Welcome to an extra special episode of the Better Writer Podcast!

In this bonus episode, I'm sharing a replay of the live Revision Kickstart Challenge I'm running from 9/22-9/24.

Here's what we talked about in session #1:

1. Why the writing habits you learned in school won't cut it when you're trying to revise.
2. What it really means to get your book ready for readers
3. Your inspiration & vision of success
4. The mindsets that support revision success
5. And more!

If you're listening to this episode the day it comes out, it is not too late to join the challenge live. Just go to OHWRevisionClass.com to register for free!

Listening before 10/4/26? You can register for replay access even if the live calls are over.

Find all the details at OHWRevisionClass.com.

P.S. Listening from the future? Just head to oliviahelpswriters.com - I'm sure I have something great coming up that will help you revise with confidence!

Thanks you for listening, keep writing, and keep getting better one word at a time!!

This episode is my love letter to anyone who has looked at their messy draft and wanted to cry.

It doesn’t matter what your draft looks like right now, you aren’t doomed and this draft isn’t destiny. It might not be easy, but you can make your book work.

This week’s episode is part pep talk, part motivational speech, part call to action.

Listen now and get inspired to write the best book possible!

And if you want my help to kickstart your revisions, join me for the Revision Kickstart Challenge starting today!!!!

This free 3-day event runs from September 22nd - 24th!

Over those 3 days, I’ll teach you how to set yourself up for success, set a vision for your book, and prepare for the revision work ahead.

Listening to this after the challenge starts? That’s okay! You can register for replay access until 10/4/26!

Get the full details and register for the challenge at OHWRevisionClass.com!

I can’t wait to see you live and help you write a better book!!

Thanks for listening, keep writing, and keep getting better one word at a time!

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit https://oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/42

Editing is great, don't get me wrong, but it is not your only option for getting support as a writer, and honestly, is not the best option in a lot of situations.

You know what is? Coaching.

In Episode 41 of the Better Writer Podcast, I’m talking all about the difference between editing and coaching and 6 reasons to choose coaching over editing as you revise your novel.

And if you want to learn even more from me, join me for the Revision Kickstart Challenge!

This free 3-day event runs from September 22nd - 24th!

Over those 3 days, I’ll teach you how to set yourself up for success, set a vision for your book, and prepare for the revision work ahead.

Plus, there just might be some fun prizes available!

Get the full details and register for the challenge at OHWRevisionClass.com!

I can’t wait to see you live and help you write a better book!!

Thanks for listening, keep writing, and keep getting better one word at a time!

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit https://oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/41

Dear Pantsers, if you think that you’re allergic to all outlines, think again. Pantsers can still use outlines, just not for planning their stories.

Instead, I teach pantsers to use outlines in revision. A reverse outline specifically.

Listen to episode 40 for all the ways that pantsers can use reverse outlines to get clarity on their stories and plan their revisions before rewriting their full draft 10,000 times.

And if you want to learn even more from me, join me for the Revision Kickstart Challenge!!

This free 3-day event runs from September 22nd - 24th!

Over those 3 days, I’ll teach you how to set yourself up for success, set a vision for your book, and prepare for the revision work ahead.

Plus, there just might be some fun prizes available!

Get the full details and register for the challenge at OHWRevisionClass.com!

I can’t wait to see you live and help you write a better book!!

Thanks for listening, keep writing, and keep getting better one word at a time!

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit https://oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/40

It's no secret that I love reverse outlining. I genuinely think that a reverse outline is the best revision tool for pantsers or anyone else who is just starting out and has a messy draft.

However, I also know that there might be a writer out there who has tried reverse outlining in the past and wanted it to fix their messy draft, but it didn't work.

If you’re the writer who tried and gave up on reverse outlines, you might think that reverse outlines just don't work, or maybe that they just don't work for you. And that is possible - I will never say that any strategy is one size fits all - but it's also possible that you were missing the two things that make a reverse outline successful: a standard to evaluate that reverse outline with and a strategy for turning that outline into action.

In this episode of the Better Writer Podcast, I’m exploring the biggest reverse outline mistake writers make and the two elements that are critical for turning a basic summary into a powerful revision tool.

If you’re thinking about giving reverse outlining a second try OR you’re thinking about trying it for the first time, this episode is the perfect starting point!

Want a guide to my entire revision process? Check out my FREE revision checklist for pantsers here.

Thanks for listening, keep writing, and keep getting better one word at a time!

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit https://oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/39

00:00 When Reverse Outlines Fail

01:27 The Problem with Reverse Outlines

04:30 Essential #1: A Standard to Evaluate Your Outline

12:59 Essential #2: A Strategy that Turns Outline Into Action

If you’re a fiction writer struggling to revise your book, a revision myth may be to blame. Too many writers have bought into a certain image of revision, or a certain method that was never a fit for them or how they write. If you think that your revision problem is just a sign that you’re undisciplined or bad at writing, I have news, you’re not the problem, your revision plan is.

In this episode, I’m talking about six common revision myths that can derail even the most committed aspiring author. The problem is that most revision methods were never made for people who write messy. Those methods assume your structure is coherent and your story is ready for detailed edits.

Unfortunately, those processes aren’t right for beginners or pantsers but that doesn’t mean your book is doomed. You just need a different plan.

Stop trying to make faulty revision methods work for you and instead try a method that’s actually designed to be efficient and effective for writers with rough, rough drafts. Listen for the myths and stay tuned for a revision plan that you can actually make work for you!

Here are the resources mentioned in this episode:

• If you want my full revision checklist - a step-by-step overview of the entire four phase revision process I teach my clients - for FREE, click here.

• To listen to Episode 37: Why Revising Fiction Sucks So Much (but doesn’t have to…), click here.
• To listen to Episode 2: Your High School English Teacher Lied - Let's Talk About It (which talks about all the ways high school classrooms get revision wrong), click here.

Thanks for listening, keep writing, and keep getting better one word at a time!

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit https://oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/38

I love revision, but I know that most writers don’t. In fact, for many writers revision sucks so much that it keeps them from finding the book they poured their heart and soul into while drafting.

Today, I’m talking about what makes revision suck so we can normalize the struggle AND tips for helping you manage the process so you can confidently create your second draft (or beyond).

If you want my full revision checklist - a step-by-step overview of the entire four phase revision process I teach my clients - for FREE, click here.

Thanks for listening, keep writing, and keep getting better one word at a time!

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit https://oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/37

Don’t get me wrong, developmental editing can be insanely valuable for writers, but it’s not the best option for all writers. In fact, I would argue that it’s not the best option for anyone working on their first book.

I’m seeing more and more writers embrace coaching, but there are still plenty of people out there who think editing is their best option for getting feedback on a novel. In this episode, I’m going to take you behind the scenes of my business to share why I shifted from editing to coaching and the value that this change has for writers.

I’ll also clarify which writers are best served by edits and which should stick to coaching for now.

Thanks for listening, keep writing, and keep getting better one word at a time!

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit https://oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/36

Writing craft books have been an essential part of my education as a writer & editor. In this episode, I’m sharing the final 5 books in my top 10 craft books for aspiring fiction writers.

Have a craft book recommendation to share? Hit me up in the DMs - I’m @oliviahelpswriters on Instagram!

Here are the resources mentioned in this show - please note, this list contains affiliate links:

• My Bookshop.org shop (affiliate link): https://bookshop.org/shop/oliviahelpswriters
• 7 Figure Fiction by T. Taylor: https://bookshop.org/a/93888/9781942167594
• DIY MFA by Gabriela Pereira: https://bookshop.org/a/93888/9781599639345
• Intuitive Editing by Tiffany Yates Martin: https://bookshop.org/a/93888/9781950830022
• Story Genius by Lisa Cron: https://bookshop.org/a/93888/9781607748892
• The Emotion Thesaurus by Becca Puglisi & Angela Ackerman: https://bookshop.org/a/93888/9780999296349

Don’t miss my summer workshop series!

• Revision Mindset Workshop - August 4th, 4:30pm. Register here for $49: https://oliviahelpswriters.thrivecart.com/revision-mindset-workshop/
• Genre Expectations Workshop - August 11th, 4:30pm. Register here for $49: https://oliviahelpswriters.thrivecart.com/genre-expectations-workshop/
• Ideal Reader Workshop - August 18th, 4:30pm. Register here for $49: https://oliviahelpswriters.thrivecart.com/ideal-reader-workshop/
• Get all three workshops for $97: https://oliviahelpswriters.thrivecart.com/summer-workshops-2026/

Seeing this from the future? You can still purchase the recordings with the links above!

Thanks for listening, keep writing, and keep getting better one word at a time!

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit https://oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/35

Writing craft books have been an essential part of my education as a writer & editor. In this episode, I’m sharing 5 of my top 10 books for aspiring fiction writers (the final 5 will be shared next week).

Have a craft book recommendation to share? Hit me up in the DMs - I’m @oliviahelpswriters on Instagram!

Here are the resources mentioned in this show - please note, this list contains affiliate links:

• My Bookshop.org shop (affiliate link): https://bookshop.org/shop/oliviahelpswriters
• The Scene Book by Sandra Scofield: https://bookshop.org/a/93888/9780143038269
• Blueprint for a Book by Jennie Nash: https://bookshop.org/a/93888/9781733251129
• The Complete Art of World Building by Randy Ellefson: https://bookshop.org/a/93888/9781946995407
• Conflict and Suspense by James Scott Bell: https://bookshop.org/a/93888/9781599632735
• The Anatomy of Prose by Sacha Black: https://bookshop.org/a/93888/9781913236007
• The Rebel Author Podcast: https://sachablack.co.uk/the-rebel-author-podcast/

Want to hear more from me? Subscribe to my weekly newsletter, The Better Writer Weekly, here and get my Revision Kickstart Guide for free here: https://olivia-helps-writers.ck.page/94b0145ae9

Thanks for listening, keep writing, and keep getting better one word at a time!

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit https://oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/34

00:00 Why I Love Craft Books

03:55 The Scene Book by Sandra Scofield

05:22 Blueprint for a Book by Jennie Nash

07:46 The Complete Art of World Building by Randy Ellefson

13:52 Conflict and Suspense by James Scott Bell

16:29 The Anatomy of Prose by Sacha Black