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Description
Anybody can have a great idea for a story. The real work is making sure your reader actually wants to stick around long enough to finish it.
In Episode 86 of Write Effing Now, Hilary Jastram gets into the nuts and bolts of fiction editing—and there’s a whole lot more to it than fixing commas and running spellcheck.
We’re talking story structure, protagonists, antagonists, backstory, dialogue, character development, continuity, beta readers, and all those little details that make the difference between “I can’t put this down” and a reader closing the book for good.
At the center of it all is one simple idea: you have to write for the reader.
What You'll Learn:
- How to create tension between your protagonist and antagonist.
- Why characters need clear goals and believable motivations.
- How to weave in backstory without dumping information on the reader.
- Why understanding genre expectations matters before breaking the rules.
- How scene-setting, dialogue, and internal thoughts bring characters to life.
- Why “show, don’t tell” still matters.
- How continuity mistakes can pull readers out of your story.
- Why plausibility matters—even in fiction.
- How to get better, more useful feedback from beta readers.
- Why character arcs and likability matter—even when writing the bad guy.
- How authors and editors can set realistic expectations and timelines.
- Why sometimes the best thing you can do for your story is walk away and let it breathe.
Hilary kicks things off with diagramming your story and making sure your protagonist and antagonist aren’t just randomly bouncing around inside your manuscript. What one character does should affect the other. That creates tension—and tension keeps people reading.
Then there’s backstory.
Your reader needs to understand why your characters behave the way they do, but that doesn’t mean stopping the story so somebody can explain their entire childhood. Hilary explains how to sprinkle those details throughout the book so readers naturally discover what makes your characters tick.
She also breaks down three important storytelling tools: setting the scene, believable dialogue, and internal thoughts. Throw in body language, sensory details, character arcs, pacing, plausibility, and continuity, and those characters start feeling like actual people instead of names sitting on a page.
Hilary also gets into the author-editor relationship and why feedback isn’t an attack on your ability to write. If your editor says something doesn’t make sense, there’s a pretty good chance your reader might have the same problem.
And that’s the point.
A great editor isn’t trying to hijack your story. They’re trying to help you tell it better.
Favorite Quote:
“You’re the captain. I’m the navigator.”
Got a question about writing, editing, publishing, or something you’d like Hilary to cover on a future episode?
Email books@bookmarkpub.com and keep following Write Effing Now! for real conversations about what it takes to turn the idea in your head into a book people actually want to read.
About The Podcast
Write Effing Now! is for writers who are ready to stop talking about writing the damn book and actually do it.
Hosted by editor, publisher, and author Hilary Jastram, the show dives into the real-world side of writing, editing, storytelling, publishing, and everything that happens between “I’ve got an idea” and “Holy crap, I published a book.”
Connect With Hilary
Follow Hilary for weekly insights on writing, editing, publishing, storytelling, and building a successful author career.
Write Effing Now! is the podcast for writers who want to write smarter, publish confidently, and share stories that make an impact.
Whether you're just beginning your writing journey or preparing to publish your next book, you'll find actionable strategies, professional insight, and honest conversations designed to help you cross the finish line.
Learn more at BookMarkPublishing
