This skater didn't win an Olympic medal, and I'm obsessed with him.

I watched Cha Jun-Hwan’s figure skating routine last week in the Olympic men’s short program competition. I never finished watching that competition—I was busy rewinding Jun-Hwan’s routine to watch him over and over again.

I filmed my TV screen on my phone and watched it again while I sat in the courthouse on jury duty. I gushed about it to friends and family. I’ve been listening to the song he skated to on loop for a week.

Jun-Hwan didn’t win a medal. He placed fourth, just off the podium. But his skate has stuck in my mind like no other skater’s has throughout this entire Olympics.

There is no Olympic gold medal for literature.

Still, most writers I work with are chasing their own version of Olympic gold. You’re reaching for lofty achievements: to sign an agent, to get a book deal, to land on the endcaps of Barnes and Noble, maybe even to rise up in the bestseller lists.

Which, on the one hand, is fantastic. As I’m sure every Olympic athlete knows, it’s so incredibly satisfying and rewarding to push the limits of your potential, to set a high bar and then become the person who can surpass it.

But on the other hand, it’s a hidden trap. Because the achievements we compete for are merely proxies for what we actually want. The agents, the deals, the bookstores, the lists are simply stand-ins for excellence and validation and engagement with readers who love what we write.

Which means that it’s possible to win the agents and the deals without reaching excellence and connecting with readers. And it’s possible to lose the agents and the accolades, and still attain the excellence and engagement we most want.

So in this episode, I’m raving about Cha Jun-Hwan.

Not because he medaled, or he was expected to medal but didn’t, or he was part of any figure skating drama. He was simply there, skating a great skate—one that lives on in my mind and on my phone and in my Youtube history.

And I’m unpacking why.

What magic did his skate hold that surpassed any other?

What am I measuring besides Olympic gold?

And how can writers weave that magic, too?

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Watch Cha Jun-Hwan’s short program

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When will you be truly satisfied with your novel? How will you know when you’ve succeeded?

How will you know when you’re done?

Will it be when you LOVE your book? When you stop cringing as you read it? When you can’t think of a single change left to make?

When beta readers rave about it? When they tell you the romantic scenes made them swoon and the funny scenes made them laugh, the scary scenes gave them nightmares and the sad scenes made them cry?

When a reader tells you your book impacted them profoundly? That it changed the way they think about something that matters?

Or will it be when an agent requests your full manuscript, then returns with an offer of representation? When an editor offers you a book deal? When your book is published and you see it on bookstore shelves?

One of the most difficult editing decisions you’ll face is determining when your book is done. When you have finished, when it’s ready to share with the world, when this project you’ve poured so much of your heart into is complete.

In this episode, I’ll help you uncover the factors that matter most to you.

You’ll learn:

• How most writers I talk to define “success”
• What agents are REALLY looking for
• Why you want and NEED external validation—and when external validation becomes harmful, not helpful
• What you TRULY want for your book
• And more!

Calling your book “done” will always be a challenging decision. After all, art is never finished, only abandoned.

But when you know what you value most, you can chase it with clarity and determination, and celebrate when you reach it.

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Interested in working with me? Fill out the form at: alicesudlow.com/contact
• Share how you’ll know you’re done: alicesudlow.com/101

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"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

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What if editing isn’t drudgery, but the most delightful part of your writing process?

So you’re revising yet another draft. You’re hoping against hope that this draft will be your final draft. Which, coincidentally, is also what you hoped for the last draft, and the one before that.

Editing is a slog you’re trudging through. You dream of the day when you can escape this drudgery and return to the free-flowing fun of writing the first draft of your next book.

But what if editing isn’t an obstacle you have to grit your teeth and bear?

What if it’s where the magic happens?

It would release the pressure to make this draft your last draft. It would make the process itself more fun, a reward in and of itself. And paradoxically, when you’re working from pleasure rather than pressure, your editing work could become more efficient, because you give the process the space it needs.

So I asked six authors, editors, and book coaches the same question:

What do you love about editing?

The answers they shared vary widely. They’re a whole host of things: everything from puzzle-solving and understanding the mechanics that makes something work to personal development, community building, and meaning-making.

In this episode, I’m sharing all their answers with you, in hopes of sparking a little of your own editing joy.

Listen for what resonates with you. You might discover one new thing to love—or a whole new perspective on revision.

And if you already love editing, well, I think you’ll find this episode an absolute delight.

Plus, I want to know what you love about editing! Record a 1-minute voicemail sharing what you love about editing, and I might feature it in a future podcast episode.

Tell me what you love about editing here »

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Savannah Gilbo: 91. How to Use Genre as a Revision Tool
• A.S. King: 82. How Surrealist Pantser A.S. King Revises Award-Winning Novels
• Cathryn deVries: 76. Scene Workshop: Hook Your Readers in Chapter One
• Brannan Sirratt: 80. How to Use Revision Tools Like the Story Authority You Already Are
• Abigail K. Perry: 86. How Great First Chapters Make Readers Care
• Abigail K. Perry: 89. How Great First Lines Make Readers Pay Attention
• Kim Kessler & Cathryn deVries: 78. How Multiple Layers of Editing Combine to Perfect Your Story

Send me a Text Message!

Support the show

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »