Your Next Draft
Your Next Draft is the fiction writer's guide to developmental editing. What do you do after your first draft? How do you flesh out flat characters, fill in plot holes, and hook your readers from the first page to the last? What does editing a novel even mean? Developmental editor and book coach Alice Sudlow answers all these questions and more. Each week, she shares the editing strategies she's using with her one-on-one clients so you can put them to use in your own novel. Tune in for tips, tools, and step-by-step guides for the novel editing process.
Podcasting since 2022 • 80 episodes
Your Next Draft
Latest Episodes
Ask This Question When You’re Overwhelmed by Your Story
Escape analysis paralysis with one powerful question. It’s deceptively simple—and yet it unlocks everything.If you’re like most of the writers I work with, you’re pretty savvy about story structure. You know your Story Grid, your Save th...
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Episode 79
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22:49
How Multiple Layers of Editing Combine to Perfect Your Story (with Cathryn deVries and Kim Kessler)
The best novels combine rock-solid story structure with scenes that are unputdownable on every page. Here’s how one writer and two editors polished a story at every level.If you want to move your reader in every moment, keep them hooked ...
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Episode 78
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1:32:05
What Is a Manuscript Evaluation? (And Do You Need One?)
It’s the most common developmental editing service you’ll see. Know what to look for and when (or if) you need one.If you google “developmental editor” and start looking through editors’ websites, you’ll see a common service appear again...
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Episode 77
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32:34
Scene Workshop: Hook Your Readers in Chapter One with Cathryn deVries
You get one shot to grab their attention. Don’t waste it with characters staring off into space.You've put all this work into uncovering your character's internal arc. You know them SO WELL.When you step into a scene, you're giv...
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Episode 76
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1:38:37
The Unskippable Process to Create Unputdownable Books
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 f...
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Episode 75
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25:57
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