Page One to Done: Finish Your Novel in 30 Days with the Fast Drafting Method

by Jessica Brody

Finally finish the first draft of your novel with a method that maximizes efficiency, speed, and joy—from the author of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel.

After months (or years) of writing, are you left with nothing but a folder full of false starts? Do you have a novel you were once excited to write but abandoned after only a few chapters—or even halfway through? Are you trapped in an endless cycle of rewrites, self-doubt, and perfectionism?

Enter the Novel Fast Drafting a proven approach for getting your book out of your head and onto the page in as little as 30 days. Best-selling author and writing coach Jessica Brody will guide you step-by-step through her 3-phase process that’s helped thousands of writers finish their first drafts in weeks instead of

Adopt the mindset of a “chronic finisher” and overcome the destructive beliefs that cause 97% of writers to quit Build your story’s foundation, set achievable goals, and prepare both your day-to-day life and writing schedule for Master proven strategies to maintain consistent momentum, discover the story faster, and finish in record time—so you’re ready to revise with confidence and clarity
With fast drafting, you’ll gain the mental space, freedom, and motivation to easily and more joyfully finish every writing project you start—faster than you ever thought possible.

This audio product contains a PDF with supporting material, and the PDF is available to download.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Audiobook

Audible Audio

Published May 19, 2026

About the author

Jessica Brody is the author of more than 20 novels for teens, tweens, and adults including The Geography of Lost Things, The Chaos of Standing Still, Amelia Gray is Almost Okay, A Week of Mondays, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, the Unremembered trilogy, and the System Divine trilogy which is a sci-fi reimagining of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, co-written with Joanne Rendell. She’s also the author of the #1 bestselling novel-writing guides, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel as well as several books based on popular Disney franchises like Descendants and LEGO Disney Princess. Jessica’s books have been translated and published in over 20 languages and several have been optioned for film and television. She’s the founder of the Writing Mastery Academy and lives with her husband and three dogs near Portland, OR.

Visit her online at JessicaBrody.com or WritingMastery.com. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram @JessicaBrody

Reviews

[Grace]

Hallelujah, this book may have gotten me back into writing after a six-year slump! I’m hoping to start fast drafting my next novel in hopefully less than a month!

[Taryn Moreau]

This book didn’t really touch on anything I personally struggle with when it comes to finishing a manuscript (writing something quickly that’s actually coherent enough to revise). I was on the fence about picking it up because I wasn’t sure if it would cover making faster revisions too (where I personally struggle).

To confirm, this book is strictly about writing a messy first draft fast, not producing a relatively coherent manuscript (the kind of thing you could share with alpha readers) fast.

If you’ve read a lot of books on general productivity and standard best practices for novel drafting, there’s nothing new here. But for new writers and those who haven’t read much about productivity, the book could be very helpful. It pulls a lot of useful advice from other books and applies it specifically to novel drafting in one place.

Note that a lot of the advice in here may not work for you if you’re neurodivergent. It’s very by the book: write at the same time consistently, outline first, don’t edit as you go, etc. I use some of these approaches myself as an AuDHDer, but I know most of the standard advice doesn’t work for me.

Brody does make room to talk about variations and exceptions in places, but this is very much a book about her personal process—which she doesn’t hide and is completely fine).

I’d say this is worth a read if you take a long time to finish first drafts and popular productivity advice tends to work for you. I actually suspect you might jive with this method if you swear by the Save the Cat method, though the fact that it wasn’t very helpful for me could be completely incidental.

[sheesania]

Lots of big promises and ~ my patented secret technique! ~ but also a lot of genuinely solid ideas for how to make writing more joyful, consistent, and productive. I've read a lot of writing craft books that touch on productivity (for instance, Matt Bell talks about how to play and explore your way through a generative first draft), but this is the first one I've read that intentionally focuses on productivity. So I'm glad for this addition to my arsenal of writing advice books!

Now she just needs to write one about how to also revise fast after you've produced your maximum chaos first draft...cuz girl, I HAVE written a book in 3 months, I'm just still revising it 2.5 years later...

(Though it IS extremely validating for the figurehead of the Save the Cat empire to admit that even she has to revise a lot and doesn't Just Do It Right The First Time.)

[Emily]

I followed the three-step methodology outlined in Page One to Done, and I finished the first draft of my novel in six weeks! It took me a year or two to finish a draft in the past, so the steps in this book really sped up my process.

It gives you mindset tricks to help you "write forward" with "invisible revision" so you don't go back and edit your work, potentially wasting time. It also has tips to develop a writing routine, how to set yourself up for a writing session, what to do after a writing session, and a lot more!

I took Jessica Brody's Fast Drafting course inside her Writing Mastery Academy, which outlines this same methodology, and this book provides everything in the course and more.

Thanks, Jessica!

[naur]

Jessica Brody more like Jessica GOAT-y

[Aishwarya Arun Kumar]

Another incredible book by Jessica Brody. I’ve rated this one five stars but would probably rate it to the top of writing productivity books. It’s not a craft book so go in knowing that. What it does incredibly well is distill a career’s worth of experience in book format. It’s extremely readable, almost like Jessica was teaching a class, so I breezed through it. If you’ve been struggling to finish your drafts, this might have everything you’re looking for. It’s not groundbreaking but it does come in the form of a handbook so anytime you’re struggling, you can troubleshoot. Jury’s out until I use the strategies listed from start to finish but I really appreciate the kind words and immense faith the author shows in newbie writers.

I wish there was a similar one for editing/revisions too…

[Sarah]

Not out of my rut yet, but I think this will help

I didn't do the exercises as I read, so I didn't come out of this book like "Yes I will now be a writing machine!" I plan to go back to them now, though. This was a well put-together book. As a book coach myself, I already knew and practiced most of these techniques. The reason I still read wiring books, though, is because I always come away with a couple of tidbits of inspiration. This book was no exception. TBD on whether it gets me out of my funk. Off to do the exercises!

[Candice Azalea Greene]

Because of this book, I've nearly "outlined" (brainstormed) a full YA novel in about a week. And I'm a pantser! I start fast drafting on October 1--maybe even sooner if I get the "outline" done sooner. This is the most excited I've been to work on a book in years. Thank you, Jessica!

[Russ Dimino]

I had previously read Jessica Brody's "Save The Cat! Writes a Novel." I'd already read Blake Snyder's original "Save The Cat!", so I went in expecting to find mostly the same information, just applied with some subtle nuances to accommodate the format of prose vs. screenwriting. I could not have been more wrong. The thing that resonated with (and inspired) me the most was Jessica's enthusiastic, encouraging, and engaging approach to the material. Right from the jump I felt like I had found a writing coach who was in my corner and truly wanting to help me succeed.

"Page One to Done" takes that to the next level. Jessica is like the friend who just found out an awesome secret and can't wait to share it with you. Only in this case, the awesome secret is how you can actually write the first draft of a novel in a quick, effective, and (sometimes) even downright fun manner. And she's jumping up and down with excitement to share that with you.

I am the self-published author of one book. And as I was reading "Page One to Done," there were so many moments where I wanted to go back in time and give a copy to my past self. I think of all of the times I took hours, sometimes days agonizing over a chapter, a page, or a paragraph and felt like I could not move on until I got it exactly right. I was wearing my writer hat and my editor hat at the same time. I can see now what an inhibitor that was to making progress. No wonder it took me a decade to write my first book.

More than any one specific tip or piece of advice, the biggest thing I am taking away from "Page One to Done" is a new mindset about writing. Your first draft won't (and can't, and shouldn't) be perfect. At all. The first draft is just to get the story out of your head and onto the paper so you can work with it from there. That will absolutely change how I approach my next work.

The only part of the book I did not read yet is the section that contains the "pep talks" at the end. I'm saving those for when I'm in the thick of my next book!

I would absolutely recommend "Page One to Done" to any writer.

[Michelle]

As a writing craft book junkie, I couldn't resist. This book isn't so much about writing craft as drafting strategy. Drafting is the worst part of writing—undisputed. Brody does a great job of describing the drafting process as "making clay." A sculptor can't mold air. He needs something there. Drafting is the process of getting a story down on paper so that the writer can then revise it into a work of art.

I've never written a book, but I've written enough to know that the magic of writing happens in revision. Drafting is the painful process of simply telling the story as it comes. In revision, the story undergoes its makeover. The draft shows up ugly, and after revision, comes out beautiful on the other side.

I like Brody's two main strategies: relentless forward momentum and invisible revisions. I feel like these two approaches make drafting seem much more doable.

Relentless forward momentum: I agree that there's no point in editing—even just one pass—a scene that may not make it into the final book. I find that editing something causes it to become precious to me, and I resist cutting it simply because of the time I invested in polishing it up, even if it doesn't serve a purpose.

Invisible revisions: This makes a lot of sense. Why go back and incorporate revisions on a first draft? That's what second drafts are for. I found this so freeing.

I want to respect the author by not summarizing or giving away her main points in this review, but I feel like these two approaches are the foundation of the book. There are many other great tips, such as creating a routine that sets you up for success, eliminating distractions, and exercises to push through writer's block, but relentless forward momentum and invisible revisions are the two keys.

Overall, this was very motivating and inspiring.

[Jacqui Gretzinger]

I love Jessica Brody! I am a 5.5 year member of her Writing Mastery Academy. She is sharp and easy to understand with her Save the Cat Writes a Novel method (another great book by her I read several years ago and reference all the time). This book dives deeper into her Fasting Drafting a Novel course in the Writing Mastery Academy. It is an in-depth look at preparing and writing your rough draft in 30 days. Whats different about Jessica's book vs other 30 day novel writing books (I have read several) is that she factors in everything including your mindset. Jessica is an author herself so she knows what it takes to sit down and write including all the blank pages you stare at, the ideas in your head while you shower or are working on something else, only to forget them when you sit down to write. She tackles how to get prepared, build a foundation, and fast draft to get your story down. Once you read this book and finish your rough draft, if you aren't already a WMA member, you will want to join. She's a wealth of knowledge and she offers her "office hours" where you can submit questions either in advance or during a zoom session that she will answer live and it's all included in addition to other guest webinars every month. If you have ever tried to write or considered writing a story or memoir, this book is for you! Grab a highlighter when you start to read, you will want to highlight important things to reference back to like I did. I pre-ordered it but it's available now.

[Madison]

I paid about $20 for this book, but the content in it is worth so much more than that. It's like having a friend who's written several books give you their best tips and methods to write a novel in a way that's efficient, fun, and fulfilling.

This isn’t a craft book -- it’s about process. If you're looking for help with story-level plotting and line-level writing, look elsewhere. However, if you are ready to start writing a novel or you have a half-written draft lying around or an idea you'd like to turn into a novel, this is a great resource.

Jessica Brody's fast drafting method focuses on writing a first draft quickly and staying focused by not going back to edit. She provides tools and a plan to make that work. Each chapter has follow-up items to tick off, and she recommends allotting 1-2 weeks for the preparation phase. She also details what kinds of storylines require more lead-time, and in my case, preparation took me about 4 weeks because I needed to do some research up front. I think for a newer writer, 3-4 weeks of preparation feels more likely, and seasoned writers could spend less time on this phase.

The one thing I wish it had more info on is the revision process, but she has some resources on her website that I'll have a look at when I'm ready.

Also, this is a small thing that made a big difference: I loved the formatting. The chapters are well-organized, the font size is easy to read, and the binding is satisfyingly floppy. Highly recommend this one if you're ready to start writing your novel!

[Laurie Smith]

Wow. I just finished Page One to Done by Jessica Brody, author of Save the Cat Writes a Novel. The timing of its release was perfect, as I had just finished outlining my first novel, Reclaiming Me.

The book has 3 sections:

• Mindset – always helpful and needed for writers
• Preparation – how to brainstorm before you write your story


Even though I had completed my outline, this section helped me check off boxes to ensure I had all the elements in place before I start writing. Did I develop the characters? How’s the setting? Am I hitting the right beats?

The real reason I bought the book was the third section:

• Drafting


Now that I’m at the drafting phase, I had no idea how to go about it. My plan was simply to sit down at my computer and pound out hundreds of words every day. Whether you’re a new writer like myself or a seasoned veteran, you’ll enjoy this book and walk away encouraged to finish your writing project, whatever stage you’re in.

Jessica is both informative and entertaining. I highlighted so many things that my highlighter ran out. Each section ends with a summary, which is perfect for busy writers who just need a quick refresher on what to do before, during, after, and in between writing sessions.

So what are you waiting for? Go get your copy now. As for me, I’m off to draft my first novel, and I’m gonna do it FAST using the strategies Jessica outlines in this book.

Happy reading and writing.

[Anna]

I’m not sure if fast drafting is for me yet (I quite enjoy not having to do five revisions of my fist draft after I’m done with it — as seems to be the case with the mess you leave behind when fast-drafting), but I’ll definitely give it a try and probably adjust to my needs and writing flow. And I truly believe that many of the writing tips (especially the ones on how to get into flow!) will be invaluable.

I’ve read Save the Cat! Writes a Novel before and (as a total pantser, who pretty much lets her heroes dictate how her stories evolve) I felt a little too overwhelmed by the amount of prep work needed before even sitting down to write. Figuring out all the 15 beats beforehand seemed quite impossible. But this is different. Yes, there’s still the preparation phase you should go through, but in this book Jessica explains where you can “cut some corners” if you’re not the plotter kind of writer. And that’s freeing. I don’t feel like I’m lacking something anymore.

Actually, having read about how many things still change while drafting even the most meticulously planned-out novels, I believe that using this method (and taking some of Jessica’s tips into consideration), I can still write the way I’m used to — just faster. :)

So anyhow, thanks for writing this book. I definitely needed it at this exact point of my writing career!

[R]

I preordered this book, because I really liked her previous book, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, but I found I was fussing way too much over the outline over actually just writing. This was a problem that spanned multiple techniques - not just the Save the Cat model.

The advice in this book is genuinely, unironically, life changing. I think the biggest piece of advice given in the book is approaching your manuscript with curiosity and asking questions. So, so many plot holes of mine, stalls, and more have been solved simply by asking questions, rereading my 'invisible revision' notes, and more.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone. Even authors who have finished books, but ESPECIALLY anyone who's either not started their own novels, or struggles to finish. Please, please read this book. It'll change your life.

[Melody Loomis]

I picked up this book because I was curious. I would really love to write faster. I think I have the potential to write fast, but I’ll always be a slow editor. And slow outliner…I need to brainstorm for a long time before I put words on the page. But when it comes to drafting? If I know what I want to write, it’s so much easier. I just have so many things to write…wish I could write faster! So I picked up this book, and it was good read! I really like the tips of putting information in brackets or bullet points to revisit later. Sometimes I get stuck on a scene and if I could just move past it, I could probably get more words during my morning sprints. I did skim a bit of the preparation part of the book, but only because I have my own process that works very well for me. I would recommend this to my writing friends if they would like to draft faster!

[Kylie]

This book has blown me away. So many practical things that I can apply immediately. I’m so excited to try this fast drafting method with my next draft. I’ve been floundering for two years with a draft and I think this may be the exact help I’ve been looking for. I always get stuck in writing and rewriting and going backwards but Jessica Brody’s advice to let your draft be messy and to “always draft forward” has helped me to write 700-950 words in a 20 minute writing sprint - a word count that used to take me an hour to do. I’m so grateful for Jessica writing this book. I know that this book is going to revolutionize the way I approach drafting my novels. And I hope that I’ll be able to write and share more stories with the world because of it. Thank you so much Jessica!

[K.M. Allan]

Another great craft book from Jessica Brody of the Writing Mastery Academy and Save The Cat! Writes A Novel fame. This one outlines the psychology, physical preparation, and planning involved in writing a first draft as fast as you can, in a timeline that works for you.

Set out in easy steps with examples, anecdotes, and all the solid advice summarized at the end of each chapter, it’s a must-have for writers looking to overcome procrastination, self-doubt, and perfectionism. It will also help you get your story out of your head and onto the page quickly so that you can then do the work of shaping that messy first draft into a book. Highly recommended.

[YoGirlMavi]

I‘ll yet have to implement, but I know that this will work. Invisible revisions for instance is something I had heard before and have been doing for years (literally a game changer, I would never get books finished otherwise), I‘m excited to see how it will be going. My current is on the last chapter so that I can start implementing almost right away haha
I love how this book is written! The tone is conversational throughout, and everything is explained and given examples to. And i especially love the recaps at the end to have a quick overview of what was said in the chapter for future references. Really great!

[Angelica]

I really like this book. It's a no-nonsense guide with practical techniques and backing in psychological studies. It's easy to read, well-organized, and has summaries/checklists at the end of every chapter for easy future reference. And though I already knew and/or implemented some of the techniques presented in the book, I appreciate both their reinforcement and the new suggestions I hadn't considered before. I see how certain old habits have kept me from fast drafting and how to do better for future projects.

[Jane Nash]

game changer

This new book by Jessica Brody (save the cat!) is brilliant. I’ve read it cover to cover and made furious notes from it to help me finish a novel quickly. Ive got 6 novels on my shelf all slightly unfinished. This time I’m going to follow her process for finishing a novel quickly with her fast-drafting procedures and strategies. I have a feeling that it will work. I have already started the prep phase and accessed her free online app for support. I’m excited to write the next one. From Page one to done!

[Ceci Li]

This would be a decent craft book on writing for someone who is first starting out. It touches on the basics of planning and the mentality of drafting. I enjoyed reading the pep talks it offered, but the content wasn’t anything earth-shatteringly new as I have a few fantastic craft books under my belt. It did, however, help me bring back the creative spark, so I gave it a solid three star review. I’d prob recommend this book to a newer writer who’s just learning the craft. But seasoned writers? You can prob skip this one.

[Trinity Shelton]

The best and most practical book I’ve ever read on writing.

This book is all about the anti-slump. It consists of 20 chapters of practical advice both from the author and other writers she’s taken notes from. This is definitely a book I would recommend to new writers or people that are just starting to get into writing. I started taking writing more seriously a few years ago but have struggled to progress and get out of the “stuck” feeling. This book was exactly what I needed to read to do so.

[Stan Skrabut]

Jessica Brody targets stuck writers in Page One to Done: Finish Your Novel in 30 Days with Fast Drafting Method . The book offers a practical blueprint to help authors complete their manuscripts quickly.

I learned about this book while listening to The Creative Penn Podcast for Writers . Read more

[A.A. Vogel]

Less time spent drafting, more fun exploring!
I learned Jessica Brody’s fast drafting method from the Writing Mastery Academy course by that name, and it was a game changer for me. I can fast draft a 90K-word novel in 8 weeks that used to take more than a year. Moreover, fast drafting has rekindled my sense of discovery, play, and creative joy. This book teaches fast drafting in a clear, accessible, and easily referenced format. This book stays open on my desk!

[Traci]

If you’re a writer, this is one of the best books you can pick up to help you get started! Jessica Brody is super knowledgeable in the Save the Cat method, but what she’s done here is condense it into a manageable format while shuffling in her own methods and resources for writing novels. What you get is an excellent guide to begin drafting without being overwhelmed. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (along with all her other books!)

[Thomas Gaffney]

A good book from the author behind Save The Cat Writes a Novel. I don't know if I would call it a must-read for people looking to draft faster, but if you're on the fence about it, or a friend offers you a copy, I would suggest giving it a read. I'm a slow drafter. So this was full of good ideas to try to draft faster. I've seen some online, in different places, and this brings all the advice together in a single place that you can reference throughout your writing career.

[Doeraymee]

A great companion to her Save the Cat book, this one is more about how to get through that first draft without giving up. The title is a bit misleading though. I think it should read: Finish Your First Draft in 30 Days... To me, "finish your novel" implies editing as well, because you can't send a "finished novel" to a publisher when it's still in draft phase.

[Lisa Lynn]

If you’re unfamiliar with fast drafting, this might be a good book to grab. If you already know the concept, there’s nothing revelatory to be found.

The author also includes lots of productivity advice you can find in many of the popular books in that niche. She does show how those strategies apply directly to writing fiction, which you may find helpful.

[Patrick Dorn]

Excellent advice for new writers and those wanting to try something new

Jessica Brody’s introduction to Fast Drafting is interesting, encouraging, and well organized. Plus there are links to all kinds of free resources. This is an expanded version of the course that’s available in her Writing Mastery Academy, which I also recommend.