Real writers share how they broke free from endless rewrites and abandoned drafts to finally finish their novels in just 90 days—using the exact framework that can unlock your story too.

In this episode, I’m sharing real, inspiring stories from fiction writers who went from stuck and overwhelmed to finishing their novels using the exact framework I teach in Notes to Novel.

You’ll hear from fantasy writers, contemporary fiction authors, and more—writers who were trapped in endless rewrites, drowning in revision loops, or paralyzed by perfectionism. They all discovered that finishing a novel isn’t about working harder—it’s about having the right process.

Here’s what you’ll learn from their breakthroughs:

• [02:25] How Jennifer broke free from a 3-year struggle with the same manuscript by treating her outline as a flexible “map” instead of a rigid plan.
• [06:30] Why Nefer finally escaped a 5-year line editing loop by focusing on story structure before prose—and how this one shift transformed her writing process.
• [10:25] How Tiara went from writing 2,000-word short stories to completing an 80,000-word novel without feeling overwhelmed—by breaking it into manageable scenes.
• [14:00] The moment Jen realized she didn’t need an MFA to write fiction—just a clear strategy—and finished her first draft in 90 days after spending 2 years stuck on 10 pages.
• [16:55] How Sheila used genre frameworks to outline a 4-book series AND a standalone novel after spinning her wheels despite reading every craft book out there.

Whether you’re stuck rewriting Chapter 1, have abandoned manuscripts piling up, or feel paralyzed by novel structure, these writers prove that finishing your book is possible—even with a busy life and no formal creative writing training.

Ready to make your own breakthrough? Enrollment for Notes to Novel closes on August 28th, and we won’t open again until next year. Head to savannahgilbo.com/notes-to-novel to learn more and join the program that’s helped over 800 writers make real progress on their books.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Learn more about Notes to Novel
• Jennifer Landers on Instagram
• Nefer Doane’s website and Instagram
• Tiara Ito’s website and Instagram
• Sheila Holmes on Instagram

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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!

NOTES TO NOVEL IS OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT! 🎉 No more false starts. No more guesswork. In just 8 weeks, you’ll have the clarity, confidence, and system to finally write your novel—and keep going. Enrollment closes August 28th! Join Notes to Novel now →

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👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

Have you ever sat down to write a novel and thought, “Where do I even begin?” Or maybe you’ve started writing, but something feels... off. The story isn’t coming together the way you imagined, and you’re not sure why.

You’re not alone. Most writers struggle with this because they’re missing the foundational elements that make a story work. It’s not about writing beautiful sentences or having a brilliant idea—it’s about knowing how to build a story that readers can’t put down.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the five key elements every successful novel needs to hook agents and readers. Whether you’re just starting your first draft or revising for querying, this episode will help you craft a story that works and keeps readers turning the pages.

Tune in to learn:

• [02:40] Why beautiful prose isn’t enough to get published—and the real reason agents reject manuscripts
• [03:45] The 5 essential elements every successful novel needs to hook agents and readers
• [04:15] How to create characters readers care about—even if they’re not “likable”
• [05:20] Why stakes and conflict are the backbone of every compelling story (and how to get them right)
• [08:25] The secret to crafting an emotional journey that keeps readers turning pages

If you’ve been focusing on perfecting your prose but struggling to create a story that works—or if you’ve faced rejection despite positive feedback on your writing style—this episode will transform how you approach novel writing and the publishing process.

⭐ 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!

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Ready to finally write the novel you’ve been dreaming of? Join Notes to Novel—my 8-week live coaching program where I’ll guide you step-by-step to craft a compelling story agents request, and readers devour. Enrollment is open now, but doors close soon—grab your spot today!

NOTES TO NOVEL IS OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT! 🎉 No more false starts. No more guesswork. In just 8 weeks, you’ll have the clarity, confidence, and system to finally write your novel—and keep going. Enrollment closes August 28th! Join Notes to Novel now →

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

After years of getting stuck at chapter six, Gina Elizabeth finally discovered the missing piece that helped her finish writing not just one novel, but two books in a single year.

Today I'm chatting with Gina Elizabeth, indie fantasy romance author of the Bonded in Blood series (and Notes to Novel graduate!), about her transformation from someone who couldn't finish a book to a published author of multiple books.

In this episode, you'll hear us talk about things like:

• [04:00] Why she couldn't get past chapter 6 for two decades—and the surprising tool she didn't even know existed that changed everything
• [09:15] How learning to outline a novel actually freed Gina’s creativity instead of stifling it (plus why her outline felt "chaotic and crazy" but worked anyway)
• [10:50] What happened when I suggested Gina cut 20% of her draft (and how she turned those cut scenes into a prequel novella that readers love)
• [20:30] The "write forward" technique that helped Gina overcome writer's block and finish her first draft in 6-12 months
• [25:00] A behind-the-scenes look at Gina’s marketing plans, including what’s working so far and what she still plans to do before book 2’s release

If you're tired of abandoned manuscripts and ready to finally finish your novel, Gina's journey from 20 years of false starts to published author proves it's never too late to learn how. Press play to discover the exact strategies that helped her break through the chapter six curse for good.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Hunted (Bonded By Blood) by Gina Elizabeth
• Hide: A Bonded In Blood Novella by Gina Elizabeth
• Gina Elizabeth on Instagram
• Gina Elizabeth’s Website
• Join the Notes to Novel waitlist

⭐ 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!

NOTES TO NOVEL IS OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT! 🎉 No more false starts. No more guesswork. In just 8 weeks, you’ll have the clarity, confidence, and system to finally write your novel—and keep going. Enrollment closes August 28th! Join Notes to Novel now →

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

The myth that plotting kills creativity is keeping countless discovery writers stuck in an endless cycle of abandoned manuscripts—but what if structure could actually set your creativity free?

If you're a pantser convinced that outlining will ruin your creative process, or you've been discovery writing through multiple unfinished manuscripts, this episode will change how you think about story structure.

You'll hear from three committed pantsers who thought outlining meant creative death. Katherine could sprint to 50k words in three weeks but spent a year editing manuscripts she'd abandon. Bree followed "only see as far as your headlights" advice for a decade, stuck on the same 25 pages. Casey watched her stories die in the middle with no way forward.

Their discoveries transformed their entire approach to storytelling—proving that the right structure actually amplifies creativity instead of stifling it.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• [03:15] How a discovery writer transformed 7 abandoned manuscripts into a polished novel by creating a "flexible outline" while drafting—eliminating 9 months of developmental editing
• [4:50] The simple daily practice of checking scenes for goal, motivation, and conflict that turned a chronic underwriter's 50k-word sprint into a robust 72k-word draft
• [08:45] Why the common pantser advice to "only see as far as your headlights" kept one writer stuck on the same 25 pages for a decade (and what finally freed her)
• [09:25] How understanding genre expectations finally helped a pantser break through the dreaded middle of her novel where stories kept dying
• [11:20] Why "pantsing with direction" gives discovery writers the best of both worlds—creative spontaneity with a clear story roadmap to reach "The End"

If you're ready to find the perfect balance between structure and creativity—and want the complete framework these writers used to finish their novels—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
• Katherine Varley on Instagram
• Bree Cox on Instagram
• Casey Drillette on 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

NOTES TO NOVEL IS OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT! 🎉 No more false starts. No more guesswork. In just 8 weeks, you’ll have the clarity, confidence, and system to finally write your novel—and keep going. Enrollment closes August 28th! Join Notes to Novel now →

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

The myth of "writing free" is keeping talented writers stuck on Chapter One. Here's why story structure actually enhances creativity—and how to use it to finally finish your novel.

You've been told that outlining kills creativity. That real writers don't need structure. That planning your novel will turn it into a formulaic mess. But what if everything you believe about story structure is wrong?

In this episode, I'm revealing why the writers who resist structure often end up trapped in the smallest creative box of all—and how embracing the right kind of framework can actually set your imagination free.

Tune in to hear me talk about:

• [02:00] The romantic myth of the "pure" creative process and why the image of writers channeling pure inspiration without planning is actually sabotaging your novel writing journey
• [02:22] What really happens when you try to "just write" without structure (and the predictable pattern that traps pantsers: from magical first chapters to tangled plots to endless rewrites of your opening pages)
• [04:34] Why constraints breed creativity—and how having boundaries actually pushes you past the obvious into innovative storytelling
• [05:43] The 5 hidden costs of avoiding story structure (aka what you're really sacrificing when you resist novel outlining)
• [08:27] Why understanding story beats and plot points doesn't make your writing formulaic and how it actually makes your story more powerful

Plus, I share real examples of writers who went from structure-phobic to finishing their first novels in record time—including one creative writing student who completed 114,000 words in just 88 days after finally embracing the outlining process!

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Read the full blog post here
• Join the Notes to Novel waitlist

⭐ 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!

NOTES TO NOVEL IS OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT! 🎉 No more false starts. No more guesswork. In just 8 weeks, you’ll have the clarity, confidence, and system to finally write your novel—and keep going. Enrollment closes August 28th! Join Notes to Novel now →

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

After years of collecting every writing craft book imaginable and studying with renowned editors, Neroli Lacey discovered that too much knowledge was actually keeping her stuck—until she learned to implement instead of accumulate.

Today I'm chatting with Neroli Lacey, author of The Perfumer's Secret (a Pulitzer Prize Finalist, International Book Awards Winner, and National Indie Excellence Award Winner), about how focusing on implementation over information finally helped her transform her messy manuscript into an award-winning Women’s Fiction novel.

In this episode, you'll hear us talk about things like:

• [05:55] Why owning "every craft book imaginable" and studying with top editors still left her with an unfinished novel (and the overwhelm that comes from trying to follow multiple systems at once)
• [07:30] The three foundational shifts that moved Neroli from scattered studying to focused execution—and finally finishing her first draft
• [10:55] Why she chose hybrid publishing over traditional (and what that two-year process actually looked like)
• [13:50] How a self-proclaimed introvert built a 3,000-person newsletter by focusing on book recommendations instead of writing updates
• [22:40] Neroli’s advice for aspiring authors who are working on finishing their first book—"You don't have to know what you're doing—you take the first step and the path appears."

If you've been collecting craft books but struggling to finish your novel, Neroli's story will resonate. Press play to discover why implementation beats accumulation every time!

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Neroli Lacey’s website
• Neroli Lacey on Instagram
• Grab a FREE copy of Neroli’s book here!
• Buy The Perfumer’s Secret by Neroli Lacey
• Sue Campbell for book marketing
• Join the Notes to Novel waitlist

⭐ 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!

NOTES TO NOVEL IS OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT! 🎉 No more false starts. No more guesswork. In just 8 weeks, you’ll have the clarity, confidence, and system to finally write your novel—and keep going. Enrollment closes August 28th! Join Notes to Novel now →

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

What if perfectionism is the real reason you haven't finished your novel—not lack of talent or time?

"I need to get this right before I move on" keeps aspiring authors stuck forever. But here's what I've discovered... Perfectionism isn't about having high standards. It's about fear. Fear of judgment, failure, or not being "good enough."

In this episode, you'll hear from three reformed perfectionists who broke free from the endless editing trap and finished their novels. Meet Pornika, who delayed starting for months thinking she needed every detail figured out first. Amy, working on her eighth novel but never finishing because she'd spend weeks perfecting each chapter. And Kara, who wrote 100,000 words but got overwhelmed trying to fix its problems.

None of them lowered their standards. Instead, they discovered something far more powerful: how to write messy and make real progress.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• [03:10] How a corporate finance professional went from months of planning paralysis to 114k words in 88 days using the fast drafting technique that changed everything
• [05:15] Why a writer starting her eighth novel finally broke her pattern of endless chapter editing and discovered the foundational skills that put her "in the power seat"
• [06:00] Why understanding theme, genre conventions, and scene structure actually makes writing easier and more enjoyable, not more restrictive
• [07:30] The "magical revisions" technique that lets you keep moving forward without getting bogged down in details you haven't figured out yet
• [09:00] The structural breakthrough that helped one writer transform a problematic 100k-word manuscript into a publishable novel
• [15:00] How to shift from perfectionist paralysis to forward momentum without sacrificing the quality you care about

Ready to stop polishing and start finishing? Join Poornika, Amy, Kara, and hundreds of other reformed perfectionists who've discovered that messy first drafts lead to better novels. Get on the waitlist for the next open enrollment of my Notes to Novel course and get my complete, step-by-step framework for writing a story that works. Don’t miss your chance to turn your ideas into a finished draft you’re proud of!

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Grab my free guide to see how real writers (like you!) pushed past these roadblocks to finish their novels: 5 Writing Roadblocks Keeping You Stuck & How to Break Through
• Poornika Kakkanaiah Instagram
• Ami Blackford Instagram
• Kara Kentley 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 writ

NOTES TO NOVEL IS OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT! 🎉 No more false starts. No more guesswork. In just 8 weeks, you’ll have the clarity, confidence, and system to finally write your novel—and keep going. Enrollment closes August 28th! Join Notes to Novel now →

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

All those writing articles you've bookmarked? They might be the exact reason you can't finish your novel. Here's what's really happening—and the simple shift that changes everything.

You know that browser folder labeled "Writing Advice"? The one with 147 articles about plot structure and 83 posts on character development? Yeah, that one. What if I told you it's actually keeping you stuck?

In this episode, I'm exposing the "writing advice trap" that catches even the most dedicated writers. After helping hundreds of writers finish their novels, I've discovered why the most knowledgeable writers often write the least (and what you can do differently starting today).

Tune in to hear me talk about:

• [00:52] Why writers who read the most writing advice often can't finish their novels (the pattern that surprised me)
• [01:53] How to stop rewriting Chapter One forever (and what broke the cycle for a writer stuck for 5 years
• [03:44] Save the Cat vs Hero's Journey vs Story Grid (and why contradictory writing advice is keeping you stuck
• [08:16] The 3 things successful writers do differently to actually finish their first draft
• [12:20] How to choose a writing method and stick with it (plus the one question that changes everything)

The truth? Any complete system works better than ten partial systems. You don't need the "perfect" method. You need to pick one and follow it all the way through.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Read the full blog post here
• Get your free First Draft Roadmap
• Join the Notes to Novel waitlist

⭐ 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!

NOTES TO NOVEL IS OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT! 🎉 No more false starts. No more guesswork. In just 8 weeks, you’ll have the clarity, confidence, and system to finally write your novel—and keep going. Enrollment closes August 28th! Join Notes to Novel now →

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.