Writer Unleashed

Dec 16 2024 223 ep. 20 mins 34
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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.

  Education  Fiction
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#215: 3 Character Foundations To Help Structure Your Story

Dec 16 2024 14 mins  
The most common struggle writers have when writing a novel is structure. Both plotters and pantsers get overwhelmed with the sheer volume of material and ideas they have about their story. Invariably, the story becomes unwieldy and falls apart. When a story breaks down, it's because the underlying foundation isn't strong enough to hold the story up. So in this episode, I'm going to

#214: Why Your Story Matters

Dec 09 2024 18 mins  
Why do we read stories? And why do we write them? We'll uncover the irresistible pull stories have on us, and why your story matters to those who read it. But in order for your story to matter to readers, it must matter to you first. So in this episode, you'll learn that why you write is far more important than what you write. Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded

#213: How To Show The Passage of Time In Your Novel

Dec 02 2024 25 mins  
Keeping your story grounded in time balances the pace of your story and helps readers navigate your character’s journey. But how do you show the passage of time in your novel without jarring, or worse, boring your reader?In this episode, you’ll get clear on the passage of time in your story so you can seamlessly guide the reader as your characters move through time and space.Ep

#212: 5 Great Gifts For Writers

Nov 25 2024 16 mins  
Well, it's officially gift giving season, and your family and friends might be asking, “What do you want for Christmas?” Maybe you have a writer in your life and you want to get something special, and you’re wondering, What would support her? What would help her develop her craft?Maybe you want to buy a gift for yourself. In this episode, I’m sharing 5 great gift ideas for

#211:Cause and Effect: A Character Driven Approach To Plot

Nov 18 2024 12 mins  
Cause and effect is one of the major tenets of a cohesive plot so everything is knit together to shape your story. Every cause leads to an effect. It's often described as a chain reaction. One event leads to another, and another and another. But when we think of cause and effect solely in what happens, we're missing a big piece of the story. When taken at face value, cause and effe

#210: Beneath the Plot: 3 Character Secrets Driving Your Story

Nov 11 2024 15 mins  
How do you build character into the structure of your story? What's the story beneath the plot?Structure alone won't create the energy and momentum a story thrives on. There's the story underneath driving the plot, and that's all about character.In this episode, I'll reveal 3 secrets about your character that will help you build momentum right into the structure of your story.Episo

#209: Unpredictable: 4 Ways To Keep Readers Guessing

Nov 04 2024 20 mins  
Predictability may keep us feeling certain and safe in real life. But it's fatal in story. You never want the reader to see what's coming next. Once the reader can predict how the plot will unfold - when there's nothing to wonder about, worry about, guess, or infer - there's no reason to read any further. So you want to stay one step ahead of your reader, and in most cases, one ste

#208: Beyond Archetype: How To Write A Fascinating Villain

Oct 28 2024 18 mins  
How do you write beyond the stock, archetypical villain? ? How do you make him or her believable and intriguing?How do you surprise us?In this episode, I'm sharing 3 ways to make your villain multi-dimensional and complex, even if he or she's downright evil. You'll learn how to write a villain who fascinates. Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need insp

#207: 5 Questions To Nail Down Your Central Story Idea

Oct 21 2024 20 mins  
If I were to ask you what is your story’s central idea, could you sum it up in a few sentences?A big challenge many writers face is keeping their story focused on one single driving point, let alone articulate it.When there’s no central focal point, readers get lost, confused, frustrated and bored. They stop reading.In today’s episode, I’ll give you 5 quick questions to hel

#206: 3 Tips For Writing In First-Person

Oct 14 2024 20 mins  
First-person often feels like the natural choice when writing a story. But first-person comes with its own set of challenges and limitations. Sometimes first-person characters merely report the action without interesting contrasts between that character's version of the story's events, and what might also be true. In this episode, I'm sharing 3 tips for writing in first-person. You