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

Bonus: From Overwhelmed to Outlining: How 3 Writers Finally Started Their Novels

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Dec 18, 2025

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Join writers Tiara Ito, Jennifer Wagner, and Sheila Holmes as they share their transformative journeys from being stuck to finally starting their novels. Tiara reveals how a structured outline helped her overcome perfectionism. Jennifer discusses her breakthrough with a scene-by-scene roadmap, enabling her to draft a full manuscript in just 90 days. Meanwhile, Sheila, blending her medical knowledge with fiction, explains how genre-based planning clarified her writing process. Discover how a clear framework can break down barriers and ignite creativity!

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INSIGHT

Readiness Is Clarity, Not Credentials

Not feeling ready usually signals missing clarity, not missing skill or credentials.
A clear step-by-step framework turns overwhelm into permission to begin.

ANECDOTE

From Short Stories To A Novel

Tiara moved from short stories to a novel by adopting a step-by-step framework that reduced perfectionism.
She learned to iterate and trust the process, which made drafting enjoyable again.

ADVICE

Use A Scene-By-Scene Roadmap

Break a large story into a scene-by-scene roadmap so each part feels doable.
Use that outline to write steadily and finish a complete first draft quickly.

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What if the reason you haven't started writing your novel has nothing to do with how much you know?

“I’m not ready yet” is one of the most common things I hear from writers. And on the surface, it makes sense. You want to feel prepared before starting something as big as writing a novel.

But not feeling ready usually has very little to do with knowledge. More often, the root cause is a lack of clarity.

In this bonus episode, I’m sharing stories from three writers who spent months, and even years, stuck at the starting line because they didn't know how to move from idea to writing.

You’ll hear about Tiara, who loved writing short stories but froze when she tried to write a novel. Jennifer, who dreamed about her YA fantasy for years but felt she needed more credentials before she could begin. And Sheila, a doctor and teacher who had read the books, taken the courses, and still couldn't put it all together.

None of them suddenly became more qualified. What changed was their process.

In this episode, you'll learn:

[04:00] How a short story writer overcame her fear of full-length novel projects by shifting her mindset around perfectionism and learning to trust a step-by-step approach.

[06:15] Why one aspiring author spent years frozen at chapter one and how a simple scene-by-scene roadmap helped her go from stuck to a complete first draft in just 90 days.

[08:30] How one writer learned to use genre to map out her story’s key scenes—and why this finally made everything click for her after bouncing between over-planning and under-planning for years.

If you’ve been telling yourself you're not ready, this episode will help you rethink that.

And if you want a clear, step-by-step path to help you finally start and finish your novel, you can get on the waitlist for the next round of Notes to Novel. Doors open January 22.

Your story doesn't need more prep work. It needs one clear direction. And I'll help you do that.

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