July 3, 2025 • 17 mins
What if the reason you're stuck on your novel isn't about talent or creativity, but simply a missing piece of the puzzle that could change everything?
Every writer knows that soul-crushing feeling of being completely stuck. Not just procrastinating or battling writer's block, but that specific paralysis where you love your story idea, want to write, but have absolutely no idea how to move forward.
In this episode, you'll hear from three writers who faced this exact challenge in very different ways. Kelsey wrote 11,000 words of an adult fantasy novel before hitting a wall with no idea what should happen next. Liya spent eight years starting and stopping the same young adult series, never making it past the first few chapters. And Danyel loved her idea, but kept running into structural problems she couldn’t solve.
What they discovered transformed not just their current projects, but their entire approach to storytelling—and their breakthroughs reveal exactly what might be missing from your own writing process.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- [05:05] The surprising way that reducing from two point-of-view characters to one solved major structural problems and created more mystery and page-turning tension in a thriller
- [08:00] Why having a flexible outline is like "someone turning on the lights and handing you a map"—and how it can make writing feel fun and exciting again instead of wandering in the dark
- [11:05] How understanding the crucial difference between scenes and chapters unlocked eight years of frustration for one writer and completely transformed her approach to story structure
- [14:15] Why being stuck isn't about lacking talent—it's simply an indication that you're missing a foundational piece of your story
If you’re ready for your breakthrough moment—and want my complete, step-by-step framework for writing a story that works—join the waitlist for the next open enrollment of my Notes to Novel course. Don’t miss your chance to turn your ideas into a finished draft you’re proud of!
🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:
- Grab this free guide to see how real writers (like you!) pushed past the most common writing roadblocks to finish their novels: 5 Writing Roadblocks Keeping You Stuck & How to Break Through
- Danyel Nicole Instagram
- Kelsey Evans Instagram
- Liya Grey Instagram
⭐ Follow & Review
If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!
FREE GUIDE: 5 Writing Roadblocks Keeping You Stuck (& How To Break Through)
👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's really hard to sustain that kind of momentum
when you don't know where thingsare going, and it also doesn't
take any of the creativity outof that just because you have a
framework to work within.
It just means that that's whereyou get to be creative, and
you'll still learn things inyour discovery draft that you
know may not have popped up inyour outline.
But on the whole, writing nowfeels fun and exciting and also
(00:23):
productive, rather than kind ofjust meandering around without
any kind of structure in place.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
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 a brand new
episode with simple, actionableand step-by-step strategies that
you can implement in yourwriting right away.
So, whether you're brand new towriting or more of a seasoned
(00:52):
author looking to improve yourcraft, this podcast is for you.
So pick up a pen and let's getstarted.
In today's episode, we'retalking about one of the most
frustrating experiences inwriting, and that is being
completely stuck.
Not just procrastinating ordealing with writer's block, but
that specific feeling where youknow you want to write, you
(01:13):
love your story idea, but youliterally have no idea how to
move forward.
You're going to hear from threewriters who were stuck in very
different ways.
Very different ways Leah, whohad been working on the same
young adult series since 2015,starting and stopping after just
a few chapters because shecouldn't figure out what wasn't
working.
Kelsey, who hit 11,000 wordsand then stared at her
manuscript with absolutely noidea what should happen next.
(01:36):
And Danielle, who loved herconcept about a missing daughter
but kept running intostructural problems she couldn't
solve.
And here's what I love aboutthese stories.
Each writer thought that theirproblem was unique to them, but
they all discovered they weremissing the same fundamental
piece a clear roadmap for howstories actually work.
Once they learned theframeworks and got the right
(01:58):
guidance and process, everythingclicked into place.
So if you're feeling stuckright now, if you're staring at
your manuscript wondering whatcomes next or why something
fundamental just isn't working,these breakthrough moments will
show you exactly what you mightbe missing.
But before we dive into thedetails, I have something super
exciting to share.
My Notes to Novel course isopening for enrollment very soon
(02:20):
.
This is my signature eight-weekprogram designed to help you
confidently write a story you'reproud of, without the
self-doubt, frustration oroverwhelm that stops most
writers in their tracks.
So if you've been wanting towork with me on your novel and
follow a step-by-step frameworkto turn your ideas into a
finished draft, then this isyour chance.
I'll be sharing more detailssoon, but if you want to be the
(02:42):
first to know when doors openand snag a few extra goodies in
the meantime, make sure you'reon the waitlist at
savannahgilbocom forward slashwaitlist.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Hi there, I'm Danielle Nicole and I'm in the
first year of my novel writingjourney.
A year ago I put action to mydream of writing a fiction novel
and started the process ofoutlining it.
I love reading commercialfiction novels in the worldview
thriller and romance genres, soI'm pretty sure that's where my
book will sit when it's done.
The very first idea for my bookwas to create a story with a
(03:17):
female character that otherwomen could relate to and have a
few laughs with, because theysee some of their own anxieties
or insecurities in my maincharacter as well.
The stories morph quite a bit,but making sure others can
relate to my character with herinsecurities or mother's
intuition is important to me.
Early in the process I startedplotting out my scenes on a wall
(03:39):
in my house with butcher paper,post-it, notes, markers in
every color.
For my day job I facilitatedesign thinking workshops and do
experience journey mapping, sonaturally I went to the wall and
post-its to figure out my story.
But then I soon found out thatthere was a lot to be learned
between plotting out my storyand sitting down to write it.
So I started reading books andfollowing podcasts like
(04:02):
Savannah's to learn about storystructure and I became hooked
like really, really hooked onlearning how to craft a story
that will resonate with readers.
I took Savannah's Notes toMalvel course because I love how
she breaks down story structurein a way that just totally
makes sense, and having accessto her thoughts and feedback in
the class on any questions andinquiries about our own stories
(04:25):
is amazing.
It was also great being in aclass with other writers who are
at different parts of their ownwriting journeys.
I'm all about connecting withother writers so we can cheer
each other on and learn fromeach other.
From the very beginning, Ialways saw my book being written
with two very strong points ofview One as my main character
and her journey to find hercollege-age daughter who's
(04:48):
missing, and the second as thedaughter who is actually missing
.
That's how I came up with theconcept of the story and what
excited me about writing it.
But it wasn't until I wentthrough Savannah's course on
story point of view that Irealized I wasn't approaching
point of view in the best way.
I'd say my biggest aha momentwas when I asked Savannah how to
(05:08):
balance the two points of viewthroughout the story and she
came up with some feedback thatblew my mind Like I couldn't
stop thinking about it.
Savannah suggested I considerwriting with just one point of
view and from the protagonist'sviewpoint, to help leave the
readers more mystery aroundwhat's happening to the daughter
, like if she'll be found or ifsomething terrible has happened.
(05:29):
And after considering thatapproach I realized that would
actually solve a lot of theissues I was coming up against
in my writing and it got meexcited to be able to lean into
my main character's journey moreto find her daughter and
hopefully that will keep readerswanting to keep turning the
pages to find out what happensat the end.
So this suggestion fromSavannah rocked my world for a
(05:52):
little bit, all in a good way,and I had to literally go back
to the drawing board.
But it really helped open upother threads of interactions
between my key characters and itgot me super excited to get
back to writing scenes.
When I look back, it wasnecessary for me to think about
the two different points of viewto help build out what the
missing daughter is goingthrough, what she's thinking, so
(06:15):
that I could visualize what'sactually happening to her.
But that didn't mean I neededto write the story from both
points of view.
I have a plan to reveal thosedetails that I've already
written about later in the storyfrom both points of view.
I have a plan to reveal thosedetails that I've already
written about later in the storyand that gets me so excited to
get to the finish line.
If Savannah hadn't lightlysuggested I reconsider my point
of view structure, I probablywould have kept going down the
(06:37):
path of two points of view andmy story would have probably
fallen off the rails ordefinitely would have been more
complicated than it needed to be.
A great piece of adviceSavannah provided on point of
view is that it's harder forreaders to establish a deep
emotional connection whenthere's multiple point of view
characters that have less pagetime, versus if you were
(06:59):
focusing more on them throughoutthe story.
So that advice, that change inhow I was structuring my point
of view across the story, reallyset me in the right direction
and for that I'm so thankful toSavannah and her Notes to Novel
Class.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Hi everyone.
My name's Kelsey, I'm fromPhiladelphia, on the East Coast,
and I write adult fantasy.
I have been working on a storyfor about two years and I wrote,
you know, 10,000, 11,000 wordsand then was completely stuck
because I had no idea where thestory was going or how to figure
(07:39):
out what else was going tohappen in the story.
I have read a lot of similarbooks, I've read a lot of books
in other genres, but I was neverable to figure out the path
that my writing needed to go tocreate a story that held
together, that had narrativefidelity, that made sense, that
worked, that had narrativefidelity, that made sense, that
(08:03):
worked.
So for me, module four of Notesto Novel was the absolute game
changer.
It was like I had been blindlywandering around a room with the
lights off and then, all of asudden, someone turned on a
light and handed me a map andsaid here's how you get from A
to B and from B to C and C to D.
And so learning how to createaflexible outline, one that you
(08:26):
know had all of those keymoments, those plot points that
people expected, that readersexpected from a novel in my
genre, meant that I was able tostill be really creative and
still figure out different plottwists and still have a really
interesting discovery kind ofdraft, but to do it in a way
(08:46):
that allowed me a way to look atmy story as a whole but also to
show how to get from each ofthose goalposts to the next one.
And for me, that was the thingthat has made just the absolute
biggest difference, and I'm so,so grateful because I'm no
longer, you know, wanderingaround in the dark without a
flashlight and I'm still able tomake adjustments, because the
(09:10):
outline is never really finishedand it allows me to kind of
flex that creative muscle andsee where things could go, but
within the framework of a storythat will make sense, a story
that will work, and so for that,the entire Notes to Novel
course was just hugelyeye-opening for me Learning
about genre and learning aboutscenes and crafting, compelling
(09:33):
protagonists and antagonists andthe roles that people play, and
all of those things were allimmensely helpful, not just in
my work in progress but just myunderstanding of the craft as a
whole.
But in particular, the outlinesection was just like the
biggest aha moment for me, andit's something that I still come
back to even though I'm in thedrafting stage right now, I
(09:54):
still come back to the lessonsthat we had in module four.
I go back and watch themoccasionally just because for me
that was really the thing thathas made the absolute biggest
difference in my writing and itmakes me excited about my story
again.
You know, it's really hard tosustain that kind of momentum
when you don't know where thingsare going, and it also doesn't
(10:15):
take any of the creativity outof that just because you have a
framework to work within.
It just means that that's whereyou get to be creative and
you'll still learn things inyour discovery draft that you
know may not have popped up inyour outline.
But on the whole, writing nowfeels fun and exciting and also
productive, rather than kind ofjust meandering around without
(10:36):
any kind of structure in place.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
Hey there, fellow writers.
I'm aspiring author TaliaMichelle, pen name Leah Gray.
I live in New Jersey and I amalso a wedding photographer and
soon to be wedding planner.
I love young adult fiction,especially action in the sci-fi,
fantasy, commercial genre.
Let me just say that I've beenwriting this young adult series
since 2015.
I always got a few chapters inand then just stopped.
I couldn't figure out whatwasn't working.
(11:02):
In the earlier part of 2023, Idiscovered Savannah's podcast,
which led me to her Notes toNovel course.
This course unlocked a wholenew side of my story.
I had not realized that scenesand chapters were different.
Understanding that part ofstory structure was one of the
biggest reasons why what I hadbeen writing before didn't work.
After going through the course,digging deep into my whys,
character development and plot,I discovered that I can tell the
(11:25):
story I want and make it makesense.
You should have seen what Iplotted out before I took the
course.
It was a train wreck.
There was just action foraction's sake and it didn't
distinguish between the externaland internal genre.
I didn't have a middle either.
I had a beginning and an end,and after notes to novel, I have
finally bridged the gap to tellthe most important parts of the
(11:45):
story.
Seriously, what I had beforewas not great, and I say that
with confidence.
For example, I had six maincharacters right out the gate in
the first chapter.
It was a lot and the charactersdidn't really have their own
goals.
I wasn't thinking about that.
Now, instead of having six maincharacters, I have my one main
character, her group of closefriends and some others spread
out across the journey of thefirst book.
(12:05):
There is flow and pacing thatreally change the shape of my
story.
Another amazing thing about thiscourse is the community.
I have these new friends thatare in the same place that I am
in and they have the sameSavannah Gilbo education.
We all share the same passionand we all want to write stories
that work.
I have some people that I talkto on a regular basis across the
globe that I can depend on forfeedback, ideas and support.
(12:26):
Savannah has built a reallysafe and wonderful virtual world
for us all and it's so great tohave those connections.
I am currently plotting my novel, or should I say re-plotting?
I veered from the course to trymy very first NaNoWriMo.
It wasn't successful for me inthe way that I thought, but I
did learn a lot about my story.
My plot wasn't finished beforeI started, so now I am reworking
(12:46):
and finishing that so I can getmy messy draft done.
Speaking of a messy draft,there was one very, very
important thing that anyperfectionist just like me needs
to know.
My writing is the mostvulnerable part of me.
Something that always held meback from finishing my novel was
the fear of a bad first draft.
Let me tell you, while thatwon't go away 100%, the notes to
(13:07):
novel course taught me how towrite a messy draft that isn't
so messy.
I know that my first officialdraft will be miles better than
it would have been without thecourse.
Savannah walks you through keypieces of storytelling that make
you feel more confident andless anxious about finally
getting that discovery draftdone.
It's OK to have an OK or evenbad first draft.
Having that idea reinforced wascrucial to me.
(13:28):
I used to be scared to tellpeople I was writing a book and
what it was about.
Notes to novel changedeverything for me.
I've told my friends and familyand there are people cheering
me on and I don't feel like suchan imposter anymore.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
I know that I can take my passion for storytelling
and writing and make itsomething worth reading.
All right, so I hope hearingfrom Leah, kelsey and Danielle
gave you the light bulb momentthat you've been waiting for.
Whether it was Leah'srevelation about the difference
between scenes and chapters thatunlocked eight years of
struggle, kelsey's descriptionof outlining as someone turning
on the lights and handing her amap, or Danielle's breakthrough
(14:05):
when expert feedback solved herstructural problem in one
conversation, these storiesprove that being stuck isn't
permanent.
It's just information.
And here's what I want you toremember when you're stuck,
you're not broken.
You're not lacking talent.
You're just missing a piece ofthe puzzle, and the moment you
get that missing piece,everything changes.
Now, if these breakthroughsinspired you to find your own
(14:28):
path forward, I have someexciting news.
Notes to Novel.
My signature eight-week liveprogram is opening for
enrollment on August 19th.
This is the same program thatgave Leah Kelsey, danielle and
hundreds of other stuck writersthe frameworks and expert
feedback they needed to finallymove forward with confidence.
But here's the thing I want youto be prepared when doors open,
(14:50):
because this live round alwaysfills up fast, and that's why
I've created a VIP waitlist thatgives you early access before
the public launch, plus somereally fun and incredible
bonuses while you wait.
When you join the waitlist,you'll get my novel writing
roadblocks guide with realstories like the ones you heard
today, early bird access tonotes to novel, a few free live
(15:12):
Q&A sessions with me, quick andstraightforward mindset videos
to help you break throughcreative blocks, and inspiring
stories from writers who havemade the journey from stuck to
finished, and inspiring storiesfrom writers who've made the
journey from stuck tounstoppable.
Head over to savannagilbocomforward slash waitlist to get on
the VIP waitlist and to getearly access when doors to Notes
(15:34):
to Novel open.
And if you're listening to thisafter August 19th, don't worry,
you can still join the waitlistto be the first to know when
Notes to Novel opens forenrollment again.
All right, so that's it for thisepisode of the Fiction Writing
Made Easy podcast.
All right, so that's it forthis episode of the Fiction
Writing Made Easy podcast.
Head over to savannagilbocomforward slash podcast for the
complete show notes, includingthe resources I mentioned today,
(15:59):
as well as bonus materials tohelp you implement what you've
learned and if you're ready toget more personalized guidance
for your specific writing stage,whether you're just starting
out, stuck somewhere in themiddle of a draft, drowning in
revisions or getting ready topublish, take my free 30-second
quiz at savannahgilbocom forwardslash quiz.
You'll get a customized podcastplaylist that'll meet you right
where you're at and help youget to your next big milestone.
(16:20):
Last but not least, make sureto follow this podcast in your
podcast player of choice,because I'll be back next week
with another episode full ofactionable tips, tools and
strategies to help you become abetter writer.
Until then, happy writing.
It's really hard to sustain that kind of momentum
when you don't know where thingsare going, and it also doesn't
take any of the creativity outof that just because you have a
framework to work within.
It just means that that's whereyou get to be creative, and
you'll still learn things inyour discovery draft that you
know may not have popped up inyour outline.
But on the whole, writing nowfeels fun and exciting and also
(00:23):
productive, rather than kind ofjust meandering around without
any kind of structure in place.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
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 a brand new
episode with simple, actionableand step-by-step strategies that
you can implement in yourwriting right away.
So, whether you're brand new towriting or more of a seasoned
(00:52):
author looking to improve yourcraft, this podcast is for you.
So pick up a pen and let's getstarted.
In today's episode, we'retalking about one of the most
frustrating experiences inwriting, and that is being
completely stuck.
Not just procrastinating ordealing with writer's block, but
that specific feeling where youknow you want to write, you
(01:13):
love your story idea, but youliterally have no idea how to
move forward.
You're going to hear from threewriters who were stuck in very
different ways.
Very different ways Leah, whohad been working on the same
young adult series since 2015,starting and stopping after just
a few chapters because shecouldn't figure out what wasn't
working.
Kelsey, who hit 11,000 wordsand then stared at her
manuscript with absolutely noidea what should happen next.
(01:36):
And Danielle, who loved herconcept about a missing daughter
but kept running intostructural problems she couldn't
solve.
And here's what I love aboutthese stories.
Each writer thought that theirproblem was unique to them, but
they all discovered they weremissing the same fundamental
piece a clear roadmap for howstories actually work.
Once they learned theframeworks and got the right
(01:58):
guidance and process, everythingclicked into place.
So if you're feeling stuckright now, if you're staring at
your manuscript wondering whatcomes next or why something
fundamental just isn't working,these breakthrough moments will
show you exactly what you mightbe missing.
But before we dive into thedetails, I have something super
exciting to share.
My Notes to Novel course isopening for enrollment very soon
(02:20):
.
This is my signature eight-weekprogram designed to help you
confidently write a story you'reproud of, without the
self-doubt, frustration oroverwhelm that stops most
writers in their tracks.
So if you've been wanting towork with me on your novel and
follow a step-by-step frameworkto turn your ideas into a
finished draft, then this isyour chance.
I'll be sharing more detailssoon, but if you want to be the
(02:42):
first to know when doors openand snag a few extra goodies in
the meantime, make sure you'reon the waitlist at
savannahgilbocom forward slashwaitlist.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Hi there, I'm Danielle Nicole and I'm in the
first year of my novel writingjourney.
A year ago I put action to mydream of writing a fiction novel
and started the process ofoutlining it.
I love reading commercialfiction novels in the worldview
thriller and romance genres, soI'm pretty sure that's where my
book will sit when it's done.
The very first idea for my bookwas to create a story with a
(03:17):
female character that otherwomen could relate to and have a
few laughs with, because theysee some of their own anxieties
or insecurities in my maincharacter as well.
The stories morph quite a bit,but making sure others can
relate to my character with herinsecurities or mother's
intuition is important to me.
Early in the process I startedplotting out my scenes on a wall
(03:39):
in my house with butcher paper,post-it, notes, markers in
every color.
For my day job I facilitatedesign thinking workshops and do
experience journey mapping, sonaturally I went to the wall and
post-its to figure out my story.
But then I soon found out thatthere was a lot to be learned
between plotting out my storyand sitting down to write it.
So I started reading books andfollowing podcasts like
(04:02):
Savannah's to learn about storystructure and I became hooked
like really, really hooked onlearning how to craft a story
that will resonate with readers.
I took Savannah's Notes toMalvel course because I love how
she breaks down story structurein a way that just totally
makes sense, and having accessto her thoughts and feedback in
the class on any questions andinquiries about our own stories
(04:25):
is amazing.
It was also great being in aclass with other writers who are
at different parts of their ownwriting journeys.
I'm all about connecting withother writers so we can cheer
each other on and learn fromeach other.
From the very beginning, Ialways saw my book being written
with two very strong points ofview One as my main character
and her journey to find hercollege-age daughter who's
(04:48):
missing, and the second as thedaughter who is actually missing
.
That's how I came up with theconcept of the story and what
excited me about writing it.
But it wasn't until I wentthrough Savannah's course on
story point of view that Irealized I wasn't approaching
point of view in the best way.
I'd say my biggest aha momentwas when I asked Savannah how to
(05:08):
balance the two points of viewthroughout the story and she
came up with some feedback thatblew my mind Like I couldn't
stop thinking about it.
Savannah suggested I considerwriting with just one point of
view and from the protagonist'sviewpoint, to help leave the
readers more mystery aroundwhat's happening to the daughter
, like if she'll be found or ifsomething terrible has happened.
(05:29):
And after considering thatapproach I realized that would
actually solve a lot of theissues I was coming up against
in my writing and it got meexcited to be able to lean into
my main character's journey moreto find her daughter and
hopefully that will keep readerswanting to keep turning the
pages to find out what happensat the end.
So this suggestion fromSavannah rocked my world for a
(05:52):
little bit, all in a good way,and I had to literally go back
to the drawing board.
But it really helped open upother threads of interactions
between my key characters and itgot me super excited to get
back to writing scenes.
When I look back, it wasnecessary for me to think about
the two different points of viewto help build out what the
missing daughter is goingthrough, what she's thinking, so
(06:15):
that I could visualize what'sactually happening to her.
But that didn't mean I neededto write the story from both
points of view.
I have a plan to reveal thosedetails that I've already
written about later in the storyfrom both points of view.
I have a plan to reveal thosedetails that I've already
written about later in the storyand that gets me so excited to
get to the finish line.
If Savannah hadn't lightlysuggested I reconsider my point
of view structure, I probablywould have kept going down the
(06:37):
path of two points of view andmy story would have probably
fallen off the rails ordefinitely would have been more
complicated than it needed to be.
A great piece of adviceSavannah provided on point of
view is that it's harder forreaders to establish a deep
emotional connection whenthere's multiple point of view
characters that have less pagetime, versus if you were
(06:59):
focusing more on them throughoutthe story.
So that advice, that change inhow I was structuring my point
of view across the story, reallyset me in the right direction
and for that I'm so thankful toSavannah and her Notes to Novel
Class.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Hi everyone.
My name's Kelsey, I'm fromPhiladelphia, on the East Coast,
and I write adult fantasy.
I have been working on a storyfor about two years and I wrote,
you know, 10,000, 11,000 wordsand then was completely stuck
because I had no idea where thestory was going or how to figure
(07:39):
out what else was going tohappen in the story.
I have read a lot of similarbooks, I've read a lot of books
in other genres, but I was neverable to figure out the path
that my writing needed to go tocreate a story that held
together, that had narrativefidelity, that made sense, that
worked, that had narrativefidelity, that made sense, that
(08:03):
worked.
So for me, module four of Notesto Novel was the absolute game
changer.
It was like I had been blindlywandering around a room with the
lights off and then, all of asudden, someone turned on a
light and handed me a map andsaid here's how you get from A
to B and from B to C and C to D.
And so learning how to createaflexible outline, one that you
(08:26):
know had all of those keymoments, those plot points that
people expected, that readersexpected from a novel in my
genre, meant that I was able tostill be really creative and
still figure out different plottwists and still have a really
interesting discovery kind ofdraft, but to do it in a way
(08:46):
that allowed me a way to look atmy story as a whole but also to
show how to get from each ofthose goalposts to the next one.
And for me, that was the thingthat has made just the absolute
biggest difference, and I'm so,so grateful because I'm no
longer, you know, wanderingaround in the dark without a
flashlight and I'm still able tomake adjustments, because the
(09:10):
outline is never really finishedand it allows me to kind of
flex that creative muscle andsee where things could go, but
within the framework of a storythat will make sense, a story
that will work, and so for that,the entire Notes to Novel
course was just hugelyeye-opening for me Learning
about genre and learning aboutscenes and crafting, compelling
(09:33):
protagonists and antagonists andthe roles that people play, and
all of those things were allimmensely helpful, not just in
my work in progress but just myunderstanding of the craft as a
whole.
But in particular, the outlinesection was just like the
biggest aha moment for me, andit's something that I still come
back to even though I'm in thedrafting stage right now, I
(09:54):
still come back to the lessonsthat we had in module four.
I go back and watch themoccasionally just because for me
that was really the thing thathas made the absolute biggest
difference in my writing and itmakes me excited about my story
again.
You know, it's really hard tosustain that kind of momentum
when you don't know where thingsare going, and it also doesn't
(10:15):
take any of the creativity outof that just because you have a
framework to work within.
It just means that that's whereyou get to be creative and
you'll still learn things inyour discovery draft that you
know may not have popped up inyour outline.
But on the whole, writing nowfeels fun and exciting and also
productive, rather than kind ofjust meandering around without
(10:36):
any kind of structure in place.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
Hey there, fellow writers.
I'm aspiring author TaliaMichelle, pen name Leah Gray.
I live in New Jersey and I amalso a wedding photographer and
soon to be wedding planner.
I love young adult fiction,especially action in the sci-fi,
fantasy, commercial genre.
Let me just say that I've beenwriting this young adult series
since 2015.
I always got a few chapters inand then just stopped.
I couldn't figure out whatwasn't working.
(11:02):
In the earlier part of 2023, Idiscovered Savannah's podcast,
which led me to her Notes toNovel course.
This course unlocked a wholenew side of my story.
I had not realized that scenesand chapters were different.
Understanding that part ofstory structure was one of the
biggest reasons why what I hadbeen writing before didn't work.
After going through the course,digging deep into my whys,
character development and plot,I discovered that I can tell the
(11:25):
story I want and make it makesense.
You should have seen what Iplotted out before I took the
course.
It was a train wreck.
There was just action foraction's sake and it didn't
distinguish between the externaland internal genre.
I didn't have a middle either.
I had a beginning and an end,and after notes to novel, I have
finally bridged the gap to tellthe most important parts of the
(11:45):
story.
Seriously, what I had beforewas not great, and I say that
with confidence.
For example, I had six maincharacters right out the gate in
the first chapter.
It was a lot and the charactersdidn't really have their own
goals.
I wasn't thinking about that.
Now, instead of having six maincharacters, I have my one main
character, her group of closefriends and some others spread
out across the journey of thefirst book.
(12:05):
There is flow and pacing thatreally change the shape of my
story.
Another amazing thing about thiscourse is the community.
I have these new friends thatare in the same place that I am
in and they have the sameSavannah Gilbo education.
We all share the same passionand we all want to write stories
that work.
I have some people that I talkto on a regular basis across the
globe that I can depend on forfeedback, ideas and support.
(12:26):
Savannah has built a reallysafe and wonderful virtual world
for us all and it's so great tohave those connections.
I am currently plotting my novel, or should I say re-plotting?
I veered from the course to trymy very first NaNoWriMo.
It wasn't successful for me inthe way that I thought, but I
did learn a lot about my story.
My plot wasn't finished beforeI started, so now I am reworking
(12:46):
and finishing that so I can getmy messy draft done.
Speaking of a messy draft,there was one very, very
important thing that anyperfectionist just like me needs
to know.
My writing is the mostvulnerable part of me.
Something that always held meback from finishing my novel was
the fear of a bad first draft.
Let me tell you, while thatwon't go away 100%, the notes to
(13:07):
novel course taught me how towrite a messy draft that isn't
so messy.
I know that my first officialdraft will be miles better than
it would have been without thecourse.
Savannah walks you through keypieces of storytelling that make
you feel more confident andless anxious about finally
getting that discovery draftdone.
It's OK to have an OK or evenbad first draft.
Having that idea reinforced wascrucial to me.
(13:28):
I used to be scared to tellpeople I was writing a book and
what it was about.
Notes to novel changedeverything for me.
I've told my friends and familyand there are people cheering
me on and I don't feel like suchan imposter anymore.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
I know that I can take my passion for storytelling
and writing and make itsomething worth reading.
All right, so I hope hearingfrom Leah, kelsey and Danielle
gave you the light bulb momentthat you've been waiting for.
Whether it was Leah'srevelation about the difference
between scenes and chapters thatunlocked eight years of
struggle, kelsey's descriptionof outlining as someone turning
on the lights and handing her amap, or Danielle's breakthrough
(14:05):
when expert feedback solved herstructural problem in one
conversation, these storiesprove that being stuck isn't
permanent.
It's just information.
And here's what I want you toremember when you're stuck,
you're not broken.
You're not lacking talent.
You're just missing a piece ofthe puzzle, and the moment you
get that missing piece,everything changes.
Now, if these breakthroughsinspired you to find your own
(14:28):
path forward, I have someexciting news.
Notes to Novel.
My signature eight-week liveprogram is opening for
enrollment on August 19th.
This is the same program thatgave Leah Kelsey, danielle and
hundreds of other stuck writersthe frameworks and expert
feedback they needed to finallymove forward with confidence.
But here's the thing I want youto be prepared when doors open,
(14:50):
because this live round alwaysfills up fast, and that's why
I've created a VIP waitlist thatgives you early access before
the public launch, plus somereally fun and incredible
bonuses while you wait.
When you join the waitlist,you'll get my novel writing
roadblocks guide with realstories like the ones you heard
today, early bird access tonotes to novel, a few free live
(15:12):
Q&A sessions with me, quick andstraightforward mindset videos
to help you break throughcreative blocks, and inspiring
stories from writers who havemade the journey from stuck to
finished, and inspiring storiesfrom writers who've made the
journey from stuck tounstoppable.
Head over to savannagilbocomforward slash waitlist to get on
the VIP waitlist and to getearly access when doors to Notes
(15:34):
to Novel open.
And if you're listening to thisafter August 19th, don't worry,
you can still join the waitlistto be the first to know when
Notes to Novel opens forenrollment again.
All right, so that's it for thisepisode of the Fiction Writing
Made Easy podcast.
All right, so that's it forthis episode of the Fiction
Writing Made Easy podcast.
Head over to savannagilbocomforward slash podcast for the
complete show notes, includingthe resources I mentioned today,
(15:59):
as well as bonus materials tohelp you implement what you've
learned and if you're ready toget more personalized guidance
for your specific writing stage,whether you're just starting
out, stuck somewhere in themiddle of a draft, drowning in
revisions or getting ready topublish, take my free 30-second
quiz at savannahgilbocom forwardslash quiz.
You'll get a customized podcastplaylist that'll meet you right
where you're at and help youget to your next big milestone.
(16:20):
Last but not least, make sureto follow this podcast in your
podcast player of choice,because I'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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