82. You Don't Need To Be Fixed: Nurturing Your Writing Voice

In this solo episode, I’m talking directly to novelists about a mindset shift that can change how you see yourself and your manuscript: you don’t need to be fixed. Your writing voice is already inside you—it doesn’t need to be installed or made more “writerly.” It needs to be nurtured, strengthened, and given space to take shape.

What we’re exploring:

✨ Why the language of “fixing” your manuscript (or yourself) is so damaging.
 ✨ The difference between strengthening a draft and treating it like it’s broken.
 ✨ How to recognize and trust the voice that’s already yours.
 ✨ What supportive book editing and coaching should feel like (and red flags to watch out for).
✨ Practical ways to nurture both your writing and your creative self.

What I want novelists to remember:
 Your first draft isn’t broken—it’s raw material, full of possibility. And you, as the writer, aren’t broken either. With the right support and a compassionate writing mindset, you can uncover the authentic voice that’s already within you and shape it into stories that feel whole and alive.

🎙️Learn more about my coaching and editing services at nicolemeier.com

Transcript

THE WHOLE WRITER EP 82 - You Don't Need to be Fixed

[00:00:00] Nicole Meier: Your writing voice is already inside you. It doesn't need to be installed or grafted or fixed. It needs to be uncovered, nurtured, and given space to take shape.

[00:00:20] Nicole Meier: Welcome to the whole writer, a place where we talk about what it means to show up as a writer, not just a better writer or a more productive writer, or a published writer, but a whole one. Someone who's grounded in their voice, in their community, in their creative path, even when the world tells them to hustle, compare, or conform.

[00:00:41] Nicole Meier: I'm Nicole Meier, a multi published author and book coach who believes that nurturing the person behind the page is just as important as refining the words on it. Each week we'll explore the terrain of riding life with honesty, warmth, and practical wisdom, creating space for you to write from a place of wholeness rather than depletion.

[00:01:01] Nicole Meier: Whether you're drafting your first manuscript or publishing your fifth book, you'll find conversation and companionship for the journey here. So settle in, bring your questions and your curiosity, and let's discover what it means to write and live with authenticity and purpose.

[00:01:21] Nicole Meier: Hello writers and welcome back. We're gathering today in a solo episode because I'd love to talk about something that I think might shift how you see yourself and your creative journey in a helpful way. I wanna start with something I shared recently on Substack that really resonated with a lot of you who subscribed to my Dear Whole Writer newsletter.

[00:01:43] Nicole Meier: It was about this idea that your manuscript doesn't need to be fixed. It needs to be strengthened. More importantly that you as the creative, don't need to be fixed either. You are meant to be nurtured so that the fullest expression of your voice can emerge. And I want us to really sit with that today because I think so many of us have internalized this idea that we're somehow broken or insufficient as writers, and that we need to be fundamentally changed or repaired as we work our way through the creative process.

[00:02:17] Nicole Meier: But what if that's not true at all? Let's start with why. This language of quote fixing is so problematic. When we talk about fixing something, we're implying that it's broken, defective, or fundamentally flawed. And when we apply that lens to our creative work, or worse ourselves, we're starting from a place of deficit rather than possibility.

[00:02:41] Nicole Meier: We're not even recognizing our creative potential, our inspired story ideas. Or our worth as someone with something unique to say, I see this all the time. When new fiction writers come to me, they'll say things like, my manuscript is a mess, or I don't know what I'm doing, or, can you help me fix my story?

[00:03:00] Nicole Meier: Character plot, fill in the blank, and I understand where that comes from. Writing is deeply vulnerable work. If anyone can relate to this, it's me. Trust me. After four published novels, I'm still well aware of the vulnerability aspect and when we're in the thick of it, especially with a draft, a first draft, things can often feel chaotic and imperfect.

[00:03:24] Nicole Meier: But here's what I've learned after working with so many writers, there is a big difference between something being not quite there. And something being broken. Your first draft isn't broken. It's raw material. It's potential energy waiting to be shaped and refined. If you read my newsletters, or even my second book called The Girl Made of Clay, you'll know I'm a big fan of pottery classes.

[00:03:52] Nicole Meier: I actually grew up playing around in my father's sculpting studio, and my adoration for this medium runs deep. So let's use the clay analogy here. Think about a sculptor working with clay. It isn't broken. When it's just a lump on the wheel, it's full of possibility. The sculptor doesn't fix the clay. They work with its natural properties.

[00:04:14] Nicole Meier: They understand its potential, and they help it become what it's meant to be. Wouldn't it be nice to reframe your own work in progress this way? I want to be really clear about this. Your writing voice is already inside you. It doesn't need to be installed or grafted or fixed. It needs to be uncovered, nurtured, and given space to take shape.

[00:04:40] Nicole Meier: I think we've been conditioned to believe that finding our voice means becoming someone else. Someone more eloquent, or maybe someone more edgy, more writerly. But that's not how it works. Your voice is uniquely yours. It's shaped by your experiences, your perspective, your way of seeing the world. No one else has it, and no one else can teach it to you because you already possess it.

[00:05:05] Nicole Meier: Sit with that for a moment. You already possess this powerful thing. What we're doing in the editing process, what we're really doing in the journey of becoming a stronger writer is learning to trust that voice and give it a clearer expression. This is especially true for the writers who work with me.

[00:05:24] Nicole Meier: I'm not changing who you are as a writer. I'm helping you become more fully who you already are. So what does nurturing look like instead of fixing? Well, first it starts with curiosity rather than judgment. Instead of asking, what's wrong with this, ask what's trying to emerge here, instead of saying, how do I fix this mess?

[00:05:46] Nicole Meier: 'cause we've all been there. Ask what story is wanting to be told. When I work with a manuscript, I'm looking for the seeds of what's already there, what themes are emerging, what characters are coming alive, what moments make me lean forward with interest. Those are the elements we want to strengthen and support.

[00:06:05] Nicole Meier: And the same is true for you as a writer. What are the moments when your writing feels most alive to you? What subjects draw you in so completely that you lose track of time? Stories feel urgent and necessary for you to tell. Those are the clues to your authentic voice, not the problems to be solved.

[00:06:27] Nicole Meier: Nurturing also means being patient with the process. Boy did I learn that the hard way growth doesn't happen overnight, and it certainly doesn't happen through harsh criticism or trying to force yourself into someone else's mold. It happens through constant practice. Gentle guidance and creating conditions where your natural abilities can flourish.

[00:06:50] Nicole Meier: Now, I've mentioned before that you should be wary of anyone who tells you otherwise, and I want to expand on that because I think it's really important. Be cautious of anyone who makes you feel inadequate as a writer or a creative. Be wary of feedback that focuses more on what's wrong than on what's working.

[00:07:10] Nicole Meier: Be skeptical of anyone who tries to make you write like someone else rather than helping you write more like yourself. This includes feedback from critique groups, writing contests, fellow writers, or editors. Good editorial guidance should make you feel more confident in your abilities, not less. It should help you see possibilities you hadn't even noticed before.

[00:07:34] Nicole Meier: It should make you feel excited to dive back into your work. Not defeated and overwhelmed. Side note, revising is overwhelming. This will happen, but hopefully you get the idea. So if someone's feedback is consistently leaving you feeling small or inadequate, like you'll never be good enough. That's not about your writing, that's about their approach, and frankly, you deserve better.

[00:08:00] Nicole Meier: Here's something I want you to remember. You know more about your story than anyone else ever will. You know what you're trying to say, what emotional truth you're exploring, what experience you're trying to create for your reader. That knowledge is valuable and valid even if your craft is still developing.

[00:08:19] Nicole Meier: Sometimes we get so caught up in rules and shoulds that we lose touch with our own instincts. Another side note here, if you want to learn more about this idea, jump back and listen to episode number 79 of this podcast. Your instincts are part of your voice. They're part of what makes your writing uniquely yours.

[00:08:39] Nicole Meier: Strengthening your craft means learning to express those instincts more clearly, not replacing them with someone else's ideas. I've seen writers completely transform their relationship with their work when they start trusting themselves more. It's really that simple. Start trusting yourself more. When people stop looking for someone to tell them what their story should be and start listening to what their story is trying to become something unlocks

[00:09:10] Nicole Meier: writers. If what we're talking about today is resonating with you, this idea of honoring both your craft knowledge and your creative intuition, that's exactly the kind of work I do with writers inside my coaching and editing services. Whether you're looking for a big picture, manuscript evaluation, in-depth, developmental edits, or ongoing monthly coaching.

[00:09:33] Nicole Meier: My goal is always to help you find clarity, confidence, and momentum in a way that feels creative and authentic to your voice. You can learn more about these options at nicolemeier.com.

[00:09:48] Nicole Meier: So what does strengthening actually look like? Whether we're talking about your manuscript or your growth as a writer? With manuscripts, it often means clarifying what's already there, rather than adding something completely new. It might mean deepening a character motivation that's already hinted at, or tightening the focus on themes that are already emerging, or finding a more clear way to add structure to your scenes in order to make them more engaging.

[00:10:15] Nicole Meier: For you as a writer, strengthening might mean developing your craft skills so you can better express what you already feel and know. It might mean reading more widely to expand your sense of what's possible, and it might mean writing more regularly to build trust in your own voice, but in both cases, we're working with what's already there, not trying to impose something foreign or artificial.

[00:10:41] Nicole Meier: Part of nurturing yourself as a writer means creating conditions that support your growth rather than hinder it. This might mean finding critique partners who see your potential rather than just your problems. Let me say that again because this is important. This might mean finding critique partners who see your potential rather than your problems.

[00:11:03] Nicole Meier: It also might mean setting up a writing environment that feels welcoming rather than intimidating. It definitely means talking to yourself with kindness. The voice in your head, that comments on your writing has a huge impact on your creative confidence. If that voice is consistently critical or dismissive, it's very hard for your authentic voice to emerge.

[00:11:24] Nicole Meier: What would it be like if you spoke to yourself the way you speak to a close friend who's learning something new with encouragement, patience, and faith in their ability to grow. Right. Alright. I wanna close with this. Your perspective matters. Your stories matter. Your voice, the one you already have, not the one you think you should have matters.

[00:11:44] Nicole Meier: The world needs what you have to offer in the way only you can offer it. You don't need to be fixed because you were never broken. You need to be supported, encouraged, and given the tools to express what's already inside you with greater clarity and power. So be gentle with yourself. Trust the process.

[00:12:05] Nicole Meier: Find people who see your potential and want to help you nurture it. And remember that becoming a stronger writer isn't about becoming someone else. It's about becoming more fully, authentically yourself. All right, writers, as we wrap up here, I wanna thank you for spending this time with me today. Until next time, keep writing, keep growing, and be kind to yourself in the process.

[00:12:31] Nicole Meier: If you're craving support in integrating everything we've talked about today, if you want to strengthen your craft without losing the heart of your story, I'd love to walk alongside you through manuscript evaluations, developmental edits, and monthly book coaching. I help writers like you to create stories that feel whole and alive.

[00:12:50] Nicole Meier: You can find all the details@nicolemeier.com or at the link in the show notes. And of course, if you just want to keep learning together, stay tuned for more episodes like this one.

[00:13:06] Nicole Meier: If you want to check out my coaching programs for fiction writers. Visit Nicolemeier.com. That's M-E-I-E-R. And if you like this episode, I'd love you to take a minute to leave a rating and review for this podcast. This will help more writers like you to discover the show and to get going on their writing journey.

[00:13:26] Nicole Meier: Thanks so much for listening. Until next time, happy writing everyone.