I stood at the printer at my local Office Max watching the pages of my first draft come off one by one. 70,000 words. The warmth of the pages in my hands. I told myself I actually did it.Then I started reading it.The writing was good. But there was no real story. No arc, no destination, no sense of where any of it was going. I had 70,000 words and nothing to hang them on.If you've ever felt like you're writing a lot but building nothing, this video is for you. I walk through the four phases of my writing journey, what went wrong at each one, and the foundational shift that finally changed everything. I'm still writing this novel. This is what I know so far.Chapters:0:00 The Office Max moment0:54 Phase 0: The Dreamer1:45 Phase 1: The Pantser (writing without a plan)3:14 Phase 2: The Overwhelmed Plotter6:33 What every great story has in common7:08 The character transformation (what drives your novel forward)8:08 Phase 3: The Intentional Writer8:23 The way out of stuck (writing with a foundation)Resources Mentioned:The STORY Framework (free PDF) the five-question foundation I wish I had before I wrote a single word: https://framework.tcburr.comThe Early Writer's Blueprint (the system I use to write consistently in a full, busy life) https://early.tcburr.comSave the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody (a great framework once you have your foundation in place)https://amzn.to/3QvvzoeStory Genius by Lisa Cron (where the "third rail" concept comes from. One of the best books on story structure I've read and love)https://amzn.to/4tjrZMuScrivener (the writing tool I use every day. If you're serious about writing your novel, this is worth every penny)https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview?fpr=thomas70Atomic Habits by James Clear (the book that helped me finally start. If you're still in the dreamer phase, read this first.)https://amzn.to/4tWI3UpWhich phase are you in right now?Drop it in the comments. Phase 0, 1, 2, or 3. I read every one.If this video resonated, watch these next:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRNTvmmmqgU&t=2shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sOUnDufz4g&t=16shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD7QTFQ6GvQ&t=6sSome of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.#novelwriting #howtowriteanovel #writingadvice #scrivener #firstnovel #writingtips #busywriter #storyframework #plotyournovel #writeyourbook

If you’re successful in your career but can’t seem to finish your book, this video is for you.

You don’t have a discipline problem.

You don’t have a talent problem.

You likely have a structure problem.

In this video, I break down why high-achieving professionals struggle to finish their first draft, and what actually works instead.

We’ll talk about:

- Why writing rewards reps, not strategy

- The high achiever trap that leads to inaction

- How to build writing momentum in 20–30 minute sessions

- Why consistency matters more than intensity

- How identity shapes output

- A simple 30-day plan to move toward a completed manuscript

If you’re a busy professional trying to write a book while managing a career, family, and real life this is a practical, sustainable approach to finishing your first draft.

Chapters:0:00 Finding Writing Discipline in the Middle of Life

0:35 My Journey as an Author

0:50 To the High Achievers Who Want to Write a Book

1:11 Why is it So Hard to Write That Book?

1:53 Identifying the Problem: The High Achiever Trap

2:36 Don't Overcomplicate It

3:03 Over-optimizing Leads to Inaction

3:29 Writing Rewards Reps, Not Strategy

4:19 Find Writing Momentum, Build Mastery

4:49 Write Consistently, Not Every Day

5:47 The Math of Writing Just a Few Minutes Consistently

7:00 Letting Go of Perfection

7:18 What Needs to Change?

8:35 Wanting to Write or Deciding to Write?

9:29 You Are a Writer; Identity Informs Activity

10:04 20-30 Regular, Focused Minutes to a Completed Manuscript

10:42 Making a 30 Day Plan - The Early Writer's BlueprintMentioned in this video

Get The Early Writer’s Blueprint → https://early.tcburr.com

Try Scrivener → https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview?fpr=thomas70

Soundtracks by Jon Acuff → https://amzn.to/401CVl7

Reframe Your Brain by Scott Adams → https://amzn.to/476k1NI

Related videoshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sOUnDufz4g&t=2s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9APF0wj9mw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRNTvmmmqgU

Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.#WriteYourBook#FirstDraft#WritingDiscipline#BusyProfessionals#HighAchievers

A note to podcast listeners: this episode contains live video demo and is best consumed on Youtube.com/@tcburr

⬇️ Get the Scrivener Quickstart Guide for free!https://start.tcburr.com

⬇️ Try Scrivener Free for 30 Days (of use) https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview?fpr=thomas70

⬇️ Get Story Geniushttps://amzn.to/4kKQmPO

⬇️ Get Save the Cat! Writes a Novelhttps://amzn.to/4rXtBKS

⬇️ Other books & resources I love

https://https://books.tcburr.com

Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.Want to create custom metadata in Scrivener? In this step-by-step Scrivener custom metadata tutorial, I show you exactly how to create custom fields for outlining, story structure, and scene cards.If you’re using frameworks like Story Genius, Save the Cat, or your own plot grid, custom metadata fields in Scrivener can transform how you organize your novel.In this video:0:00 How to Create Custom Metadata in Scrivener

0:12 How a Full-Time Husband, Dad, Corporate Employee writes a novel

0:29 WHY I USE AND LOVE SCRIVENER

1:08 Getting Oriented with Scrivener

2:44 Scrivener Custom Metadata Tutorial

4:52 Rearranging Metadata Columns in Scrivener

5:47 Scrivener Custom Metadata for Outlining

6:06 Scrivener Custom Metadata Use Cases (Scene Cards, Plot Grid)

6:36 How Scrivener Custom Metadata Saves busy authors time

6:58 Scrivener Custom Metadata Translates to other modes

8:00 Invitation to check out Scrivener’s free trial

This tutorial is perfect for:Fiction writersNovelistsAuthors using story structure frameworksScrivener beginners who want more control

#Scrivener#WritingSoftware#NovelWriting#StoryStructure#FictionWriting