Afleveringen
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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.
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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 Page
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. -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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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, Iâll guide you through the three key phases of revisionâand give you practical tips to help you shape your messy draft into a strong, finished story.
Episode Website
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 doesnât just recall the past â he or she reinterprets it.
What makes it tricky is that youâre not just telling the story of what happened. Youâre 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 todayâs episode, weâll explore how to unlock the full potential of a retrospective narrator. Youâll learn to craft a voice that harnesses both the younger self and the wiser self.
Episode Website
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. -
Thereâs something captivating about seeing a story unfold through a childâs 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 childâs perspective is deceptively difficult. Writers often fall into traps, making the child sound too innocent, too passive, or one dimensional.
So in todayâs episode, Iâll help you navigate 3 common challenges so you can create a believable, compelling child narrator.
Episode Website
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 Website
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 Website
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 Website
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 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. -
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 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. -
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 Website
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. -
Youâve 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?
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 day
In this throwback episode, we'll explore 5 reasons our motivation fizzles out and how to turn it around.
We'll talk about:Also Listen To
Episode 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 Website
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 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 Website
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. -
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 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. -
Keeping your story grounded in time balances the pace of your story and helps readers navigate your characterâs journey. But how do you show the passage of time in your novel without jarring, or worse, boring your reader?
In this episode, youâll 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 Website
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. -
Well, it's officially gift giving season, and your family and friends might be asking, âWhat do you want for Christmas?â
Maybe you have a writer in your life and you want to get something special, and youâre wondering, What would support her? What would help her develop her craft?
Maybe you want to buy a gift for yourself.In this episode, Iâm 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 Website
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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 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. -
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 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. - Laat meer zien
