Your Next Draft

Are You Chasing the Wrong Olympic Gold?

This skater didn't win an Olympic medal, and I'm obsessed with him. I watched Cha Jun-Hwan’s figure skating routine last week in the Olympic men’s short program competition. I never finished watching that competition—I was busy rewinding Jun-Hwan’s routine to watch him over and over again. I filmed my TV screen on my phone and watched it again while I sat in the courthouse on jury duty. I gushed about it to friends and family. I’ve been listening to the song he skated to on loop for a week. Jun-Hwan didn’t win a medal. He placed fourth, just off the podium. But his skate has stuck in my mind like no other skater’s has throughout this entire Olympics. There is no Olympic gold medal for literature. Still, most writers I work with are chasing their own version of Olympic gold. You’re reaching for lofty achievements: to sign an agent, to get a book deal, to land on the endcaps of Barnes and Noble, maybe even to rise up in the bestseller lists. Which, on the one hand, is fantastic. As I’m sure every Olympic athlete knows, it’s so incredibly satisfying and rewarding to push the limits of your potential, to set a high bar and then become the person who can surpass it. But on the other hand, it’s a hidden trap. Because the achievements we compete for are merely proxies for what we actually want. The agents, the deals, the bookstores, the lists are simply stand-ins for excellence and validation and engagement with readers who love what we write. Which means that it’s possible to win the agents and the deals without reaching excellence and connecting with readers. And it’s possible to lose the agents and the accolades, and still attain the excellence and engagement we most want. So in this episode, I’m raving about Cha Jun-Hwan. Not because he medaled, or he was expected to medal but didn’t, or he was part of any figure skating drama. He was simply there, skating a great skate—one that lives on in my mind and on my phone and in my Youtube history. And I’m unpacking why. What magic did his skate hold that surpassed any other? What am I measuring besides Olympic gold? And how can writers weave that magic, too? Links mentioned in the episode: Watch Cha Jun-Hwan’s short program Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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How Will You Know When Your Novel Is Done?

When will you be truly satisfied with your novel? How will you know when you’ve succeeded? How will you know when you’re done? Will it be when you LOVE your book? When you stop cringing as you read it? When you can’t think of a single change left to make? When beta readers rave about it? When they tell you the romantic scenes made them swoon and the funny scenes made them laugh, the scary scenes gave them nightmares and the sad scenes made them cry? When a reader tells you your book impacted them profoundly? That it changed the way they think about something that matters? Or will it be when an agent requests your full manuscript, then returns with an offer of representation? When an editor offers you a book deal? When your book is published and you see it on bookstore shelves? One of the most difficult editing decisions you’ll face is determining when your book is done. When you have finished, when it’s ready to share with the world, when this project you’ve poured so much of your heart into is complete. In this episode, I’ll help you uncover the factors that matter most to you. You’ll learn: How most writers I talk to define “success” What agents are REALLY looking for Why you want and NEED external validation—and when external validation becomes harmful, not helpful What you TRULY want for your book And more! Calling your book “done” will always be a challenging decision. After all, art is never finished, only abandoned. But when you know what you value most, you can chase it with clarity and determination, and celebrate when you reach it. Links mentioned in the episode: Interested in working with me? Fill out the form at: alicesudlow.com/contact Share how you’ll know you’re done: alicesudlow.com/101 Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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6 Reasons to Love Editing (From People Who Actually Do)

What if editing isn’t drudgery, but the most delightful part of your writing process? So you’re revising yet another draft. You’re hoping against hope that this draft will be your final draft. Which, coincidentally, is also what you hoped for the last draft, and the one before that. Editing is a slog you’re trudging through. You dream of the day when you can escape this drudgery and return to the free-flowing fun of writing the first draft of your next book. But what if editing isn’t an obstacle you have to grit your teeth and bear? What if it’s where the magic happens? It would release the pressure to make this draft your last draft. It would make the process itself more fun, a reward in and of itself. And paradoxically, when you’re working from pleasure rather than pressure, your editing work could become more efficient, because you give the process the space it needs. So I asked six authors, editors, and book coaches the same question: What do you love about editing? The answers they shared vary widely. They’re a whole host of things: everything from puzzle-solving and understanding the mechanics that makes something work to personal development, community building, and meaning-making. In this episode, I’m sharing all their answers with you, in hopes of sparking a little of your own editing joy. Listen for what resonates with you. You might discover one new thing to love—or a whole new perspective on revision. And if you already love editing, well, I think you’ll find this episode an absolute delight. Plus, I want to know what you love about editing! Record a 1-minute voicemail sharing what you love about editing, and I might feature it in a future podcast episode. Tell me what you love about editing here » Links mentioned in the episode: Savannah Gilbo: 91. How to Use Genre as a Revision Tool A.S. King: 82. How Surrealist Pantser A.S. King Revises Award-Winning Novels Cathryn deVries: 76. Scene Workshop: Hook Your Readers in Chapter One Brannan Sirratt: 80. How to Use Revision Tools Like the Story Authority You Already Are Abigail K. Perry: 86. How Great First Chapters Make Readers Care Abigail K. Perry: 89. How Great First Lines Make Readers Pay Attention Kim Kessler & Cathryn deVries: 78. How Multiple Layers of Editing Combine to Perfect Your Story Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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What Makes a Story Excellent? (And How to Know When You've Reached It)

Is story excellence something you "know when you see it"—or can it actually be measured? Is excellence defined by hitting bestseller lists? Filling seats at every book tour stop? Being selected for “Best Books of 2025” lists? Is excellence defined by getting gatekeeper approval? Getting agent representation? Landing a book deal? Winning awards? Is excellence defined by earning money? Getting a big advance? Earning out the advance and bringing in royalties? Or is it something else? How can we measure that a book is good? What is the pinnacle we’re trying to reach, and how will we tell when we achieve it? This is a big, big question, and feels in some ways impossible to answer. But I’m going to try. Because if we want to craft excellent novels, we need to know what we’re aiming for so we can recognize when we reach it and spot when we’re going off course. Come journey with me to discover what excellent stories truly do. We’re going to get lightly philosophical so you can shape your stories to excellence too. You’ll hear: My current working definition of an excellent novel Why I am not actually the arbiter of excellence (even though I have really good taste) Why excellent books don’t always receive industry validation . . . and whether all books the industry promotes are excellent (spoiler: no) What readers WANT from stories Why stories have been essential to human survival since the beginning of storytelling 5 questions to ask yourself to define YOUR OWN standard of excellence Once you’ve heard how I’m defining excellence, I’d love to hear your definition! Head to the comments on the blog post and let me know what makes a story excellent to you. Share your standard of excellence in the comments » Links mentioned in the episode: Ep. 65: Why Some Writers Resist Measuring Their Craft (And Why They Shouldn’t) Ep. 84: What If You Do Everything Right and the Book Launch Still Goes Wrong? with A.S. King Ep. 36: Your Story Has Deep Meaning. Do You Know What It Is? Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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What to Do When Feedback Gets You Stuck

If you get feedback that grinds you to a halt, there's a problem. But YOU are not the problem—the feedback is. Recently, a writer came to me with feedback she was struggling to implement. She’d written a draft of her story, but she knew it needed revision. So she’d gotten a manuscript evaluation from another editor. And the feedback she got in that evaluation really threw her off. When this writer and I talked, she was so confused. She knew what her vision was for her story, and why she’d made the story structure choices she’d made. But the feedback she’d gotten called some of those foundational structure choices into question. It would be a really big overhaul—a different core conflict and a different genre. The writer was quick to assure me that she was willing to do that work. She was not afraid of a page one rewrite. She was not afraid of getting tough critique. She wanted honest feedback from experts, and she was determined to do whatever it took to revise her manuscript into a story that works. And yet, she was stuck. She had started mapping what it would look like to implement the feedback she’d gotten. And she had this nagging feeling that it would mean walking away from something about her story that mattered to her. So what was she to do? What do you do when feedback gets you stuck? When it seems to make things worse, not better? When you can’t figure out how to implement it, no matter how hard you try? In this episode, I’m sharing what to do with feedback when it doesn’t get you traction, but grinds you to a halt. You’ll hear: What the problem ACTUALLY is (hint: YOU are not the problem!) Why feedback can be true and unhelpful What to do when the feedback just doesn’t work How to get feedback that gets you traction again And more! If you have ever gotten feedback that you just can’t make work, this is what I want you to hear. Links mentioned in the episode: Get feedback that gets you traction again: alicesudlow.com/nrs Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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3 Non-Obvious Problems Hiding in Well-Developed Drafts

If the line writing is lovely, but the story still falls flat, check for these surprisingly hard-to-spot problems. You’ve written a draft of your novel. It’s a pretty good draft, actually. Maybe you’ve revised it—once, or twice, or five times. The line-by-line writing is evocative, and a lot of the scenes are exciting and fun. But. Come on, you knew there was a “but” coming. You can feel it in your gut. Your story is just not doing everything you want it to do. There’s something missing. Something not quite right. The ending isn’t paying off the way you want it to. Even though you structured your story with care, crafted the plot and cross-checked it with every story outline you know, something is still falling flat. You’ve taken it as far as you know to go. So why isn’t it working? And what can it possibly still need, when you’ve done everything you know to do? I have met so many writers at this exact moment. And I’ve noticed common patterns cropping up again and again—three incredibly common, surprisingly subtle pitfalls stories tend to fall into without their writers even realizing. I can’t guarantee that your story has any of these problems. But what I can tell you is, if your story isn’t landing the way you want it to yet, these three pitfalls are the first things to check. And the best part is, when you solve even one of them, that solution will cascade down to make so many more things work even better in your story. So if you’ve taken your story as far as you can, and you’re not sure what to do with it, here’s where to go next. Links mentioned in the episode: Get my feedback and find your story’s Next Right Step: alicesudlow.com/nrs Go deeper with these episodes: The Hidden Half of Your Protagonist's Goal (That Makes Story Structure Work) How to Figure Out What Your Character REALLY Wants The 12 Core Genres That Power Every Great Story How to Use Genre as a Revision Tool (with Savannah Gilbo) One Insidious Cause of Disappointing Endings (and How to Fix It) Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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What Genre REALLY Measures (And Why Every Genre You Try Feels Wrong)

What do you do when your genre just refuses to work? When you’ve tried every content genre you know—Action, Crime, Horror, Thriller, Performance, Love, Society, and more—and every single one just does not fit your story? Sure, some parts of several of those genres fit your story. Those parts even seem essential. Some parts feel like a stretch, but you can make them work if you squint. And some parts don’t fit at all. If you’re honest, it’s like your story is secretly three genres in a trenchcoat trying to sneak past some gatekeeper rubric. In other words: your genre feels like an utter mess. A confusing mish-mash. Like somewhere, somehow, your story took a wrong turn, and now it’s doing a bunch of things poorly and nothing really well. It simply refuses to check all the right genre boxes at the same time. And when you try to just pick the best-fitting genre and make it work, it feels like you’re ham-fistedly shoving your beautiful, unique, personal creation into a standardized mold it truly doesn’t fit. When genre feels like all of that, what do you do? That’s what I’m exploring in this episode. I’m taking genre deeper than conventions and obligatory moments to show you what it’s really measuring. You’ll hear: A key reason why your story’s genre is so hard to spot (hint: you’re not the problem, and your story isn’t either) How the content genres map onto real life—and how I can take one bike ride with my brother and spin it into four different genres How knowing your story’s genre helps your readers follow the plot—and derive meaning from your story And more! Plus, I’m taking you on vacation with me. I just got back from the beach, where my brother and I rode bikes along the marsh. And in this episode, I’m bringing you along for the ride. What genre was our bike ride? You’ll have to listen to find out! Links mentioned in the episode: Your primer on content genres: The 12 Core Genres That Power Every Great Story Get the free Content Genre Overview with resources for every genre See photos from my bike ride with Thomas Listen to peaceful marsh sounds Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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Where the Turning Point Goes (And How to Know If Yours Is in the Right Place)

If you’re second-guessing your pacing, give your turning point this two-part check. Where the heck is the turning point? If you’ve ever tried to spot the turning point in a story you love, you’ve probably asked some version of this question. I always feel like I’m playing that old children’s video game: Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? (In my imagination, the turning point is captured in shadowy profile, wearing a red hat with a wide brim.) (this is also called, tell me you’re a 90s baby without telling me you’re a 90s baby.) Anyway. When you’re analyzing someone else’s story, it feels like a hunt for something you just can’t spot. When you’re analyzing your own story, it feels like second-guessing your pacing. Did you put the turning point in the right spot? Is it happening too early? Too late? Will the reader get bored waiting for it to happen? Or have you rushed something critical? If any of those questions sound familiar, you won’t want to miss this episode. It’s all about where in the story the turning point is located—and yes, this question is complicated enough to require an entire episode to unpack. You’ll hear: 2 guiding principles I use for the location of every turning point Where the turning point is located in a novel, novella, and scene—and why those can be different places What happens when you move the turning point earlier or later Whether the turning point and the midpoint are ever the same point And more! You know what the turning point is—the moment that makes it clear the protagonist cannot achieve their goal in the way they wanted to. You know what it does—it forces the protagonist into a crisis choice. And now, you’ll know where to look for it—and where to put it in your own stories. Links mentioned in the episode: Ep. 94: Turning Point: How to Find and Write the Moment That Changes Everything Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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Turning Point: How to Find and Write the Moment That Changes Everything

It's the hinge your entire story turns on—and one of the hardest story elements to identify and write. Can I be honest? I struggled with turning points for years. I knew they were essential. They’re the moment when everything changes. The moment that forces the character to face a crisis choice. The moment that reveals what the story is really, at its heart, about. And yet . . . I couldn’t see them. I found so many things that weren’t the turning point. I found inciting incidents, and midpoints, and climaxes. The turning point, though? It eluded me. Until I learned a simple framework that finally, finally unlocked them for me. That framework: Reveals why the turning point matters so dang much within the story Ties the turning point perfectly to the inciting incident, climax, and every other element of story Is objective and straightforward, making it clear to measure (no more guessing at turning points based on gut feeling!) Is wonderfully simple (it’s kind of incredible how simple it is, considering how tough turning points are to spot) That framework marked my turning point in the way I edit turning points. If you have ever struggled to figure out what the heck the turning point is in a story, well, you’re not alone. I hope this framework gives you a breakthrough. It certainly did for me! Further listening: Inciting incident (qualities & traps) Progressive complications (qualities) Progressive complications (traps) Protagonist’s goal Content genres Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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The Hidden Half of Your Protagonist's Goal (That Makes Story Structure Work)

If your structure is perfect on paper, but your story still falls flat, this might be what you're missing. Have you ever structured a story with all the right pieces, but something still feels flat? You check all the boxes on paper: ✅ Inciting incident ✅ Progressive complications ✅ Turning point ✅ Crisis ✅ Climax ✅ Resolution And yet it still falls flat. They mostly align, probably, you’re pretty sure. But somehow, they’re not working together the way they should. The turning point doesn’t pack the right punch. The crisis doesn’t feel devastating enough, even though all is technically lost. The climax doesn’t feel like a cathartic payoff, but a gentle womp-womp. All the pieces are there. So what went wrong? Here’s the thing: in order for the six elements of story to work, you have to understand your character’s goal. Most writers have a vague sense of what their protagonist generally wants. But that’s not enough. You need to know specifically the thing that they want—and the thing they don’t want. So in this episode, I’m putting the goal under the microscope. You’ll learn: Why it’s not enough to know what your character wants A super-simple framework for a character’s goal (seriously, it’s ridiculously easy) How that framework summarizes the meaning of the entire story And how the goal glues all six elements of story together, driving the entire story from inciting incident to resolution Without a clearly defined goal, all the structure in the world won’t make your story come alive. With it, everything else falls neatly into place. Dig deeper with these related episodes: Inciting incident (qualities & traps) Progressive complications (qualities) Progressive complications (traps) Content genres Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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When Should You Work With an Editor? (It's Earlier Than You Think)

What if you've already done enough to work with an editor—right now? You’ve been working on your novel for so long. Not just months—years, maybe even decades. And yet you have a long way still to go. The day when you have a polished manuscript you’re proud to pitch or publish feels so far away, and you're starting to wonder if you're missing something crucial. And in the back of your mind, you might be wondering: When should you work with an editor? How much more should you do before you start looking? How many drafts should you finish before you reach out? When is your story finally ready for an editor’s feedback? That’s the question I’m answering in this episode—and the answer might surprise you. You’ll learn: The one simple question that tells you it’s time for editorial help Why "finished" isn't a prerequisite for working with an editor The landscape of editorial support available at every stage (from idea to publication) How to find the right type of editor for where you are in your process The difference between "editor" and "book coach" and what each term suggests Here's what I've discovered: most writers desperately want editorial support—they just don't know it exists at their stage of the process. So in this episode, I’ll give you a simple metric to evaluate when you are ready for an editor, and show you what to look for when you are. Links mentioned in the episode: Work with me in Next Right Step: alicesudlow.com/nrs Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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How to Use Genre as a Revision Tool (with Savannah Gilbo)

Here’s what to DO with your genre once you know which one you’re writing. So you know your story’s genre. It’s an Action story with a Worldview internal genre. Or it’s a Love story with a Status internal genre. You’re, like, 32% sure of it. Which is great, because you’ve studied story enough to know genre is important. You’ve heard that it shapes the foundations of your story, that it has conventions and obligatory scenes, reader expectations that you’ll need to deliver on. Somehow, though, just knowing some words—Action, Worldview, Love, Status—hasn’t magically solved anything. And it’s not a great feeling to have studied story theory so much, and still be stuck on the application. So what now? Now that you have some language for your story’s genre, what do you do with it? How do you actually use it as a revision tool? That’s what I’m exploring in this episode with my friend and fellow writing coach Savannah Gilbo. Savannah is my go-to genre expert, and she shares exactly how to make genre work for you in revision. You’ll hear: Why naming your genre earlier than you think can save you from endless rewrites The 3 genre mistakes that secretly stall drafts (and how to avoid them) How to turn genre from a rigid list of “must-haves” into a flexible writing tool How to blend multiple genres like a pro (and without getting lost) And more! Identifying your genre is a great first step. In this episode, Savannah will show you what to actually do with it once you know which one you’re writing. Links mentioned in the episode: Get Savannah’s guidance on your story in Notes to Novel: alicesudlow.com/notestonovel Get the Content Genre Overview: alicesudlow.com/90 Ep. 90: The 12 Core Genres That Power Every Great Story The Notes to Novel link is an affiliate link. I wholeheartedly recommend Savannah’s coaching and am delighted to share her resources with you! Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

The 12 Core Genres That Power Every Great Story

Genre isn’t what you think it is. Here’s how to use it better. Genre. Let me guess: It’s the bane of your existence. A convoluted soup of arbitrary descriptors that almost but not quite mean the same thing. Sci fi or fantasy? Paranormal or supernatural? Upmarket or book club? Do words even have meaning? Or, it’s a restrictive box with tropes and conventions you feel like you need to cross off a checklist, until your story is more “paint by numbers” formulaic than an original creation unique to your imagination. Or, it’s a necessary evil in your query letter. Your task is to say the right genre words to the right agent to appeal to their interests and make them want to request your manuscript. Get it right, you get a book deal. Get it wrong, you fail. Genre can be all those things, for sure. But what if, first and foremost, it were a tool that works for you? In this episode, I’m throwing out the way we usually talk about genre. And I’m replacing it with an approach to genre that’s actually useful for crafting great stories. Not just useful, actually. Essential. You’ll learn: What “genre” actually means Why the genre labels on the shelves at Barnes and Noble won’t help you craft a great story The 12 fundamental genres that apply to every great story 2 questions to begin identifying your story’s genre This approach to genre won’t constrain your creativity within someone else’s box. Rather, it will reveal the story you truly want to tell. Links mentioned in the episode: Get the Content Genre Overview: alicesudlow.com/90 Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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How Great First Lines Make Readers Pay Attention (with Abigail K. Perry)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a fiction writer in possession of a brilliant story must craft a captivating opening line. No pressure, right? Your opening line is your story’s first impression. Agents, editors, and even readers decide fast whether they want to keep reading or drop the book altogether. And yes, they can make that judgment in as little as the very first sentence. So your opening line is doing some heavy, heavy lifting. But what, exactly, do great first lines do? What sets an unputdownable first sentence apart from a forgettable dud? How do they capture readers—and agents—in a matter of seconds? I turned to Abigail K. Perry, editor, book coach, and expert in opening chapters, to find out. You’ll hear: What agents are looking for in the first line of a manuscript (and what makes them stop reading) What makes captivating first lines actually work How to find the hooks of your story—what only your story can deliver How to lighten the pressure to get the first line right And more! If you’ve ever worried over the beginning of your book—if you’ve ever written and discarded a dozen different versions of your first sentence, and you’re still stressed that that first line won’t land—well, I think you’re going to love what Abigail has to share. Links mentioned in the episode: Want more first chapter wisdom? Check out the first part of my conversation with Abigail: How Great First Chapters Make Readers Care » Check out a few of Abigail’s “First Chapter Deep Dive” episodes on Lit Match: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

Where Progressive Complications Go WRONG (and How to Fix Them)

Are your readers bored? Disappointed? Confused? Here's what that tells you about your story's middle. You’re stuck in the messy middle. Languishing in the doldrums of your story. The inciting incident is long past, the climax is so far ahead you can’t see it over the horizon, and you’re drifting, lost at sea. What is actually supposed to happen here? Where did your plot momentum go? Why do your pages feel full of stuff, and yet nothing ever happens? The answers to all those questions lie in your progressive complications. Specifically, something’s going wrong in your progressive complications. In this episode, I’m digging even deeper into the progressive complications. I’m sharing the seven most common traps I see, the impact they have on your story and your readers, and of course, how to fix them so you can make your story unputdownable from beginning to end. You’ll learn: How to diagnose the problem in your story’s middle based on how your reader feels How to spot “fluff” that isn’t moving your story forward How coincidences work in stories—and what happens when they don’t work What happens when a story has no progressive complications at all And more! And don’t miss the free cheat sheet that goes with this episode! Print it and keep it handy as you’re editing. Here’s the thing: the middle of a story isn’t an inscrutable secret. This episode is your guide to spot the most common traps and free your story from them. Links mentioned in the episode: Get the Progressive Complication Revision Cheat Sheet: alicesudlow.com/88 Work with me: alicesudlow.com/contact Ep. 87: Make Sense of Your Messy Middle With the Most Underrated Story Element Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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Make Sense of Your Messy Middle With the Most Underrated Story Element

You don’t need more filler. You need better progressive complications. Your inciting incident hooks your readers and promises them a story they’ll love. And then comes the middle. The messy middle. The quiet doldrums of your story, where plot momentum goes to die. Where your characters wander, your conflict blurs, and you start to wonder if any of it is working. So what do you do? Add some “stuff that happens” and hope it holds your readers’ interest? Toss in a random subplot? Describe your character’s breakfast in extreme detail? Nope. This is the space of the progressive complications. And in this episode, I’m showing you exactly how to revise them. Because the middle of your story isn’t filler or unnecessary fluff. It’s 60% of the story, and it has an essential job to do. What progressive complications really are (and what they’re not) How they build momentum and escalate conflict The 8 qualities I’m looking for when I edit progressive complications How to know if your scenes are working—or just taking up space And more! And to make it even easier, I’ve created a cheat sheet to help you revise your progressive complications. Print it out, keep it handy, and use it every time you edit a scene. If you’ve ever gotten stuck in the middle of your manuscript wondering how to move forward—this episode is for you. Let’s take your messy middle and make it unputdownable. Links mentioned in the episode: Get the Inciting Incident Revision Cheat Sheet: alicesudlow.com/87 Work with me: alicesudlow.com/contact Ep. 42: The 6 Essential Elements of Every Novel, Act, and Scene A clip from S1E4 of Younger Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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How Great First Chapters Make Readers Care (with Abigail K. Perry)

Your first chapter has a monumental task: to make potential readers care about your book right away and hook them to keep reading. Every sentence is a chance to earn your reader’s attention—or lose their fragile, baby-fresh interest before your story even begins. And that’s assuming that your book makes it to the bookstore shelves. If you’re traditionally publishing, the first chapter’s burdened with even more responsibility. It’s your first impression with agents and editors, who will judge whether to consider the full manuscript based on the first five or ten pages alone. The stakes are high. So high, in fact, that it’s easy to get stuck—revising and refining your first chapter over and over while the rest of the manuscript gathers dust. So I asked Abigail K. Perry, a fellow editor and book coach, to come help us break out of that trap. “If we don't care about a character, we don't care about what happens to them. . . . Pull us into character and let us understand and get to know them so that when threats are posed against them, we care about what happens.” —Abigail K. Perry You’ll hear: What great first chapters must accomplish Why mystery is a good thing in first chapters (and info dumps are not) How to make your readers care about your characters in a matter of pages, paragraphs, or even sentences And more If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in a first chapter revision loop, this one’s for you. Check out Abigail’s “First Chapter Deep Dive” episodes on the books we discussed: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling (Coming soon: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card) Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

Inciting Incident: How to Revise an Unputdownable Beginning

Your inciting incident sets the stage for everything that follows. Here's what to revise so it can carry the story. A great inciting incident does a lot of heavy lifting. → It hooks your readers, pulling them into the story. → And it sets up everything to come, laying the foundation for a brilliant climax your readers will love. The beginning matters. Which means there’s a lot of pressure to get it right. But what does right actually mean? How do you start a story well? That’s what I’m tackling in this episode. I’m going beyond the definition of the inciting incident to share what I as an editor am looking for when I edit inciting incidents. In other words, if you’ve written an inciting incident and aren’t sure how to tell if it works, this episode is your guide to edit it. You’ll hear: How I define the inciting incident Where in the story the inciting incident appears (and how to tell if it’s too early or too late) The 7 qualities I’m watching for when I edit an inciting incident The 4 common inciting incident traps I see writers fall into (including one that’s really hard to spot, and yet it can tank the whole story) And more Plus, I’ve gathered it all into a one-page cheat sheet you can reference every time you edit an inciting incident. Print it out and keep it in your writing space for easy access. If you’ve ever found the advice to “make sure your story has an inciting incident” unsatisfactory, this episode is for you. Don’t just make sure your story has an inciting incident. Use this episode to revise it until it’s good. Great. Unputdownable, even. Links mentioned in the episode: Get the Inciting Incident Revision Cheat Sheet: alicesudlow.com/85 Work with me: alicesudlow.com/contact Ep. 27: Value Shifts: How to Craft Compelling Change in Every Story Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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What If You Do Everything Right and the Book Launch Still Goes Wrong? with A.S. King

“It really broke my heart, actually. . . . For the rest of my life, it will break my heart.” A.S. King gets honest about what happened when the publishing industry failed her book. What happens after you edit your book? What happens after you’ve bared the story of your heart, crafted it into an excellent novel, and presented it to the world? What happens when you get traditionally published, when you receive awards and accolades, and when it looks like you’ve won the author career lottery? Last month, I brought author A.S. King on the podcast to share how she revises award-winning novels—complex, intense, surrealist, mind-bending stories meant to challenge her readers to think. But that wasn’t the end of the conversation. In fact, it wasn’t even the start. The conversation began months earlier, when I heard the story of her book launch for her latest novel. I won’t spoil the ending here, but I will say: it did not go how she expected. So today, I’m bringing Amy back on the podcast to tell us her publishing story and give us a glimpse of what comes after all the writing and all the revising. You’ll hear: What really happened during A.S. King’s latest book launch How a publisher’s big promises fell through—and what that meant for the book Why even revising an excellent novel doesn’t guarantee industry support What it feels like when the book of your heart gets treated like just another product How gender, genre, and power shape what gets promoted (and what doesn’t) What it takes to keep going when publishing knocks you off course And more It’s a peek into traditional publishing—and a reality check on what the industry feels like from the inside, even for an award-winning author in her prime. And above all, it’s a reminder of what really matters when it comes to measuring your book’s success. Links Mentioned in the Episode: Share your thoughts about this conversation in the comments here Order a signed copy of Pick the Lock from Aaron’s Books Hear more about A.S. King’s book launch in this conversation on the #AmWriting podcast Hear how A.S. King revised Pick the Lock in this conversation on Your Next Draft Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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Think You Need a Line Editor? Try This First

Do you need to hire a line editor? Or should you line edit your manuscript yourself? After all, you want to write an excellent novel. You know that great writing takes shape in revision, and you don’t want to skimp on any layers of editing. Nor do you want to overestimate your writing skills and leave your book littered with clunky sentences that a wordsmithing line editor could polish into shining brilliance. On the other hand, you also don’t want to mess up your editing process or your manuscript by getting the editing phases wrong. You don’t want to hire the wrong people at the wrong time and reduce the efficiency of your edits by getting them out of order. You don’t want to waste money you don’t need to spend on professional editing you don’t actually need. And you definitely don’t want to make your manuscript worse by getting feedback that doesn’t match your vision. So: do you need to hire a line editor? Well, maybe. Or maybe not. In this episode, I’m breaking down what line editing is, what line editors do, and what your book and your editing process truly need. You’ll hear: What great line editors can do The risk of working with a line editor The key that makes great line editing possible How to find your best line editor And more Whether you hire a line editor or line edit your novel yourself, the principles I share in today’s episode will help you ensure every word you choose is the right one for your story and your voice. Links mentioned in the episode: See my sample developmental and line editing feedback: alicesudlow.com/83 Discover Story Clarity and Story Refinery Send me a Text Message! Support the show 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 »

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