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

See how Notes to Novel™ helped these five writers go from a blank page to a story that works (without the overwhelm).

With Notes to Novel™ (season 6) right around the corner, I'm bringing you something incredibly special today. I'm chatting with five amazing writers from season 5 about their experience inside the course.

And let me tell you, they're in the trenches right now, actively working on their novels. Some have finished their outlines, while others are deep in the drafting phase, and one has already completed her manuscript!

You’ll hear from writers who identify as plotters, pantsers, and everyone in between about how they're using the Notes to Novel™ tools, strategies, and community to write their stories their way.

This is what we talk about: 

[02:55] How Katherine finished the “cleanest draft” she’s ever written (at 72k words) in only 3 months—and then went on to edit that same draft in just 8 weeks

[09:47] How the Notes to Novel™ framework helped Kay stay focused on what *really* mattered in her story (and avoid chasing every new shiny object idea that popped into her head)

[15:27] What happened when I suggested one of my students, Danyel, eliminate one of her two point-of-view characters during one of our live Q&A calls

[21:35] How Harlow used her genre’s key scenes to create an outline (and why this made outlining much more approachable)

[27:47] And finally, how Madi wrote her first draft in 6 months (despite being a super busy mom of four)—plus her thoughts on the overall vibe and atmosphere of the group coaching aspect

So, if you’re feeling stuck, flustered, or unsure about your writing process, these 5 Notes to Novel™ students show you what's possible when you have the right tools and support.

And if you want to be the next writer I brag about on a future podcast episode…

The doors to Notes to Novel™ (season 6) will be open for a super limited time from January 21st to January 30th, 2025. Head over to www.savannahgilbo.com/yes to get on the waitlist.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Get on the Notes to Novel™ waitlist 
• Katherine Varley’s website and Threads
• Kay Aprea’s Instagram
• Danyel Nicole’s website and Instagram
• Harlow Black’s Instagram
• Madison Unruh’s Instagram

⭐ Rate + Review + Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast!" ← If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing this show! Your rating and review will help other writers find this podcast, and they're also super fun for me to read. Just click here, scroll all the way to the bottom, tap five stars to rate the show, and then select "Write a Review." Be sure to let me know your favorite episodes, too! 

Also, if you haven't done so already, make sure you're following the podcast! I'll be adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed, and if you're not following the show, there's a good chance you'll miss them. Click here to follow now!