Writer Unleashed

What questions should you ask before you plot your story? Whether you outline every chapter, or write from the hip, on today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, I’ll break down 3 questions you should explore before you outline your plot.We'll explore:What story isHorizontal plots and vertical plots and how they intersectCharacter Viewpoint - who your story is aboutDesire and Resistance and how this impacts your plotAlso listen to:Episode 31: What Most Writers Get Wrong About Point of ViewWant to connect with more like-minded writers? Join us on our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. Joining is free. Not 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.

Whether you're a football fan, or not, the Superbowl ads are often storytelling works of art.On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll unwrap 3 storytelling techniques you can swipe from your favorite Superbowl ads and apply to your story right away. We'll explore:The reverse engineering approach to story structure. How to dramatize conflict early on.How to use a shot summary to refine and shape your story. Want to connect with more like-minded writers? Join us on our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. Joining is free. Not 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.

 What does it take to become a successful writer? On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, author and media consultant Simona David and  I unpack the journey and the process.  We explore: My exploratory approach to early draftsWhat it means to write what you knowWhat revision can tell us about what our story’s trying to becomeHow to work with and through uncertaintyHow to draw readers in emotionallyThe actor’s technique to character developmentHow to write believable dialogueMy take on what it means to be a successful writer...and much, much more.Simona David,  a journalist who freelances for various publications, including Chronogram and Upstater magazines, is the author of Self-Publishing and Book Marketing, A Research Guide.  Visit Simona here: https://simonadavid.com/Want the Free Character Questionnaire mentioned in this episode? Head on over to nancipanuccio.com  to grab yours now. Want to connect with more like-minded writers? Join us on our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. Joining is free. Not 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 much backstory is too much? Backstory is one of the trickiest things to get effectively onto the page. Too much of it and your reader loses track, forgets, or even stops caring about what’s happening in your story's present.  In today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll explore the 3 most common missteps writers make about backstory, plus 3 tips to help you write backstory without putting your story on snooze. We'll explore:What backstory is and why it's useful 3 common mistakes new writers make when writing backstoryWhy less backstory is always moreHow to strategically weave backstory into your story's key momentsHow to use backstory to reveal and foreshadowWant to connect with more like-minded writers? Join us on our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. Joining is free. Not 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.

There's a delicate balance between bringing a scene to the dramatic brim, and spilling over the top into melodrama. On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, I'll share 3 techniques for avoiding melodrama,  plus a writing exercise to bring it all home.We'll explore:The power of restraint The near-death experience approach to tragedy in storyHow to  use objects to carry character emotion. If you want to connect with more like-minded writers, and with me, join us on our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. Joining is free. Not 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 avoid writing the stock villain?  How do you move beyond the cliche to create a bad guy that surprises us? That goes against the status quo? On today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll explore 5 ways to create a villain that defies stereotype. We'll discuss:What readers really want from your villainHow to explore what's underneath your character's bad actsBetter questions to get under your villain's skinHow to tap into your own impulses to write more nuanced and believable villainsGrab your free Character Questionnaire on this free resource page.  And if you want to connect with more like-minded writers, and with me, join us on our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. Joining is free. Not 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.

Of all the things I see tripping writers  up, point of view is the most common and persistent.It's one of the most misunderstood elements of writing.It's also one of the most essential things to get right. On today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll explore:3 common missteps writers make about point of viewWhat point of view is…and what it isn’t. Why first, second, and third-person has virtually nothing to do with point of view. When to use multiple points of view. And when not to. And 4 simple techniques to crafting your story’s most riveting and compelling point of view. Want to connect with more like-minded writers? Join us on our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. Joining is free. Not 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.

97% of writers never finish their book.  And out of that 3% who do finish their books, only 1 to 2 percent of them ever publish. On today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll break down some of the most common barriers to bringing your story to the finish line,  and how to use brain science to become part of that 3% who finishes the book. 2021, here we come. We'll explore:Why talent isn't enough and the mindset you must cultivate insteadThe power of community to inspire and keep you accountableWhat you need more of than timeThe brain science behind why we procrastinate, how to stop stalling and start writing now.Also listen toEpisode 11: How to Make Time to Write When You Have No TimeJoin the private Writer Unleashed private Community on Facebook. It's FREE. You'll find support, inspiration, and the tools to move your writing forward in 2021. Not 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.

Some days you're on fire. Other days, you feel like a dried up spec of dust. With no soul. 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? On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, 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)Join the Writer Unleashed private Community on Facebook. It's FREE. You'll find support, inspiration, and the tools to move your writing forward in 2021. Not 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 we create atmosphere in story in a way that evokes mood, and simultaneously reveals the inner life of your character?  Well, you already know how to do this.  On  today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll talk about what you instinctively know about creating mood and atmosphere, and how to use your instincts to create it on the page. And we’re going to do a writing exercise at the end of the episode, so have your pen and paper handy.Not 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.