David and Ecem

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I wrote a 60,000-word novel and made almost every rookie mistake along the way. Here are the ones you can skip.

I’m David Galle, and my debut novel, Digital Asylum, comes out November 11. It took me four years. This is the advice I wish I’d taken before I started. Most of it I’d already heard a million times and ignored anyway.

Key Takeaways

1. Start small. Write a short story first and get it edited before you tackle a novel.
2. Don’t overspend on your first edit. A developmental edit is one step of many, not the finish line.
3. Outline big. My 10,000-word outline is the reason I finished.
4. Know your hook before you write. If you can’t say what question your book asks, agents won’t know either.
5. Kill the friction. Set up your desk the night before.

1. So what do I wish I’d done first?

I was headstrong. I needed to do it my way, and my way meant starting with a novel. Part of me still gets it. I know my personality, and starting smaller was never going to work for me.

But if I could go back, I’d write a short story first. Bare minimum, just a creative exercise. Then I’d hire an editor for both a developmental edit and a line edit. The developmental edit would teach me story structure. The line edit would teach me the little nuances of writing. Then I’d try to get that short story published.

“Start small” has been said a million times. I heard it. It’s the one piece of advice I really wish I’d listened to.

2. Where did my money go?

My biggest mistake cost me $2,700.

After I finished my draft, I hired the highest-rated developmental editor in my genre on Reedsy. Let me be clear: she did everything she was hired to do, and even a little more. She threw in some line edits. I learned a lot, and her points were right. My story had a lull in the middle that was perfect for a B plot climax, and I didn’t have a B plot. She taught me “show, don’t tell” and gave me lots of advice on how to fix it.

So it’s not that she wasn’t worth it. It’s that I wasn’t ready for it. I had so much to learn that I was paying top dollar for lessons I could have gotten cheaper. And I’m just not in a position to spend $2,700 on anything. That was more than I make in a month.

Here’s what I didn’t get: a developmental edit is one of many steps. I thought, “Book’s done, time for the edit, that’s what they all say to do.” But after the edit, you still have a lot of writing to do. You rarely have a complete story after your first draft, especially on your first try. I sure didn’t.

There was another editor on Reedsy I really vibed with. He was half the price, and he offered to get on a call and explain the choices he made. My brain said, “Half the price? He can’t be as good.” Looking back, I wish I’d hired him. My editor never offered a call. I never asked for one either, so that’s partly on me. But when you’re paying that much, a one-hour call would be nice.

Don’t be like me:

1. Shop around. As a debut, look hard at cheaper editors for your first developmental edit.
2. Get beta readers. As many as you can. They don’t need training to spot a saggy middle.
3. Ask for a call. Do it before you hire anyone.

I did add a little B plot after the edit. Next time, it goes in from the start.

3. How did I actually finish the draft?

I worked in chunks, from small to big:

1. Brainstorm concepts. I listed ideas I wanted to write about, then picked one.
2. Brainstorm key elements. What has to happen in a story to explore that concept? I picked my favorites.
3. Draw the arc. I sketched a story arc and chopped it into pieces.
4. Write a short outline. Mine was about three pages.
5. Build character profiles for each main character.
6. Write a 10,000-word outline. Then I wrote the book from that.

That big outline was huge. I didn’t have to hold the whole book in my head. I just opened the chapter, read “this happens, then this, then this,” and turned it into a story.

It also gave me room. I gave myself permission to meander. A lot of Marlow’s exploring and worldbuilding happened when I wandered away from the outline. I just knew I had to come back and connect the story.

The other trick: find the little things that make you happy about writing. If you’re a nerd like me, that’s spreadsheets. I built big Google Sheets trackers that calculated how many words I needed by what date. That let me take breaks without guilt. I can skip today. I just know I owe X words tomorrow.

4. Do you have to write every day?

While traveling through Africa, I met Lisa St. Aubin de Terán in Mozambique. She wrote the best-selling memoir The Hacienda, and I ended up spending Christmas and New Year’s with her family.

She’s been writing since she was 16. Every morning, she wakes up with the dawn, writes for one hour, then goes on with her life. She told me she’s written about 25 books that way. Insane, but also amazing.

That’s not me. I’m much too ADHD and chaotic to hold a routine like that. I work in 10-hour shifts for a month or two, then I take a month or two off. I wish I were the one-hour-a-day kind of writer. I’m not. Find the rhythm that fits your brain.

5. What should you figure out before you write?

I spent a long time researching how to write a novel. The writing went about how I expected. What blindsided me came after: the synopsis and the query letter.

Agents want a hook. What question is your novel asking? That goes at the very top of your query. Think of Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman: what happens when aliens turn Earth into a deadly dungeon game show and you’re stuck in there with your ex’s prize-winning cat? Easy, clear, simple, interesting.

For Digital Asylum, I really struggled with that question. I had a concept I wanted to write, but a good story asks a question, and I’m not sure I ever nailed mine. Honestly, it made me wonder if the book is any good. We’ll find out November 11.

So start with what you’re selling. Write your hook question before your first chapter. I wish I had.

6. What’s publishing really like?

I knew getting an agent would be hard. I figured maybe after three rounds of queries, I’d land one. So I stalled publishing Digital Asylum while I waited.

What I should have taken seriously: most authors write several books before they get there. One informal poll of published writers found they’d written an average of about three books before their debut, and one literary agent puts the typical number at around four. For a debut author without connections, those are long odds. I know a few people in the industry, but not well enough to ask for help.

Then there’s money. My goals:

1. 20 sales: I’ve got a strong group of friends. I’ll be happy.
2. 300 sales: a monumental achievement. That’s about $1,000, which means I’d still be about $1,700 in the hole after the editor.
3. 1,000 sales: I’m profitable. Four years of work to turn a small profit would be fantastic.

But don’t expect anything.

7. How do you make it easier to sit down and write?

Kill the friction. I write on a laptop I also use for everything else, but I always write at my desk. So the night before, if I’m smart, I bring the laptop to the desk, close every tab, and open my manuscript and any reference docs. When I sit down, there’s nothing between me and the words.

I got that idea from Atomic Habits by James Clear. His big point is that habits stick when you make them obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. Turns out I was already doing half of it by accident:

1. Obvious: the manuscript is already open on the desk. I can’t miss it.
2. Easy: no hunting for the laptop, no 47 tabs to close first.
3. Satisfying: my nerdy spreadsheet tracker. Watching the word count climb is my reward.

Keep reading

1. Why I Wrote Digital Asylum: A Veteran’s Sci-Fi Novel About PTSD and Meditation: the story behind the book.
2. Why Digital Asylum by David Galle Is a Must-Read for 2026: Ecem’s take.
3. Inside Flow: The Company That Runs Everything in Digital Asylum: the world I built while meandering off my outline.

If starting small isn’t for you

Fine. I didn’t listen either. Just outline big, keep your money for the second edit, and write your hook first. Then mark November 11 and see how my first novel turned out.

Quick answers

1. What’s the best advice for new writers? Start small. Write and edit a short story before your first novel.
2. Do I need a developmental edit for my first novel? It helps, but it’s one step of many. As a debut, try beta readers and a cheaper editor first.
3. How long should a novel outline be? Mine was about 10,000 words for a 60,000-word book.
4. How many books do authors write before getting an agent? Often around four, based on agent and author polls.
5. How do I make writing a habit? Remove the friction. Set up your desk the night before so starting takes zero effort.

Follow @david.galle on Instagram for launch day.