4 Reasons Revising Your Novel Feels Overwhelming

EPISODE · Apr 8, 2026 · 18 MIN

4 Reasons Revising Your Novel Feels Overwhelming

from The Better Writer Podcast

This week, I’m talking about my favorite topic: revision!Revision a novel is a lot like climbing a mountain. It’s difficult, requires planning, and not everyone who starts out will reach the end. I don’t want your novel to end up in the back of a drawer or some dusty corner of your hard drive, so let’s talk about why revision is so overwhelming and how you can make the revision process work for you.Here are four reasons revision is overwhelming:You haven’t trained before starting your climb (you don’t yet have the skills to revise)You haven’t mapped out the right route (you don’t have a clear revision strategy)You’re trying to climb alone (you don’t have emotional support or critical support)You don’t know what the peak looks like (you don’t have a clear vision for your finished book) Here are the resources mentioned in this episode:Need help figuring out what your peak looks like? Grab my FREE Revision Kickstart Guide and set a vision that will guide your revisions!. You can download it here: https://olivia-helps-writers.ck.page/94b0145ae9Want to get my weekly newsletter for writers? You can subscribe here: https://olivia-helps-writers.kit.com/better-writer-newsletterHave a response to this episode? Hit me up on Instagram @oliviahelpswriters https://instagram.com/oliviahelpswritersThanks for listening, keep writing, and keep getting better one word at a time!For a full transcript of the episode, please visit https://oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/19.

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4 Reasons Revising Your Novel Feels Overwhelming

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