Fiction Writing Made Easy

#188. 5 Mindset Hacks to Help You Finish Your First Draft


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Five book coaches reveal their most powerful mindset hacks to help you crush self-doubt, overcome perfectionism, and finally finish your first draft—even if you've been stuck for months.

Picture this: You sit down with a fresh cup of coffee, open your laptop to write your novel, and then that voice of doubt creeps in: "This is terrible. You don't know what you're doing." And then you're staring at a blinking cursor, completely frozen.

Sound familiar?

If you're nodding your head, you're not alone. Whether you're just starting your first novel or you've been trying to finish that draft for months (or years!), these mental roadblocks aren't signs of failure—they're normal challenges every writer faces.

Tune in to this episode to hear five proven mindset strategies from professional book coaches and editors who have helped countless first-time novelists overcome writer's block, self-doubt, and procrastination to finally type "The End" on their first drafts.

  • [02:11] The surprising mindset shift that turns "This writing is terrible" into productive writing sessions
  • [08:41] How to carve out writing time that actually works (without quitting your day job or neglecting your family)
  • [14:43] Why waiting to "feel inspired" is killing your novel—and the counterintuitive approach that actually works
  • [20:12] The five simple questions that can rescue your story when you're stuck in the dreaded "middle slump"
  • [27:08] How strategic "neglect" might be the missing ingredient to finally type "The End" on your manuscript

If you're an aspiring author who is writing your first draft, or if you've started multiple manuscripts but keep getting stuck in the middle, this episode's for you!

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

  • Get on the waitlist for my Notes to Novel course!
  • Candace Coakley’s website and Instagram
  • Sam Henke’s website and Instagram
  • Jenny Luke’s website and Instagram
  • Karla Diaz’s website and Instagram
  • Sam Cameron’s website and Instagram

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Fiction Writing Made EasyBy Savannah Gilbo

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