#190. Novel Editing: 10 Steps to Editing Your First Draft

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

4.9 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 22 April 2025

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Congratulations! You've finished writing your first draft—an achievement that puts you ahead of countless aspiring writers who never make it past the dreaming stage. But now you're staring at your manuscript, wondering, "What next?" Maybe you've tried jumping straight into revisions only to find yourself overwhelmed, confused, or just plain stuck. Or maybe you’re just avoiding it altogether. If your excitement about finishing your draft has given way to editing anxiety, you're not...

Transcript

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0:00.0	Have you ever wondered why some writing advice leaves you more confused than when you started?
0:04.8	Or maybe you've been stuck trying to figure out exactly what steps to take next in your writing
0:09.6	journey? Either way, I've got something fun and super insightful for you. I created a free quiz that
0:15.3	will help you discover your exact next steps to move forward with your novel in just 30 seconds.
0:20.8	All you have to do is answer
0:21.9	a few quick questions and then bam. You'll get a personalized roadmap tailored specifically to
0:27.0	where you are in your writing journey right now. Plus, I'll send you a customized 10-episode
0:32.2	podcast playlist, as well as additional resources specifically chosen for where you're at to help you start making
0:38.4	lots of progress and get to that next big milestone, whether that's finishing your first draft,
0:43.4	revising your novel, or publishing your book. So if you're curious, head over to savannahgilbo.com
0:49.1	forward slash quiz to take the quiz now. One more time, that's savannah gilbo.com forward slash quiz to take the quiz
0:56.1	and get a personalized roadmap tailored to where you're at in your writing, editing, or
1:00.3	publishing journey. You can't state in one sentence exactly what a scene accomplishes and why it's
1:06.3	important to your story, then that is a major red flag. The most powerful scenes are those that advance the
1:12.0	plot, reveal character, and reinforce the theme all at once. So just a little helpful checklist as you go
1:18.7	through each of your scenes. You'll want to polish your scenes for maximum impact in your third draft.
1:27.0	Welcome to the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast. My name is Savannah Gilbo, and I'm here to help
1:32.3	you write a story that works. I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't have to
1:36.7	be overwhelming. So each week, I'll bring you a brand new episode with simple, actionable,
1:41.9	and step-by-step strategies that you can implement in your writing right
1:45.4	away. So whether you're brand new to writing or more of a seasoned author looking to improve your
1:49.7	craft, this podcast is for you. So pick up a pen and let's get started. In today's episode, I'm sharing
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