Stories are about change. Here’s how to craft compelling change in every scene, act, and novel.

In fact, change is one of the fundamental things—maybe the fundamental thing—that makes stories useful, interesting, and fun.

How do you make sure something changes in your story? And not just any change, but the right change?

Let me introduce you to one of my favorite editing concepts: the value shift.

Master value shifts, and you’ll find that crafting the perfect change in every story you write becomes . . . well, almost easy.

And in this episode, I’ll show you how. You’ll learn:

• Why we NEED change in EVERY story
• 4 best practices to identify the perfect value shift
• 2 types of change you’ll find in every scene, act, and novel
• 3 exercises you can use right away to apply value shifts to your writing (and life!)
• And more!

Plus, I’ve created a free resource to make finding changes in your story even easier. It’s called the Value Shift Word Bank.

In it, you’ll find all the value shifts that happen in the novels I’ve been editing lately. Use it to help you spot your own value shifts—or find the perfect value shift to add to your story!

Get the Value Shift Word Bank here »

This episode is one of my favorites. Value shifts are the foundation of everything I do as an editor. I’m always, always asking: what changes in this story?

I can’t wait to share this essential approach to crafting change in stories with you!

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Watch the opening scene of How to Train Your Dragon
• Get the Value Shift Word Bank: alicesudlow.com/value

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In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

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"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!

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Overwhelmed by your novel? Try these five strategies to edit with confidence.

Sometimes, editing your novel feels really scary.

Yep, I said it. Sometimes, you get overwhelmed. You feel stuck. You wonder, do you even have what it takes to edit a book?

I’m a professional editor, and even I feel that way sometimes. Right now, I’m working on a new novel from a fantastic author. And halfway through, I started wondering . . . is this book too good for me to edit it? Is it beyond me?

In fact, I got so nervous about it that I actually paused in the middle of the book to write this episode!

If you’ve ever doubted yourself while editing your novel, this episode is for you.

In it, you’ll learn:

• 2 major ways the prospect of editing a novel can be overwhelming
• 5 strategies to bust through the overwhelm and edit like a pro
• Your greatest strength when it comes to editing your novel
• When to stop editing alone and call in help
• Why you DO have what it takes (even if you’ve NEVER edited a book before!)
• The most important thing to STOP doing (even though it’s really hard to let it go!)
• And more!

You have what it takes to edit your book. You have the perseverance, the love of great stories, and the passion it will take.

Don’t believe me? Listen to the episode and find out how to defeat the overwhelm.

Oh, and that book I’m editing?

After I created this episode, I went back to the book. I applied all five strategies you’ll hear in the episode.

And they worked!

I shared tons of feedback with the writer, and she loved it. It just took me a quick break and a few intentional strategies to break through the overwhelm and find the best feedback for her.

Because I have what it takes to edit a novel . . .

. . . and so do you.

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Download the 10-step guide to edit your novel: alicesudlow.com/10steps
• For reasons to love editing, check out ep. 23: 3 Simple Steps to Edit Absolutely Anything in Your Novel

Send me a Text Message!

Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

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"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!

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Three acts aren’t enough. If you’re stuck in the middle of your story, try this four-act structure instead.

Recently, a writer told me she was stuck in the middle of her story.

She’d written the complete first draft. She’d gotten an editor’s feedback. She was editing her second draft, and she’d made it just past the fifty percent mark.

And then . . . she got stuck.

After all that, she had no idea what should come next. No idea how to make everything from the midpoint to the climax interesting.

So I gave her a solution: Split your story into four acts.

Three-act structure is our default approach to storytelling. But it’s not enough.

So I use four-act structure instead. And in this episode, I’ll tell you why.

You’ll learn:

• The critical flaw with three-act story structure
• Why four-act structure makes writing the middle of your story almost easy
• What each of the four acts must include (act three is my favorite!)
• And more!

If you’re feeling lost in the middle of your story, I invite you to listen in and discover a simple path to “The End.”

And even if you’re not feeling lost right now, give it a listen and get fresh inspiration for every part of your story.

By the way, that writer who was feeling stuck? She loved this four-act approach to stories . . . and so did everyone else in her writing group. Every single person told me some version of, “Oh! This makes so much sense. And I’m feeling so inspired now!”

What will you discover about your story with this four-act story structure?

Send me a Text Message!

Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

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"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!

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You can get fantastic feedback on your writing for free. But first, you need to know whom to seek out, when to ask for feedback, and what kind of feedback to ask for.

Ask the wrong people, and you’ll get uncritical praise, unhelpful critique, or even rejection.

But ask the right people . . .

Ask the right people, and you’ll get feedback that:

• Helps you finish your first draft
• Prepares you to work with an editor
• Helps you integrate a professional editor’s notes

You can even get the kind of feedback that professional editors can’t give you!

In this episode, I’ll show you where to find the right people to ask for free feedback. You’ll learn:

• 5 types of people who will give you feedback for free
• The pros and cons of each type of feedback
• When in the editing process you should seek out each type
• The people you should NOT ask for feedback
• How to combine free feedback and paid feedback for the greatest benefits
• And more!

Even if you plan to hire an editor, you can apply free feedback in strategic ways to craft your best book. Listen to the episode and I’ll show you how.

Send me a Text Message!

Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

Support the show

Rate, 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!

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Most writers miss this simple editing principle. But when you understand it, when you truly master it, you have the power to craft your best story.

Here it is:

When you’re doing a developmental edit on a story, you can change absolutely anything.

It sounds obvious, yet it’s so hard to do. In this episode, I’ll show you why—and share a simple three-step process that will give you editing superpowers.

You’ll learn:

• How to go beyond line edits and start editing story events
• 3 steps to make developmental editing almost easy
• How to figure out what your story is really about
• What to do when something’s not working in your story
• How to uncover infinite possibilities for your story
• How to choose the BEST plot points for every moment of your story
• Why this kind of editing is so FUN
• And more!

Plus, I’ll show you exactly how this editing process works with a real example.

I’ve chosen the best highlights from my editing session with Kim Kessler. Listen to us apply this process step-by-step to edit Kim’s scene.

Want to hear the full editing session? Listen to Kim’s edit here!

By the end of this episode, you’ll have a clear process to use to edit your own scenes—or even your entire novel. This is one you’ll want to save to revisit again and again!

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Read the transcript of this episode
• Read the scene Kim and I edited
• Listen to Kim’s full editing session
• Meet Kim Kessler

Send me a Text Message!

Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

Support the show

Rate, 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!

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Answer these questions now to clarify your goals for your novel. Plus, they’ll prepare you to work with an editor when you’re ready for expert advice.

When you reach out to an editor (like me!), they’ll have a lot of questions about your novel.

After all, your editor is stepping into the middle of a writing, editing, and publication process that started long before they get to read your manuscript.

The more information you can give your editor about your story, your process, and what success means to you, the better.

In this episode, you’ll learn eight questions I ask writers when they reach out to me.

You can even download them in a worksheet to fill out your answers as you listen. Grab the worksheet here.

Treat that worksheet as a living document. It’s your guide to your novel and your goals.

And when you’re ready to work with an editor, it will help you answer any questions they ask so you can find the editor who’s the best fit for you and your novel.

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Get the worksheet: alicesudlow.com/editorquestions
• Tell me about your book: alicesudlow.com/contact

Send me a Text Message!

Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

Support the show

Rate, 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!

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Two simple questions to ensure your character development drives your plot.

Every time I edit a novel, I ask two questions about the protagonist. They’re deceptively simple questions, but they reveal so much about the character.

More than that, they reveal how the story should end.

In other words, these two questions are the keys to:

. . . your character development,

. . . your climax,

. . . and your resolution.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through these essential questions:

What does your character want?

And what does your character need?

You’ll learn:

• Where to find your character’s want and need in your story (hint: one is clear at the beginning, and one is clear at the end)
• How to combine the want and need for an amazing climax
• 5 tips to find YOUR protagonist’s want and need
• Why these questions are perfect for the editing process AND when you’re writing your first draft
• And more!

Plus, I’ll show you an example of character wants and needs at play in a fantastic novel: The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik. It’s a perfect illustration of how these questions impact character development and plot.

How about your story? What does your protagonist want? And what do they need

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Get the Character Arc Worksheet: alicesudlow.com/characterworksheet
• Ep. 18: 2 Essential Questions to Craft a Compelling Character Arc
• THE LAST GRADUATE by Naomi Novik

Send me a Text Message!

Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

Support the show

Rate, 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 »

Ever wondered what it looks like to get feedback from an editor?

Recently, my friend Kim Kessler, herself a developmental editor and author, sent me a scene of the novel she’s working on. I read it and prepared some notes for her.

Then, we hopped on a call to talk through my feedback.

And we recorded the whole conversation!

In this episode, you’ll hear exactly how developmental editing works. I walk Kim through the same process I use for all my editing clients.

You’ll hear the questions I ask her, the specific recommendations I give, and my favorite part: the moment of epiphany, when we “solve” what she needs to do next with her scene.

And if you ever feel nervous about working with an editor . . . well, we get it. Kim and I share why we felt nervous about this episode, too—and why this editing session was worth all the nerves and risk!

Fair warning: this episode is long.

It’s worth listening to the whole thing, especially if you want to hear exactly what a real developmental editing session looks like.

But if you’d like to jump straight to some key moments, check out these time stamps:

[5:42] Why Kim and I don’t offer sample edits of developmental editing

[10:06] Kim introduces her novel and shares the context of her scene

[18:35] The most important editing question: WHY Kim is writing this novel and what she wants it to achieve

[25:40] What I love about Kim’s scene and what she’s doing well

[29:47] The start of our scene analysis—if you’ve listened to the episode “5 Essential Questions to Fix Boring Scenes,” these questions will be familiar to you

[36:22] What changes in this scene? What’s the value shift?

[54:31] What is this scene really about?

[1:02:45] The specific recommendation I have for Kim’s scene

[1:04:57] Kim and I brainstorm ways to apply that feedback

And if you’d like this kind of feedback on your scenes . . .

. . . keep your eye out for a way to sign up for a scene critique of your own, coming soon!

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Find Kim at kimberkessler.com
• Read Kim’s scene: alicesudlow.com/kimscene
• Ep. 8: ​​What Is a Scene? The Ultimate Guide to Write and Edit Amazing Scenes

Send me a Text Message!

Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

Support the show

Rate, 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 »

Have you ever wanted to quit your book?

Here’s the good news, and the bad news: that’s a normal part of the book writing process.

Every writer I know has struggled to make it through the middle of their novel. They’ve all been tempted to quit the book they’re currently working on and start over with a better story idea.

So if you’re feeling ready to ditch this book idea and start writing something better . . .

. . . you’re not alone.

Before you quit, though, I want to share a few truths with you.

1. Your book idea isn’t the problem.
2. Quitting this book won’t make the next book easier.
3. You have what it takes to finish—and it’s worth seeing this book through to the end.

Don’t believe me? Hit play and find out what I told a writer recently who emailed me to ask whether she should quit her book.

Then, get back to writing!

You’ve got this. And I’m cheering you on the whole way through!

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Ep. 4: 10 Productivity Tips to Finish Writing Your First Draft Faster
• Ep. 5: 11 Creativity Tips to Finish Writing Your First Draft Faster
• Ep. 6: 3 Speedy Strategies to Edit Your Novel Faster
• Ep. 7: 7 More Speedy Strategies to Edit Your Novel Faster

Send me a Text Message!

Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

Support the show

Rate, 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!

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If you want readers to fall in love with your protagonist . . .

. . . to remember them long after they finish your book . . .

. . . then you need to craft a compelling character arc.

To do that, you need to know: who is your protagonist?

What makes them unique? How do they grow and change? Why is their story worth telling?

And you can figure all that out by answering just two essential questions.

These questions are deceptively simple. But when you dig in and explore them, you’ll learn so much about what challenges your character faces and all the ways they’ll grow.

I ask these questions every time I work with a writer. And over and over, they lead us to breakthroughs about the writer’s protagonist—and the arc of their entire story.

Ready for the questions? Listen in! You’ll learn:

• The two essential questions for brilliant character arcs
• More than a dozen insights you’ll gain just by asking them
• How to identify your character’s most important change
• How to use that change to shape your story’s plot
• And more!

Plus, I’ll show you how I would answer these two questions for the character arc in a novel I love: LITTLE THIEVES by Margaret Owen.

And I’ve created a worksheet to help you answer these questions for your character, too. Get the worksheet at alicesudlow.com/characterworksheet.

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Get the Character Arc Worksheet: alicesudlow.com/characterworksheet
• LITTLE THIEVES by Margaret Owen

Send me a Text Message!

Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

Support the show

Rate, 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 »