If your protagonist feels vivid in your head but flat on the page, this episode will help you diagnose what’s missing—and fix the specific piece of character development that will make readers care. You know your main character. Their backstory, their childhood, the exact way they take their coffee. You could talk about them for an hour. So why do they still feel flat on the page? When this happens, most writers assume they need to know more —a deeper backstory, more personality details, another...
Jun 23, 2026•24 min•Ep. 253
If you’ve got a scene that feels flat and you can’t figure out why, this episode will help you diagnose what’s really going on—so you know whether the scene is working, needs strengthening, or may not belong in your story at all. You know that feeling when a scene just isn’t quite working, but you can’t put your finger on why? The sentences are clean. The dialogue sounds right. Line by line, it reads fine… and yet the scene just sits there. Here’s the thing: a lot of the time, the problem isn’t ...
Jun 16, 2026•23 min•Ep. 252
What does it look like to go from feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure about your novel…to finally making real progress? In this episode, I'm sharing five clips from past Notes to Novel students who all came into the program stuck in different ways—overwhelmed by story structure, trapped in research rabbit holes, or sitting on drafts that existed on paper, but still weren't clicking. And underneath it all was the same frustrating feeling: each writer knew they had a story worth telling; they ju...
Jun 09, 2026•33 min•Ep. 251
A book coach who's written 15 novels pulls back the curtain on what's really happening when your messy first draft disappoints you. Ever finished a chapter, read it back, and realized the words on the page don't match the story in your head? There's a name for that. It's called the “taste gap,” and it often shows up among serious, lifelong readers. In this episode, I sit down with book coach and publishing strategist Gala Russ (who's written 15 novels) to talk about the taste gap, what a first d...
Jun 02, 2026•47 min•Ep. 250
Most fiction writers are making at least one of these point of view mistakes. Find out which one could be hiding in your draft. You know that feeling when a scene isn't quite working, but you can't put your finger on why? Your pacing, dialogue, and structure all seem fine. And yet something is still off. Nine times out of ten, the culprit is POV. In this episode, I'm walking you through the five most common point of view mistakes, what each one looks like on the page, why it pulls readers out of...
May 26, 2026•30 min•Ep. 249
Learn how to write the lead-up and reaction scenes between your key romance plot points so your story flows naturally from meet-cute to HEA without stalling in the middle. You know what your meet-cute looks like. You know there's a breakup coming. You can already feel the happily ever after. So why does everything in between feel impossible to write? That's exactly what we're digging into today. I'm joined by Kristina Stanley, CEO of Fictionary and author of the brand new Secrets to Writing Roma...
May 19, 2026•46 min•Ep. 248
Learn the five craft secrets to writing young adult fiction that actually feels like YA—so when you sit down to write your own, you know exactly what to aim for. You know what YA feels like when a book is doing it right. The voice pulls you in. The protagonist's world feels enormous and immediate. You finish the book before you remember to put it down. The hard part is being able to do that yourself—on the page, on purpose. In this episode, I'm walking you through the five secrets that make YA f...
May 12, 2026•22 min•Ep. 247
What if getting stuck on your novel has nothing to do with your story and everything to do with HOW you're seeing it? Story mapping coach Danyel Nicole found that out firsthand. When Danyel's first draft started to feel off, she got up from her desk one night, grabbed butcher paper and sticky notes, and mapped out her entire story on the wall in her hallway. Within an hour, she could finally see what was working—and what wasn't. This discovery changed everything about her novel-writing process. ...
May 05, 2026•21 min•Ep. 246
Master these 5 worldbuilding techniques to immerse readers in your fictional world without infodumping or overwhelming them. If you've ever sat down to write a scene and ended up with three paragraphs of explanation before anything actually happens, you're not alone. Most writers don't info dump because they're bad at worldbuilding —they do it because they love the world they've built and want readers to experience every detail of it. But here's the thing: too much explanation too soon is usuall...
Apr 28, 2026•19 min•Ep. 245
Readers don't fall in love with likable characters. They fall in love with characters who want something specific, stand to lose something personal, and can't quite get out of their own way. Here's how to build one. Think about the last time you truly fell in love with a fictional character. Not just related to them—but actually stayed up past midnight because you needed to know they'd be okay. And then felt that strange grief when the story ended, because it meant leaving them behind. That kind...
Apr 21, 2026•22 min•Ep. 244
What does line editing actually involve, and is your manuscript ready for it? Here's everything you need to know. Line editing is a stage in the revision process that can feel really confusing, especially if you're not sure how it's different from developmental editing , copy editing , or proofreading . So in today's episode, I brought in two people who know this topic inside and out. Andrea and Michelle are the managing partners of Two Birds Author Services , and they've been editing fiction to...
Apr 14, 2026•33 min•Ep. 243
You finished your first draft. And for a minute, it felt amazing. But then you open your manuscript to revise, and suddenly everything feels unclear. Where do you start? What do you fix first? And how do you know if anything you're changing is actually making your story better? And at a certain point, it starts to feel like the problem might be your draft. But most of the time, it's not. It's the way you're approaching revision. That's why in this episode, I'm walking you through the five most c...
Apr 07, 2026•20 min•Ep. 242
Discover why the answer to hiring a book editor before querying isn’t a simple yes or no—and how to make the right call for your manuscript. If you've finished your draft and you're thinking about querying literary agents, you've probably seen this advice: don't hire an editor before you query. And while that's not wrong, it's also not the full picture. Because the real issue isn't whether you hire an editor. It's whether you're solving the right problem in your manuscript. In this episode, I'm ...
Mar 31, 2026•12 min•Ep. 241
Are you revising the same chapters over and over, but nothing you change is actually fixing the problem? Most writers go straight to the prose when their story isn't working. They tighten sentences, swap out words, and reread the same chapter over and over. And still, something feels off. But most first-draft problems don't occur at the sentence level. They occur at the story level . In this episode, I share the 10 writing mistakes I see most often in manuscripts. Plus, I’ll give you the diagnos...
Mar 24, 2026•23 min•Ep. 240
She wrote her first novel in 15-minute increments—in drive-through lines, at the dance studio, at swim lessons—while raising two kids and walking through one of the hardest seasons of her family's life. And she finished her book. That's Jackie Henley's (pen name J.J. Henley) story, and I wanted to bring her onto the podcast because I know so many of you feel like life keeps getting in the way of writing your novel . Jackie's story is proof that it doesn't have to. Jackie is a mom of two, a forme...
Mar 17, 2026•50 min•Ep. 239
Learn how to market your book in a way that aligns with your values, builds genuine reader connections, and feels sustainable instead of draining. Book Marketing . These two words make most writers want to close their laptops and hide forever. But what if it didn't have to feel that way? In this episode, I'm joined by award-winning science fiction and fantasy novelist and certified creativity coach Beth Barany to talk about what she calls heart-centered book marketing : A values-driven approach ...
Mar 10, 2026•33 min•Ep. 238
You wrote a prologue for your novel. But now you're wondering if you really need it. Here are three honest signs your story might actually be stronger without one. Writing a prologue feels like the right move until you're three drafts in and still not sure if it's actually helping your story or just sitting there, taking up space at the front of your book. And the tricky part is that it's not always easy to tell. Because sometimes the prologue isn't the problem. And sometimes it really is. That'...
Mar 03, 2026•17 min•Ep. 237
Is AI here to replace novelists, steal ideas, or ruin copyright forever? Let’s separate fear from facts. AI and creative writing are among the most debated topics in the publishing industry right now. Some writers are excited, while others are feeling cautious. And many are wondering what's actually true about AI, copyright law, idea theft, and querying agents. In this episode, I sit down with award-winning novelist and technologist Ana Del Valle to unpack what AI really means for fiction writer...
Feb 24, 2026•27 min•Ep. 236
Learn the 5 key elements every scene needs to move your story forward and keep readers turning pages. Scene structure doesn't have to be complicated. Sure, there are many methods out there, such as Story Grid's Five Commandments, Dwight Swain's Scene and Sequel, and James Scott Bell's LOCK system . And if you've tried learning from more than one method, it can feel like everyone's teaching something completely different. But the truth is, they're actually not. Because when you strip away the ter...
Feb 17, 2026•23 min•Ep. 235
Master the 8 Habits of Mind to build a sustainable, joyful writing practice that helps you finish your book without burnout or self-sabotage. Building a writing practice shouldn't feel like pushing a boulder uphill. But so many writers get stuck dealing with imposter syndrome, fighting writer's block , and wondering why their routine keeps falling apart. That’s why in this episode, I sit down with Dr. Bailey Lang, a book coach, editor, and writer who specializes in helping authors build sustaina...
Feb 10, 2026•28 min•Ep. 234
Master the art of writing natural-sounding dialogue by learning how to remove unnecessary lines, shape distinct character voices, and write conversations that feel purposeful on the page. If your dialogue feels stiff or flat, even when the conversation itself seems clear, there’s usually a specific reason for that. And it's not because you're bad at dialogue. In most cases, it comes down to a few subtle craft issues that quietly pull readers out of the scene, even when the conversation itself se...
Feb 03, 2026•15 min•Ep. 233
Discover the five craft techniques that make morally gray characters impossible to put down—so you can write complex, compelling figures readers will argue about, defend, and love despite everything. Morally gray characters are some of the most memorable in fiction. Think Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones), Kaz Brekker (Six of Crows), Severus Snape (Harry Potter), or Amy Dunne (Gone Girl). These are the characters readers can't stop thinking about long after the book is finished. But what actual...
Jan 27, 2026•18 min•Ep. 232
Discover how five Notes to Novel students stopped guessing their way through drafts by planning and outlining their stories with a clear structure. In this Student Spotlight episode, you’ll hear from five Notes to Novel students who entered the program actively writing, but couldn’t see why their drafts weren't working or how to fix them. Each case study shows what changed once these writers had a clear process to follow—one that helped them turn their ideas into a story that works. You’ll hear ...
Jan 22, 2026•29 min•Ep. 231
Five writers. Five different starting points. One clear framework that turned stalled first drafts into steady progress. In today’s episode, I’m sharing real stories from five Notes to Novel students who were stuck in very different ways but wanted the same thing: clarity and forward momentum on their novels. You'll hear from writers who were buried in craft books, sitting on drafts that didn’t work, rewriting in circles , or unsure if they were “too far along” or “not far enough” to get help. W...
Jan 20, 2026•25 min•Ep. 230
Discover how three Notes to Novel™ students stopped guessing their way through drafting and built steady, sustainable momentum toward a finished first draft. In this short bonus episode, I'm sharing three real case studies from past Notes to Novel students who were all stuck in different ways but wanted the same thing: to finish their first draft. You’ll hear how each writer went from stalled, inconsistent drafting to steady momentum once they stopped overthinking and started working with a clea...
Jan 15, 2026•16 min
If you've been working on your novel for months—or even years—without making real progress, this episode will help you understand why. Maybe you've started multiple books but never finished one. Maybe you sit down to write and have no idea what to work on. Or maybe you keep rewriting the same chapters over and over, hoping clarity will finally come. Here's what I want you to know: this isn't a talent problem or a motivation problem. It's a process problem—and process problems are fixable. In thi...
Jan 13, 2026•21 min•Ep. 229
Learn how a self-proclaimed perfectionist wrote a 114,000-word first draft in just 88 days—while working full-time and without finding more hours in the day. Poornika didn't have endless hours to write. She had two hours a night after work, some longer weekend sessions, and a chronic illness that sometimes forced her to step away completely. And yet, she finished her novel in 88 days—and went on to sign with her dream agent. In today's episode, I'm sitting down with Poornika Kakkanaiah , a forme...
Jan 08, 2026•49 min
If you've been trying to write a novel with a full-time job, family, and everything else life throws at you, this episode is for you. Maybe you squeeze writing into nights or weekends. You may start strong, then lose momentum when things don't go as planned. Or perhaps you keep telling yourself you’ll take your writing seriously when you have more time. In this episode, I’m sharing five practical shifts to prioritize your novel and start making steady progress, even when your time is limited and...
Jan 06, 2026•18 min•Ep. 227
The best writing advice sticks because it changes how you approach the page. In this special year-end episode, I’m counting down the top 10 most impactful writing tips from Fiction Writing Made Easy in 2025, pulled from this year's most listened-to episodes. These are the lessons writers kept coming back to. The ones that helped them stop second-guessing, get unstuck in the middle, and finally make real progress on their drafts. In the episode, you’ll hear me talk about things like: [07:30] Why ...
Dec 30, 2025•38 min•Ep. 226
Learn how a busy parent finished a novel by following a clear roadmap that made it possible to pause, return, and keep moving forward. Between raising four kids, navigating pregnancy and newborn life, and juggling everything that comes with being a busy parent, Madi didn't exactly have ideal writing conditions. And yet, she finished her novel. In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Madi, a former Notes to Novel student, to talk about what it actually looked like to write a book in the middle ...
Dec 23, 2025•40 min•Ep. 225
