Writer Unleashed

Looking for original gift ideas for writers? Want to add some to your own holiday  wish list?  In this episode, I’m sharing 1 0 gifts ideas perfect for writers. Whether you want to find one or two of these under your Christmas tree, or want to gift your favorite writing buddy, you’re sure to find something special in this episode. You'll find all 10 gifts, along with links to purchase by clic...

Overthinking your plot with beats and pinch points? Plot doesn't need to be complex or over-thought to capture your reader.  In fact, when your plot is too complicated, it's likely to confuse and disengage your reader. In this episode, learn how to simplify your plot using 4 core elements . You'll learn:  What plot is, and how it differs from structure 5 common ways plots go off the...

How do you turn good writing into great writing? With stories that engage, thrill, and surprise your reader. That create drama right on the sentence level. How do you keep readers hooked moment by moment? In this episode, I’m giving 3 little known techniques to turn good writing into great writing.    These are techniques I learned from my graduate writing teachers - techniques you likely haven&ap...

What do you do when you want to write, but don't think you have anything to say?  Or you do have something to say, but don't know how to say it.   In this episode, I'll give you 3 powerful writing exercises to help you find your way into your story. These exercises will help unearth material you can open up and use in your fiction or memoir. Use them to start a story, warm up, or ge...

How do you keep writing when you don’t have the motivation to keep going?    How do you recapture the excitement you had when you first started? In this episode, you'll get my 3 top strategies for getting your writing back on track with renewed motivation.  You'll learn: The natural cycle of creativity Why the struggle is necessary How to take a rest from the work without taking a rest f...

It’s November, also known as National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo can be a great jumpstart to a writing project, or to make progress on an existing project. It can help instill a regular writing routine, along with community and support.  But too often writers will start something in NaNoWriMo and never finish. Because after the initial inspiration fades, they lose momentum and drive. In this e...

Having a large cast of characters can overwhelm your readers, especially if the characters are introduced all at once, too many characters crowd a scene, their roles are too similar or just not clear. Readers will struggle to keep track of who’s who, and who they should be paying attention to. This can hinder their engagement with your story. So you want to carefully consider the necessity of each...

How do you write stronger, more structured scenes that excite you and captivate your reader? Each scene is a microcosm of the whole story. It creates an emotional connection to your reader.  But when scenes lack structure and focus, readers don't know what to pay attention to. And they're not much  fun for you to write.  It's all comes down to framing each scene.   In this episode,...

How do you balance character development with the advancement of your plot? How can you develop characters to even execute your plot, unless you first start out with a plot? The answer is, both character and plot are developed in tandem. Every story,  whether it's a thriller, a fantasy,  realistic, literary,  mystery, or science fiction, is in some way about the private inner life of characte...

When we write about what happened, we’re tempted to be bound by what actually occurred. But our memories are not recordings that can be verified. Memory is a construct of the imagination. It’s not reliable. Memory is altered by the life we’ve lived since.  By the life your character has lived since. What a character tells from memory is altered by the present. In this episode, you’ll get a guide t...

The interpersonal dynamics between characters are an essential part of character and plot development.  Drama involves people who interact with and influence others, and who ultimately change as a  result.  In this episode, I’m going to give you 4 ways to think about your characters' relationships so they’re captivating and memorable. You'll also learn how to introduce multiple character...

 Dialogue is one of the trickiest elements to master.  It’s not a complete rendering of the way humans really speak.   It’s shaped, concise, sharp,  and concentrated. It’s an approximation of real life conversation.  We want it to sound real. But without all the boring, tedious, insignificant  parts. In this episode, learn 5 writing exercises to help you master dialogue . Download your free worksh...

How do you write first drafts? Do you outline first and then write the story following that outline? What if outlining just isn't your jam? In this episode, you'll learn a different approach to writing first drafts . And it doesn't require starting with an outline. We'll generate material first. Outline second.  This method isn't just for first drafts. It works at any stag...

There are many ways these days to earn money writing.  And if you enjoy tinkering with words, these 5 will help you earn cash while giving you the time freedom to devote to your novel, memoir, or story collection.  All while sharpening your skills as a wordsmith. In this episode we'll cover: Copywriting Feature Writing Email Marketing Social Media  Writing Contests Episode Webpage Not sure ho...

We want our readers to feel our character’s pain, their joy, and everything in between. But one of the quickest ways to sever the reader’s emotional connection is to be overly direct about how our character feels. In this encore episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll break down 4 ways to evoke an emotional response in readers. We'll explore The biology of emotion. How to blast through the reader’...

In this encore episode , we talk about common plot problems that plague first-time novelists, and how to solve or avoid them completely.   You'll explore how to: Define the central problem driving your protagonist; Build and intensify the action; Move your plot logically from one event to the next; Up the ante on what's at stake, and; End your story in a way that's emotionally satis...

An image paints a picture for readers, giving them a sensory experience. Some images are just meant to be descriptive. They're not insignificant. Nothing in story is.  But they don't carry any particular figurative meaning. Not every image needs to be symbolic.  But some images carry more emotional weight. They represent the meaning of your story.  They're woven into the fabric of y...

You've just received your 10th agent rejection. Or the story that's so vivid in you mind just isn't translating onto the page.  Maybe you're stuck in the murky middle and can't see your way out of it.  How do you push through? In this episode, you'll reframe your relationship to failure ,  glean the lessons from setbacks, and ultimately, write a better story.  Episode...

Should you self publish?  Or traditionally publish? In this episode, we'll weigh the pros and cons of both .  So you can make an informed decision on which publishing path is right for you. We'll cover: What  steps to expect as a traditional author How much time it takes to bring a self-published book vs. a traditionally published book Upfront costs self publishers shouldn't ignore...

The mark of a great story is specificity. And to make your writing pop, you want to bring concrete details into the scene. In last week's episode, we talked about setting a scene in a particular place. And each particular place  - whether it's a room, a yard, or an alley -  will have objects. In this episode, we're going to talk about objects to give your story more muscularity and...

In story, setting is an essential yet often under-used element.  Setting allows for the interaction between characters and their environment, weaving together a vivid world.  In this episode, I’ll share 4 ways to bring vivid, multi-dimensional settings to your scenes. We’ll explore how setting influences character development and gives the reader an immersive experience. So that the setting doesn’...

What undermines an otherwise compelling story?  Poorly written scenes. So, how can you write more captivating, impactful and structured scenes? In this episode, you'll learn 5 essential elements that make a scene , along with an example to illustrate.  We'll cover: What a scene is (and what it's not) The difference between scenes and chapters, and why I recommend writing in scenes f...

How do you write dialogue that doesn’t feel artificial, cliche or dull? How do you use dialogue to create character depth, subtlety and originality?  Conversation that’s not over the top dramatic or overly direct, and yet absolutely riveting. In today’s episode, we’ll go over 3 questions to guide you in writing dialogue that has readers hanging on every word. We'll cover: Why using dialogue t...

Paralyzed by uncertainty during the writing process? In this episode, learn why uncertainty is every great writer's secret weapon. You'll learn why uncertainty is vital to the creative process, and how to court, even intensify uncertainty to write your most riveting work. 

How do you give your characters a distinct, unmistakable voice?  What people say and how they say it is a big part of character development. And each character has a unique way of speaking, thinking, and interacting. In this episode, we'll go over 5 ways to bring your characters' voices to life. To make them distinct, magnetic, believable, and memorable. These elements help bring authent...