Are you a first-time writer who is unfamiliar with the editing process, and you are not sure what kind of editing services your manuscript needs? Or are you unsure if you want to work with a specific editor for the first time?

A great way to assess if a particular editor is right for you and your manuscript is through a discovery meeting (or a discovery call). 
​

What is a discovery meeting?
Who is the discovery meeting for?
3 reasons you need a discovery meeting

What is a discovery meeting?
A discovery meeting is a free, no-obligation, initial meeting between you (the writer) and the editor to discuss how the editor can help you improve your manuscript and to determine if you are a good fit to work together.

The discovery meeting is a great way for you and the editor to get to know each other’s personalities, see if you communicate well and determine whether you feel comfortable working together. A discovery meeting usually lasts about 15-30 minutes.

The writer usually fills in a form (questionnaire) to answer questions about their manuscript and sends a synopsis and the completed manuscript (or the first chapters) to the editor for review before the discovery meeting.

During the discovery meeting, the editor provides comments and suggestions about the manuscript to see if their editing style of feedback aligns with what you are looking for.

The editor might also provide you with an estimated project quote (scope of work, deliverables, timeline, and fee) to determine if you are a good fit to work together.

Who is the discovery meeting for?
A discovery meeting can help new writers who don't have much experience with the editing process and are not sure what kind of service they need to improve their manuscript. Also, they are a great way for writers to meet the editor they are interested in working with for the first time.

Discovery meetings are particularly useful for writers who are interested in developmental editing services. Developmental editing addresses the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses and provides constructive feedback that covers the big-picture elements, such as theme, plot, characters, point of view, pacing, setting, genre conventions, scene vs narrative summary (show vs tell) and dialogue. 

Developmental editing requires an understanding of the plot and the main characters’ progress over the course of the entire story.

Discussing the big-picture elements that cover the entire manuscript during the discovery meeting will give the editor a better sense of your story’s needs, and they will be able to provide helpful suggestions that are representative of the type of feedback you can expect on your entire manuscript.

3 reasons you need a discovery meeting

Discuss the manuscript 
During the discovery meeting, tell the editor all the important information they need to know about your story, such as the genre, word count, your goals and intentions and the premise of your story.

If you have already provided this information to the editor, you can discuss more in-depth details about the aspects of the manuscript that you like and the aspects that you need help with and how the editor can help you improve them.

Discuss the service 
During the discovery meeting, discuss what kind of editing service you are interested in and what kind of feedback you are looking for.

The editor (who is already familiar with your manuscript) will advise you about the kind of editing service your manuscript needs next. Discuss with the editor and respectfully share your opinions until you come to an agreement. 

You can talk in more detail about what the service includes, such as the deliverables (edited manuscript document, editorial report, evaluation report), the estimated timeline, an estimated fee and the payment plan. 

Ask any related questions you have and make your expectations or concerns clear. The editor might request more time to provide a more accurate project quote or a contract based on your discussion.

Build a successful professional relationship
Clear and honest communication, respect and kindness are the keys to a successful professional relationship between you and the editor.

Don’t make assumptions about how the editor works. The discovery meeting is a great way to ask any questions or clarifications you have about their services,  editing process, or the project quote and get specific and clear answers.

You can also ask them how (medium), and how often they will communicate to share the progress of the editing project (especially for long projects that take weeks to complete) and be upfront about any specific arrangements you would like the editor to make.

The editor will provide you with a contract (after the discovery meeting) that will be agreed upon by you and the editor and be respected during the editorial process. 

Are you interested in working with me?
Do you wish to work with a reliable and supportive developmental editor and beta reader who can help you improve the big-picture elements of your manuscript, such as theme, plot, characters, point of view, pacing, setting and genre conventions?   

Book a free discovery meeting to discuss how I can help you improve your story and to determine if we are a good fit to work together.

Fill in this form to learn more information about your manuscript, express your interest in booking a discovery meeting and send me the synopsis and the first 15-20 pages of your manuscript (2-3 chapters). 

I will email you to arrange the date of the discovery meeting (depending on the availability of my schedule).

One of the most common questions that romance writers ask is how long their romance novel should be. Romance writers often wonder if their novel is long enough to match the expectations of the romance genre, and they are often uncertain why word count matters for their romance novels.

Word count estimate for the romance genre
Why word count matters
What should I do if my novel is too long?
What should I do if my novel is too short?
I need help to edit my book

Word count estimates for the romance genre
Romance is a very broad category and can be divided into many subgenres.  A novel is considered to be in the romance genre when the development of the romantic relationship between the main characters is at the centre of the story, and the main characters live happily together at the end. If your story doesn’t have a happy ending, then it is not a romance. 

Some of the most popular romance subgenres are contemporary romance, fantasy romance, romantasy, paranormal romance, historical romance, romantic suspense and YA (Young Adult) romance.

Generally, the word count for romance novels is between 70,000 and 100,000 words. Romance novels under 70,000 words might be considered too short, and romance novels above 100,000 words might be considered too long. 

There are exceptions to these guidelines with fantasy romance, romantasy, paranormal romance and historical romance novels, which have slightly longer word count because of worldbuilding and setting requirements.

For example, fantasy romance and romantasy novels are typically between 90,000 and 120,000 words. Fantasy romance novels with emphasis on the romance elements are typically between 90,000 and 100,000 words, whereas fantasy romance novels with emphasis on the fantasy elements are typically between 100,000 and 120,000 words. 

Paranormal romance and historical romance novels are typically between 80,000 and 100,000 words to allow writers more room to setup and expand the worldbuilding of the story. 

Why word count matters
Production costs
Longer books are typically more expensive because they cost more to print, ship and store, and publishers generally don’t want to take risks with longer novels, especially by new writers.

On the contrary, shorter novels are cheaper to produce and easier to sell because of the production cost and because readers prefer to read shorter books. Readers prefer to commit to shorter books (300 pages long) because they feel confident they have the time to finish reading them.

Publisher expectations
Publishers have expectations for how long a romance novel should be. Writing a novel that is “too short” or “too long”  makes it impossible to market and sell, no matter how great the writing might be.

Established writers might be “forgiven” and allowed more flexibility with the word count of their story, but it’s best for new writers to follow the industry standard of their genre and write a novel within the publisher’s expectations.

Reader expectations
Avid romance readers have their own expectations about how long a romance novel should be. Typically, romance readers expect that a romance novel should be around 70,000-100,000 words (depending on the subgenre), so writers need to have a really good reason for writing a shorter or longer romance novel and defying these expectations.

It is best for writers to write a book within the “expected” word count so that it’s easier for them to market and sell it to romance readers.

What should I do if my novel is too long?
If your novel is too long, I recommend editing it and cutting down unnecessary words:

• Revise or delete scenes that drag down the pacing of the story and don’t move the plot of your story forward
• Delete subplots that are not related to the main plot of the story
• Revise or delete minor characters that are not important to the story

While I understand that you might have spent weeks or months writing and editing your romance novel, deleting unnecessary parts of your story will strengthen your plot and your characters, and you will make a more compelling story for the readers.

What should I do if my novel is too short?
If your novel is too short, consider adding more words to the story. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Are my main characters’ goals and motivations clear?
• Is my plot structure clear, or can it be tightened?
• What is the central conflict of the story, and how can I strengthen it?
• Can I add more subplots to make the story more interesting?
• Can I add more obstacles or challenges to the main characters to tighten the tension and make the plot more compelling?

I need help to edit my book
If you are looking for a reliable and supportive developmental editor to help you edit the big-picture elements of your romance novel to your desired word count, check out my developmental editing services and fill in this form to discuss the needs of your manuscript. 

Conclusion
Word count is an important factor to take into consideration when writing your romance novel. Before starting to write and edit your novel, it is best to check the industry standard word count for your subgenre.

​Have in mind that different agents and publishing companies have different word count requirements, so make sure to check them before submitting your manuscript to them. Good luck!

Disclaimer: The content mentioned above is only meant to serve as a guideline. Do what feels right for your story and romance subgenre, since word count guidelines and expectations are constantly changing. 

Additional resources
How to self-edit the big-picture elements of your story
How to become more productive and write your story faster
What is writer’s block, and how to overcome it

It’s the beginning of a new year and the perfect time for a fresh start. It’s the best time of the year to reflect on the accomplishments you have achieved in the past year and the areas you might need to improve in the new year as a writer.

The best way to do that is to make an annual review to reflect on the writing goals you have achieved in the past year and set your writing goals and projects for this year.

Write down the tasks
Prepare your materials
Reflect on the past year
Content creation
Finances
Marketing
Professional development
Time
Plan your goals for this year
Vision
Declutter your brain
Time
Goals 
Projects
Quarterly focus
Monthly focus
Weekly focus
Quarterly review

Write down the tasks
My first step in making an annual review is to plan the tasks I need to complete to review the accomplishments I have achieved in my freelance editing business in the past year and set my business goals for this year.

At the beginning of each December, I schedule some time to write down the tasks I need to complete in my digital to-do list. This year, I have written down 15 tasks. Some of them are big tasks that might take multiple days to complete, and others are small tasks that can be combined and take only a few hours.

The tasks in my to-do list are not final. They can and probably will be adjusted when I start making my annual review to better reflect the actual process I need to take. The written tasks, though, give me a sense of direction and an estimate of how many hours it will take me to complete the annual review. 

Since I followed a similar process last year, I can estimate that my annual review will take about 30 hours this year, but I always leave room for more time. I make the annual review during the Christmas holidays every year.

Over to you:
What tasks do you need to complete to make an annual review of your writing goals? Write them down.
How much time do you think it will take you to complete the annual review? Write down a rough estimate and schedule the time in your calendar.

Prepare your materials
The next step I take is to prepare the materials I will need. Everything I need is already organised and gathered in my computer and office desk, so I don’t need to buy anything or make any other extra preparations. 

I use the following materials:

• computer (digital to-do list, calendar, documents)
• a plain lined notebook
•  the Erin Condren Weekly Life Planner (dashboard layout)
• colourful pens (I like to colour-code)
• black or blue pens

Over to you:
What tools and software do you use to make an annual review of your writing goals? Write down a list of materials and prepare them in advance.

Reflect on the past year
I start making my annual review by reflecting on the goals and the projects of the year that passed. I go back to the goals I set for my freelance editing business at the beginning of the year to see which of them I achieved, which ones I didn’t achieve and how and why my focus changed throughout the year.

I ask myself the following questions:

• What goals did I achieve in the past year? What was my biggest accomplishment?
• What didn’t go well? What was my biggest disappointment? 
• What obstacles or challenges did I face, and what can I do differently this year to overcome them?
• Did I successfully implement work-life balance and allow enough time to rest or for my hobbies?
• What lessons did I learn over the past year that I want to implement this year?

I spend some time brainstorming and writing down the answers to these questions in my notebook as I go through my goals and projects. (The whole process is valuable to me as the answers to these questions will help me set my editing business goals for the next year.)

When I am done, I ask myself more questions about specific areas of my freelance editing business. I write down the answers to these questions in my notebook. I ask myself questions about the following areas of my editing business:

Content creation

• What kind of content got the best response from writers throughout the year (views, comments, likes)?
• What kind of content/topics do I want to create next year that will be most helpful to romance writers?

I do research and update my list of possible topics that writers will be interested in to write about this year (blog articles, social media posts).

Finances

• How much money did I make? 
• What can I do to sustain/increase my yearly income?
• How much money did I spend on supporting my business (tools, software, subscriptions, professional development, other expenses)?

I review and adjust my recurring expenses and plan my budget for next year. I am fairly organised and keep track of my financial data in Excel spreadsheets throughout the year, so this is a straightforward process for me.

Marketing

• Am I satisfied with my marketing efforts? 
• How can romance writers find me? What can I do to get more romance writers to find me? 
• How can I increase my social media presence and grow my newsletter list?

Professional development

• Am I satisfied with the progress I made as an editor and business owner throughout the past year?
• How would I like to improve myself as a developmental editor and business owner this year? 

I update the list of craft books, webinars and courses I would like to take.

Time

•  How much time did I invest in billable and not-billable projects (finding work, editing projects, branding, marketing, content creation, professional development, admin tasks, other projects)?  
• How much time did I take off (sickness, holidays)? 

I have summarised monthly data of the hours I spend on each project on my planner, so at the end of each year, I sum up this data to draw conclusions and make adjustments/changes for this year.

Over to you: 
Write down specific areas of your writing life that you want to reflect on and set writing goals for this year, such as writing projects, finances, marketing and professional development.
​Write down the answers to the questions above to effectively reflect on your writing life for the past year (you may need to adjust the questions to suit your writing needs).

Plan your goals for this year
Vision
I start making plans for this year by asking myself general questions about my editing business and the goals I would like to achieve this year.

• What are my values as an editor?
• What are my long-term and short-term goals?
• What are my priorities for this year (editing projects, finances, marketing, professional development, content creation)?
• How does success look for me in the new year, and what can I do to support this?

Over to you:
What does success look like to you for this year, and what writing goal are you most excited to achieve? Write down specific steps you need to take.

Declutter your brain
The next step I take to set my editing business goals for this year is to write down all my business goals in one long list. I write down everything that comes to mind with no particular order.
Business goals can be about the following areas:

• finding work
• finances
• branding
• marketing
• social media
• newsletter
• admin
• content creation (blog articles, posts)
• professional development (craft books, webinars, courses)
• work/life balance

After I make sure I write down everything that comes to mind, I prioritise the goals in my list using coloured pens. I assign a number to a colour, and I go through my goals ranking them from top priority to it’s not so important and can be done later. For example, 1=blue, top priority  2=purple, long-term priority  3=green, unimportant
You can choose whatever colour combinations you like or have available at the moment and create a colour-code system that makes sense to you. 

Over to you:
Write down a list of all the writing goals you want to achieve this year and prioritise them.

Time
The next step I take when setting my goals for this year is to figure out how much time I have available. I like to take a typical week and see how much available time I have. Once I take out any recurring tasks, appointments or obligations, I write down the available hours I have left in a typical week for my editing business.

I don’t assign any specific goals or projects yet. In this step, I just estimate how many hours I have in a typical week so that I can realistically plan my goals (in a later step).

Over to you: 
Estimate how much available time you have in a typical week for your writing goals.

Goals
The next step I take is to decide the goals for my editing business for this year. I look at the list of goals I wrote in a previous step, and I choose 3-5 long-term goals to focus on this year. Under each goal, I write down the projects I need to take to achieve them and an estimate of how many hours it will take me to complete them.

Over to you: 
Decide and write down 3 goals (and the projects you need to achieve each goal). For example, a writing goal includes writing a romance novel. Possible projects include:

• plan the story
• outline the story
• write the story
• edit the story
• publish the story

Projects
The final step I take is to write down the tasks I need to take to complete each project for my editing business. I write down the tasks I need to take under each project, and I estimate how many hours it will take me to complete each task.

Usually, I do this process in my digital-to-doist app. It is easier, faster and more convenient for me to write, move, delete and add tasks as needed in a specific project and assign them to specific dates or organise them into specific sections.

Over to you:
Write down the tasks you need to complete for each project and estimate how many hours they will take.
Example project: Plan my romance story
Possible tasks can include:

• Figure out the subgenres and tropes of the story
• Decide the theme of the story
• Create character profiles for the main characters 
• Decide point of view and tense
• Decide the setting of the story (place, time period)

Quarterly focus
When I finish my annual review and set my editing goals and projects for this year, I focus on the editing goals I want to complete in the first quarter of the year. 

I estimate the available time that I have for the quarter (based on the typical week estimates I did in a previous step) and choose the most important or urgent goals at the time.

Over to you:
Estimate how much available time you have in a quarter and choose the most important goals that fit your schedule.

Monthly focus
The next step I take is to set up the first month of the year (January) in my Erin Condren Weekly Life Planner (dashboard layout). On the calendar page, I write down any appointments, tasks or deadlines that need to happen or be completed by a certain date.

On the next 2 pages, I write down the monthly goals, projects and tasks. Also, I create a table that includes the projects of the month and the estimated time it will take me to complete them. I leave a blank space to write down the actual hours I will spend on each project at the end of the month. 

Over to you: 
Write down the writing goals, projects and tasks for the first month of the year.

Weekly focus
The next step I take is to set up the first week of January in my Erin Condren planner. On the left page of the planner, I write down any appointments or obligations that need to happen on a specific day of the week.

On the right page, I write down the weekly projects and tasks. In the notes section, I create a table and write down the weekly projects and the amount of time they will take. I write down every day how much time I devote to each project, and I sum up the total hours at the end of the week.

Over to you: 
Write down your weekly projects and tasks.

Quarterly review
Every quarter, I schedule some time for a quarterly review in my calendar.  Quarterly reviews help me check the progress I made on my long-term editing goals and effectively set goals for the next quarter.

I follow a similar procedure for my quarterly review. If possible, I make my quarterly review a few days before the next quarter begins.

Over to you:
Schedule time every quarter to check the progress you’ve made on your writing goals.

Conclusion
That’s it. That’s how I make my annual review and set my editing goals for my freelance editing business every year. I hope this process helps you reflect on the accomplishments you achieved in the past year and effectively set your writing goals for this year.
Happy planning!

Additional resources
3 types of writer goals you can set for the next year
My experience using the HB90 method for writers
How to write a novel in 90 days (writing challenge)
 Erin Condren Weekly Life Planners

It’s this time of the year again. It’s December, the last month of the year, which means it’s time to reflect on the year that has passed and set writing goals for the next year.
 
If you want to make a living from writing books, it is important to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year and the areas that need improvement the next year. The best way to do that is to make an annual review to reflect on the past year and plan your goals and projects for next year.

Find the time 
Find the space and gather your materials
Reflect on this year
Plan your goals for next year
Plan the time
Quarterly review

Find the time 
Calculate how much time you will need for this year’s annual review. If you have done an annual review before, then you have an idea of how much time it will take you this year. Schedule the same amount of time for this year in your calendar.

If this is your first time making an annual review for your writing goals, calculate an estimated timeframe and schedule specific days and hours in your calendar which will be dedicated to the annual review.

Find the space and gather your materials
Find a clean, quiet space for the annual review. Your office desk or another space where you know you will not be interrupted and no one else uses can be the perfect space for you. 

Will you make your annual review in a digital software or a physical planner? Decide in advance and gather the necessary materials (software, tools, notebooks, planners) in your designated space.

Materials can include your laptop, digital to-do list, writing software, physical notebook, digital or physical planner, calendar and lots of pens and pencils. Buy in advance any materials to make sure you have everything you might need for the annual review.  

Reflect on this year
Now, it’s time to reflect on the writing goals and projects of the year that passed. Check your calendar, planner or to-do lists and see which goals and projects you have achieved this year.

Ask yourself the following questions and write down answers in a notebook. The answers to these questions will help you make more informed, realistic decisions for the new year.

•  What was your biggest success this year e.g publishing a book?
• What goals and projects have you achieved this year?
• Have your goals changed throughout the year, and why? Write down the reason your focus changed throughout the year.
• What was your biggest challenge for this year e.g self-editing your story?
• What things didn’t go well? What obstacles and challenges did you have this year? Write them down and note down ways in which you can overcome them next year. For example, if your biggest challenge was how to write down compelling, relatable characters for your romance story, then you might need to read more craft books about characters or take a related webinar.

Plan the time
Brainstorm and write down your writing goals for next year. Write down short-term and long-term goals. Make sure to write down specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-sensitive (SMART) goals so that it is easier for you to keep track of them and evaluate your progress throughout the year.

You can divide your goals into different areas of your writing life:
Writing projects 

• What writing projects do you want to write/edit/publish this year?
• What steps do you need to take to achieve this goal?

 
Finances

• How much money do you want to make as a writer the next year?
• What steps will you take to sustain/increase your monthly and yearly income?

Work/life balance

• Do you have enough time in a day to rest or devote to your hobbies?
• How can you improve your mental and physical health in the next year?

Professional development

• What would you like to do next year to improve yourself as a writer? Write down conferences you would like to attend, professional organisations you would like to join, courses and webinars you would like to take and craft books you would like to read.

Branding and marketing

• Are you satisfied with your branding and marketing efforts?
• Do you need to update your website or social media presence? Note down ways you can increase your followers in social media, the frequency of posts, possible topics to write about and how you can connect with other writers and readers (comments, shares, likes).

Plan the time
Decide how many hours a month you will devote to your writing goals and projects. See how much time you have available each month and decide what tasks or projects you plan to do.

Estimate how much time each task or project will take. For example, you might plan to write for 30 minutes each day,  read a craft book each week or take a course each month. Once you decide the amount of time each task or project will take, schedule them in your calendar.

Be realistic about the goals you can achieve and the time you have for each goal and project. Don’t try to do all the things at the same time, as it might eventually lead to burnout. Instead, for example, focus on one writing project or take one course at a time to improve yourself in a topic you feel you struggle with the most. 

Quarterly review
Now that you have set your writing goals and completed your annual review, schedule some time for quarterly reviews in your calendar. Quarterly reviews will help you check on the progress you make on your goals and make sure you stay on track with your projects throughout the year.

Remember that your writing goals might change, and you might need to let go of some of the projects that are no longer important or relevant to you, which is totally fine. You can always adjust your plan and focus on the next steps in achieving your writing goals.

Additional resources
3 types of writer goals you can set for the next year
My experience using the HB90 method for writers
How to write a novel in 90 days (writing challenge)

​November marks the month of the year when many writers sit down in front of their computers and attempt to write 50,000 words in 30 days.

​Although this tradition started with NaNoWriMo, many writers have participated in a similar writing challenge this year. They either created their own writing challenge with writer friends or participated in a writing challenge by other writers, and found themselves a welcoming and supportive writing community.

November is over, and now you have the first draft of your novel completed or the 50,000 words of it. The next step you need to take after writing the first draft is to self-edit the big-picture elements of your story.

Take a break
Read your manuscript and take notes
Main characters
Plot and structure
Setting and worldbuilding
Follow through with your plan
Next steps

Take a break
The first step of self-editing your novel is to leave it rest for at least one month. Taking a break from your story is necessary to put distance between yourself and your story and be able to see your manuscript from a reader’s perspective during the editing process.

Read your manuscript and take notes
The second step in self-editing your story is to read through your manuscript. Schedule 2-3 days of uninterrupted time to read your manuscript from start to finish and take notes about the big-picture elements of your story.

As you are reading your story, take notes in the margins of the manuscript document or in a separate notebook and write down any ideas you have on how to improve the main characters, plot and structure, and setting and worldbuilding of your story.

Main characters
One of the most important big-picture elements of your story is your main characters. The main characters in romance stories are the love interests of the story.

​The most important things you have to establish about your main characters are their goal, motivation, and internal and external conflicts. Create a character profile about each main character (if you haven’t already), and identify the following elements:

•  Goal: a clear, tangible goal that can sustain the whole story. Note if/how the goal changes throughout the story and why.
•  Motivation: the reason the main character wants to achieve this goal, what will happen if they do achieve it, and what the consequences will be if they don’t achieve it
• Internal conflict: an internal flaw that your character falsely believes about themselves or the world around them, and prevents them from achieving their goal
• External conflict: an antagonist or villain that puts obstacles and challenges to the main characters and actively prevents them from achieving their goal

Plot and structure
Another important big-picture element of your story is your plot and structure. If you are a plotter, then you probably already have an outline of your story or even a chapter-by-chapter summary. If you haven’t updated your outline while writing your story, this is a good time to do it.

While you are reading your story, open an Excel spreadsheet and write down important information about each chapter of your story to help you see the “forest”, the overall plot of your story. The Excel spreadsheet can include the:

• word count of each chapter
•  pov character
• characters present
• location
• main story events
• notes/reactions/things to improve

You can also write down margin comments in your manuscript document about specific issues that you want to improve in a particular scene. Check if your plot follows the 3-act structure and if each chapter moves forward the plot of the story.

Setting and worldbuilding
Another important big-picture element (often neglected by writers) is the setting and worldbuilding of the story. While reading your manuscript, write down the following information about the setting of your story:

• The macro setting of your story. Note down the planet, country and the city your story takes place in.
• The micro setting of your story. Note down the particular locations your story takes place, such as a house, a cafe, an apartment, a school, or an office. Write down a clear description of each location in your notes. Note any discrepancies in descriptions in the manuscript to fix them later.
• The period your story takes place in. Does it take place in the present or a particular historical period? Do any necessary research about the language, customs, culture and habits of the people in that particular historical period.

If you are writing a paranormal romance or fantasy romance story that takes place in a fictional setting,  you might also want to pay attention to the worldbuilding of your story.  Some worldbuilding elements might greatly influence the plot and the characters of your story, so you might need to note down:

• the government, political figures, and laws that appear in your story
• the different species (humans, werewolves, vampires, fae, witches) and how they interact with  each other
• the magic system with its rules, limitations and risks
• the history of the world and any important historical events that shape the civilisation and culture of the species today
• the types of professions and the opportunities for employment that each species has based on their race, powers and social status
• the levels of education and how accessible education is for all citizens of your world

Follow through with your plan
Congratulations. You have finished reading through your manuscript, and now you have made various notes about the characters, plot and structure and setting and worldbuilding of your story. You have made notes in character profiles, Excel spreadsheets and in the manuscript document, and you have plenty of ideas on what aspects of your manuscript to improve. 

Now, it’s time to make a plan on how to implement these changes. Don’t try to fix all the big-picture elements of your story at the same time, since it will be overwhelming and you will soon feel lost trying to juggle multiple tasks at the same time.

​Instead, do multiple rounds of editing for the big-picture elements of your story:

• Decide which big-picture elements of your story you will focus on in which round. For example, you might want to make one round of editing to fix the structure of your novel.
• Write down the particular tasks you need to go through for each round of editing. For example, you might want to rewrite the meet-cute of your main characters (the first time your characters meet on the page).
• Write down the available time you have each week for editing your novel, your estimated weekly progress and the estimated deadline of each round of editing. You can go back at the end of each week and note down the actual time you sat down to edit your novel, the progress you made and if you are on track to meet your deadline. You can repeat this process for every round of editing until you finish editing the big-picture elements of your story.

Next steps
After self-editing the big-picture elements of your story, it’s time to hire a professional developmental editor. A developmental editor is the first editor writers look for after self-editing their novel. 

The developmental editor addresses the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses and provides honest and constructive feedback about the story’s plot and structure, character development, point of view, pacing, setting, genre conventions, scene vs narrative summary (show vs tell) and dialogue. The developmental editor provides margin comments in the manuscript document and an editorial report to further guide the author.

If you are looking for a reliable and supportive developmental editor or beta reader for your romance story, then I might be a great fit for your manuscript!

​I can provide honest and constructive feedback to help you improve the big-picture elements of your story and achieve your writing goals.  Check out my editing services: developmental editing, manuscript critique, discovery draft evaluation, beta reading and contact me to discuss your story.

Additional resources
Why you need to create character profiles for your story
How to write a romance story using the 3 structure
How to write the setting and worldbuilding of your story
What are the different types of editing services
How to find the right editor for your fiction book

You want to write a romance story. You might have too many ideas in your mind and don’t know what to choose from, or you might have too few ideas and you can’t combine them into a solid story idea. This blog article includes 6 steps that will help you choose a compelling story idea for your next romance story.
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Choose your genre and tropes
Choose your main characters
Choose a setting
Combine them all together
Create a rough outline
Create a detailed outline

Choose your genre and tropes
The first step to choosing a good story idea is to brainstorm the genre and tropes of your romance story.
Ask yourself the following questions:

• What is your favourite romance genre to read?
• What are the subgenres and tropes that you have enjoyed reading or watching lately?

Write down the answers to these questions in a notebook or writing software.
To help you brainstorm your story idea, you can see below some of the most popular romance genres and tropes.
Popular romance genres include:

• contemporary romance
• YA romance
• romantic comedy
• historical romance
• paranormal romance 
• fantasy romance 
• romantasy
• romantic suspense
• science fiction romance

Popular romance tropes include:

• billionaire trope
• enemies to lovers
• friends to lovers
• reformed playboy
• fake relationship/marriage
• marriage of convenience
• second-chance romance
• sports romance
• workplace romance
• forced proximity
• love triangle
• forbidden love
• best friend’s brother/ best friend’s sister
• grumpy/sunshine
• secret/mistaken identity
• alpha hero
• soulmates

Put a timer for 30 minutes and think about your favourite books, tv shows and movies and write down the genres and tropes that you like in them. Consider the ones mentioned above, but feel free to add your own. You will soon notice that common patterns emerge.

Narrow down the list of genres and tropes. Choose 1-2 genres and  4-5  main tropes that can be combined and write them down on a new page. 

Choose your main characters
The second step to choosing a good story idea is to brainstorm your main character(s).
 The main characters of the story need to have: 

•  a tangible goal big enough to sustain the whole story
• a motivation: a reason why the main characters want to achieve their goal, why this goal is important for them and what the consequences are for them if they fail to achieve this goal
• internal conflict/flaw: A  flaw is a misbelief that the main character falsely believes about themselves or the world around them, and prevents them from achieving their goal
• external conflict: An antagonist or villain that prevents the main character from achieving their goal and has led the main character to believe that their flaw about themselves and the world around them is true and cannot be changed

Keep in mind that the main characters need to have equal and opposite goals to create the central conflict of the story and to prevent them from easily achieving their respective goals.

Figuring out the goal, motivation and flaw of the main characters before starting to write the story will tremendously help you during the drafting process.

You can also figure out other aspects of your main characters before starting to write your story, such as their strengths and weaknesses, personality, appearance, and hobbies and interests.

If you have trouble creating consistent and compelling characters, you can create a character profile to help you keep all the information you need about them. Learn why character profiles are important and what to include in them in this blog article.

Choose a setting
The third step to choosing a good story idea is to brainstorm the setting of your romance story.  
Consider the following questions while brainstorming the setting of your story:

• What is the macro setting of your setting (planet, country, city)?
• What is the micro setting of your story (workplace, home)?
• When is the story taking place (time period, season)?

Brainstorm these questions and write down possible locations based on the genre and main characters of your story. If you want to learn more about the worldbuilding and the setting of your story, read this blog article.

Combine them all together
Now, it’s time to combine all the elements of your story. Put a timer of 30 minutes and see how the ideas you have written down about your genre and tropes, main characters and setting can be combined into a single compelling story idea.  

During the 30 minutes, write down on a new page each element about your story idea: genre and tropes, main characters, and setting. Look at your ideas from the previous pages and write down your final story idea for each element.

The process might take some time, but it is important to see the core of your story and determine potential directions it could take before starting the drafting process.

After 30 minutes, it’s time to look into your final story idea and see if you are fine with it or if you would like to make some changes. If you would like to brainstorm further, set a timer for another 30 minutes and make the necessary changes. 

When you are done brainstorming your story idea, see how you feel about it. Make sure you choose a story idea that:

• makes you feel excited, inspired and creative
• you are most familiar and comfortable to write 
• has the most potential to develop into an interesting story for the readers

Create a rough outline
After finalising your story idea (genre, tropes, main characters, setting), it’s time to create a rough outline. A rough outline consists of a small paragraph (5-6 sentences) about the premise of the story, the main characters and their goals and the central conflict of the story. By writing this rough outline, you confirm the core of your story and possible directions it could take.

While writing the rough outline, you might come up with possible chapter ideas that you want to include in your story. Write them down on a new page in your notebook or writing software.

Create a detailed outline
The last step to choosing your story idea is to create a detailed outline. Take the rough outline you have created in the previous step and expand it into a detailed outline to include the beginning, middle and end of your romance story. You can write the outline in bullet points or in paragraphs.

If you need help to create a detailed outline for your romance story, you can read this blog article about how to plot and structure a romance story using Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes.

You can outline as much as you want. You can create a detailed outline with a chapter-by-chapter summary and extensive character profiles, or just write a one-page summary of the story events.

You don’t need to outline your entire story in advance if that’s your writing process or that’s how your brain works. For now, you can outline the major plot points of your story and figure out the rest of the chapters while you write your story.

If you are a beginner writer and you don’t have a solid writing process yet, you might find useful reading this blog article about writer types to figure out which type of writer you are.

Conclusion
Congratulations. You have chosen your story idea and you are ready to write your romance story.  All you need to do now is follow through with your plan and actually finish your story.

You might feel doubts or be uncertain about your story idea as you write your story. Remember why you chose this story idea in the first place, why you feel excited about it and why this story idea matters to you so much. I believe in you. Good luck!

Additional resources
What is a romance story, and how to write one
How to create a consistent writing routine
Why do you need character profiles, and why create one
How to write the setting and worldbuilding of your story
3 types of writer goals you can set in 2025
How to write a novel using Romancing the Beat
Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes

Discovery drafts are the first drafts or partial drafts of a manuscript that the writer uses to explore the story they are writing. First drafts typically include directions that the story could take but didn’t, characters that appear or disappear and overly produced or non-existent settings. 
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​The discovery draft evaluation service helps writers figure out what their story is about and discover interesting connections between their ideas. In discovery drafts (first or partial drafts), the writer already knows that their story has issues and is not asking the editor to address them. Instead, the editor determines the most promising elements of the story and identifies possible directions the manuscript could take.

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The discovery draft evaluation process
Why choose the discovery draft evaluation
Difference between discovery draft evaluation and other services

The discovery draft evaluation process
In the discovery draft evaluation, the editor reads your manuscript and provides constructive and honest feedback about the big-picture storytelling elements such as theme, characters, plot, setting, point of view, pacing and genre conventions.

The editor provides an evaluation report about things that are working well in the story, compelling elements that can be used to make the story more powerful, things that aren’t working well in the story, perspective concerns and conventions of the story’s genre. The discovery draft evaluation takes about 1-2 weeks, depending on the manuscript’s length.

Why choose the discovery draft evaluation
Writers can choose the discovery draft evaluation service when they have:

• A draft with a plethora of characters, a complex plot, multiple settings, and more viewpoint characters than their story probably needs. Developmental editors can help writers figure out the core of their story and remove the unnecessary plot points and characters.
• More of a map or outline of a story (than an actual story) with basic characters and plot. Developmental editors can provide potential directions the manuscript could take and help writers expand their plot and characters.
• A draft with a boring plot, predictable characters and a lack of central conflict. Developmental editors can help writers create relatable and realistic characters with a compelling plot.
• An incomplete draft with a few unwritten scenes. Developmental editors can help writers see the potential directions their story can go and flesh out their plot and characters.
• A partial manuscript with many missing storytelling elements. Developmental editors can help writers figure out the missing components of their story and see what happens next.

Difference between discovery draft evaluation and other services
Developmental editing vs discovery draft evaluation
Developmental editing is the first step in the editing process, and it is the first kind of editing writers should look for after they have finished self-editing their story. 

The developmental editor addresses the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses and provides constructive and detailed feedback on the big-picture storytelling elements such as theme, plot, character development, point of view, pacing, setting, genre conventions and dialogue.

The editor provides a marked-up manuscript with suggestions and an editorial report to further guide the writer. Developmental editing takes about 4-6 weeks, depending on the length and complexity of the manuscript.

On the contrary, in the discovery draft evaluation, the editor is not trying to identify potential storytelling issues. The writer already knows that their story has issues. Instead, the editor determines the most promising elements of the manuscript and identifies possible directions the writer can focus on when revising their next draft.
 
Manuscript critique vs discovery draft evaluation
The manuscript critique is a less intensive version of developmental editing. Writers should look for this service after they have done their best self-editing their story.

The manuscript critique addresses the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses and provides constructive and honest feedback on the same storytelling elements of the developmental editing service.

The editor provides an extensive editorial report, and the manuscript critique takes about 3-5 weeks, depending on the length and complexity of the manuscript.

On the contrary, in the discovery draft evaluation, the editor’s work is not to identify potential storytelling problems but to figure out the core of the story and potential areas that the story can be further developed.
 
Beta reading vs discovery draft evaluation
​A beta read is a reader’s reaction to the story, where avid readers of a particular genre read the story and provide constructive feedback from the reader’s point of view about the big-picture storytelling elements of a manuscript, such as plot, character development, point of view, pacing and genre conventions.

The editor provides a reader’s report to show the writer how readers will experience their story.  Beta reading takes about 1-2 weeks, depending on the length of the manuscript.

On the contrary, the discovery draft evaluation isn’t about evaluating the effectiveness of a story. Discovery draft evaluation is about figuring out the core of the story and evaluating the potential directions the story could take.

I am ready to discuss my book and the editing service I need. How do i do that? 
Check out my editing services and fill in this form to provide more information about your manuscript. I will respond to you as soon as possible to discuss your story and provide you with a no-obligation customised quote!

Additional resources
What is developmental editing?
What is a manuscript critique?
What is beta reading?
How to find the right editor for your fiction story?
Why it’s important to hire a developmental editor for your story
How can writers avoid editing scams and find trusted editors

Many writers nowadays fall for editing scams. Many people are pretending to be editors, claiming they will make your book the next bestseller. They make false promises claiming that they have “insider knowledge” and only their service or product will instantly provide you with bestseller status, thousands of sales and positive reviews.

The scammers often depend on the desperation, frustration and inexperience of writers who are exhausted by the writing process and are looking for shortcuts or don’t know how the publishing process works. The scammers usually send generic messages praising the writer’s manuscript and making guarantees about the success of their book.

Does it sound too good to be true? Because it is. No editor or publishing professional can ever guarantee that their editing service will make a writer’s book a bestseller with thousands of readers and sales. Editors can only promise that they will do their best work and help writers improve their manuscripts.

This blog article explains 9 steps that writers can take to help them avoid editing scams and find fiction editors they trust to help them improve their manuscripts and achieve their writing goals.

Portfolio
Education, fiction training and experience 
Memberships
Social media
Recommendations
Professional organizations
Sample edits
Communication with the editor
Terms and conditions

Portfolio
The first step to take to avoid editing scams is to check the editor’s website. Browse the editor’s website and pay particular attention to the writer testimonials. Editors usually include testimonials on various webpages, so make sure to visit at least 2-3 webpages and carefully read them.

Also, make sure to check the “Portfolio” webpage or the webpage where the editor lists their previous editing projects to see if they have experience in editing projects similar to yours.

Education, fiction training and experience 
Another step to take to find trusted editors is to look at the “About” webpage of the editor’s website. Most editors have a dedicated “About” webpage where they include relevant information about their education, fiction training and experience and explain the services they offer and the genres they edit. Read carefully the editor’s “About” webpage to make sure you find a trusted editor for your fiction story.

Memberships
Another step to take to avoid editing scams is to check if the editor is a member to professional organizations. Is the editor you are considering a member of a professional organization like the EFA, CIEP, ALLi or ClubEdfreelancers? Most editors include in their “About” page their memberships to these organizations and have badges that demonstrate their membership at the footer of their website.

ALLi’s editing and publishing professionals are vetted and verified before becoming ALLi partner members, so if you come across an editor who is an ALLi partner member,  you can most likely trust that they are a real person.

Social media
Another step to take to find a trusted editor is to check the editor’s social media profiles. Most editors include links to their social media accounts on their websites so you can easily check their social media account profiles.

Check when their account was created and see how many followers they have, what kind of posts they publish and generally their interactions online. Real editors interact with writers and other editors over time and publish their own original posts. 

Recommendations
Another step to take to avoid editing scams is to ask other writers for editor recommendations. Do you belong to a writer’s group, a writer’s organization or have writer friends who have already professionally edited their manuscripts? Ask them for accommodations. If you and your writer friends write books in similar genres, you might be able to hire the same editor.

Alternatively, you can ask writer groups on Facebook for editor recommendations, but be careful when you take into consideration recommendations from people you don’t know. 

Professional organizations
Another step to take to find trusted fiction editors is through professional organizations like the EFA (Editorial Freelancers Association) and ALLi  (Alliance of Independent Authors).

The EFA includes the Member Directory, where writers can find the editorial freelancer they want by checking off the categories that apply to them and contacting the editor of their choice.

The EFA also includes a Job List where writers can post editing jobs. When posting for an editing job, make sure to include the kind of editing service you need, the genre and word count of your story, your estimated budget and your desired deadline to find the right editor for your story.

Also, if you are an Alli member, you can search the Approved Services Search to find vetted and trusted partner members (editorial professionals) to help you edit and publish your manuscript.

Sample edits
Another step to take to avoid editing scams is to request sample edits. Most editors provide free sample edits of about 1000-2000 words to assess the writer’s style, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript, and ensure that their style of feedback aligns with the author’s expectations.

Editors will happily provide you with a sample edit (free or paid), so make sure to ask them for one before booking an editing service with them.

Communication with the editor
Another step to take to find trusted editors is to communicate with them. Do not pay for a service or product without communicating with the editor first and ensuring that a real person is behind it. Communication can be achieved by email or video chat.

You can ask questions about a particular service you are interested in ( scope of work, deliverables, fees, deadlines). You can also provide more information about your manuscript, your timeline and estimated budget. You can also ask editors more questions about their education, fiction training, experience and how they helped writers in the past.

Editors are always happy to answer questions about themselves or their services to help writers determine if they are the right fit for their story.

Terms and conditions
A final step to ensure you avoid editing scams is to consider the editor’s terms and conditions. Trusted editors are transparent about their editing services.

Check the editor’s services’ pages and their Terms and Conditions page and carefully read how they handle editing projects, sample edits, quotations and fees, cancellations, confidentiality and copyright issues. Read their Privacy Policy page to see how they collect, use and store your personal information.

Also, a legitimate editor always offers a clear contract that outlines the editing project’s scope of work, deliverables, deadlines and fees. Most editors ask for a booking fee or a deposit upfront to book a spot in their schedule, which is standard practice. Just make sure not to pay the whole amount for an editing project upfront, especially to editors that you don’t know and trust yet. Always use secure platforms when making a payment to protect yourself from scams.

Conclusion
Writers often fall for editing scams from people who pretend to be editors and promise them that their service or product will turn their manuscript into an instant bestseller and make them rich.

​Writers should be extremely cautious and always make research (portfolio, education and training, memberships, social media), ask for recommendations from other writers and sample edits before trusting an editor and hiring them.

And remember... if a service or a product is too good to be true...it probably is. No editor can guarantee success and fame. They can only promise to deliver their best work and help you improve your manuscript.

Additional resources
How to find the right editor for your fiction story
9 important questions editors ask authors before working with them
What are the different types of editing services

Fiction writers often don’t know the difference between the different types of editing services and cannot recognise what type of editing service their manuscript really needs. 

In this blog article, we will go through the different types of editing services (beta reading, developmental editing, manuscript critique, line editing, copyediting, proofreading) to help writers distinguish them and make informed decisions about the type of editing service their story really needs at a particular stage of the writing process.
​
Beta reading 
Developmental editing
Manuscript critique
Line editing
Copyediting
Proofreading
​
Beta reading 
Beta reading is a reader’s reaction to the story. Writers should seek beta readers after self-editing their manuscript but before giving it to professional editors. Beta readers are avid readers and are familiar with the rules and tropes of a particular genre, and they tell writers how a future reader might understand their story. 

They provide honest and constructive feedback from the perspective of the intended reader about the potential big-picture storytelling elements of a manuscript, such as character development, plot and structure, point of view, pacing, and genre conventions, in a reader’s report.

(Although beta reading is strictly not an editing service, it is included here because it is  a part of the editing process and helps writers improve their stories.)

Developmental editing
Developmental editing is the first type of editing authors should look for after they have self-edited their story. The developmental editor addresses the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses and provides constructive feedback on the following big-picture storytelling elements:

• theme
• story structure
• character development
• point of view
• pacing
• setting 
• genre conventions
•  scene vs narrative summary (show vs tell) 
• dialogue

Most editors (especially line editors, copy editors and proofreaders) offer free sample edits. However, it is difficult for developmental editors to offer free sample edits because the big-picture issues of a manuscript can cover several pages or chapters. 

Some developmental editors provide free sample edits to assess the author’s writing style, identify potential big-picture storytelling issues and ensure that their editing style aligns with what the author is looking for.

Developmental editors provide a marked-up manuscript with margin suggestions (comments) and an editorial report full of constructive and honest feedback to further guide the author.

Manuscript critique
Manuscript critique (also known as manuscript evaluation) is a less intensive version of the developmental editing service. The developmental editor reads the manuscript and provides constructive and honest feedback on the same big-picture storytelling elements as the developmental editing service. 

The main difference between the two services is that in the manuscript critique service, the developmental editor provides feedback only in an editorial report.

Line editing
While developmental editing focuses on the big-picture storytelling elements of a manuscript,  line editing focuses on the sentence-level errors.

Line editors carefully read the manuscript and go through it line-by-line to ensure that the language remains sharp and clear throughout the story. Line editors provide a marked-up manuscript with margin suggestions.

A line editor is concerned about the:

• logical flow of scenes and the sentences
•  tone/mood of the manuscript
• overall pacing of the story
• word choice
• redundancies and repetitions
• inconsistencies and continuity errors
• fact-checking
• point of view
• head-hopping
• dialogue

Copyediting
While line editing focuses on sentence-level errors, copy editing focuses more on individual words rather than whole sentences or paragraphs.

Copy editors provide a marked-up manuscript and a style guide to ensure consistency within the manuscript e.g the names of characters and locations are spelt consistently.

A copy editor is concerned about:

• grammar
• punctuation
• spelling
• capitalization
• headings
• fact-checking
• consistency
•  readability
• repeated words
• continuity errors

Proofreading
Proofreading comes after the other rounds of editing (beta reading, developmental editing, line editing, copyediting) and typesetting and is the final step of the editing process. 

Proofreaders analyse the manuscript and catch any errors that slipped through the previous editing rounds to ensure that the manuscript is error-free and looks professional. Proofreaders provide a marked-up manuscript with margin suggestions. 

A proofreader is concerned about:

• grammar
•  spelling
• punctuation
• syntax
• formatting
• consistency
• readability

Conclusion
Editors help writers improve their manuscripts and achieve their writing goals through the various types of editing services: beta reading, developmental editing, manuscript critique, line editing, copy editing and proofreading.

Professional editing services are necessary for writers who wish to publish their stories. Writers should be familiar with the different types of editing services and be able to recognise the right type of editing service their manuscript needs at a particular stage of the writing process.

Additional resources
What is the beta reading service?
What is the developmental editing service?
What is the manuscript critique service?
Why do you need a developmental editor for your fiction story
How to find the right editor for your story
9 questions editors ask authors before working with them

According to the Cambridge dictionary, “writer’s block is the condition of being unable to create a piece of written work because something in your mind prevents you from doing it”. 

Writers are often afraid that they are not good enough and that readers and publishers won’t like their books. Writer’s block can last from a few days to a few weeks or even months.


4 reasons writers have writer’s block
5 ways to overcome writer’s block
Take a break and do something else
Change your writing environment
Outline each chapter before you write 
Join a writer’s group
Set clear goals and create a consistent writing routine 

4 reasons writers have writer’s block
Writers often experience writer’s block because of the 4 reasons mentioned below:
1) Writers are anxious and afraid that their story is not good enough and they keep revising the same chapter over and over again to make it “perfect”, and don’t make any progress in their fiction story. 

2) Writers are struck with writing-related tasks, but they are not actually writing their story, like creating character profiles, writing chapter outlines and doing research. They are convinced that they must know every single detail of their characters, plot and world before they start writing the first scene of their story, while in reality, they are anxious about their story idea and spend countless hours procrastinating and doubting themselves and their story.

3) Writers get easily excited and inspired with new story ideas, especially when they are stuck in their current manuscript, and the new story idea seems easier and better to them. As a result, they abandon their current fiction story and never finish writing their fiction story.

4) Lastly, writers often wait for inspiration before they start writing their story. Writers often don’t realise that writing is not only about inspiration, but it’s also about discipline, hard work, dedication and showing up every single day to make progress in their story.

5 ways to overcome writer’s block

Take a break and do something else
You are struck, and you don’t know how to continue your story. You have revised the chapter so many times, but something feels wrong to you. Take a break from your fiction story and do something else to relax. Your subconscious mind will keep working on how to fix the specific issue in your fiction story, and you will eventually figure out the solution.

What to do instead:

• watch movies or read books in a similar genre to your writing project to get inspiration
• listen to your favorite songs
• exercise
• go out with friends
• try a new hobby such as drawing, crocheting, cooking, or playing video games 

Change your writing environment
A visual change might help you with writer’s block. If you are usually writing in your home office, try writing in another room of your house or in your favorite cafe. Get your laptop and your notes with you, and go to a cafe for a couple of hours to write the next chapters of your manuscript.

Don’t forget to bring noise-cancelling headphones with you to listen to your favorite music for inspiration. Treat yourself to a cup of coffee and dessert, and make a great writing day for yourself.

Outline each chapter before you write 
Another way to overcome writer’s block is to outline each scene. Take a few minutes at the start of each writing session to outline the scene you are writing next. Take a few minutes to read the previous scene (without editing anything), look at your notes and write in bullet points the 2-3 most important events that need to happen in the particular scene.

The whole process of outlining your scene shouldn’t take more than 5-10 minutes, and your outline should act as a guide for you to write your scene. You can repeat this process for every scene of your fiction story.

Join a writer’s group
Search online for a writing partner or a writer’s group to overcome writer’s block. You can find other writers by joining your local writer’s group, by attending writing workshops and classes or by joining writer’s groups on social media. 

Connecting with other writers will help you stay accountable, and you can brainstorm and solve potential issues about each other’s stories, make writer friends and find the motivation you need to finally finish your manuscript.

Set clear goals and create a consistent writing routine 
One of the most important ways to overcome writer’s block is to set clear writing goals and create a consistent writing routine.
Your writing goal can be:

• task-based (define how much progress to make by the end of the writing session)
• timed-based (define how many hours a day to dedicate to a writing session)
• word count based (define how many words a day to write in a writing session)

Define and write down your writing goal. Then, check your calendar and see when you have free time to write.

Don’t discourage yourself if you can’t find long hours to write. Even 30 minutes a day is fine. The most important thing is to write every day to keep the momentum going and create a consistent writing routine.

​Calculate how many days it will take you to finish the current draft of your manuscript and mark the deadline in your calendar.

Conclusion   
Writer’s block is a common condition that many writers have. Writers are afraid and anxious that their manuscript will never be good enough, and they are waiting for the inspiration or the “perfect” idea to come, and never manage to finish their story.

You’re not alone. There are dozens of writers who experience the same issue as you. Writing is a skill that takes practice and time to improve. Try the different ways mentioned above to overcome writer’s block and see what makes you more excited, productive, and inspired to finish your story. Happy writing!

Additional resources
3 types of writer goals to set in 2025
How to create a consistent writing routine
How to become more productive and write stories faster
What type of writer are you: pantser vs plotter vs plantser