After years of collecting every writing craft book imaginable and studying with renowned editors, Neroli Lacey discovered that too much knowledge was actually keeping her stuck—until she learned to implement instead of accumulate.

Today I'm chatting with Neroli Lacey, author of The Perfumer's Secret (a Pulitzer Prize Finalist, International Book Awards Winner, and National Indie Excellence Award Winner), about how focusing on implementation over information finally helped her transform her messy manuscript into an award-winning Women’s Fiction novel.

In this episode, you'll hear us talk about things like:

• [05:55] Why owning "every craft book imaginable" and studying with top editors still left her with an unfinished novel (and the overwhelm that comes from trying to follow multiple systems at once)
• [07:30] The three foundational shifts that moved Neroli from scattered studying to focused execution—and finally finishing her first draft
• [10:55] Why she chose hybrid publishing over traditional (and what that two-year process actually looked like)
• [13:50] How a self-proclaimed introvert built a 3,000-person newsletter by focusing on book recommendations instead of writing updates
• [22:40] Neroli’s advice for aspiring authors who are working on finishing their first book—"You don't have to know what you're doing—you take the first step and the path appears."

If you've been collecting craft books but struggling to finish your novel, Neroli's story will resonate. Press play to discover why implementation beats accumulation every time!

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Neroli Lacey’s website
• Neroli Lacey on Instagram
• Grab a FREE copy of Neroli’s book here!
• Buy The Perfumer’s Secret by Neroli Lacey
• Sue Campbell for book marketing
• Join the Notes to Novel waitlist

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If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!

FREE GUIDE: 5 Writing Roadblocks Keeping You Stuck (& How To Break Through)

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👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

What if perfectionism is the real reason you haven't finished your novel—not lack of talent or time?

"I need to get this right before I move on" keeps aspiring authors stuck forever. But here's what I've discovered... Perfectionism isn't about having high standards. It's about fear. Fear of judgment, failure, or not being "good enough."

In this episode, you'll hear from three reformed perfectionists who broke free from the endless editing trap and finished their novels. Meet Pornika, who delayed starting for months thinking she needed every detail figured out first. Amy, working on her eighth novel but never finishing because she'd spend weeks perfecting each chapter. And Kara, who wrote 100,000 words but got overwhelmed trying to fix its problems.

None of them lowered their standards. Instead, they discovered something far more powerful: how to write messy and make real progress.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• [03:10] How a corporate finance professional went from months of planning paralysis to 114k words in 88 days using the fast drafting technique that changed everything
• [05:15] Why a writer starting her eighth novel finally broke her pattern of endless chapter editing and discovered the foundational skills that put her "in the power seat"
• [06:00] Why understanding theme, genre conventions, and scene structure actually makes writing easier and more enjoyable, not more restrictive
• [07:30] The "magical revisions" technique that lets you keep moving forward without getting bogged down in details you haven't figured out yet
• [09:00] The structural breakthrough that helped one writer transform a problematic 100k-word manuscript into a publishable novel
• [15:00] How to shift from perfectionist paralysis to forward momentum without sacrificing the quality you care about

Ready to stop polishing and start finishing? Join Poornika, Amy, Kara, and hundreds of other reformed perfectionists who've discovered that messy first drafts lead to better novels. Get on the waitlist for the next open enrollment of my Notes to Novel course and get my complete, step-by-step framework for writing a story that works. Don’t miss your chance to turn your ideas into a finished draft you’re proud of!

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Grab my free guide to see how real writers (like you!) pushed past these roadblocks to finish their novels: 5 Writing Roadblocks Keeping You Stuck & How to Break Through
• Poornika Kakkanaiah Instagram
• Ami Blackford Instagram
• Kara Kentley Instagram

⭐ Follow & Review

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!

FREE GUIDE: 5 Writing Roadblocks Keeping You Stuck (& How To Break Through)

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

All those writing articles you've bookmarked? They might be the exact reason you can't finish your novel. Here's what's really happening—and the simple shift that changes everything.

You know that browser folder labeled "Writing Advice"? The one with 147 articles about plot structure and 83 posts on character development? Yeah, that one. What if I told you it's actually keeping you stuck?

In this episode, I'm exposing the "writing advice trap" that catches even the most dedicated writers. After helping hundreds of writers finish their novels, I've discovered why the most knowledgeable writers often write the least (and what you can do differently starting today).

Tune in to hear me talk about:

• [00:52] Why writers who read the most writing advice often can't finish their novels (the pattern that surprised me)
• [01:53] How to stop rewriting Chapter One forever (and what broke the cycle for a writer stuck for 5 years
• [03:44] Save the Cat vs Hero's Journey vs Story Grid (and why contradictory writing advice is keeping you stuck
• [08:16] The 3 things successful writers do differently to actually finish their first draft
• [12:20] How to choose a writing method and stick with it (plus the one question that changes everything)

The truth? Any complete system works better than ten partial systems. You don't need the "perfect" method. You need to pick one and follow it all the way through.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Read the full blog post here
• Get your free First Draft Roadmap
• Join the Notes to Novel waitlist

⭐ Follow & Review

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!

FREE GUIDE: 5 Writing Roadblocks Keeping You Stuck (& How To Break Through)

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.