Writer Unleashed

Flashbacks need to be handled with craft and intention. Just like any other interruption from the present story, a flashback can kick your reader out of the story.  And that's precisely what we want to avoid. In today's episode, I'm sharing 3 common missteps writers make with flashback, and how to avoid them. We'll explore how to: Reign in overused flashbacks Place flashbacks w...

Bonnie Lykes Bigler is a writer and spoken word performer and host of The Writers' Voice on WIOX 91.3 FM.  In this radio re-broadcast,  we talk all things writing - why we write, what stops us in our tracks  and how to keep writing in the face of rejection, loss of motivation, and writer's  fatigue. We talk about the importance of learning how to read like a writer, and the ship and lear...

Show, don’t tell has got to be the most canned advice bandied about. Yes, you should show. But that doesn’t mean you never tell. Telling does have its place. So the question becomes, when is it better to show rather than tell? In today’s episode, I’ll share the three main ways writers tell when it’s better to show, and how to convert telling into showing.  There's also a quick writing exercis...

 POV is the thing that flummoxes writers the most.  A big part of the confusion is a misguided focus on which person you write from.  But this has virtually nothing to do with POV and  confuses writers more than it helps. So in this episode I’m going to simplify POV for you and distill it into the 3  main things you need to  focus on, so you can develop a strong point of view that gives your story...

You  can engineer a stellar plot line, dream up characters with compelling conflicts — all the broad strokes – but it’s the accumulation of small word choices that keep readers spellbound.  In today's episode, I'm giving you 3 quick editing tips you can apply right now to instantly transform your story. Just by tweaking your verbs.  So grab your WIP and let's  do this together. 

The question isn't whether your story is character driven or plot driven. Or even how to write one or the other. The question is.. How do you integrate character with plot? Because both are inseparable. If one or the other dominates, your story falls apart. On today's episode, I'll share 3 ways to integrate character with plot. We'll cover: The purpose of plot How to keep the p...

 Where are you getting most stuck in your work in progress? The beginning? The end?  Or are you getting stalled in the middle? In this episode, I'm giving you a 3-Act framework to help guide you through the writing process. So that you’re not drowning in your own material, and can finish your story faster and better. If you’re an exploratory writer who finds outlines a buzz kill, this framewo...

Story dialogue is not the same as real-life dialogue. It's shaped with intention, word by word.  Even so, we should pay attention to the nuances and the rhythm of real-life conversations. We want to be looking for the ways people don’t listen to one another. The ways we dance around hard truths. In today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll explore how to bring tension into your dia...

What's the number one mistake writers make with dialogue?  Writing way too much of it. In today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll explore 3 ways to shape compelling dialogue that rings true to your reader. We'll cover: How to avoid dialogue that tells too much  The primary audience you should be writing dialogue for  The single most important thing you need to know about you...

How do you keep writing when you're totally blocked? When you feel like you have utterly nothing to say? In today's episode of  Writer Unleashed, I'll give you a 3-step strategy for breaking through. In today's episode, we'll explore: What writer's block  is What causes it 3 Strategies to unblock yourself

How much backstory does your story need? And how much backstory does your reader need? Learn what backstory is important for you to know as the author, and what backstory belongs on the page. In today's episode, we'll cover: The two things you need to get clear on when it comes to backstory The importance of crafting backstory that adapts to your story  The actor's technique to deve...

The way to engage your readers and keep them absorbed sentence by sentence is to draw them into the tactile world of your story and evoke their sensations. Not the fact that it's raining, as E.L. Doctorow said. But the feeling of being rained upon. So, how do we evoke our readers' sensations? That's what we'll dive into in today's episode. On today's episode of Writer...

Does your story need an antagonist? The short answer is yes. But to avoid the formulaic good vs. bad story, there are deeper questions to unwrap. In today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll explore: Why the standard definition of antagonist may be limiting your story The 2 most important questions to ask when developing antagonists What we mean by conflict A more nuanced and compelling...

Every character you include, no matter how minor, or however brief their appearance, must serve the story you're telling.  Nobody should be in a scene for mere decoration or as a prop.  There are no minor characters.  Every character in your story needs to be made use of or let go of.  In today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll talk about how to craft minor characters who have a major...

What is theme?  And why does it matter to your story?  In today’s episode of  Writer Unleashed, we’ll talk about what theme is, what it isn’t, and how to arrive at yours.  We'll explore: The common definition of theme that's keeping your story on the surface How to avoid off-the-rack themes that  have no impact on readers How to create a useful thematic statement that focuses and unifies...

If your first sentence is a dud, chances are readers won't give you a second chance. In today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll explore 5 elements that will hook your readers from the get-go and keep them wanting more. We'll peek under the hood of some great hook sentences from the masters, and unpack what makes each one irresistible. We'll explore how to: Withhold to c...

Is your plot broken?  First, what is a broken plot?  It's when you start out with one conflict but lose confidence in your ability to move that conflict forward through a series of actions. So you shift to another conflict or even a third. And pretty soon, readers are disoriented because they don't know where to focus. That's because there's more than one story happening. In to...

Just because you're basing characters on real people doesn't make them believable or interesting. It's far more important for your story to work than it is for it to be true. And even when people are portrayed realistically, they still might read as stereotypes. In today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll go over 5 techniques to transform real people into fascinating cha...

Are you a memoir writer? Or a fiction writer? A novelist? Or short story writer? Lots of people have a story to tell. But some are still flying blind after years, even decades of trying to nail down their story and elevate it to a publishable caliber. If that sounds like you,  you may be focusing on the content of your story rather than its form.  And form drives content. On today's episode o...

In the theater of our mind, our story is a multi-dimensional, techno-color, high-def world teeming with life. But inevitably, in our early attempts to transfer that vision onto the page, that world disintegrates. It’s where a lot of writers get lost.  Or stop writing altogether. In today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll explore how writers like Ann Patchett and Ta-Nehisi Coates get p...

It’s a scientific fact: body language speaks volumes about what’s truly in our hearts and minds. And the same is true of your characters.  Facial expressions, mannerisms, gestures, eye movements — non-visual cues, no matter how subtle, divulge what a person may be feeling in any given moment.  It’s one of the best ways to show, don’t tell.  In today’s episode of Writer unleashed, we’ll explore: Ho...

We're all tired of being introduced to characters like the young man in his twenties with jet black hair,  emerald green eyes, and a chiseled jaw. Even if a character looks like that, there are ways to make him more surprising and unforgettable. In today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll break down 3 techniques to write descriptions that bring characters to life. Want to connect...

How do you create characters readers care about? So that the reader can't help but keep reading?  In today's episode of Writer Unleashed, I'll explore  5 common character mistakes and how to avoid them to create characters readers care about.   We'll explore how to: Avoid the stock character Choose one compelling protagonist Complicate your character's desire Raise the sta...

What questions should you ask before you plot your story? Whether you outline every chapter, or write from the hip, on today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, I’ll break down 3 questions you should explore before you outline your plot. We'll explore: What story is Horizontal plots and vertical plots and how they intersect Character Viewpoint - who your story is about Desire and Resistance and ho...

Whether you're a football fan, or not, the Superbowl ads are often storytelling works of art. On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll unwrap 3 storytelling techniques you can swipe from your favorite Superbowl ads and apply to your story right away. We'll explore: The reverse engineering approach to story structure.  How to dramatize conflict early on. How to use a shot s...