Writer Unleashed

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's really behind the block, and how to take the first imperfect steps forward. Episode Web Pagehttps://nancipanuccio.com/guide/Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 chapter doesn't need to be long or dramatic, but it does need to hook the reader, ground them in the world of the story, and raise a question they're eager to follow.If you've ever found yourself stuck on your opening pages, rewriting again and again, wondering if it's working, this episode will help you identify and avoid common problems, and more important, revise your first chapter so that it hooks and holds your reader. In this episode, we'll break down:5 of the most common first chapter fails, and what to do insteadKey questions to ask when revising your openingHow to avoid overwhelming the reader and keep them engaged page after pageIdeal first-chapter length ranges for different genres, and what matters more than word countEpisode Web Pagehttps://nancipanuccio.com/guide/Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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're not sure why.In this episode, we're diving into the 3 essential elements that make a scene work. So your story doesn't just move forward, but pulls the reader in and keeps them hooked moment by moment.If your scenes feel a little off, or you're not sure they're doing enough, this is your go-to guide. You'll also get a practical checklist to pressure-test your scenes as you write and revise.Episode Web PageNot sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to download your FREE 9 Story Starters. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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, or spiraling after a tough writing day, you're not alone.In this episode, we're diving into what it really means to build mental fitness as a writer. You'll learn why talent isn't enough—and how developing emotional resilience, self-trust, focus, and flexibility can keep you moving forward, even when the work feels hard.I'll share practical ways to strengthen your mindset, protect your creative energy, and build the kind of inner stamina that helps you not only finish your book—but enjoy the process.Episode Web PageNot sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to download your FREE 9 Story Starters. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 character's inner world isn't fully making it onto the page.In this episode, we're talking about the layer that gives your story emotional weight and resonance—character interiority.You'll learn:✔️ What interiority is (and what it's not) ✔️ Why readers crave it ✔️ And 5 powerful techniques to reveal your character's inner life without slowing your story downIf you've ever been told to “go deeper” into your character, or wondered how to make your scenes more emotionally engaging, this episode's for you.Episode Web PageNot sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to download your FREE 9 Story Starters. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 feels stalled, and self-doubt creeps in. Slumps are a normal part of the creative cycle, but they can feel lonely and defeating when you're deep in one.Today, I'm sharing gentle, practical ways to find your way back without forcing it or beating yourself up.You'll learn: → Why slumps happen (even to seasoned authors) → Small, doable steps to ease back in → Why changing your environment can release stuck thinking and ignite fresh ideas → Ways to reconnect with your original spark and fall in love with your story againIf writing feels hard right now, this episode is your permission slip to stop shaming yourself, and start moving forward with curiosity, compassion, and small, steady steps.Episode Web PageNot sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to download your FREE 9 Story Starters. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 episode, I'm breaking down the 4 biggest mistakes writers make with endings, plus 5 different ways to close your story. You'll also get practical tips for revising an ending that's falling flat, and learn how the right ending can transform your entire story.If you're stuck or second-guessing how to close your story, this episode's for you.Episode Web PageNot sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to download your FREE 9 Story Starters. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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, establishes the world, and signals to your readers what kind of story they're stepping into. There isn't one right way to open your story. It's all play and experimentation. The key to a powerful ending is choosing one that's aligned with the story you're telling and the emotional experience you want your reader to have. In this episode, I'm walking you through 3 powerful ways you can open your story, with examples to show how each one works. Episode Web PageNot sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to download your FREE 9 Story Starters. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 or revealing too much of what they're thinking or feeling. The dialogue is pure exposition, doing too much of the story's heavy lifting.  Great dialogue works on multiple levels, often saying more in what's unsaid than what is said. So in this episode, we're going to look at common pitfalls. And I'll show you how to write conversations that carry emotional weight, deepen your characters and spark new turns in your story.  So you can write believable, compelling dialogue. Episode Web PageWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 time and place while immersing them in a tactile sensory experience in every scene. In this episode, I'm going to give you 4 essential techniques for writing your story setting.  You'll learn how to craft your settings selectively and with intention. Episode Web PageNot sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to download your FREE 9 Story Starters. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 all the moving parts and refine it into a more coherent, effective whole? In this episode, I'll guide you through the three key phases of revision—and give you practical tips to help you shape your messy draft into a strong, finished story.Episode WebsiteGot value from this episode? Share your insights and wins with me!Not sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to download your FREE 9 Story Starters. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 – he or she reinterprets it.What makes it tricky is that you're not just telling the story of what happened. You're telling it through two lenses:The younger self who lived it. And the older self who looks back with reflection, wisdom, and maybe even regret.So in today's episode, we'll explore how to unlock the full potential of a retrospective narrator. You'll learn to craft a voice that harnesses both the younger self and the wiser self.Episode WebsiteGot value from this episode? Share your insights and wins with me!Not sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to download your FREE 9 Story Starters. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

There's something captivating about seeing a story unfold through a child's perspective. Child narrators strip away the layers of adult logic, cynicism and pretense, revealing raw wonder, confusion or even unexpected wisdom.But writing from a child's perspective is deceptively difficult. Writers often fall into traps, making the child sound too innocent, too passive, or one dimensional.So in today's episode, I'll help you navigate 3 common challenges so you can create a believable, compelling child narrator.Episode WebsiteGot value from this episode? Share your insights and wins with me!Not sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to download your FREE 9 Story Starters. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

The unreliable narrator is one of the most powerful storytelling techniques. Whether you're writing in first-person or third, an unreliable narrator compels readers to interpret what's happening, looking for clues that reveal the truth beyond the narrator's perspective.And this keeps readers hooked into your story until the very last page.In this episode, I'm going to share 4 different types of unreliable narrators, and 4 tips  for mastering your unreliable narrator.Episode WebsiteGot value from this episode? Share your insights and wins with me!Not sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to download your FREE 9 Story Starters. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

First person narration puts readers directly into a character's head, creating an intimate and immediate experience. This perspective allows for deep emotional connection and personal stakes. But it also comes with unique challenges.In this episode, I'm going to share 4 common pitfalls when writing in first person and how to avoid them.Episode WebsiteGot value from this episode? Share your insights and wins with me!Not sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to download your FREE 9 Story Starters. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Your opening scenes are valuable real estate. You don't want to squander them on anything mundane or extraneous.Many writers start way too early in the story, often giving the everyday details of their character's life. Or they spend too much time introducing the character's world and not launching him or her into the action soon enough. And then the reader is left wondering where the story is going, and when it's going to pick up momentum.In this episode, I'm sharing 3 tips for writing hook-worthy opening scenes that pull readers in and don't let them go.Episode WebsiteGot value from this episode? Share your insights and wins with me!Not sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to download your FREE 9 Story Starters. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Ever wish you could expand time and give more energy to your writing? In this episode, you'll learn about two types of time - one that restricts time and one that expands time. We'll also talk about how to manage common distractions, and what it really takes to stay motivated for the long game. Episode WebsiteNot sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to download your FREE 9 Story Starters. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

When is it a good idea to write from multiple points of view, rather than one point of view? And how do you do it? In this episode, I'll cover 4 reasons to use multiple points of view, how to write them, and common pitfalls to avoid.Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

What do you do when you're stuck in a scene, or you know the scene isn't working, and you just don't know why or how to move the scene forward?  In this episode, we'll go over three reasons your scenes are stalling and what to do instead. Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Now that we're in a brand new year, it's a good time to reflect on what worked in the past year, what didn't work, and most importantly, what we can do differently to move the needle forward in 2025.Time is a precious resource, so we don't want to squander it spinning in the wrong direction again and again only to keep getting stuck. So in this episode, I'm going to share 3 ways to write with more freedom, curiosity, and joy this year and beyond. Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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?In this throwback episode, we'll explore 5 reasons our motivation fizzles out and how to turn it around.We'll talk about: the power of having a safe, judgement-free community what social scientists have discovered about what really motivates us. (this may surprise you.)the real reason we hit road blocks, plus what we need to break throughwhat flow is and how to get more of it, and...how to stay motivated day by dayAlso Listen ToEpisode 20:  Four Ways Your Writing Group Is Holding You Back (and what to look for in your next writing tribe)Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Getting results in our writing is great. But a result-oriented mindset can hinder creativity and authenticity.In this throwback episode, you'll learn how to evaluate your work based on 2 important qualities: presence and truth.This is all about your emotional connection and belief in your story. It's a more transformational approach that values the ongoing journey, and the evolving relationship with your work.Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 give you 3 character foundations to help structure  your story.  You'll learn the symbiotic relationship between plot and character. Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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.Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 writers. I have 5 categories with my personal recommendations for each.You'll find links to all these gifts by clicking here and scrolling down to Links Mentioned In This Episode.   Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 effect can lead to relatively shallow stories where things just happen to the characters. The characters feel more like pawns to move the plot forward.  So what do we mean by cause, and what do we mean by effect? What's the cause? What's the effect? In today's episode, we'll go deeper so that you can use cause and effect more effectively.Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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.Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 step ahead of your characters. You know what's going to happen to your characters. You know what the outcome of the story will be. But your characters don't, and neither should your readers.  So in this episode, you'll learn 4 ways to create and sustain uncertainty in your story and keep readers guessing.Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 help you get clear and focused on the central idea driving your story. The focal point from which all your story's events revolve.Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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'll learn how to write a character whose perspective creates gaps the reader is eager to fill, and how that character's arc plays out in the story. Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

When reading fiction or a memoir, a reader's brain actively simulates the experience of the characters. The reader becomes so absorbed in the story, they experience it as though it's true. They believe in it. But before a reader can believe in your story, you have to believe in it first. In this episode, I'm sharing 3 pathways to building belief in your story. So readers believe in it too.Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

What is an anti-hero and why do they fascinate us? How do they keep us invested in their plight scene after scene, even as they do immoral, criminal, or deplorable things?In this episode, we'll talk about different anti-heroes from film and fiction, and I'll share 4 ways to write an anti-hero with complexity, magnetism, and unforgettable appeal.Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Getting results in our writing is great. But a result-oriented mindset can hinder creativity and authenticity. In this episode, you'll learn how to evaluate your work based on 2 important qualities: presence and truth. This is all about your emotional connection and belief in your story. It's a more transformational approach that values the ongoing journey, and the evolving relationship with your work. Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

How much backstory do you really need? How much is too much? Most first-time authors tend to overuse backstory, which can detract from the main story. In this episode, I'll share 3 common mistakes writers make, and I'll give you 3 new ways to think about backstory, so that it doesn't dominate your story, but enhances and deepens it.  Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

One of the biggest impediments to our writing is time, and we all have unfinished drafts to prove it.It always takes much longer than we think, and this can be dispiriting, not to mention stressful. Writing a book is a huge undertaking, and when time is sparse, it can leave us believing we don't have what it takes.In this episode, I'll challenge you to think differently about time, so you can get more writing done, and with more focus.I'll give you 3 tips to make more use of the time do you have, even if that time is sparse.Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

We all hit a block at some point in the writing process, even the best of us. Accomplished writers know how to navigate that impasse, to notice when and why they're getting blocked so they can quickly move through it. But so many writers get stuck there and can't move forward. In this reprise episode from the 2022 vault, I'll give you a pep talk. We'll explore five reasons you may be blocked. I'll share my own struggles with writer's block, along with my strategies to break through it.Episode WebsiteLinks mentioned in this episode:Episode 20: Four Ways Your Writing Group is Holding You Back (and What to Look For in Your Next Writing TribeDownload Your FREE 9 Story Starters HereWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

How do you show, don't tell? What's the difference? Are you telling when you think you're showing? Or showing the wrong things? Is there ever a good time to tell? Show, don't tell is one of the trickiest things to understand, let alone master.You need both showing and telling. It's just a matter of when and how. So in this episode, I'll show you the difference between showing and telling, and how to blend both. You'll learn to tell so skillfully, it will feel like showing. Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Writers often feel overwhelmed when it comes to editing. But there's a lot of editing you can do quickly, regardless of where in the process you are. In this episode, you'll get 5 quick and easy edits you can do on your own to make your story tighter, stronger, and more engaging to readers. As and added boon, it will make the story less overwhelming when it's time for you to revise. This is all about cutting the excess, then fine-tuning your story right on the sentence level. Episode WebsiteWant to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

What do you do when writing starts feeling heavy and overwhelming?  When it stops being fun?In this episode, we'll unwrap what causes these feelings, and 3 ways to make it joyful again. We'll cover: The number one thought process that's holding you back, and how it shows up in your writingHow to reconnect with your personal purpose for writing your storyStaying present in your writingThe importance of practice and play, and why your writing can only improve with this approachEpisode Web PageHave a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Send me a Text Message. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

How do you flesh out your characters? How do you go deeper?Just as we can't know a person in one glance, we can't know the people in our stories fully in our early drafts. We come to know our characters more and more deeply as we continue to write and revise.In this episode, we'll explore 4 overlooked ways to deepen your characters - common elements most writers miss.  Episode Web PageHave a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Send me a Text Message. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Writing a book is not a solo endeavor. Writers rely on beta readers to help them fine-tune their manuscript and ensure its success with agents, editors, and ultimately, their ideal audience.But where do you find beta readers? At what stage of the process do you bring them in? What do you look for? And how do you work with them? In this episode, we'll cover: What beta readers are, and why aspiring writers don't make the best test audienceAt what stage of the writing process to enlist beta readersHow to research and define your ideal readerWhere to find beta readers and entice them to work with youHow to get the right feedback to ensure the best outcome for your manuscriptEpisode Web PageHave a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Send me a Text Message. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Plot twists are one of the most effective and exciting ways to bring intrigue and suspense to your story, and make it unforgettable. But when not executed or timed right, a plot twist can backfire.In this episode, learn 3 techniques for writing a great plot twist, plus common pitfalls to avoid.You'll learn:What a plot twist is, along with examples to illustrate3 techniques that all great plot twists shareHow to avoid plot twist clichésThe crucial difference between a plot point and a plot twistEpisode Web PageHave a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Send me a Text Message. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Often what gets in the way of an otherwise great scene is a lack of compelling character goals. Without a goal in each scene, a story lacks two vital things: tension and momentum.In this episode, we'll explore why you need a goal in every scene, and 3 types of goals that urge characters through the plot.Episode Web PageHave a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Send me a Text Message. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

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 from the 2023 vault, you'll learn 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 get unstuck.Episode Web PageRate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts.  Love what you're learning from the Writer Unleashed podcast? Pease consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers -- just like you -- to write the story that won't let them go.Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Send me a Text Message. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Scenes set up the structural pace of your story.Some scenes are more action driven, so they move at a faster clip. Other scenes are more reflective, and move slower. Some scenes have more intensity, some have less.Which is why you need different types of scenes. In this episode, we'll explore  5 must-have scenes to include in your story. Episode Web PageHave a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Send me a Text Message. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Do you write your first scene over and over, trying to get it just right? But you never feel like you're nailing it?Many writers spend way too much time on their opening scene without considering its role in the main character's entire arc of change. There's a relationship between your first scenes and last scenes.To take the reader on the journey along with your character,  you want to craft your opening and ending scenes with each other in mind.In this episode, we'll look at the relationship between your first scenes and final scenes, and how to write them.Episode Web PageHave a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Send me a Text Message. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

Ever receive feedback on your writing that crushed you to the core? In this episode, learn 5 ways to make sure you not only survive, but get the most constructive feedback on your story, with more generative results. You'll learn how to take a more active role in the feedback process, so you can leave with a more energized, excited vision for your story.  Episode Web PageHave a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Send me a Text Message. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

How do you create tension in your story that makes it impossible for readers to put it down?By placing your characters in some kind of danger, even if it's subtle. Danger can be as harrowing as a plane crash, or as nuanced as unrequited love. In this episode, we'll explore two types of danger to raise tension, and make your story unputdownable.Episode Web PageHave a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Send me a Text Message. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.

How much backstory does your story need? And how much backstory does your reader need?In this reprise episode from the deep in the vault, learn what backstory is important for you to know as the author, and what backstory belongs on the page.In this episode, we'll cover:The two things you need to get clear on when it comes to backstoryThe importance of crafting backstory that adapts to your story The actor's technique to developing character through backstoryHow to decide what backstory is significant to your storyline and to your readersEpisode Web PageExplore Your Character's Backstory with  Your FREE Character Questionnaire HereAlso Listen To:Episode 12: Four Ways to Write Effective FlashbacksHave a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Send me a Text Message. Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It's totally free to join.