✨ Cliff Notes: Reviving a Book You Almost Gave Up On

This coaching session with

was a powerful reminder that sometimes the “wrong draft” is actually part of the process.

Carol opened up about stepping away from her manuscript after realizing it had turned into a how-to business book she no longer connected with. Instead of feeling energized by the work, she dreaded it.

But after contributing to collaborative projects like Femme Led and receiving positive feedback, something shifted:

➡️ she realized the parts she loved writing most were the personal, vulnerable, story-driven pieces.

🔥 Biggest Breakthroughs From This Session

1. Your First Draft Might Just Be Compost

Not every draft is meant to become the final book.

Sometimes the draft you dislike is:

the practice round
the thinking process
the thing that helped uncover the real book underneath

A powerful metaphor from the session:

“Sometimes it needs to compost.”

The old draft wasn’t wasted. It fertilized the next version.

2. Stop Forcing the Wrong Book

Carol realized she didn’t want to write: ❌ “Here’s my wisdom. Do as I say.”

She wanted to write: ✅ “Here’s my journey, what I struggled with, and what helped me.”

That shift changed everything.

Readers connect deeply to:

transformation
vulnerability
story
lived experience

Not just instructions.

📚 The New Book Structure

A simple 3-part framework emerged during the session:

PART 1 — The Journey

What happened
The struggles
The turning points
Why the tool/process mattered

PART 2 — The Tool / How-To

Practical application
Frameworks
Steps
Systems

PART 3 — Real-Life Application

How the tool works in different settings
Stories, examples, and outcomes

This allows readers to:

read cover to cover
skip to what they need
“choose their own adventure”

✍️ Practical Writing Advice Shared

Start With a Loose Outline

Not perfection.Not polished chapters.

Just:

sticky notes
bullet points
rough sections

Then:

Open a NEW document
Create the new structure
Drag old material into the places it fits
Keep the gems
Toss the rest guilt-free

💭 On Imposter Syndrome

One of the most powerful moments: Imposter syndrome was reframed not as something to “fix” but as something to acknowledge without letting it lead.

A key takeaway:

“Maybe it’s not a problem to solve. Maybe it’s just part of your wiring.”

Instead of trying to eliminate doubt:

collect counterproof
remember your wins
keep proving yourself wrong

🤝 The Power of Community

This session also highlighted how much momentum comes from writing in community.

Resources discussed:

Writer Circle
Co-writing sessions
One-on-one support
Accountability partnerships

And a new idea emerged:

🚀 “Finish Line Club”

A small focused container for people with unfinished manuscripts sitting on hard drives who want accountability, coaching, and momentum to finally finish.

Because so many writers don’t need another course…They need support crossing the finish line.

💡 Best Quotes From the Session

“We often write the draft we hate first just to get it out of our system.”

“Failure breeds innovation.”

“Tell the story in a way that fuels your next step instead of dragging behind you.”

“You don’t have to throw the whole manuscript away.”

“Some people just need that little bit of momentum to get back into it.”

🎯 Key Takeaway

If your manuscript feels stuck…it may not mean the book is wrong.

It may mean: