Writer Unleashed

In this episode, you're going to go beneath the surface of your characters. We'll go 4 levels deep, starting on the surface, and moving a level deeper until we get to your character's truest self. The self he's trying so hard to hide, suppress, and protect.  This will bring multi-dimension, complexity, and believability to your characters. Even if your reader doesn't relat...

What exactly is writer's voice? How do you access yours, and how do you express it on the page? In this episode, I'll give you 4 ways to give your voice more presence and purpose in your stories. We'll talk about: What we mean by writer's voice The difference between character voice and writer's voice Common ways writers struggle with and silence their voice, and  4 tips,...

You’ve just finished the first draft of your novel, memoir or short story, and now you're seeking beta readers. A beta reader is a test reader or a group of test readers of your unpublished work. Ideally, your beta reader gives feedback from the point of view of an average reader.  But how do you go about finding them? What should you look for? What should you avoid?  And what are some tips t...

Now that summer's officially here, and with Writer Unleashed reaching it's 3rd year of being on the airwaves, I've done a retrospective of past episodes. And I've curated 7 of the most popular episodes from the past year - everything from how to express character emotion,  to how to avoid common plot problems, to story structure, to how to approach your craft like a published a...

Description can enrich your story with layers of atmosphere and authenticity that drops the reader inside the world of your story. But sometimes writers assume that in order to create a world for the reader to inhabit, they must pile on loads of details.  You may be writing fantasy, or historical fiction, where the setting is unfamiliar or foreign to the reader.  So, description is necessary. But...

Writers often think they're writing in scene when they're actually writing in summary. So, what is summary? What is scene? And when do you write in one vs. the other?  In this episode, I'll break down the crucial difference between scene and summary.   You'll learn what moments to reserve for scene and how to blend in summary to enhance your story.  Episode Website

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

Whatever stage of the writing process you're in, whether you have a finished first draft, or a work in progress... you may be thinking of hiring an editor. But what does an editor actually do? And at what stage do you hire one? In today's episode, I'm breaking down 3 different types of editors to help you decide what's best for you at whatever stage of development you're a...

What's an inciting incident, and why does your story need one? In this episode, learn what an inciting incident is, and two types that set your story in motion. We’ll also talk about where in your story to place it, and how to craft your inciting incident to hook your reader. Episode Website

Present tense or past tense? How do you decide? What are the advantages of present tense, and when is past tense a better option? In this episode, I’m going to explore the pros and cons of present tense. We'll explore techniques that are much easier to achieve  with past tense. And if the present is your tense of choice, I'll outline 4 limitations to be aware of, so you can overcome them...

One of the most important decisions you’re going to make about your story is its point of view. Point of view is also one of the more complex story structures to master.  How do you show what's in other characters' minds when writing in first person, or limited 3rd? And what about omniscience?  In this episode,  I'm going to give you a different understanding of point of view that y...

A common challenge many writers face is gaining clarity on the story they’re writing and conveying it to readers in a way that compels them to keep reading. Often, there are too many competing story-lines that don't feel integrated. Too many characters whose relevance isn't clear. And then there are random events that don't have a clear story connection.  The story meanders without...

Does your story need a prologue? Will it hurt your story? Should you remove or rewrite the one you’ve already written? And how do you write a riveting prologue that gives just enough information so we can absorb the rest of your story? Some writers resist writing prologues. They think it's an industry no no. Other writers think it's a requirement. But a common mistake with prologues is w...

How do you write flashback without overwhelming or interrupting your forward moving story?  Can you have too many flashbacks? Is it bad to write a flashback in the first chapter? How do you switch between flashback and present time? In this episode, I'm answering these questions and more. We'll talk about the difference between flashback and backstory. Then we'll talk about some do&...

How do you make your story’s dialogue more realistic without writing too much dialogue? Or extraneous pass the meat and potatoes dialogue? How do you avoid having the dialogue sound stiff or cliche? How do you write dialogue that sounds natural and riveting?  Dialogue is one of the trickiest things to master. And it does take practice.  So in today’s episode, I'm flagging  3 common missteps w...

There's an implicit, central dramatic question driving every compelling story. Will Santiago catch a fish? (The Old Man and The Sea) Will Clarice Starling catch Buffalo Bill? (Silence of the Lambs) Did Kya kill Chase? (Where The Crawdads Sing) The trick is drilling down to the essential question your story asks. Because that's what's urging your reader through to the end. In this ep...

What should your first chapter do?  What does it need to accomplish? And what are common ways writers get their first chapter wrong? In this episode, we'll talk about the primary aims of your first chapter, 5 common mistakes you may be making, and  what to do instead. We'll cover:  What to do with all that back fill; Surprising ways to bring more action into your first chapter while buil...

What's the one thing stopping writers from bringing their story to the finish line? Fear. Maybe you fear visibility and the expectations and judgements you’ll open yourself up to.   Then there's the fear of rejection. Even if you’re nowhere near ready to submit your story, it weighs on your mind and prevents you from finishing. The idea that after doing all that work, you might face reje...

In this episode, I'm sharing takeaway ideas on the writing craft from 6 Writer Unleashed episodes. I'll share: how to inject conflict and surprise in your opening sentence; the difference between plot and story, and how to integrate both; why desire is the engine of your plot;  show vs. tell, and what to show; what backstory you need to know vs. what your reader needs to know, and; how t...

When it comes to writing memoir, or even autobiographical fiction, writers often stay awake at night worrying about the possibility of being sued. Writing about facts and events of our own lives will inevitably require writing about the private lives of others who were part of our journey.  These are often stories about addiction, abuse, homelessness, or just plain dysfunction. And real people are...

Every story since the beginning of time has involved conflict.  Somebody wants something, goes out to get it, and has trouble getting it. That’s what story is in a nutshell. Conflict is essential because it creates narrative tension that keeps your readers invested. But conflict is not just on the plot level. Every scene is a reconstruction of the main conflict. Each scene will contain some advers...

How do you write a great introduction for your story? An opening that draws a reader in, establishes the voice of your main character, and whets your reader’s appetite for more?  Whether it’s an agent,  publisher, or the person browsing Barnes and Noble, readers will likely make the decision to keep reading based on your opening paragraph.  So, you want to make that initial introduction as enticin...

How do you  take an idea from its nebulous beginnings and turn it into a story? You may have a feeling about what you want to write, but you don't know where to start. Or, you've already started writing something, but you can't keep it going. Maybe you have an outline, but you're having a hard time getting the words initially on the page. In this episode, learn a 2-step process...

 It's a new year.  Fresh start.  Clean slate. So, let's talk about  promises we make to ourselves. Write more consistently. Finish the book. Publish the book. Sell x amount of copies. Maybe you just want to start writing the story that's been in your head for the longest time. But how do we keep the fire burning so we achieve those goals, or even surpass them? In this episode, we&ap...

First-person is a highly versatile point of view. And there's always an implied audience. In today's episode, we'll explore 3 varieties of first-person narration, with a focus on who the first-person character is addressing.  We'll cover: Interior Monologue; Dramatic Monologue, and; Subjective First-Person We’ll also cover what makes a first-person narrator more unreliable than...