#204. Student Spotlight: Why Overlearning Is Holding You Back: Neroli Lacey’s Journey to Publishing Success

After years of collecting every writing craft book imaginable and studying with renowned editors, Neroli Lacey discovered that too much knowledge was actually keeping her stuck—until she learned to implement instead of accumulate.

Today I'm chatting with Neroli Lacey, author of The Perfumer's Secret (a Pulitzer Prize Finalist, International Book Awards Winner, and National Indie Excellence Award Winner), about how focusing on implementation over information finally helped her transform her messy manuscript into an award-winning Women’s Fiction novel.

In this episode, you'll hear us talk about things like:

• [05:55] Why owning "every craft book imaginable" and studying with top editors still left her with an unfinished novel (and the overwhelm that comes from trying to follow multiple systems at once)
• [07:30] The three foundational shifts that moved Neroli from scattered studying to focused execution—and finally finishing her first draft
• [10:55] Why she chose hybrid publishing over traditional (and what that two-year process actually looked like)
• [13:50] How a self-proclaimed introvert built a 3,000-person newsletter by focusing on book recommendations instead of writing updates
• [22:40] Neroli’s advice for aspiring authors who are working on finishing their first book—"You don't have to know what you're doing—you take the first step and the path appears."

If you've been collecting craft books but struggling to finish your novel, Neroli's story will resonate. Press play to discover why implementation beats accumulation every time!

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Neroli Lacey’s website
• Neroli Lacey on Instagram
• Grab a FREE copy of Neroli’s book here!
• Buy The Perfumer’s Secret by Neroli Lacey
• Sue Campbell for book marketing
• Join the Notes to Novel waitlist

⭐ Follow & Review

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!

Ready to stop overthinking and start writing? Join my LIVE 3-Day Writer Breakthrough Bootcamp and I'll help you go from stuck and overwhelmed to clear, confident, and ready to write your story. Click here to save your spot for just $27!

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.