Fiction Writing Made Easy | Top Creative Writing Podcast for Fiction Writers & Writing Tips

Listen to a breakdown of five craft techniques for creating morally gray characters who stick with readers. Learn how to build a personal worldview that justifies choices, craft lose‑lose dilemmas that reveal priorities, and let questionable actions carry real consequences. Discover ways to keep readers invested without softening complexity, and why tidy redemption often undermines nuance.

Join Maggie Rose, a high-fantasy writer from Tasmania, Insa Duvas, a women's fiction author, and debut romantic-fantasy writer Emily S. as they share transformative insights from their experience in the Notes to Novel program. Maggie overcame self-doubt to outline a compelling fantasy story. Insa quickly wrote 15,000 words by clarifying her genre and intensifying conflict. Emily conquered her drafting paralysis by sharpening antagonist roles. Their stories illustrate how strategic outlining can ignite creativity and boost confidence for any writer.

In this engaging discussion, writer Carolyn Freudenthal shares her journey from pantsing to plotting, transforming her shaky draft into a structured thriller with 40 scenes. Josephine Noble, a romantic fantasy writer, reveals how she moved beyond endless brainstorming to build a precise, theme-driven outline. Both guests underscore the importance of embracing a clear framework. They highlight practical strategies for overcoming common writing hurdles, from tackling information overload to refining drafts, inspiring listeners with their remarkable progress.

Lindsay Safara, a dedicated writer and student of the Notes to Novel course, shares her journey from a mere 25,000 words in six months to a robust 100,000-word draft. She discovered essential details about her story’s purpose and antagonist goals that unleashed her writing flow. Alongside her, Alison realized that structured scenes transformed her drafts from flat to gripping. Also, first-time novelist Sharon achieved her goal of completing her first draft stress-free, pacing herself at 6,000 words per week—showcasing how clarity and structure can ignite a writer's momentum.

Struggling to finish your novel? You might be facing a broken writing process, not a lack of talent. Discover why ideas fizzle out around the 20-30k word mark and how perfectionism can trap you in endless rewrites. Learn the importance of a solid story foundation and how lacking a clear ending can lead to dead ends. The episode offers actionable steps to rebuild your writing process, transform your drafting, and ultimately finish your story with confidence. Time to ditch the blame and start building!

Learn how a self-proclaimed perfectionist wrote a 114,000-word first draft in just 88 days—while working full-time and without finding more hours in the day.Poornika didn't have endless hours to write. She had two hours a night after work, some longer weekend sessions, and a chronic illness that sometimes forced her to step away completely. And yet, she finished her novel in 88 days—and went on to sign with her dream agent.In today's episode, I'm sitting down with Poornika Kakkanaiah, a former Notes to Novel student, to talk about what made that kind of progress possible. Spoiler: it wasn't discipline or motivation. It was having a clear roadmap that eliminated decision fatigue and made every writing session count.Poornika shares how she broke free from months of research paralysis, the outlining approach that gave her a scene-by-scene outline she trusted, and why setting a cut-bait date changed everything.If you've ever felt like your day job makes finishing a novel impossible, this conversation will show you otherwise.Here's what we cover:[07:51] Why combining multiple plotting methods created confusion instead of clarity, and what she did instead[10:45] How Poornika built a scene-by-scene outline she trusted—and the cut-bait date that forced her to start drafting[11:27] The three strategies that made it possible to write 114,000 words in 88 days while working full-time[37:50] What it was like to get "the call"—and why signing with her dream agent felt like everything finally clicking into place[40:06] The truth about getting multiple offers of representation (and why one great fit is all you need)If you're craving proof that it's possible to write a novel alongside a demanding job and real-life challenges, Poornika's story will show you exactly what that can look like.🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:Poornika Kakkanaiah on TikTokPoornika Kakkanaiah on InstagramGet on the Notes To Novel Waitlist ⭐ Follow & ReviewIf you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!Support the show👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

Balancing a full-time job and writing a novel can be tough, but it's absolutely achievable. Discover how to select a consistent plotting method to prevent procrastination and clarify your writing agenda before each session. Learn the importance of realistic goal-setting that aligns with your busy life and how to identify small, hidden pockets of writing time. Building a solid support system can also supercharge your momentum. Plus, hear success stories of writers who turned their ambitions into completed drafts!

The best writing advice sticks because it changes how you approach the page. In this special year-end episode, I’m counting down the top 10 most impactful writing tips from Fiction Writing Made Easy in 2025, pulled from this year's most listened-to episodes.These are the lessons writers kept coming back to. The ones that helped them stop second-guessing, get unstuck in the middle, and finally make real progress on their drafts. In the episode, you’ll hear me talk about things like:[07:30] Why perfectionism during drafting slows everything down, and what to do instead so you can keep moving forward.[15:30] Why learning to write strong, focused scenes first makes plot structure clearer and helps your novel come together faster.[18:30] How narrative drive works, why disconnected scenes stall your story, and the simple fix that creates clear cause-and-effect momentum.[28:00] The real reason writers struggle to finish, and why process matters just as much as craft and mindset.[31:00] Why following one complete writing method beats trying to combine multiple approaches, and how too much advice creates paralysis.And so much more…So grab your notebook, settle in, and let’s celebrate the writing advice that helped so many writers move closer to finishing their novel in 2025.🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:Click here to view the episode page with all the links.Get on the Notes to Novel waitlist!⭐ Follow & ReviewIf you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!Support the show👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

Learn how a busy parent finished a novel by following a clear roadmap that made it possible to pause, return, and keep moving forward.Between raising four kids, navigating pregnancy and newborn life, and juggling everything that comes with being a busy parent, Madi didn't exactly have ideal writing conditions. And yet, she finished her novel.In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Madi, a former Notes to Novel student, to talk about what it actually looked like to write a book in the middle of real life. She didn’t have unlimited time or perfect routines. What she had was a clear plan, realistic expectations, and a way to keep moving forward even when progress felt slow.Madi shares the mindset shifts that helped her stop waiting for the right time, how outlining gave her momentum instead of boxing her in, and why having a process made it possible to pause without quitting when life demanded her attention.If you’ve ever wanted to write and finish your novel but feel too busy right now, this conversation is for you.Here’s what we cover:[05:15] The mindset shift that helped Madi stop treating her novel like a hobby and start making real progress toward a finished draft[09:00] How outlining gave Madi clarity and confidence without killing creativity or locking her into a rigid plot structure[07:15] What writing a novel looked like during pregnancy, newborn life, and four kids—plus the simple routine that kept her moving forward[14:50] The step-by-step editing process that turned Madi's first draft into a contest finalist manuscript without burnout[24:15] How Madi went from querying literary agents to landing her dream agent at a top Christian Fiction agencyIf you're craving proof that it's possible to write a novel alongside a full, busy life, Madi's story will show you exactly what that can look like.🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:Madi Unruh Instagram Get on the Notes To Novel Waitlist ⭐ Follow & ReviewIf you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!Support the show👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

Join writers Tiara Ito, Jennifer Wagner, and Sheila Holmes as they share their transformative journeys from being stuck to finally starting their novels. Tiara reveals how a structured outline helped her overcome perfectionism. Jennifer discusses her breakthrough with a scene-by-scene roadmap, enabling her to draft a full manuscript in just 90 days. Meanwhile, Sheila, blending her medical knowledge with fiction, explains how genre-based planning clarified her writing process. Discover how a clear framework can break down barriers and ignite creativity!