Action Plan
Jen — Manuscript Evaluation Wrap-Up
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Session Recap
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Manuscript Evaluation Debrief
February 3, 2025 · 44 minutes
This session wrapped up the manuscript evaluation for your novel, walking through Claire's notes chapter by chapter and talking through the key structural and scene-level decisions that will sharpen the final draft. The biggest areas covered were Ellie's motivation in the past timeline, the cabin scene with Nate, Frank as a red herring, and the flow of the Hayes scenes. You're now heading into a polishing pass — no major overhauls, just targeted revisions — with a clear plan to pivot into query and synopsis prep once the manuscript feels tight. Claire will upload Author Accelerator query and synopsis resources to the shared drive, and you've got two calls and two page review sets still to use however you need them.
Your Next Steps
Progress
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Cut all "evil thing" chapters except the final one — reframe that last one as an epilogue
You're aligned on this. The epilogue framing gives it purpose without requiring a full book two. Just go in aware that an agent or publisher may ask about series potential — you can answer honestly.
Revise the hospital scene in Ellie's past timeline to punch up her fear and torn internal state
Have the doctor make clear she nearly died and nearly lost the baby. Then show Ellie's internal battle: she wants Max back desperately, but she's terrified of Robert and needs to get safe first. Let her stay in town that first night hoping they come back — then have the fear win and drive her out. This is the Maslow logic: safety first, then she can figure out the rest. Send these revised pages to Claire when you're ready.
Rewrite the cabin scene with Nate — lead with safety and romance, not pressure
Amp up the sense that he makes her feel genuinely safe: good kisser, warmth, something that takes her back to a time before Robert. Let her choose to go further from that place of safety. Then the mediocre payoff hits even harder by contrast. Go the opposite direction of pressure — she should want this.
Add Frank showing interest in Liam to strengthen him as a red herring
This was already your instinct — trust it. A few small moments of Frank paying attention to Liam will plant the right kind of unease in the reader without overexplaining.
Move the Hayes pizza and morning scenes to smooth out the flow issue
Do this in Word so you keep all of Claire's comments in your working draft. Swap just those scenes — the rest of the book flows well as-is.
Use ChatGPT to help identify comp titles for your query
Feed it a description of your book — genre, tone, themes, comparable vibes — and ask it to suggest recently published comp titles (within the last 3–5 years). Use that list as a starting point, then vet each one to make sure you've actually read it or can speak to it. Check out Widow's Point by Richard Chizmar as a possible comp — Claire recommended it on the call.
Export your Scrivener scene cards and use that outline to draft a synopsis with AI assistance
Reorder any scenes in Scrivener first so they're in the right sequence, then export just the outline — not the full manuscript. Paste that into ChatGPT and ask for a synopsis draft to work from. This keeps your full manuscript private while still getting you a solid starting point to flesh out. Wait for Claire's Author Accelerator query and synopsis resources in the shared drive before you finalize anything.
Saved ✓
✨ What comes next
- Watch the replay — the Ellie motivation discussion especially is worth a second listen
- Start your polishing pass from the beginning — you were already into it the morning of this call, keep that momentum
- When revised pages are ready, send them to Claire — you've got page reviews and calls left to use however you need
- Check the shared drive for the Author Accelerator query and synopsis resources once Claire uploads them
- You're closer than you think. This book is ready. Go get it.
Tools & Resources
Session Replay
Fathom recording — Manuscript Evaluation Debrief, 44 minutes
Shared Drive — Query & Synopsis Resources
Claire will upload Author Accelerator guides for writing your query letter and synopsis — check here once she sends the link
Scrivener
Reorder your scene cards, export the outline, use it to build your synopsis without uploading the full manuscript anywhere
Widow's Point — Richard Chizmar
Possible comp title — Claire recommended it on the call. Creepy, found-footage-adjacent horror. Worth reading and seeing if it fits your pitch.
Claire L. Fishback
clairelfishback.com — your coach's website
Ready to send pages or talk through the query?
You've got sessions and page reviews ready to use — send revised pages anytime or book a call when you need it. No rush. You've got this.
See you at our next call!
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