If you’re using the Save the Cat! beat sheet to outline your novel but your story still feels flat, disconnected, or hard to draft, one of these five common mistakes may be the reason why.

The Save the Cat! beat sheet is a popular story structure framework because it gives fiction writers fifteen clear landmarks to plot toward. But filling in all fifteen beats doesn’t automatically give you a story that works.

In this episode, I’m breaking down five mistakes writers make when using the Save the Cat! beat sheet—and what to think about instead so you can build a stronger, more connected novel outline.

You’ll hear me talk about things like:

[03:10] Why jumping straight into the Save the Cat! beat sheet can leave you with plot points that technically fit the framework but don’t feel rooted in your story.

[05:35] Why having the “right” story beats in the “right” places isn’t enough—and what keeps a novel from feeling like a series of disconnected events.

[10:00] Why fifteen beats do not equal fifteen scenes, and how misunderstanding the difference between a beat sheet and a scene-by-scene outline can distort your story.

[12:50] The Fun and Games mistake that can leave you stuck in the middle, scrambling to figure out what should happen next.

[16:30] The often-missed internal side of Bad Guys Close In (and how it can give your All Is Lost moment much more emotional weight).

If you use Save the Cat! Writes a Novel for plotting or outlining, this episode will help you understand what the framework is actually designed to do—so you can use it to support your story instead of forcing your story into fifteen boxes.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Learn more about Notes to Novel
• Ep. 47 - Save the Cat! The Beginning Beats
• Ep. 48 - Save the Cat! The Middle Beats (Part One)
• Ep. 49 - Save the Cat! The Middle Beats (Part Two)
• Ep. 50 - Save the Cat! The Ending Beats
• Grab your free Save the Cat! Plotting Guide

⭐ Follow & Review

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!

FREE TRAINING: Why You Keep Getting Stuck & How to Finally Finish Your Novel - Join me LIVE to learn 3 secrets for turning your ideas into a complete first draft—without getting stuck in the middle, constantly second-guessing, or spending years rewriting instead of finishing. Save your seat here.

FREE QUIZ: Take this 30-second quiz to get a custom action plan that'll help you move from stuck writer to published author!

Support the show

After stalling out on a draft she'd already outlined chapter by chapter, Lindsay Sfara discovered the story development work that has to come before an outline—and turned that stuck manuscript into a published debut novel.

Today I'm chatting with Lindsay Sfara, superhero fantasy author of Aero Knights: Origins and a Notes to Novel graduate, about how developing her story before outlining it finally helped her finish the book she'd been trying to write for years.

In this episode, you'll hear us talk about things like:

• [07:15] Why her outline looked complete but left her with no idea what to write next (and the plotting advice that made it worse)
• [09:45] The relief of finally knowing what her book was really about underneath the plot—and how it shaped the character development for all three of her leads
• [15:07] How she turned a list of disconnected events into an outline where each scene set up the next
• [17:41] The simple question Lindsay kept asking about her antagonist that helped her come up with ideas for conflict in the messy middle
• [23:04] What happened when she sent her draft to beta readers before hiring a developmental editor (and what she'd do differently next time)

If you're currently stuck in an outline or a first draft, Lindsay's story proves the problem probably isn't your talent, your motivation, or your idea. Press play to hear what her outline was missing—and how to build the same foundation under yours.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Aero Knights: Origins by Lindsay Sfara
• Lindsay Sfara's website
• Follow Lindsay on Instagram
• Join Lindsay's writing streams on Twitch
• Join the Notes to Novel waitlist

⭐ Follow & Review

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!

FREE TRAINING: Why You Keep Getting Stuck & How to Finally Finish Your Novel - Join me LIVE to learn 3 secrets for turning your ideas into a complete first draft—without getting stuck in the middle, constantly second-guessing, or spending years rewriting instead of finishing. Save your seat here.

FREE QUIZ: Take this 30-second quiz to get a custom action plan that'll help you move from stuck writer to published author!

Support the show

FREE TRAINING: Why You Keep Getting Stuck & How to Finally Finish Your Novel - Join me LIVE to learn 3 secrets for turning your ideas into a complete first draft—without getting stuck in the middle, constantly second-guessing, or spending years rewriting instead of finishing. Save your seat here.

FREE QUIZ: Take this 30-second quiz to get a custom action plan that'll help you move from stuck writer to published author!

Support the show

If you keep working on your novel but never seem to get closer to “The End,” these five novel writing myths may explain why—and show you what to do differently.

If you've been working on the same novel for months (or years), you've probably wondered why you still can't seem to finish it. Maybe you've blamed your schedule, your motivation, or your talent. Or maybe you've started to wonder if you're just not cut out for this. But what if the real reason you're stuck is none of those things?

In this episode, I'm walking through the five most common novel writing myths I see holding writers back, and what's actually true instead. You'll see why getting stuck usually isn't a time, talent, or idea problem, it's a process problem, and why that's genuinely good news.

You'll hear me talk about things like:

[02:00] Why more time, motivation, and discipline almost never fix the real problem, and the one thing that actually makes the time you have useful.

[04:39] The difference between learning that moves your story forward and learning that's quietly become a way of avoiding the page.

[07:57] Why beautiful writing and good storytelling aren't the same thing, and which one actually gets a first draft finished.

[11:14] The trap of trying to get every part of your story right on the first pass, and how to build a novel in layers instead.

[15:13] What getting stuck is actually telling you, and why it's information you can use, not a verdict on you or your idea.

Whether you've been blaming your schedule, buying another craft book, or quietly wondering if you're cut out for this, this episode will help you see your stuck points differently, as something you can actually solve, one decision at a time.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Get on the Notes to Novel waitlist.
• Ep. 203 - Why Writing Advice Is Keeping You Stuck (& What to Do Instead)
• Ep. 207 - What Agents & Readers Want: How to Write a Story That Works

⭐ Follow & Review

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!

FREE TRAINING: Why You Keep Getting Stuck & How to Finally Finish Your Novel - Join me LIVE to learn 3 secrets for turning your ideas into a complete first draft—without getting stuck in the middle, constantly second-guessing, or spending years rewriting instead of finishing. Save your seat here.

FREE QUIZ: Take this 30-second quiz to get a custom action plan that'll help you move from stuck writer to published author!

Support the show

Stuck writing your novel? Wherever your draft stalls out—chapter one, 20,000 words, the messy middle—that spot isn't random. It's a clue that tells you exactly what your story is missing.

Almost every writer who gets stuck while drafting a novel assumes the same thing: that hitting a wall means something about them. That they're not disciplined enough, they're not a "real" writer, or they simply don't have what it takes to finish a book.

But getting stuck isn't a verdict on you as a writer. In fact, it's valuable information you can use to your advantage. Because the exact place where you lose momentum may just reveal the missing piece in your story's foundation. And the good news is that those gaps are fixable.

In this episode, I'm breaking down the three most common places writers get stuck while drafting a novel, what each one reveals about your story, and how to fix the underlying issue so you can move forward without anything holding you back.

You'll hear me talk about things like:

[00:54] Why getting stuck doesn't mean you're a bad writer (and how your stall gives you valuable information about your story).

[02:27] Why writers get stuck in chapter one and how to tell when you have a situation instead of a fully developed story.

[05:16] The real reason many writers hit a wall around 20,000 words (and the missing piece that keeps Act 1 from moving into Act 2).

[08:32] Why the messy middle feels impossible to write when your antagonist isn't creating enough pressure and conflict.

[13:42] How Stefanie, Cheryl, and Gina found the missing pieces in their stories, broke through their sticking points, and went on to finish and publish their novels.

Getting stuck isn't proof that you're not meant to write your book. It's a sign that your story is asking you to strengthen something underneath the surface. And when you know what's missing, you can go back, build the foundation, and move forward with a story that can actually support a full-length novel.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Get on the Notes To Novel Waitlist
• Ep. 206 - Student Spotlight: How Gina Elizabeth Went From Stuck to Publishing Two Books in Just One Year
• Ep. 189 - Student Spotlight: From First Draft to Published Novel at 72 With Cheryl Arko
• Ep. 71 - Student Spotlight: How She Wrote a Novel in 6 Months (and Landed an Agent 10 Months Later) with Stefanie Medrek

⭐ Follow & Review

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!

FREE TRAINING: Why You Keep Getting Stuck & How to Finally Finish Your Novel - Join me LIVE to learn 3 secrets for turning your ideas into a complete first draft—without getting stuck in the middle, constantly second-guessing, or spending years rewriting instead of finishing. Save your seat here.

FREE QUIZ: Take this 30-second quiz to get a custom action plan that'll help you move from stuck writer to published author!

Support the show

Everyone tells you to just start writing. Nobody tells you when. And if you keep starting your novel and stalling out a few chapters in, that missing piece might be exactly why.

“Just start writing” is one of the most common pieces of writing advice out there, and for some writers, it's exactly what they need to hear. But if you're a brand-new writer who's still figuring out your story, following this advice too soon can leave you stuck, overwhelmed, and wondering why your first draft keeps falling apart.

In this episode, I'm breaking down why "just start writing" isn't bad advice—it's just incomplete. You'll learn when this advice helps, when it hurts, and how to tell if your story foundation is strong enough to draft with confidence rather than guesswork.

You'll hear me talk about things like:

[01:20] Why "just start writing" works for some writers but quietly sabotages others before they ever finish a first draft.

[02:19] The two very different ways new writers get stuck and how to tell which one sounds most like you.

[05:01] The difference between productive story development and fear disguised as endless preparation.

[06:20] The foundational story elements you need before drafting, so every writing session feels purposeful rather than overwhelming.

[09:42] How to know when you've planned enough and it's finally time to stop preparing and start writing.

Whether you've been rewriting the same opening chapter, abandoning more drafts than you can count, or "getting ready" to write for months, this episode will help you understand how to build enough story clarity to draft with direction instead of confusion. Because the goal isn't to choose between planning forever and drafting blindly—it's knowing when you've built the foundation your story needs so you can finally finish your novel.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Get on the Notes to Novel Waitlist
• Ep. 203 - Why Writing Advice Is Keeping You Stuck (And What to Do Instead)
• Ep. 225 - Madi: From Zero Drafts to Dream Agent While Raising 4 Kids
• Ep. 228 - How Poornika Finished Her First Draft in 88 Days
• Ep. 239 - How J.J. Henley Finished Her First Draft in 8 Months

⭐ Follow & Review

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!

FREE TRAINING: Why You Keep Getting Stuck & How to Finally Finish Your Novel - Join me LIVE to learn 3 secrets for turning your ideas into a complete first draft—without getting stuck in the middle, constantly second-guessing, or spending years rewriting instead of finishing. Save your seat here.

FREE QUIZ: Take this 30-second quiz to get a custom action plan that'll help you move from stuck writer to published author!

Support the show

Can a lifelong discovery writer write faster and embrace structure without losing the magic? Bestselling author Grace Draven wrote 62,000 words in 21 days and says absolutely.

In this episode, Grace shares how the tools and mindset shifts she picked up from The Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast helped her write faster, avoid massive rewrites, and finish one of her strongest books, The Moon Raven—drafting 62,000 words in just 21 days to hit a tight preorder deadline—and why that experience convinced her to join Notes to Novel.

After publishing more than 20 books and hitting the USA Today bestseller list five times, Grace explains why even experienced authors benefit from refining their process, and why structure isn't the creativity killer so many writers fear it is.

Whether you're a proud pantser, a frustrated discovery writer, or someone looking for a faster, more reliable way to finish your novel, this conversation shows what's possible when you pair your natural creative process with the right story structure tools that I teach in Notes to Novel.

Here's what we talk about:

[08:00] Why thinking in scenes instead of chapters completely changed Grace's writing process and helped her write more efficiently without sacrificing creativity.

[12:55] How Grace fast drafted 62,000 words in just 21 days, met a high-pressure preorder deadline, and still delivered a solid book.

[18:41] How structure became a safety net that let Grace write around interruptions and a demanding home life without losing her place (or her creativity).

[23:30] What happened when Grace her antagonist first (before fleshing out her protagonist)—and how this helped raise the stakes and eliminate unnecessary rewrites.

[29:38] How the tools from Notes to Novel gave Grace the confidence to commit to a delivery schedule with her new multi-book publishing deal.

If you've ever worried that outlining will make your writing feel formulaic or that your discovery writing process slows you down, this episode will show you how to write faster and build a process that leaves room for the magic instead of squeezing it out.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Get on the Notes To Novel Waitlist
• The Moon Raven by Grace Draven
• Grace Draven’s Website
• Ep. 182 - Writing Romantasy: How to Balance Fantasy Elements and Romance in Your Novel
• Ep. 224 - The Truth About Writing Faster: It's Not What You Think

⭐ Follow & Review

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!

FREE TRAINING: Why You Keep Getting Stuck & How to Finally Finish Your Novel - Join me LIVE to learn 3 secrets for turning your ideas into a complete first draft—without getting stuck in the middle, constantly second-guessing, or spending years rewriting instead of finishing. Save your seat here.

FREE QUIZ: Take this 30-second quiz to get a custom action plan that'll help you move from stuck writer to published author!

Support the show

Learn how to outline your novel using the Hero’s Journey—without mistaking this classic framework for a complete story blueprint.

The Hero’s Journey is one of the most widely recognized story frameworks out there. But knowing the twelve stages—like the Ordinary World, the Call to Adventure, the Ordeal, and the Return with the Elixir—isn’t the same as knowing where those stages belong in a full-length novel.

In this episode, I’m walking you through how to outline your novel with the Hero’s Journey framework, including how to divide your word count into acts, break those acts into scenes, and map the twelve stages across a novel-length manuscript.

You’ll also learn what the Hero’s Journey can and can’t do on its own—because while it’s a powerful way to track your protagonist’s external adventure and internal transformation, it’s not a substitute for developing your genre, premise, character, conflict, theme, and stakes.

You'll hear me talk about things like:

[02:40] What the Hero’s Journey is and how to use its three acts and twelve stages as a tool for outlining a novel

[05:15] How to split your word count across the three acts (and the percentage breakdown that tells you how long each one should be).

[07:45] A complete walkthrough of all twelve stages of the Hero's Journey, and the job each stage does for your plot and your character.

[14:00] The death-and-rebirth moment at the center of the Hero's Journey, and why it's one of the most powerful ideas in storytelling.

[17:45] Why your draft loses steam even when all twelve stages are in place, and the foundation that's usually missing underneath them.

And so much more…

If you've been curious about using the Hero's Journey to plan your novel, or if you've tried it before and felt like something was missing, this episode will help you understand both the strengths and limitations of this classic framework.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Get on The Notes to Novel Waitlist
• Take Author Success Quiz (FREE)
• Ep. 30 - Novel Length: How Long Should Your Book Be?
• Ep. 244 - How to Create Characters Readers Will Love
• How to Outline Your Novel with Save the Cat!
• The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler

⭐ Follow & Review

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!

FREE TRAINING: Why You Keep Getting Stuck & How to Finally Finish Your Novel - Join me LIVE to learn 3 secrets for turning your ideas into a complete first draft—without getting stuck in the middle, constantly second-guessing, or spending years rewriting instead of finishing. Save your seat here.

FREE QUIZ: Take this 30-second quiz to get a custom action plan that'll help you move from stuck writer to published author!

Support the show