Writer Unleashed

You've written chapters, studied craft, maybe tried an outline or three. So why is it still so hard to decide where your story begins, which scenes belong, or what needs to happen in the middle? Often the trouble isn't effort. It's what you've been taught to believe about writing a book. In this episode, I clear up three misconceptions that make finishing harder: that you have...

When your story feels stuck, it's tempting to keep adding things: another scene, more backstory, a new subplot. But often the answer isn't to add more. It's to reconnect with why you're writing this story in the first place.  In this episode, you'll get three questions that lead you back to that reason, and you'll see why it's what keeps you writing from first dr...

Most writers can describe their plot in detail: what happens, in what order, how it ends. Far fewer can describe what their character actually gains, loses, or finally understands by the time the story's over. In this episode, I walk through how plot and character work together: what to ask about a plot event before you decide it belongs, how to tell if your character has changed, and how to...

You've revised your first chapter so many times you could recite it, and it still isn't pulling a reader in. After years of reading first chapters, here's what I've learned: when one works, it's rarely because of the prose. It's because of what's happening underneath it. Today, I walk you through the three things a reader needs from your first chapter, and how to...

You've written the scenes. Your characters are doing things. So why does the middle of your story still feel like quicksand? If your first instinct is to add more, hold that thought. In this episode, I share what actually creates momentum in the middle of a draft, and why the answer may already be on your pages. You’ll learn the questions to ask when your middle starts to feel too big, too sl...

You’ve read the craft books, tried the frameworks, written hundreds of pages, and you still can’t quite see what your story needs. In this episode, I’m talking about what changes when your story finally starts to come into focus, when you can tell what belongs, recognize why something isn’t working, and make decisions without knowing every scene in advance. Because clarity doesn’t mean you’ll neve...

You can Google anything about writing. Ask AI. Read every craft book on the shelf. And still sit down to your own pages and feel exactly as stuck as before. It's not a lack of talent. Or motivation. It's the gap between having a story you're desperate to write and knowing how to write it. This episode is about why that gap is so easy to miss, why the excitement of a new project alwa...

There's no shortage of writing advice out there. Outline everything before you start. Don't outline, you'll kill the magic. Follow a beat sheet. Trust your instincts instead. Structure will flatten your story. Structure will save it. No wonder so many writers second-guess every choice they make. Some writing advice gets handed down as gospel when really it may only apply to certain...

Is the middle of your story really the problem, or is something else going on? If you've ever stared at word forty thousand wondering how you lost your way, you're in the right place. In this episode, I'm sharing why the muddy, messy middle usually isn't where the real trouble starts. It's just where it becomes impossible to ignore. You'll learn the difference between...

If you have a story worth telling and still feel completely lost, you're not behind, and you're not alone. After years of working with first-time novelists and memoir writers across every genre, I've noticed the writers who struggle the most aren't the ones without talent. They're the ones who lean on off-the-shelf beat sheets and outlines instead of trusting their own ins...

You’ve heard “show, don’t tell” a thousand times. But what does it actually mean to show effectively? And when is telling exactly what your story needs? In this episode, we’ll look at common ways writers get showing wrong, what strong showing does, and when telling can deepen a scene or keep your story moving. You’ll learn a more useful way to think about showing and telling - one that gives reade...

Your story has several characters, multiple storylines, and probably some childhood flashbacks that keep sneaking in. And you can't quite answer the question every writer eventually has to face: what is your story about? If you've ever struggled to answer that in one sentence, this episode is for you. I'm walking through why ambitious first drafts get overcrowded, how to find the si...

Ever thought about quitting your draft and starting something new? You're not alone - lots of writers do. But before you abandon your story, listen to this episode first.  Most of the time, the urge to start over isn't really about the story at all. It's one of three specific things, and each one has a way forward that doesn't involve throwing out everything you've built....

Whether you're staring at a blank page or halfway through a draft, overthinking can bring your novel to a standstill. Different symptoms, same root cause: both writers are trying to solve problems they're not ready to solve yet, overthinking to the point of paralysis. In this episode, I share a four-part framework to help you stop chasing certainty and start getting more clarity and dire...

For years I measured my work ethic by how many hours I put in at my desk. I'd arrive, coffee in hand at 7am, break around  Noon for lunch, back at my desk till 6 or 7pm, sometimes later. I thought putting in the time was the thing that would move the needle. It was actually the thing keeping me from doing my best work. In this episode, I share two small, counterintuitive shifts I made to chan...

How much exposition is too much? Should you begin your story with exposition? And how do you write exposition in a way that isn’t excessive, awkward, or dull? In this encore episode, we'll talk about how to write exposition in a way that doesn’t sound like exposition.  We'll cover: What exposition is, and why it's essential; When to begin your story with exposition and when not to T...

Most writers know when their dialogue isn't working. What they don't know is why. In this episode, I'm breaking down the three mistakes that make dialogue read false, and what to do to turn it around. So your reader feels like they're eavesdropping on a private conversation. [00:00:00] Why dialogue feels so hard to write when conversation comes so naturally to us in real life....

If you've been writing your novel or memoir for months, maybe even years, and you still can't seem to cross the finish line, this episode is for you. Because the writers who finish their books don't have more talent, time, or a better story concept. They're separated by how they think about the work while they're inside it. In this episode, I'm breaking down the five...

Every character in your story is living a full, invisible life - not just your protagonist. In this episode, I'm breaking down the three levels of character, why secondary characters so often fade into the background, and what you need to know about every person in your protagonist's orbit before you write them into a scene. Episode Web Page

You think in chapters. You write in chapters. And that might be exactly why revision feels impossible. In this episode, I tackle one of the most universal misconceptions I see in first-time novelists — confusing chapters with scenes. I'll explain why scenes are the real building blocks of your story, what a scene actually does, and how understanding this distinction will help you write a tigh...

Most writers know their opening matters. But knowing it and nailing it are two different things. In this episode, I'm breaking down four real book openings to show you exactly what's working beneath the surface, why it hooks readers, and what you can take from each one into your own story. Episode Web Page

What do you do when writing starts feeling heavy and overwhelming? When it stops being fun? In this encore episode we'll look at what causes these feelings and how to make your writing joyful again.  We'll cover: The number one thought process that's holding you back - and how it shows up in your writing How to reconnect with your personal purpose for writing your story Staying pres...

Your story feels stuck. You've reread the chapters, moved scenes around, added more conflict. But something still isn't working and you can't name what it is. There's a layer underneath every stuck story that most writers never think to examine. It's not your plot. It's not your structure. It's something that has to be true about your protagonist before any of th...

When an antagonist feels like just another plot device, readers sense it -  and disengage. In this episode, I'm sharing three must-have traits that change everything, and why getting this right might be the most important craft decision you make about your story. Episode Web Page

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 encore episode is a love note to mothers.  I share my story, along with what I've learned along the way about how to honor the urge to create while being totally p...