Your Next Draft podcast

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.

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.

 

#99

What to Do When Feedback Gets You Stuck

If you get feedback that grinds you to a halt, there's a problem. But YOU are not the prob... more

25 Nov 2025

14 MINS

14:56

25 Nov 2025


#98

3 Non-Obvious Problems Hiding in Well-Developed Drafts

If the line writing is lovely, but the story still falls flat, check for these surprisingl... more

11 Nov 2025

21 MINS

21:51

11 Nov 2025


#97

What Genre REALLY Measures (And Why Every Genre You Try Feels Wrong)

What do you do when your genre just refuses to work? When you’ve tried every content genre... more

28 Oct 2025

21 MINS

21:09

28 Oct 2025


#96

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 ... more

14 Oct 2025

16 MINS

16:41

14 Oct 2025


#95

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 identif... more

30 Sep 2025

26 MINS

26:49

30 Sep 2025


#94

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... more

16 Sep 2025

19 MINS

19:45

16 Sep 2025


#93

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 o... more

02 Sep 2025

17 MINS

17:10

02 Sep 2025


#92

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... more

20 Aug 2025

1 HR 18 MINS

1:18:38

20 Aug 2025


#91

The 12 Core Genres That Power Every Great Story

Genre isn’t what you think it is. Here’s how to use it better. Genre. Let me guess: It’s t... more

05 Aug 2025

21 MINS

21:58

05 Aug 2025


#90

How Great First Lines Make Readers Pay Attention (with Abigail K. Perry)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a fiction writer in possession of a brilliant ... more

22 Jul 2025

47 MINS

47:01

22 Jul 2025


#89

Where Progressive Complications Go WRONG (and How to Fix Them)

Are your readers bored? Disappointed? Confused? Here's what that tells you about your stor... more

08 Jul 2025

29 MINS

29:34

08 Jul 2025


#88

Make Sense of Your Messy Middle With the Most Underrated Story Element

You don’t need more filler. You need better progressive complications. Your inciting incid... more

24 Jun 2025

27 MINS

27:46

24 Jun 2025


#87

How Great First Chapters Make Readers Care (with Abigail K. Perry)

Your first chapter has a monumental task: to make potential readers care about your book r... more

10 Jun 2025

1 HR 12 MINS

1:12:52

10 Jun 2025


#86

Inciting Incident: How to Revise an Unputdownable Beginning

Your inciting incident sets the stage for everything that follows. Here's what to revise s... more

27 May 2025

25 MINS

25:53

27 May 2025


#85

What If You Do Everything Right and the Book Launch Still Goes Wrong? with A.S. King

“It really broke my heart, actually. . . . For the rest of my life, it will break my heart... more

13 May 2025

50 MINS

50:33

13 May 2025


#84

Think You Need a Line Editor? Try This First

Do you need to hire a line editor? Or should you line edit your manuscript yourself? After... more

29 Apr 2025

27 MINS

27:44

29 Apr 2025


#83

How Surrealist Pantser A.S. King Revises Award-Winning Novels

“Revising is about making sure that you're saying what you want to say in the way you want... more

15 Apr 2025

1 HR 29 MINS

1:29:34

15 Apr 2025


#82

The Editor Life: 5 Days Behind the Scenes with Alice

Ever wondered what an editor actually does all day? What it looks like to spend all day su... more

01 Apr 2025

46 MINS

46:54

01 Apr 2025


#81

How to Use Revision Tools Like the Story Authority You Already Are with Brannan Sirratt

When to use frameworks to solve your story problems—and when to trust yourself and lean on... more

18 Mar 2025

57 MINS

57:36

18 Mar 2025