Student Spotlight: 5 Lessons Learned from Notes to Novel (Season 4)
Do you ever wish you could take a peek behind the scenes of other people's writing process? If so, you’re in for a treat!
I reached out to some of my Notes to Novel Season 4 students and asked them to share the number one thing they learned about outlining and writing a first draft, while actually working on their first drafts.
You’ll get to hear from real writers who are in the trenches, actively working on their novels—and in many cases, these writers have recently hit a big milestone like finishing their outline or completing a first draft.
So, I think it will be very fun for you to hear how they did it, plus some of their biggest takeaways from the actual drafting experience, and how the Notes to Novel course helped them get to the end. So, without further ado, let’s dive right in!
5 Lessons Learned From Notes to Novel (Season 4) Students
The first writer we're going to hear from is Poornika Kakkanaiah, and here’s what she had to say about writing her first draft in Notes to Novel:
POORNIKA: Hi, I'm Poornika Kakkanaiah from Pennsylvania, and I'm a fantasy writer and reader who loves traveling, baking, and finding a cup of good coffee. By day, I'm a full-time corporate finance girlie, but my nights are spent working on a fantasy, action, and worldview novel with elemental magic in a university setting.
Before taking Savannah's Notes to Novel course, I thought it would take me years to write a book. Don't get me wrong, it takes a lot of effort to write a novel. But Notes to Novel made my goal much more attainable.
I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so I knew I was probably going to struggle with getting caught up with the right word choice and little details like that. That fear made me put off starting my novel because I thought that if I had every name, location, and world-building detail figured out before I started writing, then maybe I wouldn't run into as many roadblocks while writing. But obviously, that just made my goal of writing a novel even harder to accomplish.
But when Notes to Novel introduced the concept of fast drafting to me, it was like my lightbulb moment. Fast drafting means always writing with forward momentum and not stopping to edit your pages while you're writing. You can use tools like “Magical Revisions” and “Details TK” as placeholders for things that you don't have figured out yet, and then you can come back to those things later on.
That helped me not get hung up on the nitty gritty, like, what do I name this mountain range? Or, what Halloween costume should this side character wear? Instead, I could focus on writing a compelling story. And it worked! I wrote my 114,000-word draft in only 88 days, which was way faster than I had imagined I could write since I could only allot a couple of hours to write most nights.
Now that my first draft is done, I have a better idea of what scenes I need to edit versus what scenes I need to get rid of.
If I tried to edit my draft while writing, I would have wasted so much time editing paragraphs or scenes that would have just been deleted later on. And that would have been so discouraging.
Fast drafting made the writing process fun, and it took a lot of the pressure out of it. I can now say that after finishing my first draft, I still love writing, maybe even more than I did when I started. And I can't wait to keep writing more novels!
SAVANNAH: So, I knew Poornika had finished her first draft before hearing the clip she submitted for this episode, but I had no idea that she finished an 114,000 words draft in 88 days! That is crazy! And it’s amazing. I couldn’t believe it when I heard that, but again, like Poornika said, that’s the power of letting go of the expectations that your first draft will be perfect and then embracing tools like fast drafting or leaving placeholders for details you haven’t figured out yet… All so that you can get your book written and eventually share it with the world. So, I just think that it’s so cool to not only have seen Poornika’s progress in the Notes to Novel course, but oh man, I still can’t get over the fact that she wrote a 114,000-word draft in 88 days—that is unreal! Thanks so much for sharing this with us, Poornika. Your story is super inspirational!
Want to follow Poornika’s writing journey? You can find her on Instagram @poornika.kakkanaiah or visit her website here.
The next author we’re going to hear from is Alison, and here’s what Alison had to say about writing her first draft:
ALISON: Hi, this is Allison. I live in the San Francisco area. I love to read chunky historical fiction. I listen to tons of audiobooks of all genres when I'm doing the everyday life stuff. I write contemporary or women's fiction, including two draft novels that I've put in the drawer, and I'm currently working on a book that I outlined and started through the work with Notes to Novel.
When I wrote drafts on my own before, I had only the briefest outline or a general idea of where I wanted to start and finish. I thought that an outline would inhibit my creativity, but both books felt very flat to me. It's become clear to me that I work much better with an outline.
The big a-ha moment for me (in the Notes to Novel course) was the lesson on writing a well-structured scene. Where everyone kind of knows you need a story arc for the overall book, this lesson clarified so much for me that each individual scene is a mini-story that needs conflict, resolution, and character shift—and that every scene needs to move the story forward.
When I think about this now, I say, “Of course!” But now I see that without putting this type of plan into every scene, it can lead to dull or flat scenes (which I've written), or scenes that might be fun, but don't really add to the overall story.
For me, this connected with the following lesson on mapping out plot points, starting with the key scenes and ensuring that the overall story connects all the dots from one scene to the next.
So, starting with the outlining guidance in Notes to Novel, and then considering the critical elements of every scene, have not only been helping me to keep moving forward at a fast clip in my draft, but I actually look forward to writing everyday.
I don’t feel stuck. I’m excited about where I’m going, and there’s still plenty of opportunity for twists or elements that weren’t int he outline that you realize work better once the writing’s underway.
So, for me, an outline helps make sure the overall story has a solid structure with all the creative room to color in the details.
I also look forward to going back to those earlier drafts and reverse outlining to creat all the conflict and connections they’ll need.
SAVANNAH: I love everything Alison said, and I think it all goes back to understanding the WHY behind whatever craft element you’re learning. For example, if I were to tell a writer that they “have to” make an outline for their story, that’s not going to be enough to convince someone why an outline might actually be worth their time, right? But I think, as writers, when we understand why or how something can help us, it not only makes us more willing to try something new, like creating an outline, but it also helps us understand how all the pieces of the writing process fit together. Kind of like when Alison said an outline made her job of getting from scene to scene a lot easier. And that’s the goal, right? To make the novel-writing process easier and more fun.
Want to follow Alison’s writing journey? You can connect with her on Instagram @alison10k8.
Next up, we’re going to hear from Mark Mrozinski, and here’s what he had to say about brainstorming, outlining, and writing his first draft inside the Notes to Novel course.
MARK: Hi, I'm Mark Mrozinski, and I'm a former college administrator turned writer, living in the Chicago area. But I started my life as a musician and composer, and I spent my early days playing the accordion and then playing the piano. And it always amazes me how you can start your life on one path and end up someplace you totally didn't plan just by the small decisions you make along the way.
Now, I'm writing short and long fiction in a variety of genres. But recently I've started digging into historical mysteries, both for my reading pleasure and for writing. I enjoy novels such as Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, and Caleb Carr's The Alienist.
I began focusing on my writing about four years ago. And being older than most debut authors, I knew I didn't have tons of time to mess around and learn through experimentation. I had this real fear it was too late for me to learn to write novels.
I was afraid of investing in something—a practice, a framework, whatever—that would take me nowhere. I didn’t want to waste time or money, so I was looking for a no-nonsense plan to help me put my novel together, one that would get me to the finish line with a solid working draft.
I tried a couple of other approaches but found them either too loose or too much in the weeds. Savannah's Notes to Novel course did it just right for me. I've been listening to her podcast for a while and loved her direct and positive approach, and knew it would be a good fit for me.
I think the biggest a-ha moment in the course was the realization that there was the flexibility to create my own story.
I was afraid that if I followed any method, so to speak, I'd end up with a cookie cutter, dime-store novel—the kind people read in a day and then forget and toss away.
However, the Notes to Novel course was great at showing the non-negotiables—those things that make a story successful—but in a way that also allowed space for originality and creativity.
So when I put my fingers to the keyboard, and I drafted the novel, I followed a framework, and I didn't worry about being too rigid or formulaic. The magic, if I can call it that, was that the end product was anything but.
If I had a word of advice for anyone on the brink of starting a novel, trust the process. Or better yet, trust Savannah's process because it works.
So what's next for me? I finished my novel a few months ago, and I had some beta readers review it—and they loved it! At first, that was a huge relief because, as writers, we know we're always writing in a vacuum. It's great to have positive feedback. So, that was very exciting.
But then I got completely scared. I just started querying agents. And I can tell you, nothing prompts the feeling of imposter syndrome like querying agents. Agents and publishers will ask, “So what's next?” They want more than just a book. They want an author. Someone who writes books, not a book.
Another thing I got from the Notes to Novel course is the confidence that I can do this again. I can write another novel.
There's no fear that I will be a one-hit wonder. I can honestly tell you that I can write another. The process is hard. It’s full of hard work. But the path isn't a mystery. So, thanks for listening, and I wish you the best of success in your writing.
SAVANNAH: I think what Mark said about following a “template” or any kind of plotting method is relatable. A lot of writers feel that way, and it’s understandable for all the reasons Mark listed. But what I liked most about what Mark said is that he followed a process for his first draft and he went into the process with the right mindset. So, he knew he was using the framework to help himself get the ideas out of his head and onto the page. He knew it was just that—a framework to help him write, not to handcuff his writing. And for Mark, the proof is in the pudding. He finished his draft. He got great feedback on it. And even cooler than that? He has the confidence to do it all over again. For any aspiring author or any writer who hasn’t finished a draft, can you imagine having that kind of confidence? That’s huge! Yes, the process is full of hard work, but the pathway or process isn’t a mystery. That is so true and so very well said. Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Mark!
Want to follow Mark’s writing journey? You can visit his website or say hello over on Instagram @mrozinski.mark.
Next up is Sharon, and here’s what Sharon had to say about writing her first draft:
SHARON: Hello, my name is Sharon. I live near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I've never written a book, but I have written curriculum and grant requests and technical items. I've been trying to write a novel for many years but never had the time or energy to dedicate to that task while I worked full-time. After I retired, I was determined to accomplish this goal.
At first, I tried to go it on my own and soon became frustrated, recognizing that I didn't know the first thing about writing a work of fiction. I started listening to podcasts and came across Savannah's Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast, and what can I say? I appreciated the practical advice she provided for free in every session. I love the enthusiasm and encouragement that she delivers.
I thought about taking other online courses, but the Notes to Novel course appealed to me the most, so I decided to sign up for the course. I was not disappointed.
It's hard to identify a single favorite takeaway from my experience in Notes to Novel, but I think the most significant (for me) was Module 4 on how to write a well-structured scene by using the five elements.
When writing my discovery draft, I actually kept a hard copy of this lesson by my computer and referred to it before I started each scene to make sure I was including an inciting incident, turning point, crisis, climax, and resolution in each scene.
Prior to Notes to Novel, I participated in a critique group and have been sharing chapters for feedback. Once I implemented the scene writing techniques, my partners noted a distinct difference in the quality of my scene writing, saying they were much more focused.
Savannah's steps for outlining a novel were another significant breakthrough for me. Before I took Notes to Novel, I told people I had a complete outline for my novel. But what I learned from this class was that my outline was missing some essential conventions for my genre.
Once I learned those components, I re-outlined my entire novel and came up with a more constructive and effective outline. After that, I instituted a reasonable time frame for drafting to complete 6,000 words or three scenes each week.
Of course, there were many more lessons I learned in this course that I applied, which altogether helped me achieve my goal of completing my first draft two days prior to my deadline. I can't say it was easy, but it definitely was easier and very nearly stress-free.
After taking a few weeks off from writing, I plan to start editing my novel using the editing strategies I learned from Savannah's Notes to Novel course.
I am counting on the support of two accountability groups I have joined, where I meet weekly with writers I have met through Notes to Novel. To further increase my skills, I also joined StoryLab, led by Savannah, with other aspiring writers who have completed the Notes to Novel course.
SAVANNAH: It’s interesting that Sharon’s advice echoes what the other writers in today’s episode have said. Two things that helped her the most were learning how to write a great scene and leaning into the outlining process. Both of these things helped Sharon get to the end of her first draft. And, as she said, she's now going to use the exact same tools she learned in the Notes to Novel course to help her edit her first draft as well. Now, I know not everyone can write 6,000 words per week like Sharon did, and that’s fine! When coming up with your plan for writing or editing your draft, just make sure you're considering everything else you have going on in your life—work, kids, school, vacations, or whatever else. Each writer goes at a different pace so it’s important to consider the full picture of your life before making any plans. The other thing I liked about what Sharon said is she actually got proof that what she was learning in the course was making her writing better. How cool is that!? If you’re not a fan of outlining, that’s okay, too. Learn from Sharon's experience and focus on learning how to craft a well-structured scene because, as you’ve heard in today’s episode, that will make a huge difference in your ability to write a story that works. So, thank you, Sharon, for sharing all of that with us!
Want to follow Sharon’s writing journey? You can connect with her over on Instagram @sharon.england.96.
The next author we’re going to hear from is Rhonda Eustice, and here’s what Rhonda had to say about writing her first draft:
RHONDA: Hi there, I'm Rhonda Eustace, and I write historical fiction. I am a late bloomer when it comes to writing. When I was a kid, I'd write plays to entertain my friends and family at Christmas and force my brothers to act in them. And after college, I wrote a few murder mysteries for parties that I hosted for friends. But other than that and keeping a daily journal, I didn't write much for fun, even though I had this idea for a story that lingered in the back of my mind for years.
So, for most of my early adult years, I chased my career as a clinical pharmacist, and for several of those years, I competed in long-distance triathlons that monopolized pretty much all of my free time. Then, at age 45, I got injured and couldn’t compete in triathlons anymore, so I decided it was finally time to sit down and write a novel.
So I did, as many do. I bought a bunch of craft books, read everything I could get my hands on, and started to write. But I found myself getting stuck and spinning my wheels trying to get this partially formed story from my head onto the page. So, I knew I needed some help.
When I was doing triathlons, I worked with a great triathlon coach who got me to the finish line of more than a dozen triathlons—one of which took me more than 14 hours to complete. So, I knew I had the endurance to write a novel. I just didn't know what I was doing.
And so I figured I was going to need some kind of coach, but I did not know where to find one until I came across Savannah's podcast and the Notes to Novel course. With the help of this course, I was able to complete my first 80,000-word first draft.
Everything I learned in Notes to Novel was valuable, but there were two things that the course taught me that really helped me get through this first draft. So, what I found was many times when I would sit down to write, my inner critic, that little voice inside me, would tell me, “You're too old to start writing. You should be doing something more practical. You don’t have anything important to say…”
But one of the first things the Notes to Novel course taught me was to really think through why I wanted to write this story and to tap into my core message—my deeper level WHY.
Once I was able to do that, I was able to uncover my story's theme, and this served as kind of a golden thread that I could go back to when I got stuck when I was developing my outline and again when I was writing my scenes. So that was very valuable.
The second thing that the Notes to Novel teaches that was a game changer for me was how to write a compelling scene. Specifically, in each scene, I needed to give my point of view character the agency to make the difficult decisions in each scene. So, this really helped me to streamline my writing and to create a good narrative drive that got me to the end of the story.
So, the Notes to Novel course and the Q&A sessions with Savannah gave me the tools and encouragement to finish the first draft of my novel.
Now, I never expected my first draft to be perfect—and it wasn’t—but as Savannah says, you can't edit something if it's not on the page. So, through this process, I discovered how incredibly fun writing can be when you find the right coach who meets you where you are and cheers you on all the way to the finish line. And unlike triathlons, writing has a very slim chance of causing chafing and blisters.
SAVANNAH: I love how Rhonda compared writing a novel to running triathlons because I don’t think that’s a very far-off comparison. Sometimes, the two things feel pretty similar–one is just more physical, and the other is a little more mental, right? But one thing I want to highlight about what Rhonda said is something that I think many of us do. We sit down to write a novel and we realize there’s a lot we don’t know, so we gobble up as many craft books or podcasts as possible, trying to figure out how to write a novel from scratch. And then what happens is we have a lot of information in our head, but no process to take us from A to Z. So, we might know what to do… We might understand how to do it… For example, we might know that a compelling character needs a fleshed-out backstory, a solid goal and motivation, etc. But we might not know how to blend that one element with other things like plot, worldbuilding, and theme. And that’s kind of what Rhonda was saying. She had all the books, but she was still getting stuck on how to construct her story.
The other thing I liked about what Rhonda said is that she was able to move past her inner critic that said she was too old to write. I hear this from so many people—they’re too old, too young, too inexperienced, don’t have a college degree, whatever it is… and it’s just not true. Anybody can write a novel if they have the will and they put in the time to learn how to craft a story that works. So let Rhonda and all the other writers in today's episode be an inspiration to you. They all had different versions of excuses or problems they were coming up against, and they all managed to make a lot of great progress on their novels. Pretty cool if you ask me!
Final Thoughts
Thank you so much to Poornika, Alison, Mark, Sharon, and Rhonda for coming on this episode and sharing your biggest lessons learned while writing your first drafts and from going through the Notes to Novel course. I truly appreciate you.
If you enjoyed this episode, go check out the social media or the websites of all the different authors we had on the show today. Say hello and give them a high five for sharing their stories (and their struggles) with us!
If you’re interested in learning more about my Notes to Novel course, click here to get all the details and enroll (or join the waitlist if doors are closed).
