The Write It Scared Podcast

The podcast is on summer break, so please enjoy this vault favorite!  And don't forget to submit a Courage File for a chance to be featured on the show and win a free editorial assessment and book coaching session in Fall 2026! SUBMIT TO THE COURAGE FILES Are you procrastinating when you want to be writing your novel?  You are not alone and we can fix it!  Join me on the Write It Scared podca...

Submit your writing win to the Courage Files for Season 4!   In this season finale, the host, Stacy Frazer, shares a deeply personal writing update and reflects on what happens when life interrupts creativity. This episode explores anticipatory grief, uncertainty, creative numbness, and what courage looks like when you can't find your way forward.  Stacy also shares plans for the podcast&apos...

Submit your writing win to the Courage Files for Season 4! What keeps a writer going through fifteen years of rewrites, rejection, and uncertainty? Middle-grade author Sara F. Shacter joins me to talk about the long journey behind her debut novel, Georgia Watson and the 99% Campaign, and how revision became less about “fixing” the story and more about uncovering its emotional heart. We discuss res...

 Submit Your Writing Win to the Courage Files for Season 4!   Can we find more play in writing by lowering the stakes? This episode explores how perfectionism, pressure, productivity culture, and the need to “get it right” can slowly drain the joy out of creativity. I talk about where play naturally exists in the writing process—daydreaming, brainstorming, messy drafting—and why reconnecting with...

Submit to Season 4 Courage Files Here!   What happens after the book is finally out in the world—and all the noise starts creeping in?  In this conversation, indie MM romance author Alex Cross joins me to talk about emotionally intense storytelling, publishing pressure, writer’s block, and the challenge of protecting your creativity once readers, reviews, and big expectations enter the picture. We...

Submit to Season 4 Courage Files Here   What does it take to keep believing in a story through rejection, rewrites, and years of uncertainty? Middle grade author Shafaq Khan joins me to talk about her debut novel, Zaina: Lost and Found , a historical adventure inspired by the real-life Hippie Trail through Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey in the 1970s. We discuss balancing research with fas...

Submit to Season 4 Courage Files Here! What if the answer isn’t forcing yourself or your story harder… but trusting the process a little longer? In this episode, I talk with author and book coach Andromeda Romano-Lax about her latest psychological thriller, What Boys Learn , the messy reality of revision, and why stepping away from a draft can sometimes be exactly what your story needs. We also di...

Submit to Season 4 Courage Files Here!  Ever hit that point in drafting or revision where you’re not sure what should happen next?  You might know the next big plot point, but the how-to-get-there part… that’s the problem.  In this solo episode of the Write It Scared podcast, I break down why the answer usually isn’t inventing a brand-new conflict. More often, the next scene is already hidden insi...

What if your growth as a writer isn’t supposed to be neat or linear? Who says it can't be chaotic as hell?  AK Nevermore, author of more than 20 titles, returns to talk about messy growth, genre-hopping, indie publishing, and learning craft by doing. We dig into fear, doubt, and even spite as creative fuel, plus why not every piece of feedback deserves your attention. If you’ve ever felt like...

Submit to the Courage Files  Are you worried if you’re making the right moves in your author career (ads, audio, direct sales… all of it)?  This episode will help you take a breath and zoom out. I’m joined by returning guest Becca Syme to talk about how publishing has changed—and why so many writers are making decisions from pressure, fear, or misread data. We dig into insights from her new book,...

SHARE YOUR COURAGEOUS WRITING MOMENT to the Courage Files for Season 4 and Win a Free Edit   What happens when the dream you’ve carried for years starts to feel too heavy? Author and performer Emmy McGuire joins me to talk about the long road to her debut thriller, No One Aboard —a chilling mystery about a family and crew vanishing at sea—and what it took to keep going through rejection, burnout,...

SHARE YOUR COURAGEOUS WRITING MOMENT   SUPPORT THE PODCAST We made it to Episode 100!  And we are celebrating with a brand-new segment to the podcast called the Courage Files , which will launch in Season 4 (September 2026)  This new segment is all about your writing wins—big, small, messy, hard-won, or quietly brave—because one of the most powerful antidotes to doubt is hearing that other writers...

We’ve reached the end of the first quarter of the year, and this is a perfect moment to pause and ask a far more useful question than “What did I accomplish?” Is the way I’m approaching my writing actually working for me right now? In this short solo episode, I share a gentle, guilt-free Q1 reset and reflection questions to help you course-correct, plus a behind-the-scenes look at my own writing p...

Want to write fear that actually gets under a reader’s skin—not just jump scares on the page? Start with what unsettles you. Horror and thriller author Nicole M. Wolverton joins me to discuss why discomfort can be more powerful than terror, how writing from your own fears creates unforgettable stories, and why horror can be deeply empowering during difficult times.  Nicole is also very candid abou...

Writing can be hard, lonely work. Talking about the struggle can release pressure and help you get back to the page—but only if you’re sharing with the right people. I talk about why feelings aren’t facts, how isolation keeps writers stuck, and how to build a small circle of writing trust that you can lean into when you feel stuck. Timestamps  00:00 Writing Struggle + Isolation  01:44 Listener Que...

 If you’ve ever told yourself you’re lazy, undisciplined, or just “bad at finishing,” this episode might reframe everything. In this episode of the Write It Scared podcast, I talk with book coach and editor Nicole Bross about how ADHD impacts a writer’s mindset, motivation, and process—especially for those diagnosed later in life. We unpack the shame spiral so many writers fall into, why tradition...

If you’re querying—or even thinking about it—this episode is going to change how you approach your pitch. In this episode of the Write It Scared podcast, I sit down with literary agent and author Ann Rose to talk about what actually makes a query stand out. (Spoiler: it doesn’t have to be perfect. It has to be clear.) We dig into hook, stakes, market realities, why “Dexter meets Legally Blonde” wo...

What do you do after 197 rejections … for the same book? Well, if you’re author Carmela Dutra, you keep going. In this episode, Carmela shares the real story behind her debut cozy mystery, A Murder Most Foul —from querying too soon and rewriting extensively to finding the right agent after nearly 200 nos. We talk about saggy middles, tense slips, brutal feedback, and what it takes to rebuild a man...

 Blog Post on Stakes with Examples  If your story feels flat or like it’s not going anywhere, check your stakes! Today, we break down what stakes really are, why “just make it worse” isn’t helpful advice, and how to create meaningful consequences for your characters that keep readers emotionally invested. We’ll talk personal, relational, and thematic stakes—and how to pressure-test them so your st...

What does it really take to build a successful novel?  Kate Broad discusses leaving her romance author career to write literary fiction and how her debut novel, Greenwich, required multiple drafts and rewrites.  She shares what it's like to scrap early drafts, rebuild the story from the ground up, write complex characters that are hard to like, and what she tells herself when the writing feel...

How do you write a sex scene that readers actually read and not just skim?  That’s what today’s episode is all about!  Author Accelerator certified book coaches Stacy Frazer and Jennifer Larkin team up for an honest conversation about writing sex in fiction—without cringe. Stacy and Jen discuss when sex scenes belong in a story, how explicit they need to be, and how to write intimacy that deepens...

Self-publishing isn’t a shortcut nor a consolation prize. It’s a publishing model that works well for some writers and not at all for others. Today, I’m joined by Libby Waterford, a prolific romance author and self-publishing educator with more than twenty books published across pen names. We break down what self-publishing actually involves: the costs writers don’t always anticipate, the level of...

“What does my character want?” Sounds like a simple question—until it isn’t.  If you’ve ever struggled to figure out the difference between your character's wants and needs, been confused by the language of conscious goals and unconscious goals or desires, this episode is for you!  Today, we simplify things so you never get confused again!   We look at how goals create momentum on the page to...

There’s a persistent myth that if writing feels hard, you’re doing it wrong.  This conversation with debut novelist Charlene Wang gently dismantles that idea. We talk honestly about messy drafts, perfectionism, long revision timelines, and the quiet persistence it takes to keep going when doubt creeps in. Charlene shares her path to publishing I'll Follow You , including years of revision, mi...

What happens when you stop trying to make your story palatable—and start making it true ? Today, I'm joined by author Ivette Diaz for a powerful conversation about writing hopeful dystopian stories, the importance of representation on the page, and choosing integrity over marketability. We talk about writing through hard seasons, navigating self-doubt, and why community—not competition—is wha...