Your Next Draft

• 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 helpWhy "finished" isn't a prerequisite for working with an editorThe 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 processThe difference between "editor" and "book coach" and what each term suggestsHere'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!Revision Clarity in Just One DayNext Right Step is a one-day manuscript intensive that shows you exactly how to move your novel forward. I’ll study your manuscript, scene list, and story vision. Then, we’ll meet to discuss what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus next. You’ll end the day with a clear plan for revision that you can follow with an editor or on your own.Get started at alicesudlow.com/nrs. Support the showRate, 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 rewritesThe 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 toolHow 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 StoryThe 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!Revision Clarity in Just One DayNext Right Step is a one-day manuscript intensive that shows you exactly how to move your novel forward. I’ll study your manuscript, scene list, and story vision. Then, we’ll meet to discuss what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus next. You’ll end the day with a clear plan for revision that you can follow with an editor or on your own.Get started at alicesudlow.com/nrs. Support the showRate, 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 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 meansWhy the genre labels on the shelves at Barnes and Noble won’t help you craft a great storyThe 12 fundamental genres that apply to every great story2 questions to begin identifying your story’s genreThis 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!Revision Clarity in Just One DayNext Right Step is a one-day manuscript intensive that shows you exactly how to move your novel forward. I’ll study your manuscript, scene list, and story vision. Then, we’ll meet to discuss what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus next. You’ll end the day with a clear plan for revision that you can follow with an editor or on your own.Get started at alicesudlow.com/nrs. Support the showRate, 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 workHow to find the hooks of your story—what only your story can deliverHow to lighten the pressure to get the first line rightAnd 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 CollinsCatching Fire by Suzanne CollinsMockingjay by Suzanne CollinsRemarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van PeltSend me a Text Message!Revision Clarity in Just One DayNext Right Step is a one-day manuscript intensive that shows you exactly how to move your novel forward. I’ll study your manuscript, scene list, and story vision. Then, we’ll meet to discuss what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus next. You’ll end the day with a clear plan for revision that you can follow with an editor or on your own.Get started at alicesudlow.com/nrs. Support the showRate, 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 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 feelsHow to spot “fluff” that isn’t moving your story forwardHow coincidences work in stories—and what happens when they don’t workWhat happens when a story has no progressive complications at allAnd 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/contactEp. 87: Make Sense of Your Messy Middle With the Most Underrated Story ElementSend me a Text Message!Revision Clarity in Just One DayNext Right Step is a one-day manuscript intensive that shows you exactly how to move your novel forward. I’ll study your manuscript, scene list, and story vision. Then, we’ll meet to discuss what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus next. You’ll end the day with a clear plan for revision that you can follow with an editor or on your own.Get started at alicesudlow.com/nrs. Support the showRate, 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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