Listen Now

Now that summer's officially here, and with Writer Unleashed reaching it's 3rd year of being on the airwaves, I've done a retrospective of past episodes. And I've curated 7 of the most popular episodes from the past year - everything from how to express character emotion,  to how to avoid common plot problems, to story structure, to how to approach your craft like a published author. Think of this as your summer writing playlist. Episode 100: 5 Common Plot Problems You Can AvoidEpisode 107: How To Write A Short Story In 3 Easy StepsEpisode 108: 3 Things Published Authors Do DifferentlyEpisode 110: 3 Powerful Ways To Show Character EmotionEpisode 118: Before You Outline: 3 Core Foundations To Build FirstEpisode124:  How To Hook Readers In Your Opening ParagraphEpisode 128: 3 Mindset Shifts To Make Your Writing Dream A Reality  Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Description can enrich your story with layers of atmosphere and authenticity that drops the reader inside the world of your story. But sometimes writers assume that in order to create a world for the reader to inhabit, they must pile on loads of details.  You may be writing fantasy, or historical fiction, where the setting is unfamiliar or foreign to the reader.  So, description is necessary. But how much description is the right amount?  When does it become overwhelming to the reader? Too much description, especially when it's wasteful, can bog readers down and make them confused about what what they should pay attention to, and what's mere ornamentation. If you don't select what goes into your description, it will strike the reader as arbitrary or gratuitous. So, the question is...What goes into your descriptions? And what stays out?What's the criteria? In this episode, I'm going to give you four criteria to help you write dazzling descriptions that create vivid, lasting impressions on readers.Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Writers often think they're writing in scene when they're actually writing in summary. So, what is summary? What is scene? And when do you write in one vs. the other? In this episode, I'll break down the crucial difference between scene and summary, and when to write in one or the other.  Learn what moments to reserve for scene and how to blend in summary to enhance your story.  Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

How do mothers balance writing with parenthood? Whether you're a mom of young children, or a single parent holding down a full time job and a full brood, carving out space to write can feel challenging, if not impossible.This episode is a love note to mothers.  I'll share my story, along with what I've learned along the way about how to honor the urge to create while being totally present for our kids. We'll cover how to make time, set the conditions to make your writing happen, and how to ask for support. Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Whatever stage of the writing process you're in, whether you have a finished first draft, or a work in progress... you may be thinking of hiring an editor. But what does an editor actually do?And at what stage do you hire one?In today's episode, I'm breaking down 3 different types of editors to help you decide what's best for you at whatever stage of development you're at. Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

What's an inciting incident, and why does your story need one?In this episode, learn what an inciting incident is, and two types that set your story in motion. We’ll also talk about where in your story to place it, and how to craft your inciting incident to hook your reader. Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Present tense or past tense? How do you decide? What are the advantages of present tense, and when is past tense a better option? In this episode, I’m going to explore the pros and cons of present tense. We'll explore techniques that are much easier to achieve  with past tense.And if the present is your tense of choice, I'll outline 4 limitations to be aware of, so you can overcome them. Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

One of the most important decisions you’re going to make about your story is its point of view. Point of view is also one of the more complex story structures to master.  How do you show what's in other characters' minds when writing in first person, or limited 3rd? And what about omniscience?  In this episode,  I'm going to give you a different understanding of point of view that you probably haven't heard before. You'll learn to control it more, and take advantage of the range available to you whether you're writing in first person, third person limited, or third person omniscient. You'll learn: the primary purpose of point of view; why focusing on which person you write in is limiting your story's point of view, and what to focus on instead; what we mean by omniscience (and why it's not the sole province of third person narrators) and; how to bring a third person narrator more deeply into the mind of your characters Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

A common challenge many writers face is gaining clarity on the story they’re writing and conveying it to readers in a way that compels them to keep reading. Often, there are too many competing story-lines that don't feel integrated. Too many characters whose relevance isn't clear. And then there are random events that don't have a clear story connection.  The story meanders without a point.  This makes the story hard for a reader to follow.  So, the challenge is to nail down who your story's about, what problem your character is trying to solve, what incident catapults him or her into action, and  how he or she goes about solving their story problem.  It's a pretty straightforward framework. And there are 5 parts to it, which we'll break down in today's episode.  So, if you're having trouble finishing your story, if you're getting stalled in the middle, or overwhelmed and lost in your own material, this episode is for you.  Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Does your story need a prologue? Will it hurt your story? Should you remove or rewrite the one you’ve already written? And how do you write a riveting prologue that gives just enough information so we can absorb the rest of your story?Some writers resist writing prologues. They think it's an industry no no. Other writers think it's a requirement.But a common mistake with prologues is writing one which has no substantial relationship to the global story. Which is why publishers dismiss the manuscript without turning the page. That's what makes a prologue a no no. Not the prologue, but the execution of it. Hate them or love them, prologues are sometimes necessary to help readers navigate and enjoy your novel. This episode will help you decide if your story could benefit from a prologue. You'll learn 4 types of prologues and what makes them work. And then you'll get tips for writing a winning prologue. Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

How do you write flashback without overwhelming or interrupting your forward moving story? Can you have too many flashbacks? Is it bad to write a flashback in the first chapter?How do you switch between flashback and present time? In this episode, I'm answering these questions and more.We'll talk about the difference between flashback and backstory. Then we'll talk about some do's and don'ts when writing effective,  resonanting flashback. Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

How do you make your story’s dialogue more realistic without writing too much dialogue? Or extraneous pass the meat and potatoes dialogue?How do you avoid having the dialogue sound stiff or cliche? How do you write dialogue that sounds natural and riveting? Dialogue is one of the trickiest things to master. And it does take practice.  So in today’s episode, I'm flagging  3 common missteps writers make with dialogue, with easy fixes for each.Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

There's an implicit, central dramatic question driving every compelling story. Will Santiago catch a fish? (The Old Man and The Sea)Will Clarice Starling catch Buffalo Bill? (Silence of the Lambs)Did Kya kill Chase? (Where The Crawdads Sing)The trick is drilling down to the essential question your story asks. Because that's what's urging your reader through to the end. In this episode, you'll answer 3 questions to help your drill down to your story's central dramatic question. So grab a pen and paper, and let's do this together. Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

What should your first chapter do?  What does it need to accomplish? And what are common ways writers get their first chapter wrong? In this episode, we'll talk about the primary aims of your first chapter, 5 common mistakes you may be making, and  what to do instead. We'll cover:  What to do with all that back fill; Surprising ways to bring more action into your first chapter while building intensity; How to avoid overloading your first chapter with insignificant  details; How to establish a strong, identifiable point of view, and; Why giving away too much of your plot is deflating the readers' urge to know more, and how to keep  them curious.  Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

What's the one thing stopping writers from bringing their story to the finish line?Fear.Maybe you fear visibility and the expectations and judgements you’ll open yourself up to.   Then there's the fear of rejection. Even if you’re nowhere near ready to submit your story, it weighs on your mind and prevents you from finishing.The idea that after doing all that work, you might face rejection, is stifling. How do you get past that? Maybe you're afraid of putting your book out there. You just keep wanting to do one read-through after another. It's never good enough. Maybe your greatest fear is that you'll let yourself down. In today's episode, we're breaking down 4 common fears that may be keeping you stuck.  Then we'll replace those fears with mindset shifts to get you unstuck. So you can shift your writing from dream to reality. Also Listen To:Episode 108: 3 Things Published Authors Do Differently Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

In this episode, I'm sharing takeaway ideas on the writing craft from 6 Writer Unleashed episodes. I'll share: how to inject conflict and surprise in your opening sentence; the difference between plot and story, and how to integrate both; why desire is the engine of your plot;  show vs. tell, and what to show; what backstory you need to know vs. what your reader needs to know, and; how to connect emotionally with your main character.  Quick Links to Episodes: Episode 73: Beyond The First Draft: 5  Storytelling Techniques For Better Structure Episode 87: Four Writing Myths Holding You Back Episode 90: Four Ways to Master Show, Don’t Tell Episode 50: How Much Backstory Does Your Reader Really Need To Know? Episode 89: What Plotters and Pansters Both Get Wrong About Story Episode 109: Your Top 5 Character Questions Answered Episode Website Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

When it comes to writing memoir, or even autobiographical fiction, writers often stay awake at night worrying about the possibility of being sued. Writing about facts and events of our own lives will inevitably require writing about the private lives of others who were part of our journey.  These are often stories about addiction, abuse, homelessness, or just plain dysfunction. And real people are intertwined with that story. But writers often feel restricted in writing the truth about their story when it involves other people because, what if they sue?In this episode, we'll go over 2 main legal issues to be aware of, and 5 things you can do to avoid litigation. Episode Web Page Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Every story since the beginning of time has involved conflict. Somebody wants something, goes out to get it, and has trouble getting it. That’s what story is in a nutshell. Conflict is essential because it creates narrative tension that keeps your readers invested.But conflict is not just on the plot level. Every scene is a reconstruction of the main conflict. Each scene will contain some adversarial relationship as your character goes after the thing he or she wants.So, to keep readers engaged, you'll want to bring some element of conflict to each scene. But it doesn't have to be epic or high drama. Conflict is not always a fight or a battle.  Even an ordinary exchange can contain conflict. It can be subtle, complex, big or small.  In this episode, learn how to bring conflict to every scene in your story.We'll cover: What we mean by conflict and why high drama does not equal dramatic;  3 common mistakes writers make with conflict; 5 different types of antagonists, and; How to mine story conflict, both big and small, from your everyday life.  Also listen to: Episode 112: 3 Tips For Writing Dynamic Dialogue Episode Web Page Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

How do you write a great introduction for your story? An opening that draws a reader in, establishes the voice of your main character, and whets your reader’s appetite for more? Whether it’s an agent,  publisher, or the person browsing Barnes and Noble, readers will likely make the decision to keep reading based on your opening paragraph.  So, you want to make that initial introduction as enticing as possible. Something the reader hooks into that refuses to let him or  her go. In this episode, learn 4 types of story openings that capture readers' attention and have them wanting more. Episode Web Page Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

How do you  take an idea from its nebulous beginnings and turn it into a story?You may have a feeling about what you want to write, but you don't know where to start. Or, you've already started writing something, but you can't keep it going. Maybe you have an outline, but you're having a hard time getting the words initially on the page.In this episode, learn a 2-step process for generating and developing  writing that's meaningful to you. We'll talk about how to take your raw material, and start to find the focus and structure within it. So you can eventually see the  shape of your story, and produce a finished, powerful piece of writing. This method is ideal for writers who want to write, but don't know how or where to begin. It's for writers who have a constant flow of ideas, but who have trouble harnessing those ideas into a focused, finished story. It's also for writers who want to breathe fresh life into their outline or work-in-progress.  Episode Web Page Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.