Do you ever wish you could see a behind-the-scenes look at how other people write? 

In this episode, you’ll get to hear directly from five of my Notes to Novel students as they share how they brainstormed, outlined, and wrote their books inside the Notes to Novel course. I asked each of them to share the biggest thing that helped them get to “The End” of their drafts, and that’s exactly what they’re sharing with you today.

In the episode, you’ll hear things like:

• [01:50] How fast drafting and using placeholders for pending details helped Poornika finish a 114,000-word draft in only 88 days 
• [04:50] How Alison learned to embrace scene structure (and what this did in terms of her ability to write a first draft)
• [07:40] How a small mindset shift around outlining gave Mark a framework to develop his ideas (without stifling his creativity or ability to have fun)
• [12:10] How Sharon’s critique group noticed an improvement in her writing after she learned how to write a well-structured scene
• [16:30] How Rhonda defeated her inner critic that used to tell her she was too old to write—and how she finished an 80,000-word first draft

Trust me when I say that you will find these writers’ stories so inspirational! I had so much fun putting together this episode and can’t wait to share their insights with you!

⭐ Rate + Review + Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast!" ← If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing this show! Your rating and review will help other writers find this podcast, and they're also super fun for me to read. Just click here, scroll all the way to the bottom, tap five stars to rate the show, and then select "Write a Review." Be sure to let me know your favorite episodes, too! 

Also, if you haven't done so already, make sure you're following the podcast! I'll be adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed, and if you're not following the show, there's a good chance you'll miss them. Click here to follow now!

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Poornika Kakkanaiah’s website and Instagram
• Alison Ten Cate’s Instagram
• Sharon England’s Instagram
• Mark Mrozinski’s website and Instagram

Ready to make 2026 the year you finally finish your novel? Notes to Novel is my signature program that walks you through brainstorming, outlining, and writing a first draft that works—so you always know what to do next. Click here to get on the waitlist →

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.