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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.
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.
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Recent Hosts, Guests & Topics
Here's a quick summary of the last 5 episodes on Your Next Draft.
Hosts
Click on the host tags to start a search query for that host
Abigail K. Perry is a fellow editor and book coach who specializes in helping writers craft compelling first chapters that hook readers and satisfy agents and editors.
Abigail K. Perry is a fellow editor and book coach who specializes in helping writers craft compelling first chapters that hook readers and satisfy agents and editors.
A.S. King is an acclaimed author known for her novels aimed at middle grade, teen, and adult audiences. She is notably the only author to have won the Printz Award for young adult literature twice, highlighting her exceptional talent and contribution to the literary world. King's writing is characterized by its surrealist elements, intricate plots, and deep emotional resonance. She is celebrated for her innovative storytelling techniques and her ability to engage readers with complex narratives that often challenge conventional norms. In addition to her awards, King is recognized for her commitment to the revision process, which she views as a crucial aspect of writing. Her works often reflect her unique voice and experiences, making her a significant figure in contemporary literature.
A.S. King is an acclaimed author known for her novels aimed at middle grade, teen, and adult audiences. She is notably the only author to have won the Printz Award for young adult literature twice, highlighting her exceptional talent and contribution to the literary world. King's writing is characterized by its surrealist elements, intricate plots, and deep emotional resonance. She is celebrated for her innovative storytelling techniques and her ability to engage readers with complex narratives that often challenge conventional norms. In addition to her awards, King is recognized for her commitment to the revision process, which she views as a crucial aspect of writing. Her works often reflect her unique voice and experiences, making her a significant figure in contemporary literature.
Topics Discussed
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Here's the recent few episodes on Your Next Draft.
0:001:12:52
How Great First Chapters Make Readers Care (with Abigail K. Perry)
Hosts
Hosts of this podcast episode
Alice Sudlow
Guests
Guests of this podcast episode
Abigail K. Perry
Keywords
Keywords of this podcast episode
first chapterscharacter developmentreader engagementrevision processstorytellingmystery in writing
Your first chapter has a monumental task: to make potential readers care about your book right away and hook them to keep reading.
Every sentence is a chance to earn your reader’s attention—or lose their fragile, baby-fresh interest before your story even begins.
And that’s assuming that your book makes it to the bookstore shelves. If you’re traditionally publishing, the first chapter’s burdened with even more responsibility. It’s your first impression with agents and editors, who will judge whether to consider the full manuscript based on the first five or ten pages alone.
The stakes are high.
So high, in fact, that it’s easy to get stuck—revising and refining your first chapter over and over while the rest of the manuscript gathers dust.
So I asked Abigail K. Perry, a fellow editor and book coach, to come help us break out of that trap.
“If we don't care about a character, we don't care about what happens to them. . . . Pull us into character and let us understand and get to know them so that when threats are posed against them, we care about what happens.”
—Abigail K. Perry
You’ll hear:
What great first chapters must accomplish
Why mystery is a good thing in first chapters (and info dumps are not)
How to make your readers care about your characters in a matter of pages, paragraphs, or even sentences
And more
If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in a first chapter revision loop, this one’s for you.
Check out Abigail’s “First Chapter Deep Dive” episodes on the books we discussed:
"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!
Your first chapter has a monumental task: to make potential readers care about your book right away and hook them to keep reading.
Every sentence is a chance to earn your reader’s attention—or lose their fragile, baby-fresh interest before your story even begins.
And that’s assuming that your book makes it to the bookstore shelves. If you’re traditionally publishing, the first chapter’s burdened with even more responsibility. It’s your first impression with agents and editors, who will judge whether to consider the full manuscript based on the first five or ten pages alone.
The stakes are high.
So high, in fact, that it’s easy to get stuck—revising and refining your first chapter over and over while the rest of the manuscript gathers dust.
So I asked Abigail K. Perry, a fellow editor and book coach, to come help us break out of that trap.
“If we don't care about a character, we don't care about what happens to them. . . . Pull us into character and let us understand and get to know them so that when threats are posed against them, we care about what happens.”
—Abigail K. Perry
You’ll hear:
What great first chapters must accomplish
Why mystery is a good thing in first chapters (and info dumps are not)
How to make your readers care about your characters in a matter of pages, paragraphs, or even sentences
And more
If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in a first chapter revision loop, this one’s for you.
Check out Abigail’s “First Chapter Deep Dive” episodes on the books we discussed:
"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!
Inciting Incident: How to Revise an Unputdownable Beginning
Hosts
Hosts of this podcast episode
Alice Sudlow
Keywords
Keywords of this podcast episode
inciting incidentstory revisionstory structurestorytellingwriting tipsediting process
Your inciting incident sets the stage for everything that follows. Here's what to revise so it can carry the story.
A great inciting incident does a lot of heavy lifting.
→ It hooks your readers, pulling them into the story.
→ And it sets up everything to come, laying the foundation for a brilliant climax your readers will love.
The beginning matters. Which means there’s a lot of pressure to get it right.
But what does right actually mean? How do you start a story well?
That’s what I’m tackling in this episode. I’m going beyond the definition of the inciting incident to share what I as an editor am looking for when I edit inciting incidents.
In other words, if you’ve written an inciting incident and aren’t sure how to tell if it works, this episode is your guide to edit it.
You’ll hear:
How I define the inciting incident
Where in the story the inciting incident appears (and how to tell if it’s too early or too late)
The 7 qualities I’m watching for when I edit an inciting incident
The 4 common inciting incident traps I see writers fall into (including one that’s really hard to spot, and yet it can tank the whole story)
And more
Plus, I’ve gathered it all into a one-page cheat sheet you can reference every time you edit an inciting incident. Print it out and keep it in your writing space for easy access.
If you’ve ever found the advice to “make sure your story has an inciting incident” unsatisfactory, this episode is for you.
Don’t just make sure your story has an inciting incident. Use this episode to revise it until it’s good. Great. Unputdownable, even.
"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!
Your inciting incident sets the stage for everything that follows. Here's what to revise so it can carry the story.
A great inciting incident does a lot of heavy lifting.
→ It hooks your readers, pulling them into the story.
→ And it sets up everything to come, laying the foundation for a brilliant climax your readers will love.
The beginning matters. Which means there’s a lot of pressure to get it right.
But what does right actually mean? How do you start a story well?
That’s what I’m tackling in this episode. I’m going beyond the definition of the inciting incident to share what I as an editor am looking for when I edit inciting incidents.
In other words, if you’ve written an inciting incident and aren’t sure how to tell if it works, this episode is your guide to edit it.
You’ll hear:
How I define the inciting incident
Where in the story the inciting incident appears (and how to tell if it’s too early or too late)
The 7 qualities I’m watching for when I edit an inciting incident
The 4 common inciting incident traps I see writers fall into (including one that’s really hard to spot, and yet it can tank the whole story)
And more
Plus, I’ve gathered it all into a one-page cheat sheet you can reference every time you edit an inciting incident. Print it out and keep it in your writing space for easy access.
If you’ve ever found the advice to “make sure your story has an inciting incident” unsatisfactory, this episode is for you.
Don’t just make sure your story has an inciting incident. Use this episode to revise it until it’s good. Great. Unputdownable, even.
"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!
What If You Do Everything Right and the Book Launch Still Goes Wrong? with A.S. King
Hosts
Hosts of this podcast episode
Alice Sudlow
Guests
Guests of this podcast episode
A.S. King
Keywords
Keywords of this podcast episode
book launchpublishing industryA.S. Kingrevisiontraditional publishingauthor careergendergenrepower
“It really broke my heart, actually. . . . For the rest of my life, it will break my heart.” A.S. King gets honest about what happened when the publishing industry failed her book.
What happens after you edit your book?
What happens after you’ve bared the story of your heart, crafted it into an excellent novel, and presented it to the world?
What happens when you get traditionally published, when you receive awards and accolades, and when it looks like you’ve won the author career lottery?
Last month, I brought author A.S. King on the podcast to share how she revises award-winning novels—complex, intense, surrealist, mind-bending stories meant to challenge her readers to think.
But that wasn’t the end of the conversation. In fact, it wasn’t even the start.
The conversation began months earlier, when I heard the story of her book launch for her latest novel.
I won’t spoil the ending here, but I will say: it did not go how she expected.
So today, I’m bringing Amy back on the podcast to tell us her publishing story and give us a glimpse of what comes after all the writing and all the revising.
You’ll hear:
What really happened during A.S. King’s latest book launch
How a publisher’s big promises fell through—and what that meant for the book
Why even revising an excellent novel doesn’t guarantee industry support
What it feels like when the book of your heart gets treated like just another product
How gender, genre, and power shape what gets promoted (and what doesn’t)
What it takes to keep going when publishing knocks you off course
And more
It’s a peek into traditional publishing—and a reality check on what the industry feels like from the inside, even for an award-winning author in her prime.
And above all, it’s a reminder of what really matters when it comes to measuring your book’s success.
"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!
“It really broke my heart, actually. . . . For the rest of my life, it will break my heart.” A.S. King gets honest about what happened when the publishing industry failed her book.
What happens after you edit your book?
What happens after you’ve bared the story of your heart, crafted it into an excellent novel, and presented it to the world?
What happens when you get traditionally published, when you receive awards and accolades, and when it looks like you’ve won the author career lottery?
Last month, I brought author A.S. King on the podcast to share how she revises award-winning novels—complex, intense, surrealist, mind-bending stories meant to challenge her readers to think.
But that wasn’t the end of the conversation. In fact, it wasn’t even the start.
The conversation began months earlier, when I heard the story of her book launch for her latest novel.
I won’t spoil the ending here, but I will say: it did not go how she expected.
So today, I’m bringing Amy back on the podcast to tell us her publishing story and give us a glimpse of what comes after all the writing and all the revising.
You’ll hear:
What really happened during A.S. King’s latest book launch
How a publisher’s big promises fell through—and what that meant for the book
Why even revising an excellent novel doesn’t guarantee industry support
What it feels like when the book of your heart gets treated like just another product
How gender, genre, and power shape what gets promoted (and what doesn’t)
What it takes to keep going when publishing knocks you off course
And more
It’s a peek into traditional publishing—and a reality check on what the industry feels like from the inside, even for an award-winning author in her prime.
And above all, it’s a reminder of what really matters when it comes to measuring your book’s success.
"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!
line editingmanuscriptediting processprofessional editingwriting skillsfeedbackstory clarity
Do you need to hire a line editor? Or should you line edit your manuscript yourself?
After all, you want to write an excellent novel. You know that great writing takes shape in revision, and you don’t want to skimp on any layers of editing.
Nor do you want to overestimate your writing skills and leave your book littered with clunky sentences that a wordsmithing line editor could polish into shining brilliance.
On the other hand, you also don’t want to mess up your editing process or your manuscript by getting the editing phases wrong.
You don’t want to hire the wrong people at the wrong time and reduce the efficiency of your edits by getting them out of order.
You don’t want to waste money you don’t need to spend on professional editing you don’t actually need.
And you definitely don’t want to make your manuscript worse by getting feedback that doesn’t match your vision.
So: do you need to hire a line editor?
Well, maybe. Or maybe not.
In this episode, I’m breaking down what line editing is, what line editors do, and what your book and your editing process truly need.
You’ll hear:
What great line editors can do
The risk of working with a line editor
The key that makes great line editing possible
How to find your best line editor
And more
Whether you hire a line editor or line edit your novel yourself, the principles I share in today’s episode will help you ensure every word you choose is the right one for your story and your voice.
Links mentioned in the episode:
See my sample developmental and line editing feedback: alicesudlow.com/83
"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!
Do you need to hire a line editor? Or should you line edit your manuscript yourself?
After all, you want to write an excellent novel. You know that great writing takes shape in revision, and you don’t want to skimp on any layers of editing.
Nor do you want to overestimate your writing skills and leave your book littered with clunky sentences that a wordsmithing line editor could polish into shining brilliance.
On the other hand, you also don’t want to mess up your editing process or your manuscript by getting the editing phases wrong.
You don’t want to hire the wrong people at the wrong time and reduce the efficiency of your edits by getting them out of order.
You don’t want to waste money you don’t need to spend on professional editing you don’t actually need.
And you definitely don’t want to make your manuscript worse by getting feedback that doesn’t match your vision.
So: do you need to hire a line editor?
Well, maybe. Or maybe not.
In this episode, I’m breaking down what line editing is, what line editors do, and what your book and your editing process truly need.
You’ll hear:
What great line editors can do
The risk of working with a line editor
The key that makes great line editing possible
How to find your best line editor
And more
Whether you hire a line editor or line edit your novel yourself, the principles I share in today’s episode will help you ensure every word you choose is the right one for your story and your voice.
Links mentioned in the episode:
See my sample developmental and line editing feedback: alicesudlow.com/83
"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!
“Revising is about making sure that you're saying what you want to say in the way you want to say it. . . . To me, revision is the sport. It's the impact. It's the reason we're writers.”
Have you ever read a book and thought, Holy cow, this is amazing. How did this author DO this?
Or, maybe you’ve read a book and thought, Wow, I wish I could write (or in my case, edit) a book like this, but this is incredible and it might be beyond me?
Well, that’s how I feel when I read an A.S. King novel.
She’s an impressively decorated author of novels for middle grade, teens, and adults. She’s the only author to win the Printz award for young adult literature twice—and that’s just two of many, many accolades.
She writes brilliant stories that are surrealist and puzzling and weird, and at the same time beautiful and heartfelt and honest and real.
And when I heard that she loves revision, I knew I had to bring her to Your Next Draft and ask her: how does she do it?
How does she manage to craft such intricately plotted, complex stories?
How does she innovate so much on a technical level, and keep me hooked on a brilliant story all the way through?
How does she turn her completely pantsed first drafts into award-winning novels—and then hit it out of the park again, and again, and again?
So I was thrilled when A.S. King agreed to join me on the podcast and spill all the details of her revision process.
In our conversation, she shares:
Her five-draft revision process
How she cuts 20% from her first draft (she uses the word “chainsaw” 😳)
What it’s like to get feedback from her editor at her publishing house
What she does with feedback she disagrees with
The time when adding 14 sentences was the key that made a novel work
The difference between taking your readers on a picnic and telling them a story
And so much more
Plus, I’ve created a revision reading list to pair with this conversation so you can see A.S. King’s specific editorial choices at work in her novels.
A.S. King is an absolute gem of a human as well as a brilliant writer. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.
P.S. My very favorite part of our conversation begins at 1 hr 21 min. Here’s a sneak peek:
“In the end, it is all about your voice and your experiences and your feelings. That's it. It's all writing is.”
"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!
“Revising is about making sure that you're saying what you want to say in the way you want to say it. . . . To me, revision is the sport. It's the impact. It's the reason we're writers.”
Have you ever read a book and thought, Holy cow, this is amazing. How did this author DO this?
Or, maybe you’ve read a book and thought, Wow, I wish I could write (or in my case, edit) a book like this, but this is incredible and it might be beyond me?
Well, that’s how I feel when I read an A.S. King novel.
She’s an impressively decorated author of novels for middle grade, teens, and adults. She’s the only author to win the Printz award for young adult literature twice—and that’s just two of many, many accolades.
She writes brilliant stories that are surrealist and puzzling and weird, and at the same time beautiful and heartfelt and honest and real.
And when I heard that she loves revision, I knew I had to bring her to Your Next Draft and ask her: how does she do it?
How does she manage to craft such intricately plotted, complex stories?
How does she innovate so much on a technical level, and keep me hooked on a brilliant story all the way through?
How does she turn her completely pantsed first drafts into award-winning novels—and then hit it out of the park again, and again, and again?
So I was thrilled when A.S. King agreed to join me on the podcast and spill all the details of her revision process.
In our conversation, she shares:
Her five-draft revision process
How she cuts 20% from her first draft (she uses the word “chainsaw” 😳)
What it’s like to get feedback from her editor at her publishing house
What she does with feedback she disagrees with
The time when adding 14 sentences was the key that made a novel work
The difference between taking your readers on a picnic and telling them a story
And so much more
Plus, I’ve created a revision reading list to pair with this conversation so you can see A.S. King’s specific editorial choices at work in her novels.
A.S. King is an absolute gem of a human as well as a brilliant writer. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.
P.S. My very favorite part of our conversation begins at 1 hr 21 min. Here’s a sneak peek:
“In the end, it is all about your voice and your experiences and your feelings. That's it. It's all writing is.”
"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!
