#66: Two Simple Ways to Amp Up Suspense
How do you create the kind of suspense that keeps readers riveted to your pages, hanging on every sentence? Suspense doesn't happen in the broad strokes - trouble, cliffhangers, sympathetic characters, etc. It's built sentence by sentence. And there are two simple techniques you can apply right now. In today's episode, you'll learn how to orchestrate details that bring tension and suspense right on the sentence level, creating insatiable readers. Go to the sh...
27 Okt 202121min
#65: Cut The Cliches and Write Something Original
Readers crave novelty and surprise. They don't want the same cliched description of a sunset. Or the expected character response to betrayal. But coming up with original ideas, especially for ordinary things like sunsets, requires us to tap into our own creative reservoir. In today's episode, we'll explore 4 ways to keep your creative channels open. So you can access your original take on the world, and write stories that surprise and delight. Dismantle 6 faulty mindsets...
20 Okt 202117min
#64: Crush Self Doubt and Write Like You Mean It
How do you keep writing when you're paralyzed by self doubt? By reprogramming faulty thought patterns. In today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll re-frame common misconceptions about writing, and even misconceptions about your own abilities that are sabotaging you. We'll explore: What's really at the core of writer's block3 Common thoughts that derail writersThe truth about talentAnd why there's no such thing as failureWant to dismantle more faulty thought patterns and unleash yo...
13 Okt 202112min
#63: Is Your Writing Style Upstaging Your Story?
Style can be the downfall of an otherwise stunning story. That's because the writing calls too much attention to itself and upstages the characters. It fights against your story and keeps your reader from getting fully engrossed. Worse, it keeps you from getting deeply involved with your own story. In today's episode, we'll talk about the elements that make up your writing style, and how to make sure your style integrates with your story. You want style to complement your story, n...
6 Okt 202113min
#62: Two Common Mistakes That Land Your Manuscript in the Reject Pile and How to Fix Them
What's one of the quickest way to get your manuscript in the reject pile? Too many adjectives and adverbs. Writers often think adjectives and adverbs describe vividly. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Instead, they bloat your story with empty filler. And bore your reader. In today's episode, you'll learn how to eliminate or minimize adjectives and adverbs and replace them with more vivid language that activates the reader's imagination. Have your manuscri...
29 Sep 202116min
#61: Alternatives to Chronological Story Time You Probably Haven't Heard Of
Don't think or write chronologically? No worries. Stories bend to their own laws of time. In today's episode, we'll look at 4 ways to manipulate time in your story. These will give you more range as the author, and more tension and suspense for your reader. We'll explore: Using flashbacks to frame your storyUsing the figure 8 structure around an image or eventCreating suspense through flash forwards Reverse Chronological OrderAlso Listen to: 3 Common Flashback Mista...
22 Sep 202114min
#60: Three Flashback Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Flashbacks need to be handled with craft and intention. Just like any other interruption from the present story, a flashback can kick your reader out of the story. And that's precisely what we want to avoid. In today's episode, I'm sharing 3 common missteps writers make with flashback, and how to avoid them. We'll explore how to: Reign in overused flashbacksPlace flashbacks where they matterUse repetition and variation to give your story a memoryKeep your reader grounded in time shif...
15 Sep 202115min
#59: The Writer's Voice- A Conversation With Writer/Performer Bonnie Lykes Bigler
Bonnie Lykes Bigler is a writer and spoken word performer and host of The Writers' Voice on WIOX 91.3 FM. In this radio re-broadcast, we talk all things writing - why we write, what stops us in our tracks and how to keep writing in the face of rejection, loss of motivation, and writer's fatigue. We talk about the importance of learning how to read like a writer, and the ship and learn approach I learned from one of my coaches, and more. If you've got 60 min...
8 Sep 202129min
