The Better Writer Podcast

This week, I’m talking about my favorite topic: revision!

Revision a novel is a lot like climbing a mountain. It’s difficult, requires planning, and not everyone who starts out will reach the end. I don’t want your novel to end up in the back of a drawer or some dusty corner of your hard drive, so let’s talk about why revision is so overwhelming and how you can make the revision process work for you.

Here are four reasons revision is overwhelming:

1. You haven’t trained before starting your climb (you don’t yet have the skills to revise)
2. You haven’t mapped out the right route (you don’t have a clear revision strategy)
3. You’re trying to climb alone (you don’t have emotional support or critical support)
4. You don’t know what the peak looks like (you don’t have a clear vision for your finished book)

Here are the resources mentioned in this episode:

• Need help figuring out what your peak looks like? Grab my FREE Revision Kickstart Guide and set a vision that will guide your revisions!. You can download it here: https://olivia-helps-writers.ck.page/94b0145ae9
• Want to get my weekly newsletter for writers? You can subscribe here: https://olivia-helps-writers.kit.com/better-writer-newsletter
• Have a response to this episode? Hit me up on Instagram @oliviahelpswriters https://instagram.com/oliviahelpswriters

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/19.

This week, I’m continuing my discussion of “show, don’t tell,” by introducing your show, don’t tell secret weapon: writing in scenes.

There are three ways that writing in scenes can help writers show instead of tell:

1. Scenes lock us into a specific moment in time which primes us to narrate specific actions as they happen instead of summarizing them.
2. When the scene is narrated through a specific character’s perspective, all information (worldbuilding, backstory, etc.) is filtered through their perspective, giving you a simple metric for deciding what gets added on the page and what gets left out because it’s not necessary for readers to know in that particular scene.
3. Scenes happen in a specific time and place which means adding specific details and that immerse readers in the world of your story and keep us focused on what is happening in that specific time and place instead of just feeding us information detached from space & time.

Here are the resources and tools mentioned in this episode:

• Download my scene writing checklist here - perfect for making sure your scenes have all the ingredients they need, whether you plan them in advance or shape them up in revision. Grab the checklist here!
• Have a response to this episode? Hit me up on Instagram @oliviahelpswriters

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/18.

This week, I’m continuing my discussion of “show, don’t tell”.

This time, I’m taking a step back and instead of talking about how show, don’t tell works, I’m talking about what makes it so difficult for writers to show in the first place.

Here’s the headline: showing in fiction runs counter to our default storytelling mode, the way that we are taught to share stories from childhood on.

In this episode, I’m sharing three specific ways that “showing” requires us to break free of our storytelling defualt mode and instead craft stories in a different way. They are:

1. Showing runs counter to the natural way we tell stories verbally.
2. Showing requires more words than telling. The opposite of writing for school and business where being concise is put above everything else.
3. Showing is often linked with writing in scenes, but most people write their stories as one long series of things that happen.

Here are the resources and tools mentioned in this episode:

• Want to get my weekly newsletter for writers? You can subscribe here
• Have a response to this episode? Hit me up on Instagram @oliviahelpswriters

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/17.

This week, I’m talking about another of the most common mistakes I see in client manuscripts: a misunderstanding of show, don’t tell.

It’s a writing rule that gets thrown out ALL THE TIME. But how often do you hear someone diving deep into what it really means? Not often enough.

Writers often think of show, don’t tell as one thing and usually something that happens at the line level. But it’s not that simple. Show, don’t tell is really a collection of techniques that make your writing feel alive and immersive to readers and it operates at every level of your manuscript.

In this episode, I’m sharing three ways that show, don’t tell shows up in manuscripts and what you need to do to create an immersive experience for your readers.

Here are the resources and tools mentioned in this episode:

• Want to get my weekly newsletter for writers? You can subscribe here: https://olivia-helps-writers.kit.com/better-writer-newsletter
• Have a response to this episode? Hit me up on Instagram @oliviahelpswriters: https://instagram.com/oliviahelpswriters

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/16.

This week, I’m addressing a hot-button issue in our industry: AI. I’m giving you a behind the look at all the ways I am and am not using AI in my business and my life.

Here’s the headline: I do not use generative AI to create any content that I share online (blog posts, emails, etc.) and I do not, will not, ever use any AI tools in client work, but there are some non-generative AI tools that I use in the process of getting work done and I want to talk transparently about how I’m using these tools and the principles that I use when deciding which tools to use or not.

Here are the three principles: 1) I will never use AI to create content I present as my own writing; 2) I don’t use AI to replace work I would hire a human to do; and 3) I try to be mindful of the environmental cost and only use tech tools that are worth it.

Here are the resources and tools mentioned in this episode:

• You can check out my public AI policy here: https://www.oliviahelpswriters.com/faqs-policies
• Learn more about dictation with Sarah Elizabeth Sawyer here: https://www.fictioncourses.com/dictation
• Check out Author.AI’s analytical tools here: https://authors.ai/
• Have a response to this episode? Hit me up on Instagram @oliviahelpswriters: https://instagram.com/oliviahelpswriters
• Want to my weekly newsletter - including the ones I write while driving? You can subscribe here: https://olivia-helps-writers.kit.com/better-writer-newsletter

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/15.

This week’s episode is all about conflict. Conflict is an essential element of every novel, but it’s also misunderstood and often leads writers astray. In fact, conflict issues have shown up in every editorial letter I’ve written for a client. In this episode, I’m discussing why more conflict isn’t always better and key ways that you can go wrong by just shoving random, unstrategic conflicts into your story.

Want help revising the conflict in your story? Check out my services here https://www.oliviahelpswriters.com/services

Or sign up for the Better Writer Weekly and be the first to know when Reader Ready Revisions opens for enrollment this spring. You can join here https://olivia-helps-writers.kit.com/better-writer-newsletter

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/14.

This week’s episode is all about promises. The promises you make to readers, specifically. I’m covering four promises that we make to our readers - whether we’re consciously aware of it or not. Your genre is a promise, the places you direct your readers’ attention is a promise, your marketing makes a promise, and your beginning is a promise. Listen in and make sure you’re making promises intentionally, not accidentally, and setting yourself up for success by giving readers exactly what they want from your book!

Want to hear more from me? Sign up for the Better Writer Weekly newsletter here.

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit https://oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/13.

This week, I’m talking about mistakes writers make when it comes to story structure. Story structure is vital. It gives our stories shape and ensures we are keeping readers hooked and entertained throughout. Given that reality, you might be expecting me to talk about structural issues, and yes, those definitely happen, but there’s a deeper issue holding writers back: misusing or misunderstanding story structure from the start. Too often, writers try to turn story structure systems into something they aren’t. In this episode, I’m offering a new way to think about structure while avoiding the biggest structure/mindset mistakes.

You’ll hear:

• The three mistakes writers make when thinking about structure
• Why sticking to strict percentages could be holding you back
• The myth that there is one universal structure that applies to all stories
• A new framework for thinking of story structure holistically, not rigidly
• And more!

Resources mentioned:

• Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
• The Heroine’s Journey by Gail Carriger
• Anatomy of Story by John Truby
• The Writer’s Journey (hero’s journey) by Christopher Vogler
• The Virgin’s Promise by Kim Hudson
• Subscribe to the Better Writer Weekly newsletter here
• Follow me on Instagram here

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/12

I talk about crafting a great experience for readers ALL THE TIME. But what does that even mean? In this episode, I’m breaking down three things fiction writers need to do to craft a great experience for their readers: meet their genre’s expectations, make readers care, and immerse us in the story.

Links Mentioned:

• Have questions? Reach out on Instagram, I’d love to help!
• Subscribe to the Better Writer Weekly here

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/11

In this episode, I’m sharing a partial replay of a masterclass I ran for writers called Revision Without Overwhelm: Learn the 4-step process to take your draft from messy to marvelous. In this class, I’m sharing 1) what really makes revision overwhelming, 2) the 4-steps to a successful revision, and 3) tips for managing your revision process so you can make your manuscript better without getting completely lost in the weeds.

If you’re listening to this episode when it comes out, Reader Ready Revisions is officially open for enrollment until January 30th, 2026! You can learn more and enroll with the link below. Missed this session? No worries! Subscribe to my newsletter and be the first to know when the next session opens!

Links Referenced

• Learn more about Reader Ready Revisions and enroll here
• Subscribe to the Better Writer Weekly here

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/10