editing the entire novel at onceis impossible.
But layering one part at a timemakes the process manageable and

(13:38):
even enjoyable.
This approach helps transformediting into a rewarding and
dare I say fun experience thatbrings out the best in your
story.
So without a clear step-by-stepapproach, editing can turn into
an endless loop of revisions.
Writers who try to fixeverything at once often end up
jumping from one scene toanother, changing things at

(14:00):
random, and sometimes these cancreate more problems.
And even feeling like they'renot even making any progress.
This kind of scattered editingcan lead to frustration,
burnout, and even abandoning thestory at altogether.
So helping you apply thisstep-by-step approach.
Start by picking one big pictureelement to focus on first.

(14:21):
Start wherever makes sense toyou.
This is how I like to do it withmy clients.
Begin with the theme or thestory's point.
I had my clients write downtheir story's core theme.
The number one most importanttheme.
This is the message they wanttheir readers to come away with.
And then you have to askyourself, is it coming through
clearly in the draft?

(14:42):
If not, what are we gonna doabout that?
Next, we move to characterdevelopment.
The point of your book is bestexpressed to character growth.
So is your protagonist's journeyimproving your point?
Next, we look at the plot.
Are the external events forcingyour protagonist to change?
And are there meaningfulchallenges or choices that test

(15:03):
your protagonists?
Because there has to be anexternal journey as well as an
internal one.
So after that, I like to turn toworld building.
So think of it and layering thestructure one piece at a time.
By working through these bigelements in order, you can make

(15:23):
intentional changes withoutgetting lost in the detail too
early.
When you approach editing bylooking at the big picture
first, the whole process feelsclearer and more productive.
Instead of endlessly rewritingthe same scenes, you're actually
moving forward, makingmeaningful changes each round
because you see the big pictureand you see where each scene

(15:45):
should go and how the storyshould flutten.

SPEAKER_01 (15:49):
I love how Elise breaks this down because she's
absolutely right.
Trying to edit everything atonce is a recipe for overwhelm.
And that scattered approach thatshe mentioned, I see that happen
all the time.
Writers jumping from scene toscene and making random changes
that sometimes create moreproblems than they solve.
And what really resonates withme about what Elise shared is
her layered approach.

(16:10):
So starting with theme, thencharacter development, then
plot, and then world building.
It's so logical when you thinkabout it.
Your theme is your North Starand everything else should
support that theme.
So take Elise's advice, pick oneelement and focus on just that
in your first pass.
Trust me and trust Elise thatyour future self will thank you
for not trying to fix everythingat once.

(16:32):
And as always, we will link towhere you can find Elise around
the internet in the show notes.
Alright, now next up we're gonnahear from Erin Hald.
So let's just dive right intoErin's clip.

SPEAKER_03 (16:44):
Hello, writers.
My name is Erin Halden.
I'm a developmental editor andcertified book coach.
I'm also a writer, just likeyou, and I know how overwhelming
it can be to be staring down arevision of a messy first draft.
I've been there.
I have a tip for you today thatcan help you begin to see the
story forest for the trees.
I call it your if-onlystatements.

(17:04):
This is a pair of statementsthat gets down to the essence of
your protagonist's external goaland internal need, the two key
building blocks of your story.
The more clarity you have onthese, the stronger your story
will become in revision.
The first if-only statement iswhat I call the protagonist's
if-only statement.
As your story starts, yourprotagonist should have

(17:25):
something they consciously want,something they're consciously
longing for or working towards.
This is their external goal.
They're looking at their lifeand thinking, if only this thing
would happen, then everythingwould be okay.
If only I'd get the promotion,get the guy, get picked to go on
the mission.
Whatever it is, it should betangible and ring with some
urgency for your protagonist.

(17:46):
So that's your first if-onlystatement.
The second is what I call thewriter's if-only statement.
This one gets at yourprotagonist's internal need.
Just like with the externalgoal, your protagonist must walk
onto the first page of the storywith an internal need.
The difference is they aren'tfully aware of this need.
This is what they'll learnthrough the adventure of the

(18:06):
story.
But you, the writer, need toknow what this internal need is
right from the start.
This if-only statement is you,the writer, looking at your
protagonist and thinking, ifonly my protagonist would learn
this thing, then everythingreally will be okay.
The power of the if-onlystatements lies in this
spotlight they shine on thesetwo key pieces of your story.

(18:29):
Your protagonist's external goalpoints you to your external plot
arc.
It's all the ways they're tryingto achieve their goal, the
decisions and choices they make,the consequences they face.
So once you've zeroed in on yourprotagonist's if only, look at
the key plot points in yourstory.
Are they related to her tryingto achieve her external goal?

(18:49):
Is she actively working on thatgoal, going after it one way and
then another?
Or does that goal disappear fromthe page, muddying your through
line and pulling your story offtrack?
Your protagonist's internal needpoints you to your internal arc
of change, the thing theprotagonist needs to learn, the
change they need to grow.
Each external plot point shouldput pressure on the

(19:10):
protagonist's internal need,pushing them toward their moment
of change.
So again, take a look at yourkey external plot points.
Are they putting pressure onthat internal need?
Is that pressure mounting?
Is it pushing your protagonistto their moment of change?
Let's take a look at if onlystatements in action.
Let's say you're working on amiddle grade story about a girl

(19:33):
named Jane who wants to get herseparated parents back together
before they finalize theirdivorce.
At the start of the story,Jane's if-only statement is, if
only I could get my parents backtogether, then everything would
be okay.
Her external plot arc then isall the way she tries again and
again to get her parents backtogether.
Your writer's if-only statement,as you look at Jane at the start

(19:56):
of the story, would be, if onlyJane would learn that change is
a part of life and she'll stillbe loved, then everything really
will be okay.
Each external plot point, tryingto get the parents back together
one way and then another, putspressure on Jane's internal need
to learn that she'll survivethis big change.
As you build towards the climaxof the story, where Jane's

(20:16):
latest attempt fails but finallyreveals to her parents how hurt
and scared she is.
At that moment, your internalarc of change steps in and
delivers the story's resolution.
Jane learns that letting go oftrying to control the situation
between her parents and justtalking to them about how she's
feeling will help her navigatethis scary change with love and
support instead of alone.

(20:38):
Your if-only statements can belike a North Star guiding you
through your revision.
They can help you see where yourstory got off track.
Maybe you lost sight of yourprotagonist's external goal.
Or it can help you understandwhy your story seems to flatten
out sometimes.
It could be you've lost track ofyour internal arc of change.
So ask yourself, how would yourprotagonist fill in the blank?

(21:02):
If only blank would happen, theneverything would be okay.
And how would you fill in theblank?
If only my protagonist wouldlearn blank, then everything
really will be okay.
Once you've got thesestatements, keep them close by
as you revise.
Good luck and happy writing.

SPEAKER_01 (21:21):
That if only framework that Erin shared is
brilliant.
And I want to emphasize why itworks so well.
These two statements, what yourprotagonist thinks they want
versus what they actually need,that is the engine of your
entire story.
I especially love the exampleshe gave about Jane trying to
get her parents back together.
Yes, the external goal is clear,but her internal need or

(21:42):
learning that she'll be okaydespite the change, that's what
gives the story its emotionalpower.
Now, here's what I'll add.
Write these statements down andkeep them visible while you
revise.
Every scene should either moveyour protagonist toward their
external goal or challenge theirinternal need.
If a scene doesn't do either, itmight need to be heavily edited
so that it does, or it mightneed to go on the chopping

(22:04):
block.
So thank you to Erin for sharingthis because these if-only
statements can really be yourguiding light as you go through
revisions.
And as always, we will link towhere you can find Erin around
the internet in the show notes.
All right, now next up we'regoing to hear from Aisha Ali.
So let's dive right into Aisha'sclip.

SPEAKER_04 (22:23):
Everyone, my name is Aisha Ali, and I'm a book coach
specializing in science fictionand fantasy.
As a book coach, I really lovedrilling down into the heart of
a story and using crafttechniques to take it to the
next level.
And I hope the tip I have foryou today will help you do the
same.
When Savannah asked for tips onrevising your first draft, I
began to think about the firsttime I revised my own work.

(22:45):
The key to my revision processis the climactic scene.
What is the climactic scene?
The climactic scene is thequestion opened in the beginning
of your novel.
It's when your protagonistfinally confronts the problem
they've been wrestling with.
Whatever happens, whether yourprotagonist achieves their goal
or fails at their goal orrealizes that something else is

(23:05):
more important than their goal,the climactic scene ties
together the threads of yourstory and is the best place to
begin untangling those threads.
It's essential to actually writeyour climactic scene.
Even if you have an idea of whatyou want to happen, there's
information you won't have untilit's done, and which you will
need for revisions.
The first thing you'll discoverin your climactic scene is which

(23:26):
characters actually show up andwho doesn't.
The characters who do show upneed to appear in earlier
scenes.
If a bit player suddenlyperforms an important role, they
need more page time.
But if a major character doesn'tshow up, it's helpful to ask
why.
For example, my protagonist'sbrother didn't appear in my
climactic scene, even thoughhe's been her strongest

(23:48):
supporter throughout the novel.
Exploring why this happeneduncovered a fascinating subplot
and also strengthened theoverall story.
The second thing you'll discoverafter writing your climactic
scene is which skills yourprotagonist will end up using.
I don't know about you, but myprotagonist goes through a lot
in my first draft.
I throw anything and everythingat them and hope that at least

(24:11):
some of it will help.
Knowing exactly which skillscome into play will clear away
the excess.
On a similar note, the climacticscene tells you which inner
barriers your protagonist needsto overcome.
What's the difference betweenskill and inner barrier?
Skills allow the protagonist totake action.
Overcoming inner barriers givethem the confidence to do so.

(24:32):
As you revise, you can craftscenes to show your protagonist
growth in both areas.
Finally, your protagonist willchange after facing the events
of the story.
This change reflects in thespecific actions they take in
your climactic scene.
When I started my manuscript, Iknew my protagonist has anger
issues, but anger management isa huge spectrum.

(24:53):
What does she learn?
Did she learn to suppress heranger, redirect it, show
compassion?
Or perhaps that there's no shamein emotions?
All of these have very differentpaths leading to them.
So once I knew which to focuson, I was better able to shape
her journey through the story.
And you can do the same when youdiscover what actions your
protagonist takes in theclimactic scene.

(25:15):
At this point, you might befeeling a bit of that dreaded
imposter syndrome.
There's so much writing on thisone scene.
What do you do if it's notperfect?
Don't worry.
Your climactic scene can andwill be re-written as you go
through revisions.
What's important at this pointis the information you gain from
examining it.
Who shows up and who doesn't?

(25:36):
What skills does yourprotagonist use?
What inner barriers do they needto overcome?
And what specific actions dothey take to show their change?
Thank you, Savannah, forinviting me to talk about
revision.
And I hope you all have gainedsomething useful from all of
this.

SPEAKER_01 (25:54):
I love this approach that Aisha shared, and it makes
total sense when you think aboutit.
Your climactic scene is whereeverything comes together, or at
least it should be.
And what I love about thistechnique is how it works
backwards.
So instead of revisingchronologically, you're starting
with your destination and makingsure every road leads there.
And the questions that Aishaasks are key.

(26:15):
Who shows up?
What skills does yourprotagonist use?
What inner barriers do theyovercome?
And the answers to thesequestions tell you exactly what
needs to be set up earlier inyour story.
Now, don't worry if yourclimactic scene isn't perfect
yet.
Like Aisha said, you can rewriteit.
The point is to use it as adiagnostic tool to see what your
story needs.
So thank you so much for sharingthat, Aisha.

(26:37):
And for anyone who wants toconnect with Aisha, we will put
all of her links in the shownotes.
Now, here's one thing I want youto keep in mind as you walk away
from today's episode.
You don't need to use all fiveof these strategies at once.
Start with the one that speaksto where you're stuck.
Maybe it's getting some distancefrom your story like Monica
suggested.
Maybe it's revising in layersper Elise's tip, or maybe it's

(26:58):
Aisha's climax first approach.
No matter which one you chooseto implement, the key is that
you pick one and get started.
Because yes, finishing yourfirst draft is a huge
accomplishment, but now it'stime to shape that messy first
draft into the story it's meantto be.
And remember, every book youlove went through the same messy
revision process, just likeyours will.

(27:18):
So a big thank you to Monica,Nita, Elise, Erin, and Aisha for
sharing their experience andtheir words of wisdom with us
today.
As a reminder, I will put all oftheir links in the show notes in
case you want to go say hello orlet them know that their
strategy resonated with you.
Alright, so that's it for thisepisode of the Fiction Writing
Made Easy Podcast.
Head over to savannagilbo.comforward slash podcast for the

(27:42):
complete show notes, includingthe resources I mentioned today,
as well as bonus materials tohelp you implement what you've
learned.
And if you're ready to get morepersonalized guidance for your
specific writing stage, whetheryou're just starting out, stuck
somewhere in the middle of adraft, drowning in revisions, or
getting ready to publish, takemy free 30-second quiz at
savannagilbo.com forward slashquiz.

(28:03):
You'll get a customized podcastplaylist that'll meet you right
where you're at and help you getto your next big milestone.
Last but not least, make sure tofollow this podcast in your
podcast player of choice becauseI'll be back next week with
another episode full ofactionable tips, tools, and
strategies to help you become abetter writer.
Until then, happy writing.

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