Where the Turning Point Goes (And How to Know If Yours Is in the Right Place)
If you’re second-guessing your pacing, give your turning point this two-part check.Where the heck is the turning point?If you’ve ever tried to spot the turning point in a story you love, you’ve probably asked some version of this question.I always feel like I’m playing that old children’s video game: Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?(In my imagination, the turning point is captured in shadowy profile, wearing a red hat with a wide brim.) (this is also called, tell me you’re a 90s baby without telling me you’re a 90s baby.)Anyway. When you’re analyzing someone else’s story, it feels like a hunt for something you just can’t spot.When you’re analyzing your own story, it feels like second-guessing your pacing.Did you put the turning point in the right spot? Is it happening too early? Too late? Will the reader get bored waiting for it to happen? Or have you rushed something critical?If any of those questions sound familiar, you won’t want to miss this episode.It’s all about where in the story the turning point is located—and yes, this question is complicated enough to require an entire episode to unpack.You’ll hear:2 guiding principles I use for the location of every turning pointWhere the turning point is located in a novel, novella, and scene—and why those can be different placesWhat happens when you move the turning point earlier or laterWhether the turning point and the midpoint are ever the same pointAnd more!You know what the turning point is—the moment that makes it clear the protagonist cannot achieve their goal in the way they wanted to.You know what it does—it forces the protagonist into a crisis choice.And now, you’ll know where to look for it—and where to put it in your own stories.Links mentioned in the episode:Ep. 94: Turning Point: How to Find and Write the Moment That Changes EverythingSend me a Text Message!Support the showRate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts "I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »
--------
16:41
--------
16:41
Turning Point: How to Find and Write the Moment That Changes Everything
It's the hinge your entire story turns on—and one of the hardest story elements to identify and write.Can I be honest? I struggled with turning points for years.I knew they were essential. They’re the moment when everything changes. The moment that forces the character to face a crisis choice. The moment that reveals what the story is really, at its heart, about.And yet . . . I couldn’t see them.I found so many things that weren’t the turning point. I found inciting incidents, and midpoints, and climaxes.The turning point, though? It eluded me.Until I learned a simple framework that finally, finally unlocked them for me.That framework:Reveals why the turning point matters so dang much within the storyTies the turning point perfectly to the inciting incident, climax, and every other element of storyIs objective and straightforward, making it clear to measure (no more guessing at turning points based on gut feeling!)Is wonderfully simple (it’s kind of incredible how simple it is, considering how tough turning points are to spot)That framework marked my turning point in the way I edit turning points.If you have ever struggled to figure out what the heck the turning point is in a story, well, you’re not alone.I hope this framework gives you a breakthrough. It certainly did for me!Further listening:Inciting incident (qualities & traps)Progressive complications (qualities)Progressive complications (traps)Protagonist’s goalContent genresSend me a Text Message!Support the showRate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts "I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »
--------
26:49
--------
26:49
The Hidden Half of Your Protagonist's Goal (That Makes Story Structure Work)
If your structure is perfect on paper, but your story still falls flat, this might be what you're missing.Have you ever structured a story with all the right pieces, but something still feels flat?You check all the boxes on paper:✅ Inciting incident✅ Progressive complications✅ Turning point✅ Crisis✅ Climax✅ ResolutionAnd yet it still falls flat. They mostly align, probably, you’re pretty sure. But somehow, they’re not working together the way they should.The turning point doesn’t pack the right punch. The crisis doesn’t feel devastating enough, even though all is technically lost. The climax doesn’t feel like a cathartic payoff, but a gentle womp-womp.All the pieces are there. So what went wrong?Here’s the thing: in order for the six elements of story to work, you have to understand your character’s goal.Most writers have a vague sense of what their protagonist generally wants. But that’s not enough.You need to know specifically the thing that they want—and the thing they don’t want.So in this episode, I’m putting the goal under the microscope. You’ll learn:Why it’s not enough to know what your character wantsA super-simple framework for a character’s goal (seriously, it’s ridiculously easy)How that framework summarizes the meaning of the entire storyAnd how the goal glues all six elements of story together, driving the entire story from inciting incident to resolutionWithout a clearly defined goal, all the structure in the world won’t make your story come alive.With it, everything else falls neatly into place.Dig deeper with these related episodes:Inciting incident (qualities & traps)Progressive complications (qualities)Progressive complications (traps)Content genresSend me a Text Message!Support the showRate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts "I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »
--------
19:45
--------
19:45
When Should You Work With an Editor? (It's Earlier Than You Think)
What if you've already done enough to work with an editor—right now?You’ve been working on your novel for so long. Not just months—years, maybe even decades.And yet you have a long way still to go. The day when you have a polished manuscript you’re proud to pitch or publish feels so far away, and you're starting to wonder if you're missing something crucial.And in the back of your mind, you might be wondering:When should you work with an editor?How much more should you do before you start looking? How many drafts should you finish before you reach out? When is your story finally ready for an editor’s feedback?That’s the question I’m answering in this episode—and the answer might surprise you.You’ll learn:The one simple question that tells you it’s time for editorial helpWhy "finished" isn't a prerequisite for working with an editorThe landscape of editorial support available at every stage (from idea to publication)How to find the right type of editor for where you are in your processThe difference between "editor" and "book coach" and what each term suggestsHere's what I've discovered: most writers desperately want editorial support—they just don't know it exists at their stage of the process.So in this episode, I’ll give you a simple metric to evaluate when you are ready for an editor, and show you what to look for when you are.Links mentioned in the episode:Work with me in Next Right Step: alicesudlow.com/nrs Send me a Text Message!Support the showRate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts "I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »
--------
17:10
--------
17:10
How to Use Genre as a Revision Tool (with Savannah Gilbo)
Here’s what to DO with your genre once you know which one you’re writing.So you know your story’s genre.It’s an Action story with a Worldview internal genre. Or it’s a Love story with a Status internal genre. You’re, like, 32% sure of it.Which is great, because you’ve studied story enough to know genre is important. You’ve heard that it shapes the foundations of your story, that it has conventions and obligatory scenes, reader expectations that you’ll need to deliver on.Somehow, though, just knowing some words—Action, Worldview, Love, Status—hasn’t magically solved anything. And it’s not a great feeling to have studied story theory so much, and still be stuck on the application.So what now? Now that you have some language for your story’s genre, what do you do with it? How do you actually use it as a revision tool?That’s what I’m exploring in this episode with my friend and fellow writing coach Savannah Gilbo. Savannah is my go-to genre expert, and she shares exactly how to make genre work for you in revision.You’ll hear:Why naming your genre earlier than you think can save you from endless rewritesThe 3 genre mistakes that secretly stall drafts (and how to avoid them)How to turn genre from a rigid list of “must-haves” into a flexible writing toolHow to blend multiple genres like a pro (and without getting lost)And more!Identifying your genre is a great first step. In this episode, Savannah will show you what to actually do with it once you know which one you’re writing.Links mentioned in the episode:Get Savannah’s guidance on your story in Notes to Novel: alicesudlow.com/notestonovel Get the Content Genre Overview: alicesudlow.com/90 Ep. 90: The 12 Core Genres That Power Every Great StoryThe Notes to Novel link is an affiliate link. I wholeheartedly recommend Savannah’s coaching and am delighted to share her resources with you!Send me a Text Message!Support the showRate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts "I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »
Supporting fiction writers doing the hard work of revising unputdownable novels. The novel editing process is the creative crucible where you discover the story you truly want to tell—and it can present some of the most challenging moments on your writing journey. Developmental editor and book coach Alice Sudlow will be your companion through the mess and magic of revision. You’ll get inspired by interviews with authors, editors, and coaches sharing their revision processes; gain practical tips from Alice’s editing practice; and hear what real revision truly requires as Alice workshops scenes-in-progress with writers. It’s all a quest to discover: How do you figure out what your story is truly about? How do you determine what form that story should take? And once you do, how do you shape the hundreds of thousands of words you've written into the story’s most refined and powerful form? If you’ve written a draft—or three—but are still searching for your story’s untapped potential, this is the podcast for you. Together, let’s dig into the difficult and delightful work of editing your next draft.
South Africa