I did something big this week: I closed to sample edit requests for the first time since I started my business.

That decision was partially logistical, but only partially. It also represents a philosophical shift in my business. I’m transitioning away from an editing-focused model to a book coaching focused model.

Whether you’ve ever intended to work with me or not, I hope this episode helps you think through the options open to you as a writer so you can make an informed decision about what kind of help is right for you, no matter where you are in your writing journey.

Here are the resources and tools mentioned in this episode:

• Want to be the first to know when I open to sample edits on June 9th AND get a head start on the first phase of the revision process? Grab my FREE Revision Kickstart Guide right here: https://olivia-helps-writers.ck.page/94b0145ae9
• Have a response to this episode? Hit me up on Instagram @oliviahelpswriters

Thanks for listening, keep writing, and keep getting better one word at a time!

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit https://oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/20.

This week, I’m talking about my favorite topic: revision!

Revision a novel is a lot like climbing a mountain. It’s difficult, requires planning, and not everyone who starts out will reach the end. I don’t want your novel to end up in the back of a drawer or some dusty corner of your hard drive, so let’s talk about why revision is so overwhelming and how you can make the revision process work for you.

Here are four reasons revision is overwhelming:

1. You haven’t trained before starting your climb (you don’t yet have the skills to revise)
2. You haven’t mapped out the right route (you don’t have a clear revision strategy)
3. You’re trying to climb alone (you don’t have emotional support or critical support)
4. You don’t know what the peak looks like (you don’t have a clear vision for your finished book)

Here are the resources mentioned in this episode:

• Need help figuring out what your peak looks like? Grab my FREE Revision Kickstart Guide and set a vision that will guide your revisions!. You can download it here: https://olivia-helps-writers.ck.page/94b0145ae9
• Want to get my weekly newsletter for writers? You can subscribe here: https://olivia-helps-writers.kit.com/better-writer-newsletter
• Have a response to this episode? Hit me up on Instagram @oliviahelpswriters https://instagram.com/oliviahelpswriters

Thanks for listening, keep writing, and keep getting better one word at a time!

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit https://oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/19.

This week, I’m continuing my discussion of “show, don’t tell,” by introducing your show, don’t tell secret weapon: writing in scenes.

There are three ways that writing in scenes can help writers show instead of tell:

1. Scenes lock us into a specific moment in time which primes us to narrate specific actions as they happen instead of summarizing them.
2. When the scene is narrated through a specific character’s perspective, all information (worldbuilding, backstory, etc.) is filtered through their perspective, giving you a simple metric for deciding what gets added on the page and what gets left out because it’s not necessary for readers to know in that particular scene.
3. Scenes happen in a specific time and place which means adding specific details and that immerse readers in the world of your story and keep us focused on what is happening in that specific time and place instead of just feeding us information detached from space & time.

Here are the resources and tools mentioned in this episode:

• Download my scene writing checklist here - perfect for making sure your scenes have all the ingredients they need, whether you plan them in advance or shape them up in revision. Grab the checklist here!
• Have a response to this episode? Hit me up on Instagram @oliviahelpswriters

Thanks for listening, keep writing, and keep getting better one word at a time!

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit https://oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/18.