Ask This Question When You’re Overwhelmed by Your Story
Your Next Draft
04 Mar 2025
22:49
Escape analysis paralysis with one powerful question. It’s deceptively simple—and yet it unlocks everything.
If you’re like most of the writers I work with, you’re pretty savvy about story structure. You know your Story Grid, your Save the Cat!, your Hero’s Journey. You’ve probably analyzed your story six ways to Sunday, and you’ve got the spreadsheets and outlines and diagrams and graphs to prove it.
And all that analysis has leveled up your story significantly. You’ve solved major structural problems by applying your extensive knowledge of story theory.
But I also bet there are still some issues nagging at you. Issues that you still can’t crack, no matter how many times you map every act and arc in your story on a spreadsheet.
In fact, if you’re still spreadsheeting your story by this point, you’re probably starting to spin out a little. You’ve analyzed and analyzed and analyzed again, and now all that story structure that was supposed to make revising your story clear and straightforward has turned against you, leaving you overwhelmed and lost.
What if you could break through all that overwhelm and find your footing in your story again?
What if you could snap out of analysis paralysis and reconnect with your characters and the inspiration that compelled you to write in the first place?
And what if you could do all of that by asking just one deceptively simple question?
You can, I promise. And in this episode, I’ll show you how.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Get the question that unlocks everything in a printable format: alicesudlow.com/79
- Go deeper in character development: How to Flesh Out Flat Characters With Just 4 Questions
- Go deeper in my favorite story structure: The 6 Essential Elements of Every Novel, Act, and Scene
Rate, 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 »
Escape analysis paralysis with one powerful question. It’s deceptively simple—and yet it unlocks everything.
If you’re like most of the writers I work with, you’re pretty savvy about story structure. You know your Story Grid, your Save the Cat!, your Hero’s Journey. You’ve probably analyzed your story six ways to Sunday, and you’ve got the spreadsheets and outlines and diagrams and graphs to prove it.
And all that analysis has leveled up your story significantly. You’ve solved major structural problems by applying your extensive knowledge of story theory.
But I also bet there are still some issues nagging at you. Issues that you still can’t crack, no matter how many times you map every act and arc in your story on a spreadsheet.
In fact, if you’re still spreadsheeting your story by this point, you’re probably starting to spin out a little. You’ve analyzed and analyzed and analyzed again, and now all that story structure that was supposed to make revising your story clear and straightforward has turned against you, leaving you overwhelmed and lost.
What if you could break through all that overwhelm and find your footing in your story again?
What if you could snap out of analysis paralysis and reconnect with your characters and the inspiration that compelled you to write in the first place?
And what if you could do all of that by asking just one deceptively simple question?
You can, I promise. And in this episode, I’ll show you how.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Get the question that unlocks everything in a printable format: alicesudlow.com/79
- Go deeper in character development: How to Flesh Out Flat Characters With Just 4 Questions
- Go deeper in my favorite story structure: The 6 Essential Elements of Every Novel, Act, and Scene
Rate, 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 »