Writer Unleashed
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Writer Unleashed
Writer Unleashed is a weekly podcast for fiction and memoir writers. It's a deep dive into story techniques, writing craft, and the mindsets that help you write with unstoppable momentum and create stories readers can't put down.
Episodis Recents
273 episodis
#263: Why You Can't Finish Your First Draft (and the Simple Shift To Get It Done)
Can't finish your first draft? Perfecting your outline for months? Staring at a blank page afraid you'll write something bad? These look like differen...
#262: Finding the Story in Your Rough Draft (Even When It’s a Mess)
You have material - notes, scenes, a rough draft. But you can't quite see the story yet. In this episode, I'll show you four simple questions to help...
#261: 3 Pacing Mistakes That Kill Your Opening
You've revised your opening five times. Cut hundreds of words. Tightened every sentence. But readers still lose interest before they finish Chapter On...
#260: When Life Gets Busy: Staying Connected to Your Writing
When life ramps up, writing is usually the first thing to slip through the cracks. Deadlines, family demands, celebrations, travel, and the general De...
#259: When Your Story Feels Too Big to Finish: 4 Ways To Work Through Overwhelm
Feeling like your work-in-progress is spiraling out of control? You're not alone. This episode tackles that overwhelming moment when your story feels...
#258: The First Read of Your First Draft: What to Look For and What to Ignore
Your first read-through of a first draft can feel like stepping into unknown territory. You’re excited to see what you made, but you’re also bracing f...
#257: How to Weave Multiple Storylines Into One Cohesive Story
If your novel or memoir juggles multiple storylines—different timelines, narrators, or settings—you might wonder how to keep it all cohesive. In this...
#256: Character-Driven vs. Plot-Driven: Finding Your Story's Natural Balance
What's the difference between a character-driven story and a plot-driven story? And how do you know which one you're writing? In this episode, I expla...
#255: From Idea to Page: 5 Steps to Start Writing
Got a story idea but don't know where to begin? You're not alone. Many writers either freeze at "Chapter One" or spend months planning without ever dr...
#254: 3 Ways To Create Page-Turning Suspense in Any Genre
Suspense isn't just for thrillers—it's what makes readers unable to put down any story, from memoir to fantasy to romance. In this episode, you'll lea...
#253: Whose Story Is It? Making Sense of Multiple POVs
Writing a story with multiple POVs? In this episode, we’ll unpack how to keep your narrative focused, decide which characters need full arcs, and make...
#252: Memoir vs. Fiction: The Key Differences (and Surprising Similarities)
Memoir is true, fiction is made up - but how does that change your actual storytelling? In this episode, I break down the key differences between memo...
#251: Why Story Structure Has You Stuck (and How to Fix It)
If you’ve been wrestling with story structure, this episode will help you see it differently. Learn what’s really keeping you stuck and how to finally...
#250: The Messy Middle: Why Drafts Lose Steam (and How to Revive Yours)
If you’ve ever hit that point in your draft where the words feel heavy, the story starts to wander, and your momentum disappears—you’ve landed in the...
#249: 5 Reasons You're Still Not Finished With Your Novel
If your novel or memoir keeps stalling out, it’s not about talent or discipline. Chances are, something else is getting in your way. This episode unco...
#248: First Impressions Matter: Introducing Your Protagonist the Right Way
Your protagonist’s first appearance can make or break your story. That opening impression tells your reader whether they should lean in, or move on.
#247: When You're Lost In The Mess Of Your Draft: How To Get Back On Track
Every writer hits that moment mid-draft where the story feels too big, too messy, too unclear. But getting lost in the middle of a draft doesn’t mean...
#246: The 9-to-5 Novelist: Why Your Day Job Might Be Your Secret Weapon
Most writers dream of quitting their jobs to write full-time. But here’s the twist: many of the greatest authors did their best work while juggling da...
#245: When Great Story Ideas Fizzle Out (and How to Prevent It)
Most story ideas that excite you at 2 AM seem paper-thin by Thursday afternoon. Here's the truth: your idea probably isn't too small, you just haven't...
#244: 4 Strategies to Finally Finish the Story You Start
Do you have a folder full of half-finished drafts? You’re not alone. Almost every writer has started a story with excitement, only to abandon it when...
#243: What If I’m Not Good Enough? A Pep Talk for New Writers
Every writer wrestles with doubt from time to time. But if you don’t know how to handle it, that doubt can stall your story for months or even years....
#242: Writing Backstory: 3 Game-Changing Tips
Backstory often gets blamed for slowing a story down. Writers are told to cut it, sprinkle it lightly, or avoid it altogether.
But here’s the tr...
#241: 3 Ways To Write A Hook-Worthy First Sentence
Your opening line is your reader’s first invitation into your story, so it has to do more than just start the book. It has to hook. In this episode,...
#240: 4 Powerful Ways To Show Character Change
We don’t just read stories to find out what happens. We read to witness who a character becomes.
So how do you show that change? Not by stating...
#239: 3 Quick Tips For Writing Stronger Dialogue
When dialogue works, it feels alive. It's charged with tension. It reveals character, drives the plot, and leaves space for the reader to lean in and...
#238: What To Do When Feedback Shakes Your Confidence
You’ve finally shared your pages with someone. Maybe it was a critique partner, a writing group, an editor, or beta reader. You were nervous, but hope...
#237: 3 Writing Myths That Might Be Holding You Back
There’s a lot of writing advice out there, but not all of it serves you. In this episode, we’re unpacking 3 common writing myths that might be slowing...
#236: From Chaos To Clarity: How To Make Sense Of Your Messy Draft
Writing your first novel can feel like dumping 1000 puzzle pieces onto the floor without the picture on the box to guide you. You've got characters, s...
#235: Why You’re Stuck At Chapter One (And How to Finally Move Forward)
Struggling to get past chapter one, even with a solid outline and a great idea? In this episode, we unpack why starting your novel feels so hard, what...
#234: 5 Big First Chapter Mistakes (and How To Avoid Them)
In this episode, we’re zeroing in on one of the most important (and most rewritten) parts of your novel: the first chapter.
A strong first chapt...
# 233: 3 Essential Elements That Make A Scene
You’ve written pages. Maybe even chapters. But your scenes still aren’t landing the way you imagined. The pacing drags. The tension fizzles. And you’r...
#232: Mental Fitness For Writers
Writing a book isn’t just a creative act—it’s a mental marathon. And if you’ve ever found yourself stuck in self-doubt, overwhelmed by the blank page,...
#231: 5 Ways to Bring Your Character’s Interior World Onto the Page
You've got an exciting plot. Compelling characters. And the action is moving along at a crisp pace. But something still feels flat. Chances are, your...
# 230: Getting Out Of a Writing Slump (Without Forcing It)
Stuck in a writing slump? You’re not alone.
In this episode, we’re talking about those hard, heavy moments when the words won’t come, your story...
#229: 5 Ways To End Your Story
You’ve built your character's world and raised the stakes. But how do you end your story in a way that feels true and unforgettable?
In this epi...
#228: 3 Powerful Ways To Open Your Story
Among the most important (and intimidating) decisions you'll make as a writer is how to begin your story. That opening moment sets the tone, establish...
#227: Say Less, Mean More: The Secret to Writing Great Dialogue
Writing dialog can feel deceptively simple. After all, it's just people talking, right? But in far too many stories, characters are recapping the plot...
#226: Writing Your Story Setting: 4 Essential Techniques
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...
#225: From First To Final Draft: 3 Phases Of Revision
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 a...
#224: Then vs. Now: The Key To Writing A Strong Retrospective Voice
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 –...