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 cho…

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 …

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 cr…

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 draf…

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…

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 in…

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…

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 We…

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 …

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 Website Not sure where to begin writing? Need …

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 Website Not sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to downlo…

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 Website Not sure where to begin writing? Need a way in to your story? Or a way through? Click here to do…

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 ep…

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 s…

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 t…

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…

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 Website Not s…

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…

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 shar…

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 t…

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 in…

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 …

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 Website Not sure where to beg…

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…

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 tip…

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…

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. E…

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…

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 Website…

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 …

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. W…

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 t…

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 overwhelmin…

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 writing How to reconnect with your personal purpose for writing you…

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 eleme…

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…

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 exampl…

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 Page Not sure where to begin wr…

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 o…

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 W…

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 journe…

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 …

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. Ep…

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 backstory The impor…

Often writers create antagonists who do bad, immoral, sometimes evil things. They might be abusive or neglectful parents. An enemy. Or an otherworldly foe. But when you're writing about your most trouble-rousing characters, you don't want to portray the givens. You want to surprise us. You want to create an antagonist who's unforgettable. The stock…

How do you make writing a priority when other commitments compete? When you have a full time career and family? We all know writing a book is a colossal commitment. And it's so easy to get off track, especially when so much is competing for our time and attention. In this episode, I’ll walk you through strategies to maximize your time, energy, and …

Struggling with confidence when it comes to writing your story? Maybe you swing from excitement to self-doubt. Or you worry that no one will care to read it. Maybe you lack enough confidence to even start. In this episode, learn 3 ways to boost your confidence. This is all about shifting your relationship to your work. We'll cover: How to stay focu…

What do you do when your novel or memoir doesn’t follow the typical plot structure? What if there’s no crime to be solved, tsunami to survive, or evil wizard to slay? What if your character’s only story problem is an internal one? In this episode we’ll explore 4 thresholds your character will walk through at key points throughout your 3 acts. So yo…

We can all agree that your opening scenes are your only chance to capture your reader's attention. It's what hooks them into the story. Your first scene and several scenes that follow are your story's setup. The setup is essential to master. You have to be concise, deliberate, and selective with what you reveal and withhold. You don't want to give …

Our stories can become so overrun with ideas, they run away from us. Each idea leads to another and another until you’re lost in the vortex. There are stories within stories. Endless possibilities. So many directions the story can go. And then writing your story feels like an insurmountable task. In this episode, I’m giving you 5 questions to explo…