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Fiction Writing Made Easy

#108: Why Your Capacity For Zero is Crucial As A Writer

Fiction Writing Made Easy

Savannah Gilbo

Education, Fiction, Writing Tips, Arts, Bestseller, Writing, How To, Author, Writing Community, Books, Novel, How To Write Fiction, Writing Fiction, Writer, How To Write A Book

4.91.5K Ratings

🗓️ 14 September 2023

⏱️ 15 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In today’s episode, I’m sharing one of my favorite mindset tips—and it all has to do with your ability (and willingness) to start from scratch. I call it strengthening your capacity for zero. Here’s a preview of what’s included:

[01:25] Your capacity for zero describes how willing you are to start over if something you’re outlining or writing doesn’t work.
[04:45] What happened when I told one of the writers I work with that she had to start over after writing a 40,000-word first draft
[11:00] How to strengthen your capacity for zero (including some question prompts to get you started thinking about your current capacity for zero)
[12:25] Final thoughts and episode recap.

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Links mentioned in this episode:

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Real quick, my five-day live challenge called Unlock Your Story is about to begin.

0:04.7

We're about to shut down enrollment and get started on September 28th,

0:08.5

so I wanted to give you one last chance to head over to SavannahGilbo.com forward slash

0:13.3

challenge to save your seat before your chance is gone. If writing a novel has been a dream of yours

0:18.0

for a while or something on your to-do list that you'd really like to check off,

0:22.2

then join me inside the Unlock Your Story Challenge, where I'll help you develop the four

0:26.4

foundational elements of a working story idea. A plot that hooks interest at protagonists

0:30.8

with a compelling goal, conflict with high stakes, and a theme with heart in just five days.

0:35.6

It's only $47 to join, but the doors are closing very, very soon. You can either

0:40.2

head to savannagilbo.com forward slash challenge to sign up, or you can find me on Instagram

0:45.1

at savanna.gilbo and send me a DM with the word challenge. If you DM me the word challenge,

0:50.1

I will send you a link with all the details you need to join. Hope to see you there.

0:54.1

If you're struggling to answer these questions, it's important that you start strengthening

0:58.9

your capacity for zero. Because the higher your capacity for zero, you're more likely to take risks.

1:05.1

You're more likely to put yourself out there, and you're more willing to fail. And the more you're

1:09.4

willing to fail, the more likely you are to eventually succeed. Welcome to the Fiction Writing

1:15.0

Made Easy Podcast. My name is Savannah Gilbo, and I'm here to help you write a story that works.

1:20.7

I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't have to be overwhelming. So,

1:24.5

each week I'll bring you a brand new episode with simple, actionable, and step-by-step strategies

1:29.7

that you can implement in your writing right away. So whether you're brand new to writing or more

1:34.0

of a seasoned author looking to improve your craft, this podcast is for you. So pick up a pen and

1:39.2

let's get started. In today's episode, we're going to talk about your capacity for zero.

...

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