Writer Unleashed

 What does it take to become a successful writer?  On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, author and media consultant Simona David and  I unpack the journey and the process.   We explore:  My exploratory approach to early drafts What it means to write what you know What revision can tell us about what our story’s trying to become How to work with and through uncertainty How to draw readers i...

How much backstory is too much? Backstory is one of the trickiest things to get effectively onto the page. Too much of it and your reader loses track, forgets, or even stops caring about what’s happening in your story's present.  In today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll explore the 3 most common missteps writers make about backstory, plus 3 tips to help you write backstory with...

There's a delicate balance between bringing a scene to the dramatic brim, and spilling over the top into melodrama.  On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, I'll share 3 techniques for avoiding melodrama,  plus a writing exercise to bring it all home. We'll explore: The power of restraint  The near-death experience approach to tragedy in story How to  use objects to carry chara...

How do you avoid writing the stock villain?  How do you move beyond the cliche to create a bad guy that surprises us? That goes against the status quo?  On today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll explore 5 ways to create a villain that defies stereotype. We'll discuss: What readers really want from your villain How to explore what's underneath your character's bad acts Better que...

Of all the things I see tripping writers  up, point of view is the most common and persistent. It's one of the most misunderstood elements of writing. It's also one of the most essential things to get right. On today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll explore: 3 common missteps writers make about point of view What point of view is…and what it isn’t.  Why first, second, and third-perso...

97% of writers never finish their book.  And out of that 3% who do finish their books, only 1 to 2 percent of them ever publish.  On today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll break down some of the most common barriers to bringing your story to the finish line,  and how to use brain science to become part of that 3% who finishes the book. 2021, here we come. We'll explore: Why talent is...

Some days you're on fire. Other days, you feel like a dried up spec of dust. With no soul. 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? On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll explore 5 reasons our motivation fizzles out and how to turn it around. We'll talk...

How do we create atmosphere in story in a way that evokes mood, and simultaneously reveals the inner life of your character?  Well, you already know how to do this.   On  today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll talk about what you instinctively know about creating mood and atmosphere, and how to use your instincts to create it on the page.  And we’re going to do a writing exercise at the end of...

You’ve spent months, maybe years writing your story.  So you finally get the courage to send it out into the world - to an agent, a literary magazine, a publisher, or your writer’s group. And then you get a form rejection letter (the worst kind), or feedback from your peers that makes you want to give up the writing life altogether.   How do you bounce back?  On today’s episode of Writer Unleashed...

You can change a character's hair color, geography, age, or gender, but often what inhibits our voice is a concern that we'll offend someone we know. A parent.  A sibling.  A school mate.  So, what do we do?  We whitewash the truth. Or we avoid writing our story altogether.  On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll explore: 3 reasons you need to tell your story Why secrets...

Your voice is your most fundamental creative asset. But how do you access it? How do you let it flourish on the page?  On today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll explore why your voice matters to you --and to your readers. I’ll also give you a writing prompt to invite your voice to come out and play... so have your pen and paper ready. On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll exp...

You have captivating characters, a page-turning plot, gorgeous imagery. But as soon as your characters start speaking, does your story falls flat? Here's the thing. You already know how to write crisp, compelling dialogue. On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll explore 5 things to pay attention to in the conversations around you. This is all instruction for your story dialogu...

What's the number  1 mindset that separates great writers from the novice?  A willingness to embrace uncertainty.  And to not only embrace it but to create, cultivate and dance with it.  On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll explore: How avoiding uncertainty is straitjacketing your writing Why  beneath chaos lies order and harmony The difference between convergent and diverg...

How do we create characters readers believe in? How do we write  beyond stereotype?   On today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll explore 3  ways to create multi-dimensional characters. We'll explore:  Plot-driven versus character-driven stories. The difference between empathy and sympathy. What really drives a reader's connection to your character. How to tap into your own impulses to...

How do we craft an ending that lands with the reader? How do we avoid what author David Jauss calls "the literary equivalent of a faked orgasm?" On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll explore 5 ways to avoid an ending that's too tidy, predictable, or lame.  We'll talk about: Interesting character change over time Why  a change in your reader is more important t...

Is your writing group holding you back? Inhibiting for you? Confusing you? Making you doubt yourself? Or is it supporting you to grow?  On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll explore 4 ways your writing group may be grid-locking you, and the 5 most important things to look for in a writing tribe. 

Or should I just wing it, flying blind? I get this question a LOT. And while there 's no one-size-fits all approach to the creative process, the outline first approach can stifle most writers and gridlock their stories. So why the urge to outline?  An outline is safe. Knowable. Certain. Having that road map should produce our best stories, then, right? Well, not exactly. On today's episo...

Inspiration is a mysterious, mercurial force. Sometimes it shows up, sometimes it doesn’t. But what if we could summon inspiration at will? If each time we sat down to write, we could reach that magic zone where the words flowed freely onto the page? What if there were some particular rituals, or triggers to that special consciousness that guaranteed an unstoppable, no-holds-barred writing session...

How do you nudge your way into a story? How do you generate ideas? Do you start with a childhood memory? A vintage photograph? An overheard conversation? We all have our own way in. And our creative processes are as singular as fingerprints. On today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll explore 4 steps so you can generate story ideas on tap. You'll learn: The art of scratching for a small ide...

I used to live for the rush of that first draft. And dread revision. The more I tried to revise the more lost in the mess of my draft I'd become. That's because I didn't understand what revision was, or how to do it. Fast forward to today. I not only have control over my revision process, it's hands down my favorite part of writing. So, what changed? My misconceptions about the...

In order to nail down a solid, productive writing practice, to reach the level of mastery that ultimately leads to publication, you need to be in a state of flow. But how do we find flow in our writing when we’re not in the mood to write?  And how do we stay in a state of flow?  On today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll talk about: How to anchor yourself in your work so that you can reach and...

Happiness may be great in real life. But it’s fatal in story. Few things numb readers more than characters surrounded by birdsong and puppies who aren’t risking something deeply important. There’s no payoff when everything works out all hunky-dory. Or when the outcome is as simple as a character getting what he wants. Or not. Readers are hungry for danger.  We’re just hardwired that way. We want d...

We want to move our readers emotionally. We want them to feel our character’s joy, pain, and everything in between.  But one of the surest ways to sever the reader’s emotional connection is to be overly direct about how a character feels.  In today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’re going to break down 4 techniques to get the greatest emotional payoff from your scenes.  We'll explore: The b...

A flashback moves readers back in time. It interrupts the flow of the story to catch up on what happened before page 1.  But when writers overuse flashbacks, readers grow impatient. They lose interest in, or even forget, what’s happening in the “now” of the story. Yes, we should explore our story’s past. But at some point in revision, we need to reign the past in. We need to select and shape only...

Time is finite. It’s not a renewable resource. We have so much crammed into our day - our jobs, our kids, our spouses, our homes.  And even if we do find pockets of time to write, we’re flat out stonkered by the time we get to our keyboard. Because, here’s the thing. Writing requires clean focus. We need to be firing on all cylinders. It’s not just about finding the hours to write, it’s the qualit...