Writer Unleashed

Writing your story setting requires more than just pretty language, and does so much more than provide the physical setting. It anchors the reader in time and place while immersing them in a tactile sensory experience in every scene.  In this episode, I'm going to give you 4 essential techniques for writing your story setting.   You'll learn how to craft your settings selectively and wit...

Revising a first draft can feel overwhelming. Where do you start? What do you cut? How do you keep your original vision alive How do you take all the moving parts and refine it into a more coherent, effective whole?  In this episode, I’ll guide you through the three key phases of revision —and give you practical tips to help you shape your messy draft into a strong, finished story. Episode Website

Retrospective narrators have the power to tell your story with both raw immediacy and hard earned wisdom. This narrator doesn’t just recall the past – he or she reinterprets it. What makes it tricky is that you’re not just telling the story of what happened . You’re telling it through two lenses : The younger self who lived it. And the older self who looks back with reflection, wisdom, and maybe e...

There’s something captivating about seeing a story unfold through a child’s perspective. Child narrators strip away the layers of adult logic, cynicism and pretense, revealing raw wonder, confusion or even unexpected wisdom. But writing from a child’s perspective is deceptively difficult. Writers often fall into traps, making the child sound too innocent, too passive, or one dimensional. So in tod...

The unreliable narrator is one of the most powerful storytelling techniques. Whether you're writing in first-person or third, an unreliable narrator compels readers to interpret what's happening, looking for clues that reveal the truth beyond the narrator's perspective. And this keeps readers hooked into your story until the very last page. In this episode, I'm going to share 4...

First person narration puts readers directly into a character's head, creating an intimate and immediate experience. This perspective allows for deep emotional connection and personal stakes. But it also comes with unique challenges. In this episode, I'm going to share 4 common pitfalls when writing in first person and how to avoid them . Episode Website

Your opening scenes are valuable real estate. You don't want to squander them on anything mundane or extraneous. Many writers start way too early in the story, often giving the everyday details of their character's life. Or they spend too much time introducing the character's world and not launching him or her into the action soon enough. And then the reader is left wondering where...

Ever wish you could expand time and give more energy to your writing? In this episode, you'll learn about two types of time - one that restricts time and one that expands time. We'll also talk about how to manage common distractions, and what it really takes to stay motivated for the long game. Episode Website

When is it a good idea to write from multiple points of view, rather than one point of view? And how do you do it? In this episode, I'll cover 4 reasons to use multiple points of view, how to write them, and common pitfalls to avoid. Episode Website

What do you do when you're stuck in a scene, or you know the scene isn't working, and you just don't know why or how to move the scene forward?  In this episode, we'll go over three reasons your scenes are stalling and what to do instead.  Episode Website

Now that we're in a brand new year, it's a good time to reflect on what worked in the past year, what didn't work, and most importantly, what we can do differently to move the needle forward in 2025. Time is a precious resource, so we don't want to squander it spinning in the wrong direction again and again only to keep getting stuck. So in this episode, I'm going to share...

You’ve lost motivation and may even have stopped writing altogether. So how do you get your mojo back so you can bring your work in progress to the finish line? In this throwback episode, we'll explore 5 reasons our motivation fizzles out and how to turn it around. We'll talk about:  the power of having a safe, judgement-free community  what social scientists have discovered about what r...

Getting results in our writing is great. But a result-oriented mindset can hinder creativity and authenticity. In this throwback episode , you'll learn how to evaluate your work based on 2 important qualities: presence and truth. This is all about your emotional connection and belief in your story. It's a more transformational approach that values the ongoing journey, and the evolving re...

The most common struggle writers have when writing a novel is structure. Both plotters and pantsers get overwhelmed with the sheer volume of material and ideas they have about their story. Invariably, the story becomes unwieldy and falls apart. When a story breaks down, it's because the underlying foundation isn't strong enough to hold the story up. So in this episode, I'm going to...

Why do we read stories? And why do we write them? We'll uncover the irresistible pull stories have on us, and why your story matters to those who read it. But in order for your story to matter to readers, it must matter to you first. So in this episode, you'll learn that why you write is far more important than what you write. Episode Website

Keeping your story grounded in time balances the pace of your story and helps readers navigate your character’s journey. But how do you show the passage of time in your novel without jarring, or worse, boring your reader? In this episode, you’ll get clear on the passage of time in your story so you can seamlessly guide the reader as your characters move through time and space. Episode Website Not...

Well, it's officially gift giving season, and your family and friends might be asking, “What do you want for Christmas?”  Maybe you have a writer in your life and you want to get something special, and you’re wondering, What would support her? What would help her develop her craft? Maybe you want to buy a gift for yourself.  In this episode, I’m sharing 5 great gift ideas for writers . I have...

Cause and effect is one of the major tenets of a cohesive plot so everything is knit together to shape your story. Every cause leads to an effect. It's often described as a chain reaction. One event leads to another, and another and another. But when we think of cause and effect solely in what happens, we're missing a big piece of the story.  When taken at face value, cause and effect ca...

How do you build character into the structure of your story? What's the story beneath the plot? Structure alone won't create the energy and  momentum a story thrives on. There's the story underneath driving the plot, and that's all about character. In this episode, I'll reveal 3 secrets about your character that will help you build momentum right into the structure of your...

Predictability may keep us feeling certain and safe in real life. But it's fatal in story.   You never want the reader to see what's coming next. Once the reader can predict how the plot will unfold -  when there's nothing to wonder about, worry about, guess, or infer - there's no reason to read any further. So you want to stay one step ahead of your reader, and in most cases,...

How do you write beyond the stock, archetypical villain? ? How do you make him or her believable and intriguing? How do you surprise us? In this episode, I'm sharing 3 ways to make your villain multi-dimensional and complex, even if he or she's downright evil. You'll learn how to write a villain who fascinates. Episode Website

If I were to ask you what is your story’s central idea, could you sum it up in a few sentences? A big challenge many writers face is keeping their story focused on one single driving point, let alone articulate it. When there’s no central focal point, readers get lost, confused, frustrated and bored. They stop reading. In today’s episode, I’ll give you 5 quick questions to help you get clear and f...

First-person often feels like the natural choice when writing a story. But first-person comes with its own set of challenges and limitations. Sometimes first-person characters merely report the action without interesting contrasts between that character's version of the story's events, and what might also be true. In this episode, I'm sharing 3 tips for writing in first-person. You&...

When reading fiction or a memoir, a reader's brain actively simulates the experience of the characters. The reader becomes so absorbed in the story, they experience it as though it's true. They believe in it. But before a reader can believe in your story, you have to believe in it first. In this episode, I'm sharing 3 pathways to building belief in your story. So readers believe in...

What is an anti-hero and why do they fascinate us? How do they keep us invested in their plight scene after scene, even as they do immoral, criminal, or deplorable things? In this episode, we'll talk about different anti-heroes from film and fiction, and I'll share 4 ways to write an anti-hero with complexity, magnetism, and unforgettable appeal. Episode Website