How much distance do you need from your first draft?

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Subject: How much distance do you need from your first draft?

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Friday, June 4, 2026

Hi Friend,

As the subject line says, how much distance do you need from your first draft?

It depends.

And the only way to find out is to experiement.

I need distance of time -- from 2-4 weeks to months.

And you?

More in this week's podcast episode. Details below.

Also in this week's newsletter:

upcoming events
a way to share your good news with the 3200 subscribers of this newsletter
latest Writer's Fun Zone articles

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Upcoming events for writers and creative entrepreneurs:

Listen to this week's How to Write The Future podcast episode, "Edit Your Novel Checklist: First Read, No Edits."
Gala Russ's course starts soon. Registration closes June 5th: Write Your Novel Summer Edition. Class starts June 6th! Register here.
Our Substack Live, Monday, June 8, 10am Pacific on "Tips To Craft An Awesome Villain." Click here to be notified when we goes live.
Deepen and enliven your characters. Take the upcoming live class "Mastering the Art of Writing Interiority and Emotionality" with Heather Davis. Starts June 7th, so sign up now! (affiliate link)
Get live feedback on your story! Plus, premium, exclusive content. And join my monthly Edit Lab. Next date: July 1. For science fiction and fantasy writers who feel stuck in revision. (Only $5 per month -- Founders price for only a few more weeks!) Join here!
Read the latest Writer's Fun Zone articles

❤️

🎤 Edit Your Novel Checklist: First Read, No Edits

How To Write The Future podcast, episode 207

“Read through the checklist, put it in your mind, and let it just float there. Don’t be so restrictive about it. You can always revisit it whenever you want.”

-Beth Barany

In my latest episode, I walk you through the first step of revision: the first read-through, with no editing.

You’ll learn how to use the Edit Your Novel Checklist as a simple guide for reading your draft like a reader, so you can spot what’s working, what’s unclear, and what you want to revise next.

It will help you choose the best way to read your manuscript, decide how much distance you need from the draft, and capture observations without getting pulled into fixing sentences too soon.

Be sure to get your Edit Your Novel Checklist here: https://bethbarany.com/eyncklst.

Edit Your Novel Checklist: First Read, No Edits

How To Write the Future podcast, episode 207

Read | Listen | Watch

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Your Good News Here!

⭐️ Thriller author, Ian Worrall, is halfway through his next WIP. He runs a Youtube channel and offers weekly crime fiction advice there.

⭐️ John Matthews just published his book of poetry, Words In My Head.

Words In My Head is a poetry book with a variety of poems about Love, Sadness, Frustration, Isolation, and more.

John Matthews is a poet, storyteller, songwriter and musician. Make sure to check him out at www.johnnymattmusic.org .

⭐️ Liz Adams recently published 3 Thesaurus for Romance Writers.

Whether you're crafting a steamy Regency romance or a contemporary love story, Thesaurus for Romance Writers is an invaluable resource that will help you find the perfect words to set hearts racing and pulses pounding in your spicy scenes with captivating synonyms.

Award-winning author of best-selling spicy, paranormal fairytales, Liz Adams tires her hands at the keyboard spinning steamy, surrealistic fantasies so that her readers can also tire out their hands until the happy endings.

Congrats to all the authors!

Ian Worra

❤️

Want your Good News here?

As a perk for being a reader of the Creativity Sparks newsletter (now in its 20th year!), you can share your good news with 3,200 of your fellow writers!

Like what?

You published a book (self-pub, trad pub, hybrid -- all welcome!) Congrats!
You finished your first draft! (Yes!)
You got interviewed!
You made a video!
You wrote a guest post!

I want to feature you and your accomplishments.

If you're not sure if your accomplishment "qualifies" it probably does. :)

How to get into the newsletter:

Send me your what, where (link), and a short description of you in 20 words and your site link. (author bio)
By Wednesday, that way I can prep it for the weekly Friday newsletter

Congrats in advance!

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Happy Writing!

Best,

Beth

PS. Join the Edit Lab and get live edit support in our monthly calls, premium content, and more! Join at the Founder level, only $5/month. Price goes up after June 30th.

💕 But wait there's more!

🎙️ I'm excited to announce that I'll be speaking at Alexa Bigwarfe's Marketing Bootcamp for Authors and Publishing Professionals, on "Heart-Centered Marketing": About values-aligned marketing for authors who've avoided it because it felt inauthentic. Live, hands-on workshop. June 12-13, 2026. Tickets available now!

🎉 I'll be a speaker again at Rhonda Douglas's 2026 Book Finishers Summit coming at the end of June. Stay tuned! Doors open June 8th!

🌟

If you find my resources helpful, please forward them to a friend who may need them too.

Help me help more writers!

Thanks!

❤️

Beth Barany
Creativity Coach for Writers

Teacher, Speaker, Workshop Facilitator
bethbarany.com

I not only teach and coach novelists, I am one too!

*Magical Tales of Romance, Mystery, and Adventure* author.bethbarany.com

Including the award-winning, Henrietta The Dragon Slayer (Book 1), and Into The Black, about Janey McCallister space station investigator (Book 1)

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Here to empower you with core principles, mindset tools, and doable roadmaps to build your sustainable, thriving, creative career on your own terms.

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Passionate about supporting science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction writers; and creative entrepreneurs serving writers.

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Filmmaker with a BIG mission: to celebrate warrior women!

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Beth Barany is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy novelist, and certified creativity coach for writers.

For the last 20 years, she's been working with writers of all kinds.

She specializes in helping sci-fi and fantasy publishing-oriented novelists experience clarity, so they can write, revise, and proudly publish their books to the delight of their readers.

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