Writer Unleashed – Details, episodes & analysis

Got a story idea but don't know where to begin? You're not alone. Many writers either freeze at "Chapter One" or spend months planning without ever drafting. In this episode, I walk you through the essential things you need to know before you write your first scene. So you can stop overthinking and start writing today.

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Suspense isn't just for thrillers—it's what makes readers unable to put down any story, from memoir to fantasy to romance. In this episode, you'll learn three proven techniques to create page-turning tension in any genre. No car chases or explosions required.

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Most story ideas that excite you at 2 AM seem paper-thin by Thursday afternoon. Here's the truth: your idea probably isn't too small, you just haven't learned how to dig deeper. While other writers chase the next shiny concept, successful authors know how to mine the gold that's already there.

In this episode, discover the specific questions that reveal whether your story has legs, plus the proven techniques for expanding any concept into a full narrative that writes itself. Stop second-guessing your ideas and start building stories with real staying power.

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Having a large cast of characters can overwhelm your readers, especially if the characters are introduced all at once, too many characters crowd a scene, their roles are too similar or just not clear.

Readers will struggle to keep track of who’s who, and who they should be paying attention to. This can hinder their engagement with your story.

So you want to carefully consider the necessity of each character.

Not every character needs the same amount of depth and range. But you want to make sure that every character, no matter how minor, contributes to the overall narrative in a meaningful way.

In this episode, I’m breaking down three types of characters you’ll likely have in your story: major characters, minor characters, and  functional characters. You'll learn how to give each of these characters a clear story purpose.

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Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts.  

Love what you're learning from the Writer Unleashed podcast? Pease consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers -- just like you -- to write the story that won't let them go.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. 

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Not sure how to structure your story? Start Here. This free 3-Act Worksheet gives you a clear framework so you know exactly what your beginning, middle, and end need to do — so you can stop guessing and start writing. Grab it free here.

How do you write stronger, more structured scenes that excite you and captivate your reader?

Each scene is a microcosm of the whole story. It creates an emotional connection to your reader. 

But when scenes lack structure and focus, readers don't know what to pay attention to. And they're not much  fun for you to write. 

It's all comes down to framing each scene.  

In this episode, learn 5 ways to craft stronger, more structured scenes that guide readers seamlessly through your story.

These will make your scenes easier and more fun to write, and exciting to read.

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Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts.  

Love what you're learning from the Writer Unleashed podcast? Pease consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers -- just like you -- to write the story that won't let them go.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. 

Send me Fan Mail

Not sure how to structure your story? Start Here. This free 3-Act Worksheet gives you a clear framework so you know exactly what your beginning, middle, and end need to do — so you can stop guessing and start writing. Grab it free here.

How do you balance character development with the advancement of your plot? How can you develop characters to even execute your plot, unless you first start out with a plot?

The answer is, both character and plot are developed in tandem.

Every story,  whether it's a thriller, a fantasy,  realistic, literary,  mystery, or science fiction, is in some way about the private inner life of characters.  So there's going to be some central, evolving concern, or problem that your character must deal with.  And the  story is about is the actions, the suffering, the pain, the missteps, and the victories of the characters.

In other words, character and plot are bound together. You can't really work on them separately.

So in this episode, I'll give you 5 checkpoints to help you develop both character and plot.

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Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts.  

Love what you're learning from the Writer Unleashed podcast? Pease consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers -- just like you -- to write the story that won't let them go.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. 

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When we write about what happened, we’re tempted to be bound by what actually occurred. But our memories are not recordings that can be verified. Memory is a construct of the imagination. It’s not reliable.

Memory is altered by the life we’ve lived since.  By the life your character has lived since.

What a character tells from memory is altered by the present.

In this episode, you’ll get a guide to writing retrospective narrators. We’ll talk about the two voices to bring to your retrospective story, and 4 questions to help you shape your character’s depth of view.

Episode Web Page

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts.  

Love what you're learning from the Writer Unleashed podcast? Pease consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers -- just like you -- to write the story that won't let them go.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. 

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.

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.

Send me Fan Mail

Not sure how to structure your story? Start Here. This free 3-Act Worksheet gives you a clear framework so you know exactly what your beginning, middle, and end need to do — so you can stop guessing and start writing. Grab it free here.

The interpersonal dynamics between characters are an essential part of character and plot development. 

Drama involves people who interact with and influence others, and who ultimately change as a  result. 

In this episode, I’m going to give you 4 ways to think about your characters' relationships so they’re captivating and memorable.

You'll also learn how to introduce multiple characters and make minor characters more relevant.

Episode Web Page

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts.  

Love what you're learning from the Writer Unleashed podcast? Pease consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers -- just like you -- to write the story that won't let them go.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. 

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.

Send me Fan Mail

 Dialogue is one of the trickiest elements to master. 

It’s not a complete rendering of the way humans really speak. 

 It’s shaped, concise, sharp,  and concentrated. It’s an approximation of real life conversation.  We want it to sound real. But without all the boring, tedious, insignificant  parts.

In this episode, learn 5 writing exercises to help you master dialogue.

Download your free worksheet with all 5 dialogue exercises by clicking here.

Episode Web Page

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts.  

Love what you're learning from the Writer Unleashed podcast? Pease consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers -- just like you -- to write the story that won't let them go.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. 

Send me Fan Mail

Not sure how to structure your story? Start Here. This free 3-Act Worksheet gives you a clear framework so you know exactly what your beginning, middle, and end need to do — so you can stop guessing and start writing. Grab it free here.

How do you write first drafts? Do you outline first and then write the story following that outline? What if outlining just isn't your jam?

In this episode, you'll learn a different approach to writing first drafts. And it doesn't require starting with an outline.

We'll generate material first. Outline second.  This method isn't just for first drafts. It works at any stage of the drafting process.

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Not sure how to structure your story? Start Here. This free 3-Act Worksheet gives you a clear framework so you know exactly what your beginning, middle, and end need to do — so you can stop guessing and start writing. Grab it free here.