208. Student Spotlight: 5 Lessons Learned from Notes to Novel (Season 6)

Fiction Writing Made Easy | Top Creative Writing Podcast for Fiction Writers & Writing Tips

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29d ago 23:46

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Real writers share how they broke free from endless rewrites and abandoned drafts to finally finish their novels in just 90 days—using the exact framework that can unlock your story too.

In this episode, I’m sharing real, inspiring stories from fiction writers who went from stuck and overwhelmed to finishing their novels using the exact framework I teach in Notes to Novel.

You’ll hear from fantasy writers, contemporary fiction authors, and more—writers who were trapped in endless rewrites, drowning in revision loops, or paralyzed by perfectionism. They all discovered that finishing a novel isn’t about working harder—it’s about having the right process.

Here’s what you’ll learn from their breakthroughs:

[02:25] How Jennifer broke free from a 3-year struggle with the same manuscript by treating her outline as a flexible “map” instead of a rigid plan.
[06:30] Why Nefer finally escaped a 5-year line editing loop by focusing on story structure before prose—and how this one shift transformed her writing process.
[10:25] How Tiara went from writing 2,000-word short stories to completing an 80,000-word novel without feeling overwhelmed—by breaking it into manageable scenes.
[14:00] The moment Jen realized she didn’t need an MFA to write fiction—just a clear strategy—and finished her first draft in 90 days after spending 2 years stuck on 10 pages.
[16:55] How Sheila used genre frameworks to outline a 4-book series AND a standalone novel after spinning her wheels despite reading every craft book out there.

Whether you’re stuck rewriting Chapter 1, have abandoned manuscripts piling up, or feel paralyzed by novel structure, these writers prove that finishing your book is possible—even with a busy life and no formal creative writing training.

Ready to make your own breakthrough? Enrollment for Notes to Novel closes on August 28th, and we won’t open again until next year. Head to savannahgilbo.com/notes-to-novel to learn more and join the program that’s helped over 800 writers make real progress on their books.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

Learn more about Notes to Novel
Jennifer Landers on Instagram
Nefer Doane’s website and Instagram
Tiara Ito’s website and Instagram
Sheila Holmes on Instagram

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👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

Chapters

1. Writers Stuck in Editing Loops (00:00:00)

2. Jennifer's Fantasy Writing Journey (00:03:11)

3. Nefer Breaks Free From Line Editing (00:06:31)

4. Tiara's Shift from Short Stories to Novels (00:11:03)

5. Jennifer Wagner Conquers First Chapter Syndrome (00:14:42)

6. Sheila's Story Told Through Story Structure (00:17:41)

7. Course Enrollment Information and Closing (00:22:59)

227 episodes

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