If you’re staring at your messy draft thinking, Where is this even going? – don’t worry, you’re not alone, and you’re not even as lost as you think.
In today’s episode, we’ll explore how to step back, sift through what you’ve already written, and begin shaping it into something coherent, intentional and powerful.
So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, discouraged or stuck in the fog of your draft, take a breath. Let’s bring some clarity to the chaos.
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Episode at a glance:
[04:48] Find Your Story’s Throughline
Learn 3 questions to identify the heart of what you’ve written. This will help you zero in on your character’s central story problem. The more you observe and ask the right questions, the more the shape of your story begins to reveal itself.
[08:50] View It As A Whole
There’s something powerful about seeing your draft all at once, whether you print it out or use tools like Scrivener or Google Docs. You want to step out of the weeds and see the terrain.
Are there long stretches without action? Does a subplot dominate more than you realized? What needs more setup, or feels rushed? You’re not fixing your story right now. You’re mapping what’s already there.
[10:05] Create A Reverse Outline
Here, you’re outlining based on what you actually put on the page. For each scene or chapter, write a quick one or two line summary: what happens, and how does it move plot, character, or theme forward?
Then ask: What do I have here now and what might be missing?Are there gaps between major events or turning points? Do characters disappear for too long? Are several scenes doing the same job? You’re not judging here. You’re noticing.
[11:00] Locate Your Story Arc
Roughly group your scenes into beginning, middle and end. Don’t worry about perfect story structure yet. This is just to locate the arc.
Ask yourself: Where does the story feel like it really begins? Where do things shift in intensity? What feels like a turning point? Does the ending land emotionally?
Even a rough sense of acts or phases helps you start shaping the story into something coherent.
Link Mentioned In This Episode:
10 Questions First-Time Writers Ask, and What To Do Next
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