Your hero can sob and scream and lose everything, and that scene might be the weakest moment in your entire story. Because big emotion doesn't necessarily make a scene better. In episode 18, I'm sharing my pro tip for diagnosing a boring, lifeless middle section of a romance book manuscript.

SPOILER WARNING: This episode reveals major moments in the book Hot Axe by May Archer. So if you hate spoilers and love reading May Archer, go buy Hot Axe first.

You'll learn:

• Why a big, flashy scene may not be the answer to a flagging midsection
• How your hero can make the same mistake over and over and still keep the story's energy flowing (there's one condition)
• What happens when you "James Bond" your romance plot, and why that's a mistake that can lead to critical story problems
• The pair of two ultra-important decision moments that can make or break your hero's journey (with an example from a published romance book)

This 30-minute episode is for romance writers who are struggling with a laggy Act 2 in your maunscript and just can't seem to figure out what the heck is going wrong.

By the end, you'll learn what specific scene element to look for to diagnose that messy middy and an insider trick to try on your own manuscript today.

Resources from this episode:

• The Root Fear Factor Replay Vault: The workshop that walks you through how to find the ultra-important Root Fear that drives your hero’s journey → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/RFF-course
• Liar, Liar, Plot on Fire: Take the workshop where I explain the 5 growth arc phases and demo an offset hero growth arc → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/liar-liar
• Workshop: Cake, Not Chaos: The Moment To Moment Method (replay inside E2E) → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• The Fear Fingerprint exercise (module inside Enemies To Experts) → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• The Turning Point Plot Milestone: Read this free article on the two-step framework for setting up a story arc → https://podcast.suebrownmoore.com/plot-milestones
• The Root Fear (CCV): Read this free article on the hero trait that anchors your entire story → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/root-fear
• Community: Join Enemies To Experts → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• Author Spotlight: May Archer: Visit May Archer’s website and check out her books → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/mayarcher
• More Resources: Learn from Sue at your own pace → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn

• The Root Fear Factor Replay Vault
• May Archer (author website)
• Write Without Resistance: Book your group’s private workshop with Sue
• Plot Milestones: The Opportunity & Turning Point
• Liar, Liar, Plot on Fire - Learn about my workshop course and the 5 questions to diagnose plot problems → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/liar-liar
• The Root Fear explained (CCV) - Free article: The hero trait that anchors your entire story → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/root-fear
• Enemies To Experts™ - Learn more about the Enemies To Experts™ program with Sue Brown-Moore. Because falling in love with your manuscript starts with understanding it.

Subscribe to the Story Sorcery® podcast with Sue Brown-Moore on your favorite podcast app to never miss an episode.

Romance readers know how the book ends before they open it. We're not here for the plot. We care about how that book makes us feel. In episode 17, I'm breaking down the sensations we're actually rereading for, and why your hero's backstory is your best tool for threading those feelings into your prose.

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode talks about the childhood loss of a pet. Nothing is graphically depicted, but it is mentioned a few times as part of the example hero's backstory. So if this is a sensitive or triggering topic for you, please take care of yourself while listening.

You'll learn:

• Why romance readers reread a book, and it's not for the plot
• Why a five-page character sheet full of facts (her birthday, her coffee order, the ex who wrecked her) still leaves your hero reading two-dimensional
• How a few lines of physical detail can save you from a week of rewrites (with an example)
• The Swap Test for telling the difference between a "plot" scene and a "story" scene (and why understanding that difference is so important)

This 30-minute episode is for romance writers who keep rereading a big scene, feeling like something is missing, and can't put your finger on what.

By the end, you'll know how to tell a plot scene from a story scene in your own manuscript, and you'll learn a simple backstory test can help you pinpoint the story "feeling" your readers are craving.

Resources from this episode:

• Workshop: Cake, Not Chaos: The Moment To Moment Method (replay inside E2E) → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• The Backstory Bridge exercise (module inside Enemies To Experts) → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• The Fear Fingerprint exercise (module inside Enemies To Experts) → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• Community: Join Enemies To Experts → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• More Resources: Learn from Sue at your own pace → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn

• Enemies To Experts™ - Learn more about the Enemies To Experts™ program with Sue Brown-Moore. Because falling in love with your manuscript starts with understanding it.
• More resources - Learn from Sue at your own pace at podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn

Subscribe to the Story Sorcery® podcast with Sue Brown-Moore on your favorite podcast app to never miss an episode.

You've heard that your first chapter has to hook the reader. But the hook isn't your trope setup or your meet cute. It's a glimpse of who your hero is underneath, and it shows up as a choice they make when the story is barely getting started. In episode 16, I'm breaking down what that glimpse looks like and how to test whether your early pages are giving readers enough reason to stick around.

You'll learn:

• The tiny choice your hero needs to make in their first scene that gives your reader a hint at what they're afraid of
• How "too perfect" heroes in the early chapters become the cardboard characters readers complain about in reviews
• The Bridgerton Season 3 scene that shows how powerful a tool body language can be (yes, even in text)
• A three-question checklist you can use right now to test whether your first chapter is risking DNFs (Did Not Finish reviews) from your readers

This 25-minute episode is for romance writers who are worried that your opening chapters aren't strong enough or that you're giving away too much about your hero too soon in the story (hint: you're probably not!).

And at the end, I give you a simple checklist to test whether your hero's first scenes give readers a reason to keep turning pages.

Resources from this episode:

• Workshop: Cake, Not Chaos: The Moment To Moment Method (replay inside E2E) → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• Live workshop: The 8-Scene Story Setup: Book your group’s private workshop with Sue today! → hi.suebrownmoore.com/8SSS
• Community: Join Enemies to Experts → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• More Resources: Learn from Sue at your own pace → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn
• Brennan Lee Mulligan: Sit back and listen to Brennan Lee Mulligan—one of the greatest storytellers of our generation—talk about how an unpredictable life has shaped a phenomenally interesting and unstoppable career on this interview with Hank Green on the Study Hall YouTube channel: “How DnD Became a Career: Brennan Lee Mulligan’s College Journey” → https://podcast.suebrownmoore.com/meetbrennan

• The 8-Scene Story Setup: Book your live group workshop with Sue
• The Brennan Lee Mulligan interview - Sit back and listen to Brennan Lee Mulligan—one of the greatest storytellers of our generation—talk about how an unpredictable life has shaped a phenomenally interesting and unstoppable career on this interview with Hank Green on the Study Hall YouTube channel: “How DnD Became a Career: Brennan Lee Mulligan’s College Journey” (https://podcast.suebrownmoore.com/meetbrennan)
• Enemies To Experts™ - Learn more about the Enemies To Experts™ program with Sue Brown-Moore. Because falling in love with your manuscript starts with understanding it.
• More resources - Learn from Sue at your own pace at podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn

Subscribe to the Story Sorcery® podcast with Sue Brown-Moore on your favorite podcast app to never miss an episode.

Your hero gets a chance to do the brave thing in the early chapters, and they don't take it. They dig in, double down, and choose the safe path. And your reader loves them for it. In episode 15, I'm breaking down why that refusal is one of the most important scenes in your entire manuscript and how it sets up (or ruins) every emotional payoff that comes after.

You'll learn:

• The difference between a trope promise and a character promise, and why your story needs both on the page
• What promises your story is making to your reader in the early story (and why it matters more than your trope setup)
• Why your big emotional scenes can hit every beat and still feel hollow (because you skipped this one moment)
• What Penelope from Bridgerton Season 3 can teach you about the promise your own manuscript is making (that you can't afford to break)

This 27-minute episode is for romance writers whose readers finish the book and say "that was pretty good" instead of staying up past midnight to read just one more page.

And at the end, I give you a gut-check exercise you can try on your own manuscript today to test whether your hero is inviting the reader into their most vulnerable spaces, rather than simply telling about themself.

Resources from this episode:

• Workshop: Cake, Not Chaos: The Moment To Moment Method (replay inside E2E) → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• The Character Core Values (CCVs): Read this free article on the must-have traits for your heroes → https://podcast.suebrownmoore.com/ccvs
• The Root Fear (CCV): Read this free article on the hero trait that anchors your entire story → https://podcast.suebrownmoore.com/root-fear
• The Lie (CCV): Read this free article about the psychological protection that shapes your hero’s journey → https://podcast.suebrownmoore.com/the-lie
• The Plot Milestones (Opp + TP): Read this free article on the two-step framework for setting up a story arc → https://podcast.suebrownmoore.com/plot-milestones
• Community: Join Enemies to Experts → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• More Resources: Learn from Sue at your own pace → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn

• Plot Milestones: The Opportunity & Turning Point
• The Lie (CCV)
• The Character Core Values (CCVs) - Free article: The Character Core Values that define who your hero is at their core, the good and the bad → https://podcast.suebrownmoore.com/ccvs
• The Root Fear explained (CCV) - Free article: The hero trait that anchors your entire story → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/root-fear
• Enemies To Experts™ - Learn more about the Enemies To Experts™ program with Sue Brown-Moore. Because falling in love with your manuscript starts with understanding it.
• More resources - Learn from Sue at your own pace at podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn

Subscribe to the Story Sorcery® podcast with Sue Brown-Moore on your favorite podcast app to never miss an episode.

You read back through your big ending and it's... disappointing. Technically, it hits all the right beats, but it feels kinda meh. So you make it bigger. You add more dialogue, more stakes, more feelings. And somehow it gets worse. In episode 14, I'm walking you through why the scene that actually earns your hero's big moment isn't near the finale at all, and why you might have already cut it for "not moving the plot forward".

You'll learn:

• Why making your ending bigger (more dialogue, more stakes, more feelings) only makes it feel more forced
• What the "porch scene" is and why your reader will feel it even when your hero never acknowledges what's happening
• How a hero uses their Augmentation to show (not tell) you they're actually changing
• The one question to run on your mid-story scenes this week to tell whether your hero is really growing or just wearing a different emotional outfit

This 30-minute episode is for romance writers who can tell your ending isn't hitting the way the way you intended, and you've been trying to fix it by adding more. By the end, you'll know why that instinct backfires and where in your draft the real character-growth work needs to happen instead.

Resources from this episode:

• Related article: Why some heroes wreck you (and others are forgettable) → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/heroes-that-wreck-you
• Related article: The four stages of a Turning Point moment → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/turning-point
• Related article: The 5 stages of your hero's growth arc → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/5-phases
• Related article: The 4 types of Augmentations (hero self-protections) → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/armor
• Learn the timeline dot method: Cake, Not Chaos: The Moment To Moment Method workshop replay (live inside E2E) → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/expert
• Community: Join Enemies to Experts → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/expert
• More Resources: Learn from Sue at your own pace → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn

• Why Some Heroes Wreck You (& Others Are Unforgettable)
• The 4 stages of the Turning Point moment
• Hero “Armor” (Augmentations CCV) - Free article: The 4 types of hero defenses that affect your story’s scenes → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/armor
• Liar, Liar, Plot on Fire - Learn about my workshop course and the 5 questions to diagnose plot problems → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/liar-liar
• Enemies To Experts™ - Learn more about the Enemies To Experts™ program with Sue Brown-Moore. Because falling in love with your manuscript starts with understanding it.
• The 5 Growth Phases - Free article: The 5 stages of every character arc → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/5-phases

Subscribe to the Story Sorcery® podcast with Sue Brown-Moore on your favorite podcast app to never miss an episode.

Your hero walks into a room and owns it. They're charming or tough or impossibly warm. And you wrote it that way on purpose. But if that personality feels more like a performance than a person, the problem may be deeper than surface level. When there's no wound driving the behavior, even "big" personalities can feel empty.

In episode 13, I'm walking you through the four types of protective behavior your romance characters use, how to spot which one your hero defaults to, and why knowing the difference between a personality trait and a coping mechanism is what makes your hero feel real.

You'll learn:

• Why a big, lovable personality can actually flatten your character arc if you don't know what's fueling it
• The four types of protective behaviors ("Augmentations": Armor, Shield, Mask, and Flair) and how each one shows up differently in your scenes
• How to trace a hero's protective behavior back to the Wound underneath, using an example from a published romance book
• What to ask about your own manuscript this week to find where your hero's protection is doing its heaviest lifting

This 33-minute episode is for romance writers who write heroes that have strong personalities on the page but still feel like something's missing. By the end, you'll understand which type of protection your character is using and how to write scenes that crack through it just enough to hook your reader.

Resources from this episode:

• Community: Join Enemies to Experts → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• The Flair Augmentation Showdown: How two different “big personality” characters break under pressure → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/flair
• The Character Core Values: Read this free article on the must-have traits for your heroes → https://podcast.suebrownmoore.com/ccvs
• The 5 growth arc phases: Read this free article to learn your hero's psychological arc → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/5-phases
• Growth arcs vs Fall arcs: Read this free article to learn the difference and decide which path your character needs to be on right now → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/growth-vs-fall
• Protective Augmentations: The 4 types of hero defenses that affect your story’s scenes → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/armor
• Author Spotlight: Adriana Locke: Visit Adriana Locke’s website and check out her books → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/adrianalocke
• Interview with Brennan Lee Mulligan: Sit back and listen to Brennan Lee Mulligan—one of the greatest storytellers of our generation—talk about how an unpredictable life has shaped a phenomenally interesting and unstoppable career on this interview with Hank Green on the Study Hall YouTube channel: “How DnD Became a Career: Brennan Lee Mulligan’s College Journey”
• More Resources: Learn from Sue at your own pace → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn

• Flair comparisons: Star-Lord vs Illium (Augmentation CCV)
• Adriana Locke (author website)
• Growth vs. Fall Arcs
• The Character Core Values (CCVs) - Free article: The Character Core Values that define who your hero is at their core, the good and the bad → https://podcast.suebrownmoore.com/ccvs
• Hero “Armor” (Augmentations CCV) - Free article: The 4 types of hero defenses that affect your story’s scenes → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/armor
• The Brennan Lee Mulligan interview - Sit back and listen to Brennan Lee Mulligan—one of the greatest storytellers of our generation—talk about how an unpredictable life has shaped a phenomenally interesting and unstoppable career on this interview with Hank Green on the Study Hall YouTube channel: “How DnD Became a Career: Brennan Lee Mulligan’s College Journey” (https://podcast.suebrownmoore.com/meetbrennan)
• Enemies To Experts™ - Learn more about the Enemies To Experts™ program with Sue Brown-Moore. Because falling in love with your manuscript starts with understanding it.
• The 5 Growth Phases - Free article: The 5 stages of every character arc → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/5-phases
• More resources - Learn from Sue at your own pace at podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn

Subscribe to the Story Sorcery® podcast with Sue Brown-Moore on your favorite podcast app to never miss an episode.

If you've got a scene that should feel gut-wrenching, but it reads more like a shrug, the problem probably isn't your writing. In episode 12, I'm walking you through what happens when a scene looks emotional on the surface but isn't connected to what your hero is really going through underneath.

You'll learn:

• Why a scene can make you cry while you're writing it and still fall flat for readers
• How to tell whether your hero's big moment is doing real character work or just wearing a plot disguise
• What a bestselling romance novel reveals about the difference between caretaking as love language and caretaking as self-protection
• The one question to ask any scene that keeps fighting you, before you touch a single word

This 20-minute episode is for romance writers who keep rewriting scenes that feel almost right but never quite resonate, no matter how many tweaks you make. By the end, you'll know how to spot when a scene is faking emotion so you can stop wrestling with the words and start asking what the scene actually needs to do.

Resources from this episode:

• Community: Join Enemies to Experts → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• The Character Core Values: Read this free article on the must-have traits for your heroes → https://podcast.suebrownmoore.com/ccvs
• Spotlight author: CP Rider, urban fantasy romance writer → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/cprider
• Spotlight author: Lauren Blakely, contemporary romance writer → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/laurenblakely
• More Resources: Learn from Sue at your own pace → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn

• The Character Core Values (CCVs) - Free article: The Character Core Values that define who your hero is at their core, the good and the bad → https://podcast.suebrownmoore.com/ccvs
• Lauren Blakely (author website) - Learn more about Lauren Blakely, the writer I talked about in this episode, on her author website and check out her witty, heartwarming—and also beautifully narrated—stories about the power of love, friendship and sports.
• C.P. Rider (author website) - Learn more about C.P. Rider, the writer I talked about in this episode, on her author website and check out her addicting, immersive, wildly unpredictable urban fantasy series.
• Enemies To Experts™ - Learn more about the Enemies To Experts™ program with Sue Brown-Moore. Because falling in love with your manuscript starts with understanding it.
• More resources - Learn from Sue at your own pace at podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn

Subscribe to the Story Sorcery® podcast with Sue Brown-Moore on your favorite podcast app to never miss an episode.

If you've been making story decisions from anxiety instead of confidence, this episode is going to feel like a deep breath. Because the confidence you want isn't about doing everything right. It's about knowing why you're making each choice so you can make the best ones. In episode 11, I'm walking you through what that feels like in practice, with real stories from writers learned to trust their storytelling instincts.

You'll learn:

• Why every story decision romance writers make feels heavier than it should
• What happened when a writer realized the conflict she kept rewriting wasn't the real conflict at all
• How a D&D interview about childhood bullying shows us how to write romance characters readers believe in
• The revealing exercise you can try on your own manuscript this week

This 24-minute episode is for romance writers who keep going back and forth on story decisions because you're not sure what your story actually needs. By the end, you'll understand where that second-guessing comes from and what it feels like to start making revision (and drafting!) decisions you trust.

Resources from this episode:

• Community: Join Enemies to Experts → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• Hero growth arcs: The 5 phases every hero needs → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/5-phases
• Hero “Armor”: The 4 types of hero defenses that affect your story’s scenes → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/armor
• Brennan Lee Mulligan: Hear his bullying story yourself → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/meetbrennan
• More Resources: Learn from Sue at your own pace → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn

• Hero “Armor” (Augmentations CCV) - Free article: The 4 types of hero defenses that affect your story’s scenes → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/armor
• The Brennan Lee Mulligan interview - Sit back and listen to Brennan Lee Mulligan—one of the greatest storytellers of our generation—talk about how an unpredictable life has shaped a phenomenally interesting and unstoppable career on this interview with Hank Green on the Study Hall YouTube channel: “How DnD Became a Career: Brennan Lee Mulligan’s College Journey” (https://podcast.suebrownmoore.com/meetbrennan)
• Enemies To Experts™ - Learn more about the Enemies To Experts™ program with Sue Brown-Moore. Because falling in love with your manuscript starts with understanding it.
• The 5 Growth Phases - Free article: The 5 stages of every character arc → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/5-phases
• More resources - Learn from Sue at your own pace at podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn

Subscribe to the Story Sorcery® podcast with Sue Brown-Moore on your favorite podcast app to never miss an episode.

You had two free hours to write, and instead you reorganized your Trello board. You love this story. You chose it. So why won't your brain let you work on it? In episode 10, I'm breaking down why romance writers get stuck, what your block is actually responding to, plus how one writer's story block disappeared when she swapped a single word in her heroine's Root Fear.

You'll learn:

• Why "butt in chair, just write" advice fails most romance writers
• Three completely different types of creative blocks that show up in romance manuscripts, each needing a different fix
• What happened when a writer in my group sessions replaced "fear of failure" with something deeper (and why that depth matters so much in romance books)
• An exercise you can try this week with three questions to help you figure out what your own resistance is about

This 20-minute episode is for romance writers who keep blaming yourself for being lazy or unfocused when the real issue has nothing to do with discipline. By the end, you'll understand why your brain keeps hitting the brakes on your manuscript and have an intuitive way to start working with through resistance instead of against it.

Resources from this episode:

• Community: Join Enemies to Experts → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• Liar, Liar, Plot on Fire: Take the workshop where Hollie learned the 5 growth arc phases → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/liar-liar
• The 5 growth arc phases: Read this free article to learn your hero's psychological arc → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/5-phases
• The Root Fear: Read this free article on the Root Fear for your hero → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/5-phases
• Spotlight author: Hollie Smurthwaite: Visit Hollie's website and check out her books → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/holliesmurthwaite

• Hollie Smurthwaite (author website) - Learn more about Hollie Smurthwaite, the writer I talked about in this episode, on her author website and check out her funny, witty romance book style.
• Liar, Liar, Plot on Fire - Learn about my workshop course and the 5 questions to diagnose plot problems → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/liar-liar
• The Root Fear explained (CCV) - Free article: The hero trait that anchors your entire story → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/root-fear
• Enemies To Experts™ - Learn more about the Enemies To Experts™ program with Sue Brown-Moore. Because falling in love with your manuscript starts with understanding it.
• The 5 Growth Phases - Free article: The 5 stages of every character arc → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/5-phases

Subscribe to the Story Sorcery® podcast with Sue Brown-Moore on your favorite podcast app to never miss an episode.

Revision isn't slow because you're a slow writer. It's slow because you're fixing symptoms instead of causes. In episode 9, I'm showing you what that actually costs you in real publishing time, and what one focused week of looking at the right thing can replace.

You'll learn:

• Why each revision pass feels like progress but adds weeks to your timeline without solving anything
• How editing any of the four layers of a romance manuscript creates a compounding ripple effect when you fix one without understanding what it touches
• What a one-week diagnostic read can replace compared to four or five full passes (with actual math)
• The three questions to ask about any problem scene before you rewrite a single word

This 17-minute episode is for romance writers who keep telling yourself "just one more pass" and are several passes in with nothing to show for it. By the end, you'll know exactly what to look at in the scene that won't cooperate, and why that's probably not even the scene that needs fixing.

Resources from this episode:

• Community: Join Enemies to Experts → suebrownmoore.com/enemies-to-experts
• More Resources: Learn from Sue at your own pace → podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn

• Enemies To Experts™ - Learn more about the Enemies To Experts™ program with Sue Brown-Moore. Because falling in love with your manuscript starts with understanding it.
• More resources - Learn from Sue at your own pace at podcast.suebrownmoore.com/learn

Subscribe to the Story Sorcery® podcast with Sue Brown-Moore on your favorite podcast app to never miss an episode.