Your Next Draft
Supporting fiction writers doing the hard work of revising unputdownable novels. The novel editing process is the creative crucible where you discover the story you truly want to tell—and it can present some of the most challenging moments on your writing journey.
Developmental editor and book coach Alice Sudlow will be your companion through the mess and magic of revision. You’ll get inspired by interviews with authors, editors, and coaches sharing their revision processes; gain practical tips from Alice’s editing practice; and hear what real revision truly requires as Alice workshops scenes-in-progress with writers.
It’s all a quest to discover: How do you figure out what your story is truly about? How do you determine what form that story should take? And once you do, how do you shape the hundreds of thousands of words you've written into the story’s most refined and powerful form?
If you’ve written a draft—or three—but are still searching for your story’s untapped potential, this is the podcast for you. Together, let’s dig into the difficult and delightful work of editing your next draft.
Your Next Draft
10 Productivity Tips to Finish Writing Your First Draft Faster
Every great book begins with a first draft.
And sometimes, it can feel like that first draft goes on forever. Have you ever spent months writing the first draft of a book? Years?
If so, you’re not alone. It’s easy to get stuck in the middle of a draft. Or spend years trying to write the perfect first draft . . . and never finish. Or stop writing before you even start!
But you can’t edit—or publish—a book you haven’t written.
Which means your first task is to finish your first draft.
How do you do it? How do you finally finish your first draft in a matter of weeks?
In this episode, I’ll give you ten strategies to speed up your writing process so you can make it to “The End.”
Six of these ideas will boost your productivity. Four more will help you surround yourself with a team to hold you accountable and help you finish.
You don’t have to apply all of them at once. Choose two or three to use in your writing every day, then try one or two more when you get stuck.
And to make it easier, download and print this quick-reference guide to all ten ideas, plus eleven more ideas coming in the next episode.
Liked what you heard?
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review. Also, be sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes.
And if you’d like personalized feedback on your book, reach out to me at alicesudlow.com. I’d love to support you in your editing process!
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