Student Spotlight: How Gina Elizabeth Went From Stuck to Publishing Two Books in Just One Year
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If you've ever found yourself stuck at chapter six—again—wondering if you'll ever learn how to finish writing a novel that's been living in your head for years, Gina Elizabeth's story is about to become your new favorite source of hope.
After spending nearly two decades in a frustrating cycle of starting and abandoning manuscripts, Gina discovered the missing piece that transformed her from perpetual beginner to published author of not one, but TWO books in a single year. The best part? Once she found the right approach, everything changed fast.
The Pattern That Kept Gina Stuck
For years, Gina had the same maddening experience… She'd start writing with enthusiasm. Make it to chapter four, five, maybe six. Hit a wall. Start over. And repeat.
"I would write a handful of chapters and not know where to go after that," Gina shared when we caught up recently. "I was kind of pantsing my way through it."
The characters she'd been dreaming about since she was thirteen remained trapped in an endless loop of beginnings, never getting their full story told. Every time she'd reach that familiar stopping point, she'd see multiple paths her story could take, but no clear way to choose between them.
And even worse? Each abandoned attempt made the next one harder, reinforcing her fear that maybe she just wasn't cut out for this.
The Missing Tool That Changed Everything
While living in Korea, Gina discovered something that would flip her entire writing process upside down: she didn't need more discipline or motivation. She needed a different approach entirely.
"I didn't even know outlining was an option," Gina revealed. "It [writing] was always just kind of a passion hobby on the side."
When she enrolled in Notes to Novel, Gina spent four months creating her first outline—and yes, she admits it felt like "a lot of work" at first. But something magical happened: instead of constraining her creativity, learning how to outline actually freed it.
"It's so simple, but it was mind-blowing for me," she explained. Having a roadmap meant she could finally move past those troublesome early chapters without constantly second-guessing herself.
The results speak for themselves: That first outline led to a completed draft in 6-12 months. Her second book's outline? Just one month.
3 Strategies That Helped Gina Finish Her First Draft
Beyond learning to outline, three key strategies helped Gina overcome writer's block and finish her novel:
#1. Writing Forward Became Her Superpower
Instead of endlessly revising early chapters, Gina learned to leave notes for herself and keep moving forward. "My constant was always going back and editing, and that was not working for me," she said. When she hit her novel's climax, this approach paid off massively—she wrote 10,000 words in a single day because she "couldn't stop writing."
#2. Character Work Clarified Everything
While Gina knew her main characters intimately after twenty years of thinking about them, she struggled with the supporting cast. The character development exercises helped her figure out not just who needed to be in the story, but how to make each character distinct—even if they only appeared briefly.
#3. Process Trumped Word Counts
"I just like to write every day," Gina explained. "If it's a paragraph, it's a paragraph. If it's 4,000 words, great." Finding her personal writing process mattered more than hitting arbitrary word count goals. Plus, she had a detailed scene-by-scene outline to follow, so every time she sat down to write, she wasn't left wondering what to work on.
Your Story Could Be Next
The difference between Gina's 20 years of false starts and her current success as a published author wasn't talent or discipline. It was having the right tools and framework to transform your novel from idea to finished draft.
Today, Gina has published both her novella (Hide) and her debut novel (Hunter). She's actively writing book two of her series, approaching it with confidence instead of dread. When asked what she'd tell her earlier self, her answer was simple: "It's okay not to set such high goals for yourself... just enjoy the process, enjoy the experience."
The most remarkable part? Once Gina found the right approach, she went from perpetual chapter six to two published books in just one year.
Ready to Write Your Own Success Story?
If Gina's journey resonates with you (or if you're tired of abandoned manuscripts and ready to finally finish your novel), you don't have to figure it out alone. Join the waitlist for my Notes to Novel course and discover the exact novel writing framework that helped Gina go from stuck to published author. This time next year, you could be holding your published book too.
👉 Want more help right now? Check out these free resources:
- Listen to the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast for weekly writing guidance
- Take the Author Success Blueprint Quiz to get personalized next steps for your writing, editing, and publishing journey
- Grab my free guide to see how real writers (like you!) pushed past these roadblocks to finish their novels: 5 Writing Roadblocks Keeping You Stuck & How to Break Through
