Writer Unleashed
Writer Unleashed is a weekly podcast for fiction and memoir writers. It's a deep dive into story techniques, writing craft, and the mindsets that help you write with unstoppable momentum and create stories readers can't put down.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 20 minutes
- Episodes
- 256
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
#35: What Does It Take To Become a Successful Writer?
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 explorato…
#34: How to Write Backstory Without Boring Your Reader
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 happe…
#33: Three Ways to Avoid Melodrama
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 melodr…
#32: Five Ways to Avoid the Stock Villain
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 e…
#31: What Most Writers Get Wrong About Point of View
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 …
#30: How to Stop Dreaming and Write for Real in 2021
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 m…
#29: How to Re-Ignite Your Motivation to Write
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…
#28: You Already Know How to Write Atmosphere
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 Unl…
#27: Writer Rejected: How to Bounce Back Fast
You’ve spent months, maybe years writing your story. So you finally get the courage to send it out into the world - to an agent, a literary magazine, a publisher, or your writer’s group. And then yo…
#26: Writing About Someone You Know - Is Your Story Worth It?
You can change a character's hair color, geography, age, or gender, but often what inhibits our voice is a concern that we'll offend someone we know. A parent. A sibling. A school mate.
So, what do…
#25: Why Your Voice Matters
Your voice is your most fundamental creative asset. But how do you access it? How do you let it flourish on the page?
On today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll explore why your voice matters to y…
#24: You Already Know How To Write Dialogue
You have captivating characters, a page-turning plot, gorgeous imagery. But as soon as your characters start speaking, does your story falls flat?
Here's the thing. You already know how to write crisp…
#23: The Number 1 Mindset All Great Writers Share
What's the number 1 mindset that separates great writers from the novice?
A willingness to embrace uncertainty. And to not only embrace it but to create, cultivate and dance with it.
On today's epi…
#22: Three Ways to Avoid Character Stereotype
How do we create characters readers believe in? How do we write beyond stereotype?
On today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll explore 3 ways to create multi-dimensional characters.
We'll explor…
#21: How to Craft Your Ideal Story Ending
How do we craft an ending that lands with the reader? How do we avoid what author David Jauss calls "the literary equivalent of a faked orgasm?"
On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll explore 5…
#20: Four Ways Your Writing Group is Holding You Back (and What To Look For In Your Next Writing Tribe)
Is your writing group holding you back? Inhibiting for you? Confusing you? Making you doubt yourself? Or is it supporting you to grow?
On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll explore 4 ways you…
#19: Should I Outline Before I Write?
Or should I just wing it, flying blind?
I get this question a LOT. And while there 's no one-size-fits all approach to the creative process, the outline first approach can stifle most writers and grid…
#18: How to Write With Unstoppable Inspiration
Inspiration is a mysterious, mercurial force.
Sometimes it shows up, sometimes it doesn’t.
But what if we could summon inspiration at will? If each time we sat down to write, we could reach that magic …
#17: How to Generate Unlimited Story Ideas
How do you nudge your way into a story? How do you generate ideas?
Do you start with a childhood memory? A vintage photograph? An overheard conversation?
We all have our own way in. And our creative pr…
#16: Five Things About Revision I Wish I'd Known Sooner
I used to live for the rush of that first draft. And dread revision. The more I tried to revise the more lost in the mess of my draft I'd become.
That's because I didn't understand what revision was,…