#250. Why Your First Draft Doesn't Match the Book in Your Head (with Gala Russ)

Fiction Writing Made Easy with Savannah Gilbo | How to Write a Novel & Writing Advice

Savannah Gilbo

Education, Writing Advice, Plotting A Novel, Editing A Novel, Character Arcs, Fiction Writing Mistakes To Avoid, Story Development, Fiction Writing Tips, How To Outline A Novel, Character Development, Story Structure, Books, World Building, Arts, Writing Stronger Scenes, How To, Fiction

4.9 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 2 June 2026

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A book coach who's written 15 novels pulls back the curtain on what's really happening when your messy first draft disappoints you. Ever finished a chapter, read it back, and realized the words on the page don't match the story in your head? There's a name for that. It's called the “taste gap,” and it often shows up among serious, lifelong readers. In this episode, I sit down with book coach and publishing strategist Gala Russ (who's written 15 novels) to talk about the taste gap,...

Transcript

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0:00.0	If you are trying to write because you like writing, then it's a very different thing from,
0:06.8	oh, I want to write a book because I want to be a bestselling author and go to my book club
0:11.0	and show, oh, I wrote this book.
0:13.1	It is a very different extrinsic motivation versus the intrinsic motivation.
0:17.1	And if you know what is important to you, and if you're writing because you love writing,
0:22.5	then it is easier to, for me, make the hard choices because then you start deciding
0:29.7	this is going to be my priority then.
0:31.9	And if writing is my priority, then I need to find time for writing.
0:38.4	Welcome to the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast.
0:41.6	My name is Savannah Gilbo and I'm here to help you write a story that works.
0:45.6	I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't have to be overwhelming.
0:49.3	So each week I'll bring you a brand new episode with simple, actionable, and step-by-step
0:54.0	strategies that you can implement in your writing right away. So whether you a brand new episode with simple, actionable, and step-by-step strategies that you can
0:55.3	implement in your writing right away. So whether you're brand new to writing or more of a seasoned
0:59.7	author looking to improve your craft, this podcast is for you. So pick up a pen and let's get started.
1:06.7	I want you to close your eyes for a second and picture this. You sit down to write, you finish a chapter,
1:12.5	you read it back, and there's this moment, maybe small, maybe gut punching, where you realize
1:17.6	the words on the page don't match the story in your head, and that the book you're capable of
1:22.3	imagining and the book you're currently capable of writing are not the same book. If you've ever felt that
1:28.2	way, you are not the only one. There's actually a name for it, and there's a reason it shows up
1:33.0	most strongly in writers who are also serious, lifelong readers, which if you're listening to
1:38.5	this podcast, I'm assuming you are. Now that gap is actually what we're going to talk about
	...

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