#228. Student Spotlight: How She Finished Her First Draft in 88 Days (While Working Full-Time) With Poornika Kakkanaiah

Learn how a self-proclaimed perfectionist wrote a 114,000-word first draft in just 88 days—while working full-time and without finding more hours in the day. Poornika didn't have endless hours to write. She had two hours a night after work, some longer weekend sessions, and a chronic illness that sometimes forced her to step away completely. And yet, she finished her novel in 88 days—and went on to sign with her dream agent. In today's episode, I'm sitting down with Poornika Kakkanaiah , a former Notes to Novel student, to talk about what made that kind of progress possible. Spoiler: it wasn't discipline or motivation. It was having a clear roadmap that eliminated decision fatigue and made every writing session count. Poornika shares how she broke free from months of research paralysis, the outlining approach that gave her a scene-by-scene outline she trusted, and why setting a cut-bait date changed everything. If you've ever felt like your day job makes finishing a novel impossible, this conversation will show you otherwise. Here's what we cover: [07:51] Why combining multiple plotting methods created confusion instead of clarity, and what she did instead [10:45] How Poornika built a scene-by-scene outline she trusted—and the cut-bait date that forced her to start drafting [11:27] The three strategies that made it possible to write 114,000 words in 88 days while working full-time [37:50] What it was like to get "the call"—and why signing with her dream agent felt like everything finally clicking into place [40:06] The truth about getting multiple offers of representation (and why one great fit is all you need) If you're craving proof that it's possible to write a novel alongside a demanding job and real-life challenges, Poornika's story will show you exactly what that can look like. 🔗 Links mentioned in this episode: Poornika Kakkanaiah on TikTok Poornika Kakkanaiah on Instagram Get on 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! 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.

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#228. Student Spotlight: How She Finished Her First Draft in 88 Days (While Working Full-Time) With Poornika Kakkanaiah is an episode from Fiction Writing Made Easy by Savannah Gilbo.

This episode is 49:03 long.

This episode was published on Jan 8, 2026.

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