Writer Unleashed

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 to connect emotionally with your main character. Quick Links to Episodes:Episode 73: Beyond The First Draft: 5  Storytelling Techniques For Better StructureEpisode 87: Four Writing Myths Holding You BackEpisode 90: Four Ways to Master Show, Don’t TellEpisode 50: How Much Backstory Does Your Reader Really Need To Know?Episode 89: What Plotters and Pansters Both Get Wrong About StoryEpisode 109: Your Top 5 Character Questions AnsweredEpisode WebsiteNot sure if your idea has what it takes to become a powerful story? This free quick guide will help you uncover the heart of your idea in just three simple steps. You’ll walk away with a one-sentence premise you can build your entire book on, and the clarity and confidence to keep going.Download Your Quick Guide 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.

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 intertwined with that story. But writers often feel restricted in writing the truth about their story when it involves other people because, what if they sue?In this episode, we'll go over 2 main legal issues to be aware of, and 5 things you can do to avoid litigation. 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.

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 adversarial relationship as your character goes after the thing he or she wants.So, to keep readers engaged, you'll want to bring some element of conflict to each scene. But it doesn't have to be epic or high drama. Conflict is not always a fight or a battle.  Even an ordinary exchange can contain conflict. It can be subtle, complex, big or small. In this episode, learn how to bring conflict to every scene in your story.We'll cover:What we mean by conflict and why high drama does not equal dramatic; 3 common mistakes writers make with conflict;5 different types of antagonists, and;How to mine story conflict, both big and small, from your everyday life. Also listen to: Episode 112: 3 Tips For Writing Dynamic DialogueEpisode Web PageNot sure if your idea has what it takes to become a powerful story? This free quick guide will help you uncover the heart of your idea in just three simple steps. You’ll walk away with a one-sentence premise you can build your entire book on, and the clarity and confidence to keep going.Download Your Quick Guide 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 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 enticing as possible. Something the reader hooks into that refuses to let him or  her go. In this episode, learn 4 types of story openings that capture readers' attention and have them wanting more. Episode Web PageNot sure if your idea has what it takes to become a powerful story? This free quick guide will help you uncover the heart of your idea in just three simple steps. You’ll walk away with a one-sentence premise you can build your entire book on, and the clarity and confidence to keep going.Download Your Quick Guide 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  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 for generating and developing  writing that's meaningful to you. We'll talk about how to take your raw material, and start to find the focus and structure within it. So you can eventually see the  shape of your story, and produce a finished, powerful piece of writing. This method is ideal for writers who want to write, but don't know how or where to begin. It's for writers who have a constant flow of ideas, but who have trouble harnessing those ideas into a focused, finished story. It's also for writers who want to breathe fresh life into their outline or work-in-progress.  Episode Web PageNot sure if your idea has what it takes to become a powerful story? This free quick guide will help you uncover the heart of your idea in just three simple steps. You’ll walk away with a one-sentence premise you can build your entire book on, and the clarity and confidence to keep going.Download Your Quick Guide 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.

 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'll talk about why most resolutions fizzle out within  a couple of months, what's missing from most goals, and a three-pronged approach to making goals stick. We'll also cover:Why focusing on the outcome may be holding you back, and what to focus on instead;Underlying fears that can sabotage writers and how to move past them, and;How to make both internal and external changes that keep your writing moving forward for the long term.Episode Web PageNot sure if your idea has what it takes to become a powerful story? This free quick guide will help you uncover the heart of your idea in just three simple steps. You’ll walk away with a one-sentence premise you can build your entire book on, and the clarity and confidence to keep going.Download Your Quick Guide 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.

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-PersonWe’ll also cover what makes a first-person narrator more unreliable than third-person, and why unreliable narrators are irresistible to readers.Episode Web PageNot sure if your idea has what it takes to become a powerful story? This free quick guide will help you uncover the heart of your idea in just three simple steps. You’ll walk away with a one-sentence premise you can build your entire book on, and the clarity and confidence to keep going.Download Your Quick Guide 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.

For many writers, first-person narration comes naturally.  And for memoir writers, it's the only choice. First-person has some advantages over third person. But it comes with unique challenges. In this episode, we'll cover the pros of first-person, 5 common challenges, and how  to overcome them. So you can capture the full range available to you with first-person. We'll cover how to:Create a strong, distinct character voice that sustains your story;Avoid the overuse of I; I  saw, I heard, I smelled, I tasted,  etc.Go beyond the limitations of your first-person perspective; Describe your first-person's appearance or home without being awkward, and;Get out of  your character's head and into the world of the real.Episode Web PageNot sure if your idea has what it takes to become a powerful story? This free quick guide will help you uncover the heart of your idea in just three simple steps. You’ll walk away with a one-sentence premise you can build your entire book on, and the clarity and confidence to keep going.Download Your Quick Guide 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.

In last week’s episode, we  talked about 3 foundational elements to explore before you outline. And in this episode, we’re going to start building that outline. I’m going to walk you through six steps I learned from Philip Gerard. This method leaves plenty of room for invention and surprise. Think of it as a living outline, one you can adjust as you write and revise. And a great touch point whenever you're stuck. If you haven’t  listened to last week’s episode, 118: Before You Outline: 3 Core Foundations To Build First, go have a listen. Then come back here and go through the six steps I’m about to walk you through. An outline is ultimately a tool to help guide you through the murky and overwhelming process of storytelling. It’s a way of thinking your way through your story. It helps you stay on track, but it’s  flexible.  This outline will help you do some careful thought about your  story so you arrive at something that holds surprise, mystery, and beauty. An outline that grows with you and your story. Episode  Web PageNot sure if your idea has what it takes to become a powerful story? This free quick guide will help you uncover the heart of your idea in just three simple steps. You’ll walk away with a one-sentence premise you can build your entire book on, and the clarity and confidence to keep going.Download Your Quick Guide 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.

When it comes to structuring your story, there's no one-size-fits-all. Some writers wing it all the way, others craft meticulous outlines before they write. Both can produce stunning results.But what's often missing in the I'll just wing it approach, and even in the most detailed outlines, are essential foundations that make a story work.  In this episode, we'll explore 3 foundational elements to explore before you outline.If you're a panster, you'll love the exploratory nature of these foundations. And if you're a plotter, you'll build a deeper, richer, stronger outline. In this episode, you'll;Focus and expand your story ideaLand your setting, and;Get  to know your main cast of characters' desires,  beliefs, and fears. Episode  Web PageNot sure if your idea has what it takes to become a powerful story? This free quick guide will help you uncover the heart of your idea in just three simple steps. You’ll walk away with a one-sentence premise you can build your entire book on, and the clarity and confidence to keep going.Download Your Quick Guide 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.