#176. Student Spotlight: 5 Lessons Learned from Notes to Novel (Season 5)

See how Notes to Novel™ helped these five writers go from a blank page to a story that works (without the overwhelm).

With Notes to Novel™ (season 6) right around the corner, I'm bringing you something incredibly special today. I'm chatting with five amazing writers from season 5 about their experience inside the course.

And let me tell you, they're in the trenches right now, actively working on their novels. Some have finished their outlines, while others are deep in the drafting phase, and one has already completed her manuscript!

This is what we talk about: 

[02:55] How Katherine finished the “cleanest draft” she’s ever written (at 72k words) in only 3 months—and then went on to edit that same draft in just 8 weeks

[09:47] How the Notes to Novel framework helped Kay stay focused on what *really* mattered in her story (and avoid chasing every new shiny object idea that popped into her head)

[15:27] What happened when I suggested one of my students, Danyel, eliminate one of her two point-of-view characters during one of our live Q&A calls

[21:35] How Harlow used her genre’s key scenes to create an outline (and why this made outlining much more approachable)

[27:47] And finally, how Madi wrote her first draft in 6 months (despite being a super busy mom of four)—plus her thoughts on the overall vibe and atmosphere of the group coaching aspect

So, if you’re feeling stuck, flustered, or unsure about your writing process, these 5 Notes to Novel students show you what's possible when you have the right tools and support. Enjoy the episode!

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Get on the Notes to Novel™ waitlist 
• Katherine Varley’s website and Threads
• Kay Aprea’s Instagram
• Danyel Nicole’s website and Instagram
• Harlow Black’s Instagram
• Madison Unruh’s Instagram

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