January 7, 2025 • 25 mins
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 hands just one year from now?
Being done soon is so tempting. But just being done soon won’t lead to a book you’re proud of, a book you love, a book that accomplishes everything you know it can be.
Does it sound amazing to imagine holding your book in your hands six months from now . . . and still not feel creatively fulfilled?
To flip the pages and know that there’s more you could still fix?
To skim the lines and cringe just a little?
To picture the glorious story vivid in your imagination and wonder what your readers will miss because you couldn’t quite capture it on the page?
No, that doesn’t sound delightful? I didn’t think so.
The book world is filled with services promising to help you finish your book fast. If your dream is to hold your book in your hands this year, there are tons of people out there who can help you make that happen.
But after years of helping writers who seek to craft their very best books, the ones they’re truly proud of, I’ve found that speed is not what you need to get there.
In this episode, I’ll show you:
- What the true work of revising a novel really is,
- Why trying to speed through it will actually hold you back,
- And what to do instead—so that when you finish, the book you share with the world is one you’re immeasurably proud of.
It’s not the popular path. But it’s the only path I know to craft the books you’re truly capable of writing.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Edit your novel with me: alicesudlow.com/contact
- See if I’m the right editor for your book: alicesudlow.com/waitlist
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Alice Shure MV7 (00:00):
Picture this.
One year from now, you'reholding your book in your hands.
You see the gorgeous cover artfeel the slight resistance when
you open the cover for the firsttime.
Run your hands over the soft,smooth paper, flip the pages and
smell that delicious new booksmell.
Or better yet.
You're holding your book.
(00:20):
But it's just six months fromnow.
Or three months.
Or six weeks.
Does that sound amazing?
Holding your book in your hands,six months from now.
Being done soon is so tempting.
But honestly, I think you'llfind that it won't actually
satisfy you.
(00:41):
Just being done soon.
Won't lead to a book that you'reproud of.
A book you love.
A book that accomplisheseverything, you know, it can be.
Does it sound amazing to imagineholding your book in your hands
six months from now?
And still not feeling creativelyfulfilled.
To flip the pages.
(01:02):
And know that there's more, youcould still fix.
To skim the lines and cringejust a little To picture the
glorious story vivid in yourimagination.
And wonder what your readerswill miss, because you couldn't
quite capture it on the page.
No, that doesn't sounddelightful.
I didn't think so.
(01:23):
Finishing books fast is popular.
Speed sells The book world isfilled with services promising
to help you finish your bookfast.
If your dream is to hold yourbook in your hands.
This year, there are tons ofpeople out there who can help
you make it happen.
But after years of helpingwriters who seek to craft their
very best books, the onesthey're truly proud of.
(01:47):
I found that speed is not whatyou need to get there.
In this episode, I'll show youwhat the true work of revising a
novel really is.
Why trying to speed through itwill actually hold you back and
what to do instead.
So that when you finish.
The book you share with theworld is one your immeasurably
proud of.
(02:56):
Welcome back to your next draft.
I am so excited to be back herewith you on the podcast.
I have a lot in store for you in2025.
While the podcast was on hiatus.
I was making a ton of changesbehind the scenes, some big,
some small, some things thatyou'll notice and some that you
might never see, but that make abig difference to me.
(03:16):
I refined everything from thestructure of each episode, to
the topics you'll hear on thepodcast to my recording setup.
If my audio sounds a littledifferent it's because I have a
new podcast studio setup, whichis going to allow me to do the
thing I'm most excited about.
Bring guests onto the podcast.
I have a great lineup of gueststhis year.
But I'll share more about thatin the next episode.
(03:38):
The new feature.
I want to point out to youtoday.
Is this segment right here,Going forward.
I'm going to use the firstcouple of minutes or so after
the intro music and before themain content to give you a brief
update on what's going on in myediting work, this is where I'll
share things like other placesyou can hear me speak freebies,
you can download and openings towork with me.
I'll keep it short.
(03:59):
I love listening to podcasts andI know how annoying it is to
listen to a really long adbreak.
I.
Yeah, I have thoughts on that,but the way that I keep this
podcast running is by workingwith writers and actually
editing novels.
So it's important for me to tellyou how you can do that.
So here's your little crashcourse, intro into my work.
(04:20):
The place that I start with newclients is in story clarity.
It's my first step to revisesecond drafts and beyond.
In story clarity, you and I willdig in deep to figure out
exactly what your story isabout.
What its biggest strengths andweaknesses are and the essential
arts of plot and character atthe heart of your story.
Together, we'll build aminiature outline that will
(04:41):
guide your entire revisionprocess and get you crystal
clarity about the story you'retelling.
If that sounds exciting to you,you can go to Alice Cielo.
low.com/contact and fill out theform there to tell me about your
story and join the waiting list.
I also recommend that you checkout.
Alice said though.com/wishlist,to see the kinds of stories I
edit.
And get a sense of whether I'mthe right fit for your book.
(05:04):
And if you're not yet ready towork with an editor, well,
that's what this podcast is for.
So let's wrap up this update onmy world and let's dive into the
episode.
This is one I am really excitedabout.
I am expecting that it will notbe my most popular content, But
I am really excited to share itwith you.
It's part of the core philosophyof how I'm editing novels in
(05:26):
2025.
So let's dive in.
The book creation world issaturated with promises of
speed.
Write a book in six months orthree months or one month.
Edit that book in six months orsix weeks or six minutes with
the power of AI.
I have lost count of how manytimes I've spoken with writers
(05:48):
and they tell me they want topublish this book by the end of
the year.
We could be talking in Januaryor November, they could be on
their 17th draft or theirsecond.
It doesn't matter.
Their goal is by the end of theyear, regardless of what that
might mean for their creativeprocess or the book they
produce.
And there are so manyorganizations offering writer
(06:09):
services whose primary salespitch is all about helping
writers meet those speed goals.
If you really want to publish abook by the end of the year,
there's no shortage of servicesthat will help you do that.
When the book world makesgrandiose promises like write
and publish your book in 90days.
And when writers tell me theirgoal is to be published by the
end of the year.
(06:30):
The pain points they're pointingto is the same.
Time.
The time you spend on thisproject as if the one and only
challenge with your book, theone thing keeping you from your
novelist dreams is time.
And the fact that books take alot of it.
I think there are a few reasonswhy we're all seduced by speed.
Maybe we think of a year as areally dang long time.
(06:54):
And we imagine surely I will befinished with this project by
the end of a really dang longtime.
Or maybe the writer seekingspeed are working on their first
books And they don't yet knowwhat it takes to go from first
draft to published book.
That journey from first draft topublish booked is a total
mystery to anyone who hasn'tgone through it.
(07:14):
These writers simply haven'texperienced the creative process
all the way through, and theydon't know how long it really
takes.
Or maybe it's because we're justso inundated with messages about
how fast you can create a book.
And those get translated intopressure that we put on
ourselves about how soon weshould be done.
Whatever the cause the result isthe same.
(07:34):
We are eager to finish our bookssoon.
And what did you like that to bedone soon?
The thing is when you pin yourhopes here, you're imagining a
future where you have apublished book soon.
And because of that alone, youwere happy.
More than that.
You're satisfied.
Proud.
You feel creatively fulfilled,like you've accomplished the
(07:57):
staggeringly difficult goal thatyou set yourself.
And that simply isn't true.
That's not how this works.
Getting your published book inyour hands faster.
Won't lead to the fulfillment.
You're seeking.
And that's because all of thesesolutions focused on speed are
solving the wrong problem.
Worse.
(08:17):
When you follow the lure ofspeed, not only do you get
caught up solving the wrongproblem, that speed actually
takes you further away fromsolving the true problem.
The true problem is not thatyour book isn't published yet.
The true problem.
Is that there is a gap betweenwhat your manuscript is and
(08:38):
what, you know, it could be.
The true problem is that whenyou read your pages as they are
right now, They don't match whatyou envision.
Your story could be somethingisn't quite translating from
your imagination to the page,the rich and beautiful story
world, the irresistible plot,the unforgettable characters you
see in your mind's eye.
(08:59):
Well on the page, they're dullforgettable.
Extremely resistible.
And if you're honest withyourself, If you were to rush to
print right now, you wouldn'tfeel creative fulfillment.
You'd actually feeldisappointment, dissatisfaction.
Like in some way, you'd letyourself and your story down.
That is the true pain points.
(09:21):
The gap between what your bookis and what you want it to be
between the impact that it hasand the impact, you know, it
could have between how much youcringe when you reread your
pages now and how proud you wantto be of every single word.
It is really, really tempting totry to solve this problem with
speed.
(09:42):
After all we're used to two dayshipping and instant streaming
and fast food.
In short, we are accustomed tosolving problems quickly.
Our expectations for speed inevery other area of our lives
bleed over into the creativerealm to nevermind that crafting
a novel is not like optimizing ashipping route.
If we could get ourselves out ofthe discomfort of creating and
(10:05):
into the comfort of havingcreated in just two days.
We absolutely would.
And it's not just that we'reused to solving problems
quickly.
The great thing about addressinga problem by going faster is
that it doesn't require you todo anything different.
It asks you to do all the samethings you were already doing
just with a quicker pace.
(10:26):
No need to stretch yourself bylearning something new, just do
old familiar things faster.
Plus if you're like me, the actof going faster is itself
familiar because you're used tohustling.
Just do more work, work longerhours set, tighter deadlines,
sprint faster to meet them.
There are so many areas of mylife, where I have bull.
(10:47):
Headedly tried to solve problemssimply by hustling harder.
And sometimes more hustle isexactly what the problem
required.
But when it comes to closing thegap between what your manuscript
is and what it could become,hear me say this.
Hustle doesn't help.
The creative gap is not aproblem that can be solved with
(11:07):
more hustle.
Because here's the thing, thefactor that both tempts us to
speed and makes that very speedwork against us.
When we speed up, we move out ofthe realm of deep thought and
creative exploration and we moveinto rapid execution.
Rapid execution is the doing ofthe thing.
(11:28):
It's where you're literallymaking changes on the page,
crossing out old words andwriting a new ones.
Deep thought and creativeexploration or the strategizing
of the thing.
This is where you're examiningthe problems in your story that
needs solving, and thenimagining a dozen possible
solutions and evaluating them toselect the right ones.
It's the thinking that comesbefore the doing.
(11:51):
And it tends to be a lot moredifficult and a lot less
tangible than executionexecution looks and feels
productive.
Deep thought and creativeexploration often don't look or
feel productive.
So it's super tempting to skipover them in favor of speed.
But this temptation is a falserelief.
(12:11):
Speed is the opposite of whatthis problem needs.
The reality is to close the gapbetween good and great between
what is and what could be.
You must slow down.
And here we come to the crux ofthe matter.
when I've seen proven over andover again in manuscript, after
manuscript.
(12:32):
Great revision takes time.
It's simply requires you to moveslowly.
Now, if that statement makes youuncomfortable, if you're feeling
some resistance here, I get it.
I promise I get it.
I've heard the pushback fromwriters many times, and I felt
it myself, my own unwillingnessto embrace the truth that I have
(12:53):
suspected for a really longtime.
We're all swimming in the samewaters here.
The same pull towards speed.
I'm not exempt.
For years, I have avoided sayingon my website, how long a client
can expect to work with me torevise their novel.
I felt so much pressure to setshort timelines for quick
turnarounds, because if I didn'tthen writers wouldn't want to
work with me.
(13:14):
And then I would feel pressureto deliver outcomes that simply
do not fit within thosetimelines.
I felt like my options wereeither to race against the clock
and constantly feel like I wasdisappointing myself and my
clients or to state plainly howlong the real work will take and
then have no clients at all.
Fighting the inherent slownessof great revision stressed me
(13:37):
out so much.
So I'm not doing that anymore.
I'm choosing option three,embracing it as a feature, not a
bug and inviting you into thismindset shift with me.
And so I'll tell you right nowhow long it takes when a writer
decides to work with me and werevise their book together.
Here's what that process lookslike.
It begins with my story claritypackage.
(13:59):
In this space, the writer bringsme their manuscripts and an
outline that reflects it.
We examine the story.
The writer has built so far andwe dig deep, deep into questions
of why they're writing thatstory.
What it really means, how thecharacters progress through an
arc of change, how the plot isstructured.
We get crystal clarity on whatthe story is truly about.
(14:20):
And we build a miniatureoutline.
That will be the corescaffolding of the entire story.
This process takes two months.
Once we have clarity about whatthe story is.
We move into the story refinery.
Here we expand that miniatureoutline into a full scene by
scene map of the entire story.
That can take another one to twomonths.
(14:41):
And then we shift from planningto execution.
The writer revises theirmanuscripts to match that new
outline as they do each week, weworkshop one scene together,
exploring all the hidden nuancedways to make that scene.
Truly unputdownable.
When I work like this through anentire draft of the writer, the
process takes nine to 12 months.
(15:03):
If you were doing the maththat's 16 months, total From the
beginning of planning, one roundof deep provision to the end of
revising that draft.
And this is all in addition tothe months or years, the writer
has spent working on multipledrafts of their manuscript
before working with me.
The results of all of this workand especially all this time to
(15:25):
let that work breathe.
Is an excellent manuscript.
The result is a draft.
The writer is incredibly proudof when that finally matches
their vision of the story intheir head.
The result is a rich andbeautiful story world.
An irresistible plot,unforgettable characters.
The result is closing the gapbetween what their manuscript is
(15:47):
and what it can be.
The result is the creativefulfillment that comes with
accomplishing a staggeringlydifficult goal.
The result is solving the trueproblem.
And it can only be accomplishedwhen we dedicate the time that
revision truly takes.
If you're like most writers Italk with, you're probably still
(16:08):
not convinced and that's okay.
Like I said, I get it.
This is not popular.
So, I'm not asking you tobelieve me.
So wholeheartedly adopt everyword that I say right now, but I
hope you'll listen to why I holdso strongly to an approach that
scares so many writers.
Let's talk about what's slowingdown really means.
What does it actually look liketo slow down?
(16:30):
What happens in that space withall that extra time?
In my experience, writers arereally afraid to slow down.
They're afraid that slowing downmeans they're not making
progress.
That they're stagnating.
That they're stuck sitting onthe same problem for weeks or
months without any idea of howto move forward.
(16:50):
That they're spinning theirwheels, editing the same scene
over and over because it keepsthem busy.
But they can't tell whethertheir changes are really
improving it.
They're afraid that slowing downmeans they're stopping that
progress means executing changeson the page.
And if they're not doing that,they're not doing anything
worthwhile.
None of this is what I'm talkingabout.
(17:11):
When I say revision requires youto slow down.
You're right.
Stagnation getting stuck,spinning your wheels, stopping.
None of that will help you makeprogress.
None of that is the true work ofprovision.
So, what is the true work ofrevision?
I mentioned earlier thatspeeding up, moves you out of
deep exploration and intoexecution.
(17:33):
That deep exploration that getslost with speed.
That is the true work ofrevision.
Because at the heart of storyare the biggest questions that
we grapple with as the humanrace questions.
Like how do you process grief?
How do you find meaning in lifeafter devastating loss?
How do you navigate society andthe face of tyranny?
(17:55):
How do you stay true to yourselfwhen your community pressures
you to change?
When you look at when you reallysee the most awful things you've
ever done, how do you loveyourself?
What is justice?
How do you repair the brokenthings of this world?
The relationships, the systems,the people who are hurt.
What do you do when somethingcannot be repaired?
(18:18):
These questions are enormous.
They were at the heart of who weare as individuals.
They were at the heart of who weare as a species.
We have been grappling with themcollectively for millennia, and
we have never yet found answersso simple and satisfactory that
we can stop asking thequestions.
When you revise a story at itsdeepest level, what you are
(18:40):
doing is seeking out thatenormous unanswerable question
that underpins your entirestory.
And then you, the writer.
Or exploring your own answer toit.
How do you answer the questionof grief?
Of tyranny of justice.
Of broken things.
Simply finding the question is aHerculean feat.
(19:03):
And finding your answer.
Philosophers have debated thesequestions for as long as we've
had language to express them.
Of course you can't possiblyfind your answer in the span of
an hour or a day.
You to need time and space toprocess and explore ideas to
name a thousand unsatisfactoryanswers before you land on the
one that rings true to you.
(19:25):
This is the work.
Of revision.
The true work of revision liesin this deep thinking.
It's not about fixing words hereor there.
It's about finding the questionsat the heart of your story and
sitting with them long enough toallow your conscious and
unconscious mind to piecetogether your own answers.
(19:47):
And make no mistake at thedeepest level of revision.
This work is happening in everypart of your story.
It's easiest to see in the bigpicture when we're, replotting
the story and revising theoutline, finding the question
and the answer are the mostimportant things that I do with
clients in story clarity.
But this is also at the heart ofevery scene at it.
(20:08):
I do throughout the storyrefinery.
When a writer brings me justthree pages of story and asks
for my help and revising them.
I take us here to this level ofdeep exploration, every single
time.
My hope is that you too arestarting to see what I've
witnessed again and again, andagain.
That the way to craft excellentbooks is to give yourself time,
(20:30):
to allow the deep thinking tohappen in the revision process.
I do not know.
I have another way to craftexcellent books.
If you're still feelingresistance though.
Well, I'm not surprised.
Like I said, I have heard fromwriters and felt in myself so
much pushback against thisreality, the truth of what
revision requires.
(20:51):
And I can think of a couple ofreally valid reasons why that
resistance is still there.
First, maybe you're feelingresistance because this kind of
revision is not, what'simportant to you.
My goal is to help writers,craft excellent novels.
I love to work with writers whotreat a single book as a work of
art that they want to nurtureand develop until it represents
(21:12):
their very best work.
I love telling stories thatexplore what it means to be
human and that help usunderstand ourselves and our
world a little bit better.
I love supporting writers whowant their books, not simply to
be read, but to be beloved bytheir readers.
For writers like that, workingon books like that, this kind of
slow revision is imperative.
(21:34):
It's essential.
Unskippable that sort of booksimply doesn't happen without
this.
But maybe you're not working ona book like that.
Maybe you're measuring successdifferently.
For instance, there's a hugecommunity of rapid release
authors who published two orthree or six books a year for
those writers.
Success is a numbers game.
(21:54):
They're very aware of how theirrevenue increases with each
release and how it dips.
If the gap between booksstretches too long.
And they figured out how to makea financially lucrative career
as a writer.
For rapid release writers.
Speed is the core problem tosolve and figuring out how to
infuse deep meaning into theirbooks is not.
And that's okay.
The beauty of writing is that weall get to choose what values
(22:17):
are most important to each ofus.
And we all get to define successon our own terms.
It is absolutely.
Okay.
If your values are differentfrom mine.
If you're a rapid releasewriter, you'll probably really
enjoy this podcast because it ischock full of editing strategies
that you can apply at your ownpace.
And you probably really won'tenjoy working with me.
(22:37):
One-on-one because I'll move tooslowly for your release
schedule.
But maybe you're not a rapidrelease writer.
Maybe when I listed out myvalues.
A book as a work of art,striving to create your very
best work, exploring what itmeans to be human crafting a
story that will be beloved byreaders.
You were nodding along thinking,yes, that's me.
And yet you too are feelingresistance.
(22:59):
Because honestly you havealready been at this for what
feels like forever.
You have edited your way throughso many drafts.
You're losing count.
You have poured everythingyou've got into your story and
you can't see how to level it upin any meaningful way.
And yet the gap is still thereand you're wondering.
I will more work, more time,more drafts, really close it.
(23:21):
Is it really worth it to slowdown and revise yet?
Again?
Well, more investment in yourbook really be worth it.
Will it really make a differenceor will it be a waste?
Well, you ended up with a bookthat still just works and
nothing more, no matter how muchmore you pour into it.
If that's you.
Then I am here with good news.
The highlight of my year, thebest thing I've learned this
(23:43):
year about editing novels.
Yes, you absolutely can takeyour good manuscript and
transform it into anirresistible book.
The investment you make to dothat will not be a waste.
It will be the thing that closesthe gap between cringe and
proud.
This is worth it.
And if closing that gap mattersdeeply to you and you can't see
(24:05):
how to do it, it's time to slowdown and call in support.
Because when you go slowly withintentionality and the right
support, you will level up yourmanuscripts and to something
beyond what you ever knew, youwere capable of.
So in 2025, I'm embracing slowrevision as a feature, not a
bug.
I'm building this intentionalslowness into every way.
(24:28):
I work with writers and I'msharing that transparently.
So you know what to expect andwhy.
If you decide to join me instory clarity and invite me into
your story, know that I willnever rush you.
I'll never put pressure on youto speed through any step.
I'll hold you accountable tomaking progress.
Yes.
But it's more likely that I'llinvite you to create more space
(24:48):
and time for your revision.
Not less.
And I encourage you to do thesame.
Give yourself the gift ofslowness.
Carve out time to wrestle withthe deep questions at the heart
of your story.
Create wide open space, free ofpressure or demands to allow the
ideas closest to your heart tobubble up.
This is the path to excellentstories.
(25:12):
It's not fast.
And it's not popular, but it is.
Oh, so beautiful and rewarding.
I hope you'll join me on it.
Happy editing.
Picture this.
One year from now, you'reholding your book in your hands.
You see the gorgeous cover artfeel the slight resistance when
you open the cover for the firsttime.
Run your hands over the soft,smooth paper, flip the pages and
smell that delicious new booksmell.
Or better yet.
You're holding your book.
(00:20):
But it's just six months fromnow.
Or three months.
Or six weeks.
Does that sound amazing?
Holding your book in your hands,six months from now.
Being done soon is so tempting.
But honestly, I think you'llfind that it won't actually
satisfy you.
(00:41):
Just being done soon.
Won't lead to a book that you'reproud of.
A book you love.
A book that accomplisheseverything, you know, it can be.
Does it sound amazing to imagineholding your book in your hands
six months from now?
And still not feeling creativelyfulfilled.
To flip the pages.
(01:02):
And know that there's more, youcould still fix.
To skim the lines and cringejust a little To picture the
glorious story vivid in yourimagination.
And wonder what your readerswill miss, because you couldn't
quite capture it on the page.
No, that doesn't sounddelightful.
I didn't think so.
(01:23):
Finishing books fast is popular.
Speed sells The book world isfilled with services promising
to help you finish your bookfast.
If your dream is to hold yourbook in your hands.
This year, there are tons ofpeople out there who can help
you make it happen.
But after years of helpingwriters who seek to craft their
very best books, the onesthey're truly proud of.
(01:47):
I found that speed is not whatyou need to get there.
In this episode, I'll show youwhat the true work of revising a
novel really is.
Why trying to speed through itwill actually hold you back and
what to do instead.
So that when you finish.
The book you share with theworld is one your immeasurably
proud of.
(02:56):
Welcome back to your next draft.
I am so excited to be back herewith you on the podcast.
I have a lot in store for you in2025.
While the podcast was on hiatus.
I was making a ton of changesbehind the scenes, some big,
some small, some things thatyou'll notice and some that you
might never see, but that make abig difference to me.
(03:16):
I refined everything from thestructure of each episode, to
the topics you'll hear on thepodcast to my recording setup.
If my audio sounds a littledifferent it's because I have a
new podcast studio setup, whichis going to allow me to do the
thing I'm most excited about.
Bring guests onto the podcast.
I have a great lineup of gueststhis year.
But I'll share more about thatin the next episode.
(03:38):
The new feature.
I want to point out to youtoday.
Is this segment right here,Going forward.
I'm going to use the firstcouple of minutes or so after
the intro music and before themain content to give you a brief
update on what's going on in myediting work, this is where I'll
share things like other placesyou can hear me speak freebies,
you can download and openings towork with me.
I'll keep it short.
(03:59):
I love listening to podcasts andI know how annoying it is to
listen to a really long adbreak.
I.
Yeah, I have thoughts on that,but the way that I keep this
podcast running is by workingwith writers and actually
editing novels.
So it's important for me to tellyou how you can do that.
So here's your little crashcourse, intro into my work.
(04:20):
The place that I start with newclients is in story clarity.
It's my first step to revisesecond drafts and beyond.
In story clarity, you and I willdig in deep to figure out
exactly what your story isabout.
What its biggest strengths andweaknesses are and the essential
arts of plot and character atthe heart of your story.
Together, we'll build aminiature outline that will
(04:41):
guide your entire revisionprocess and get you crystal
clarity about the story you'retelling.
If that sounds exciting to you,you can go to Alice Cielo.
low.com/contact and fill out theform there to tell me about your
story and join the waiting list.
I also recommend that you checkout.
Alice said though.com/wishlist,to see the kinds of stories I
edit.
And get a sense of whether I'mthe right fit for your book.
(05:04):
And if you're not yet ready towork with an editor, well,
that's what this podcast is for.
So let's wrap up this update onmy world and let's dive into the
episode.
This is one I am really excitedabout.
I am expecting that it will notbe my most popular content, But
I am really excited to share itwith you.
It's part of the core philosophyof how I'm editing novels in
(05:26):
2025.
So let's dive in.
The book creation world issaturated with promises of
speed.
Write a book in six months orthree months or one month.
Edit that book in six months orsix weeks or six minutes with
the power of AI.
I have lost count of how manytimes I've spoken with writers
(05:48):
and they tell me they want topublish this book by the end of
the year.
We could be talking in Januaryor November, they could be on
their 17th draft or theirsecond.
It doesn't matter.
Their goal is by the end of theyear, regardless of what that
might mean for their creativeprocess or the book they
produce.
And there are so manyorganizations offering writer
(06:09):
services whose primary salespitch is all about helping
writers meet those speed goals.
If you really want to publish abook by the end of the year,
there's no shortage of servicesthat will help you do that.
When the book world makesgrandiose promises like write
and publish your book in 90days.
And when writers tell me theirgoal is to be published by the
end of the year.
(06:30):
The pain points they're pointingto is the same.
Time.
The time you spend on thisproject as if the one and only
challenge with your book, theone thing keeping you from your
novelist dreams is time.
And the fact that books take alot of it.
I think there are a few reasonswhy we're all seduced by speed.
Maybe we think of a year as areally dang long time.
(06:54):
And we imagine surely I will befinished with this project by
the end of a really dang longtime.
Or maybe the writer seekingspeed are working on their first
books And they don't yet knowwhat it takes to go from first
draft to published book.
That journey from first draft topublish booked is a total
mystery to anyone who hasn'tgone through it.
(07:14):
These writers simply haven'texperienced the creative process
all the way through, and theydon't know how long it really
takes.
Or maybe it's because we're justso inundated with messages about
how fast you can create a book.
And those get translated intopressure that we put on
ourselves about how soon weshould be done.
Whatever the cause the result isthe same.
(07:34):
We are eager to finish our bookssoon.
And what did you like that to bedone soon?
The thing is when you pin yourhopes here, you're imagining a
future where you have apublished book soon.
And because of that alone, youwere happy.
More than that.
You're satisfied.
Proud.
You feel creatively fulfilled,like you've accomplished the
(07:57):
staggeringly difficult goal thatyou set yourself.
And that simply isn't true.
That's not how this works.
Getting your published book inyour hands faster.
Won't lead to the fulfillment.
You're seeking.
And that's because all of thesesolutions focused on speed are
solving the wrong problem.
Worse.
(08:17):
When you follow the lure ofspeed, not only do you get
caught up solving the wrongproblem, that speed actually
takes you further away fromsolving the true problem.
The true problem is not thatyour book isn't published yet.
The true problem.
Is that there is a gap betweenwhat your manuscript is and
(08:38):
what, you know, it could be.
The true problem is that whenyou read your pages as they are
right now, They don't match whatyou envision.
Your story could be somethingisn't quite translating from
your imagination to the page,the rich and beautiful story
world, the irresistible plot,the unforgettable characters you
see in your mind's eye.
(08:59):
Well on the page, they're dullforgettable.
Extremely resistible.
And if you're honest withyourself, If you were to rush to
print right now, you wouldn'tfeel creative fulfillment.
You'd actually feeldisappointment, dissatisfaction.
Like in some way, you'd letyourself and your story down.
That is the true pain points.
(09:21):
The gap between what your bookis and what you want it to be
between the impact that it hasand the impact, you know, it
could have between how much youcringe when you reread your
pages now and how proud you wantto be of every single word.
It is really, really tempting totry to solve this problem with
speed.
(09:42):
After all we're used to two dayshipping and instant streaming
and fast food.
In short, we are accustomed tosolving problems quickly.
Our expectations for speed inevery other area of our lives
bleed over into the creativerealm to nevermind that crafting
a novel is not like optimizing ashipping route.
If we could get ourselves out ofthe discomfort of creating and
(10:05):
into the comfort of havingcreated in just two days.
We absolutely would.
And it's not just that we'reused to solving problems
quickly.
The great thing about addressinga problem by going faster is
that it doesn't require you todo anything different.
It asks you to do all the samethings you were already doing
just with a quicker pace.
(10:26):
No need to stretch yourself bylearning something new, just do
old familiar things faster.
Plus if you're like me, the actof going faster is itself
familiar because you're used tohustling.
Just do more work, work longerhours set, tighter deadlines,
sprint faster to meet them.
There are so many areas of mylife, where I have bull.
(10:47):
Headedly tried to solve problemssimply by hustling harder.
And sometimes more hustle isexactly what the problem
required.
But when it comes to closing thegap between what your manuscript
is and what it could become,hear me say this.
Hustle doesn't help.
The creative gap is not aproblem that can be solved with
(11:07):
more hustle.
Because here's the thing, thefactor that both tempts us to
speed and makes that very speedwork against us.
When we speed up, we move out ofthe realm of deep thought and
creative exploration and we moveinto rapid execution.
Rapid execution is the doing ofthe thing.
(11:28):
It's where you're literallymaking changes on the page,
crossing out old words andwriting a new ones.
Deep thought and creativeexploration or the strategizing
of the thing.
This is where you're examiningthe problems in your story that
needs solving, and thenimagining a dozen possible
solutions and evaluating them toselect the right ones.
It's the thinking that comesbefore the doing.
(11:51):
And it tends to be a lot moredifficult and a lot less
tangible than executionexecution looks and feels
productive.
Deep thought and creativeexploration often don't look or
feel productive.
So it's super tempting to skipover them in favor of speed.
But this temptation is a falserelief.
(12:11):
Speed is the opposite of whatthis problem needs.
The reality is to close the gapbetween good and great between
what is and what could be.
You must slow down.
And here we come to the crux ofthe matter.
when I've seen proven over andover again in manuscript, after
manuscript.
(12:32):
Great revision takes time.
It's simply requires you to moveslowly.
Now, if that statement makes youuncomfortable, if you're feeling
some resistance here, I get it.
I promise I get it.
I've heard the pushback fromwriters many times, and I felt
it myself, my own unwillingnessto embrace the truth that I have
(12:53):
suspected for a really longtime.
We're all swimming in the samewaters here.
The same pull towards speed.
I'm not exempt.
For years, I have avoided sayingon my website, how long a client
can expect to work with me torevise their novel.
I felt so much pressure to setshort timelines for quick
turnarounds, because if I didn'tthen writers wouldn't want to
work with me.
(13:14):
And then I would feel pressureto deliver outcomes that simply
do not fit within thosetimelines.
I felt like my options wereeither to race against the clock
and constantly feel like I wasdisappointing myself and my
clients or to state plainly howlong the real work will take and
then have no clients at all.
Fighting the inherent slownessof great revision stressed me
(13:37):
out so much.
So I'm not doing that anymore.
I'm choosing option three,embracing it as a feature, not a
bug and inviting you into thismindset shift with me.
And so I'll tell you right nowhow long it takes when a writer
decides to work with me and werevise their book together.
Here's what that process lookslike.
It begins with my story claritypackage.
(13:59):
In this space, the writer bringsme their manuscripts and an
outline that reflects it.
We examine the story.
The writer has built so far andwe dig deep, deep into questions
of why they're writing thatstory.
What it really means, how thecharacters progress through an
arc of change, how the plot isstructured.
We get crystal clarity on whatthe story is truly about.
(14:20):
And we build a miniatureoutline.
That will be the corescaffolding of the entire story.
This process takes two months.
Once we have clarity about whatthe story is.
We move into the story refinery.
Here we expand that miniatureoutline into a full scene by
scene map of the entire story.
That can take another one to twomonths.
(14:41):
And then we shift from planningto execution.
The writer revises theirmanuscripts to match that new
outline as they do each week, weworkshop one scene together,
exploring all the hidden nuancedways to make that scene.
Truly unputdownable.
When I work like this through anentire draft of the writer, the
process takes nine to 12 months.
(15:03):
If you were doing the maththat's 16 months, total From the
beginning of planning, one roundof deep provision to the end of
revising that draft.
And this is all in addition tothe months or years, the writer
has spent working on multipledrafts of their manuscript
before working with me.
The results of all of this workand especially all this time to
(15:25):
let that work breathe.
Is an excellent manuscript.
The result is a draft.
The writer is incredibly proudof when that finally matches
their vision of the story intheir head.
The result is a rich andbeautiful story world.
An irresistible plot,unforgettable characters.
The result is closing the gapbetween what their manuscript is
(15:47):
and what it can be.
The result is the creativefulfillment that comes with
accomplishing a staggeringlydifficult goal.
The result is solving the trueproblem.
And it can only be accomplishedwhen we dedicate the time that
revision truly takes.
If you're like most writers Italk with, you're probably still
(16:08):
not convinced and that's okay.
Like I said, I get it.
This is not popular.
So, I'm not asking you tobelieve me.
So wholeheartedly adopt everyword that I say right now, but I
hope you'll listen to why I holdso strongly to an approach that
scares so many writers.
Let's talk about what's slowingdown really means.
What does it actually look liketo slow down?
(16:30):
What happens in that space withall that extra time?
In my experience, writers arereally afraid to slow down.
They're afraid that slowing downmeans they're not making
progress.
That they're stagnating.
That they're stuck sitting onthe same problem for weeks or
months without any idea of howto move forward.
(16:50):
That they're spinning theirwheels, editing the same scene
over and over because it keepsthem busy.
But they can't tell whethertheir changes are really
improving it.
They're afraid that slowing downmeans they're stopping that
progress means executing changeson the page.
And if they're not doing that,they're not doing anything
worthwhile.
None of this is what I'm talkingabout.
(17:11):
When I say revision requires youto slow down.
You're right.
Stagnation getting stuck,spinning your wheels, stopping.
None of that will help you makeprogress.
None of that is the true work ofprovision.
So, what is the true work ofrevision?
I mentioned earlier thatspeeding up, moves you out of
deep exploration and intoexecution.
(17:33):
That deep exploration that getslost with speed.
That is the true work ofrevision.
Because at the heart of storyare the biggest questions that
we grapple with as the humanrace questions.
Like how do you process grief?
How do you find meaning in lifeafter devastating loss?
How do you navigate society andthe face of tyranny?
(17:55):
How do you stay true to yourselfwhen your community pressures
you to change?
When you look at when you reallysee the most awful things you've
ever done, how do you loveyourself?
What is justice?
How do you repair the brokenthings of this world?
The relationships, the systems,the people who are hurt.
What do you do when somethingcannot be repaired?
(18:18):
These questions are enormous.
They were at the heart of who weare as individuals.
They were at the heart of who weare as a species.
We have been grappling with themcollectively for millennia, and
we have never yet found answersso simple and satisfactory that
we can stop asking thequestions.
When you revise a story at itsdeepest level, what you are
(18:40):
doing is seeking out thatenormous unanswerable question
that underpins your entirestory.
And then you, the writer.
Or exploring your own answer toit.
How do you answer the questionof grief?
Of tyranny of justice.
Of broken things.
Simply finding the question is aHerculean feat.
(19:03):
And finding your answer.
Philosophers have debated thesequestions for as long as we've
had language to express them.
Of course you can't possiblyfind your answer in the span of
an hour or a day.
You to need time and space toprocess and explore ideas to
name a thousand unsatisfactoryanswers before you land on the
one that rings true to you.
(19:25):
This is the work.
Of revision.
The true work of revision liesin this deep thinking.
It's not about fixing words hereor there.
It's about finding the questionsat the heart of your story and
sitting with them long enough toallow your conscious and
unconscious mind to piecetogether your own answers.
(19:47):
And make no mistake at thedeepest level of revision.
This work is happening in everypart of your story.
It's easiest to see in the bigpicture when we're, replotting
the story and revising theoutline, finding the question
and the answer are the mostimportant things that I do with
clients in story clarity.
But this is also at the heart ofevery scene at it.
(20:08):
I do throughout the storyrefinery.
When a writer brings me justthree pages of story and asks
for my help and revising them.
I take us here to this level ofdeep exploration, every single
time.
My hope is that you too arestarting to see what I've
witnessed again and again, andagain.
That the way to craft excellentbooks is to give yourself time,
(20:30):
to allow the deep thinking tohappen in the revision process.
I do not know.
I have another way to craftexcellent books.
If you're still feelingresistance though.
Well, I'm not surprised.
Like I said, I have heard fromwriters and felt in myself so
much pushback against thisreality, the truth of what
revision requires.
(20:51):
And I can think of a couple ofreally valid reasons why that
resistance is still there.
First, maybe you're feelingresistance because this kind of
revision is not, what'simportant to you.
My goal is to help writers,craft excellent novels.
I love to work with writers whotreat a single book as a work of
art that they want to nurtureand develop until it represents
(21:12):
their very best work.
I love telling stories thatexplore what it means to be
human and that help usunderstand ourselves and our
world a little bit better.
I love supporting writers whowant their books, not simply to
be read, but to be beloved bytheir readers.
For writers like that, workingon books like that, this kind of
slow revision is imperative.
(21:34):
It's essential.
Unskippable that sort of booksimply doesn't happen without
this.
But maybe you're not working ona book like that.
Maybe you're measuring successdifferently.
For instance, there's a hugecommunity of rapid release
authors who published two orthree or six books a year for
those writers.
Success is a numbers game.
(21:54):
They're very aware of how theirrevenue increases with each
release and how it dips.
If the gap between booksstretches too long.
And they figured out how to makea financially lucrative career
as a writer.
For rapid release writers.
Speed is the core problem tosolve and figuring out how to
infuse deep meaning into theirbooks is not.
And that's okay.
The beauty of writing is that weall get to choose what values
(22:17):
are most important to each ofus.
And we all get to define successon our own terms.
It is absolutely.
Okay.
If your values are differentfrom mine.
If you're a rapid releasewriter, you'll probably really
enjoy this podcast because it ischock full of editing strategies
that you can apply at your ownpace.
And you probably really won'tenjoy working with me.
(22:37):
One-on-one because I'll move tooslowly for your release
schedule.
But maybe you're not a rapidrelease writer.
Maybe when I listed out myvalues.
A book as a work of art,striving to create your very
best work, exploring what itmeans to be human crafting a
story that will be beloved byreaders.
You were nodding along thinking,yes, that's me.
And yet you too are feelingresistance.
(22:59):
Because honestly you havealready been at this for what
feels like forever.
You have edited your way throughso many drafts.
You're losing count.
You have poured everythingyou've got into your story and
you can't see how to level it upin any meaningful way.
And yet the gap is still thereand you're wondering.
I will more work, more time,more drafts, really close it.
(23:21):
Is it really worth it to slowdown and revise yet?
Again?
Well, more investment in yourbook really be worth it.
Will it really make a differenceor will it be a waste?
Well, you ended up with a bookthat still just works and
nothing more, no matter how muchmore you pour into it.
If that's you.
Then I am here with good news.
The highlight of my year, thebest thing I've learned this
(23:43):
year about editing novels.
Yes, you absolutely can takeyour good manuscript and
transform it into anirresistible book.
The investment you make to dothat will not be a waste.
It will be the thing that closesthe gap between cringe and
proud.
This is worth it.
And if closing that gap mattersdeeply to you and you can't see
(24:05):
how to do it, it's time to slowdown and call in support.
Because when you go slowly withintentionality and the right
support, you will level up yourmanuscripts and to something
beyond what you ever knew, youwere capable of.
So in 2025, I'm embracing slowrevision as a feature, not a
bug.
I'm building this intentionalslowness into every way.
(24:28):
I work with writers and I'msharing that transparently.
So you know what to expect andwhy.
If you decide to join me instory clarity and invite me into
your story, know that I willnever rush you.
I'll never put pressure on youto speed through any step.
I'll hold you accountable tomaking progress.
Yes.
But it's more likely that I'llinvite you to create more space
(24:48):
and time for your revision.
Not less.
And I encourage you to do thesame.
Give yourself the gift ofslowness.
Carve out time to wrestle withthe deep questions at the heart
of your story.
Create wide open space, free ofpressure or demands to allow the
ideas closest to your heart tobubble up.
This is the path to excellentstories.
(25:12):
It's not fast.
And it's not popular, but it is.
Oh, so beautiful and rewarding.
I hope you'll join me on it.
Happy editing.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.