#255. Student Spotlight: How Grace Draven Learned to Write Faster (Without Sacrificing Quality)

Can a lifelong discovery writer write faster and embrace structure without losing the magic? Bestselling author Grace Draven wrote 62,000 words in 21 days and says absolutely.

In this episode, Grace shares how the tools and mindset shifts she picked up from The Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast helped her write faster, avoid massive rewrites, and finish one of her strongest books, The Moon Raven—drafting 62,000 words in just 21 days to hit a tight preorder deadline—and why that experience convinced her to join Notes to Novel. 

After publishing more than 20 books and hitting the USA Today bestseller list five times, Grace explains why even experienced authors benefit from refining their process, and why structure isn't the creativity killer so many writers fear it is.

Whether you're a proud pantser, a frustrated discovery writer, or someone looking for a faster, more reliable way to finish your novel, this conversation shows what's possible when you pair your natural creative process with the right story structure tools that I teach in Notes to Novel. 

Here's what we talk about:

[08:00] Why thinking in scenes instead of chapters completely changed Grace's writing process and helped her write more efficiently without sacrificing creativity.

[12:55] How Grace fast drafted 62,000 words in just 21 days, met a high-pressure preorder deadline, and still delivered a solid book.

[18:41] How structure became a safety net that let Grace write around interruptions and a demanding home life without losing her place (or her creativity). 

[23:30] What happened when Grace her antagonist first (before fleshing out her protagonist)—and how this helped raise the stakes and eliminate unnecessary rewrites.

[29:38] How the tools from Notes to Novel gave Grace the confidence to commit to a delivery schedule with her new multi-book publishing deal.

If you've ever worried that outlining will make your writing feel formulaic or that your discovery writing process slows you down, this episode will show you how to write faster and build a process that leaves room for the magic instead of squeezing it out.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Get on the Notes To Novel Waitlist 
• The Moon Raven by Grace Draven
• Grace Draven’s Website
• Ep. 182 - Writing Romantasy: How to Balance Fantasy Elements and Romance in Your Novel
• Ep. 224 - The Truth About Writing Faster: It's Not What You Think

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