What do you do after 197 rejections … for the same book?

Well, if you’re author Carmela Dutra, you keep going.

In this episode, Carmela shares the real story behind her debut cozy mystery, A Murder Most Foul—from querying too soon and rewriting extensively to finding the right agent after nearly 200 nos. We talk about saggy middles, tense slips, brutal feedback, and what it takes to rebuild a manuscript from the ground up.

If you're struggling with self-doubt, facing a bunch of rejection, and just feeling like maybe it’s time to throw in the towel—this conversation will arm you with what you need to keep going and protect your mindset!

Timestamps: 

04:20 Personalizing cold queries

06:12 What A Murder Most Foul is about

11:19 Craft struggles: saggy middles & tense slips

15:44 Surviving 197 rejections

18:11 Ghosting & rock bottom

19:48 Finding the right agent

21:42 Learning to plot

23:10 Imposter syndrome (“Peggy”)

28:37 Querying advice

30:20 Finding time to write as a mom

Guest Bio:

Carmela Dutra is a writer from the Bay Area who loves food trucks, family, and cozy mysteries. Her debut, A Murder Most Fowl, has been praised by Kirkus Reviews for its “serious set of crimes leavened by plenty of amusing moments,” by Criminal Element for the “juicy reasoning behind the sabotage that was almost as shocking as the murder itself,” and described as “the perfect escapist read, brimming with banter and an extra helping of fun” by New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams. She has also been featured in CrimeReads Magazine.

To connect with Carmela and purchase her books, visit her website and check her blog series: An Author’s Guide to Quering for hot tips!

Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.

Support the show

To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:

Email: [email protected]

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis

https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared:

Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide

Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

 Blog Post on Stakes with Examples 

If your story feels flat or like it’s not going anywhere, check your stakes!

Today, we break down what stakes really are, why “just make it worse” isn’t helpful advice, and how to create meaningful consequences for your characters that keep readers emotionally invested.

We’ll talk personal, relational, and thematic stakes—and how to pressure-test them so your story actually holds.

Timestamps
 00:00 What Stakes Really Mean
 01:37 Why Stakes Come from Choice
 06:43 Personal + Relationship Stakes
 11:09 Thematic Stakes
 12:27 Pressure-Testing Your Story 

Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.

Support the show

To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:

Email: [email protected]

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis

https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared:

Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide

Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

What does it really take to build a successful novel? 

Kate Broad discusses leaving her romance author career to write literary fiction and how her debut novel, Greenwich, required multiple drafts and rewrites. 

She shares what it's like to scrap early drafts, rebuild the story from the ground up, write complex characters that are hard to like, and what she tells herself when the writing feels hard. 

If you need a reminder that your first draft can become something magical, that struggling is just part of the work and process of bringing a novel to fruition, and that you’re not doing anything wrong, you’ll enjoy our conversation. 

Timestamps
 00:00 – Why Revision Is Where the Magic Happens
 00:19 – Welcome to Write It Scared
 01:29 – Meet Kate Road
 03:20 – Writing Greenwich and Starting Over
 05:03 – Themes of Wealth, Power, and Privilege
 07:34 – Crafting Complex, Unlikable Characters
 15:47 – How the Book Changed in Revision
 21:40 – Self-Doubt and Staying in the Work
 30:25 – Resilience and the Reality of the Writing Life
 39:43 – Final Reflections

Kate Broad holds a BA from Wellesley College and a PhD in English from the CUNY Graduate Center. She is a Bronx Council on the Arts award winner for fiction, and her writing has appeared in The Rumpus, No Tokens, Electric Literature, LitHub, The Baltimore Review, and elsewhere. Her debut novel, Greenwich, was released in 2025 from St. Martin's Press and was named one of People Magazine's Best New Books, a Vanity Fair Summer Read, and an Amazon Editor's Pick for Best New Literature and Fiction. Originally from Massachusetts, she lives in the Bronx.  

GREENWICH - Out now from St. Martin's Press / Macmillan!

https://katebroad.com

Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.

Support the show

To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:

Email: [email protected]

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis

https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared:

Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide

Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

How do you write a sex scene that readers actually read and not just skim? 

That’s what today’s episode is all about! 

Author Accelerator certified book coaches Stacy Frazer and Jennifer Larkin team up for an honest conversation about writing sex in fiction—without cringe.

Stacy and Jen discuss when sex scenes belong in a story, how explicit they need to be, and how to write intimacy that deepens character and advances the plot. 

You’ll learn how genre expectations (including YA vs. adult), consent, and emotional intent shape effective intimate scenes—and how to make intentional choices that serve your story.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction
 01:50 Guest: Jennifer Larkin
 03:20 Do you need a sex scene in your novel?
 10:04 Sex scenes in YA vs. adult
 21:16 Purpose of sex scene and level of explicitness
 26:20 Common mistakes
 29:09 Consent on the page
 35:05 When to include a sex scene 

Jennifer Larkin helps romance writers turn good ideas into epic stories and jagged drafts into lovable novels. 

Grab her free guide to writing better romance scenes at https://jenniferlarkin.kit.com/scenes.

Connect on Social Media:

Instagram: @jenniferlarkinbookcoach

Substack: @jenniferlarkinbookcoach 

Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.

Support the show

To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:

Email: [email protected]

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis

https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared:

Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide

Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

Self-publishing isn’t a shortcut nor a consolation prize. It’s a publishing model that works well for some writers and not at all for others.

Today, I’m joined by Libby Waterford, a prolific romance author and self-publishing educator with more than twenty books published across pen names.

We break down what self-publishing actually involves: the costs writers don’t always anticipate, the level of control and responsibility it requires, and how marketing, timelines, and long-term goals factor into whether it’s a good fit for you.

This episode is about education and understanding your options, asking questions, and making intentional decisions about your writing career based on your long-term goals

Timestamps

01:43 Meet Libby Waterford

05:28 Why Libby chose self-publishing after being with a traditional publisher

08:47 Pros and cons of self-publishing

16:38 The advantages of being your own publisher

23:09 Budgeting and essential costs

27:09 Marketing, ROI, and sustainability

38:53 Advice for new authors

41:07 What Libby’s working on next and education resources

Guest Bio:

Libby Waterford is the author of Sawyer's Cove, the Reboot, and The Never A Bride Contemporary Romance Series, and under her other pen name, Elle Waters, writes steamy Small Town Gay Romance. A former president of the Connecticut Chapter of Romance Writers of America, Libby is also a self-publishing coach and instructor at the Westport Writers Workshop in Westport, Connecticut, where she teaches classes on genre fiction and self-publishing.

Links
https://libbywaterford.com/, 

https://www.instagram.com/libbywritesromance/, 

https://ellewatersbooks.substack.com/

https://westportwriters.org/

 

Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.

Support the show

To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:

Email: [email protected]

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis

https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared:

Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide

Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

“What does my character want?” Sounds like a simple question—until it isn’t. 

If you’ve ever struggled to figure out the difference between your character's wants and needs, been confused by the language of conscious goals and unconscious goals or desires, this episode is for you! 

Today, we simplify things so you never get confused again!  

We look at how goals create momentum on the page to inform the plot, while desires drive the character's internal change.  

You’ll also get practical ways to diagnose what’s missing when a character feels stuck—and how to fix it.

Timestamps:
 01:32 Why “what does my character want?” is a loaded question
 03:14 Goals vs. desires: what’s the difference?
 04:53 Examples of clear external goals
 06:11 The messier truth of character desire
 11:08 Using goals and desires to drive transformation
 13:37 Practical tools for revision
 15:29 Closing thoughts + book coaching note
 16:37 Wrap-up

Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.

Support the show

To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:

Email: [email protected]

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis

https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared:

Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide

Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

There’s a persistent myth that if writing feels hard, you’re doing it wrong. 

This conversation with debut novelist Charlene Wang gently dismantles that idea. We talk honestly about messy drafts, perfectionism, long revision timelines, and the quiet persistence it takes to keep going when doubt creeps in.

Charlene shares her path to publishing I'll Follow You, including years of revision, mindset shifts, and learning to trust the process even when progress felt slow. If you’ve ever wondered whether struggle means failure, this episode offers reassurance that struggle is often part of becoming the writer you’re meant to be.

Timestamps:

 01:27 Welcome + meet Charlene Wang
 02:47 Charlene’s path to becoming a writer
 05:11 Talking about I’ll Follow You
 08:22 The realities of drafting and revision
 14:43 Research and character development
 20:29 Plotting, pantsing, and everything in between
 21:38 Navigating self-doubt
 24:33 Tools for sticking with the work
 26:12 Productivity, perspective, and patience
 29:18 Becoming a writer over time
 36:26 Advice for writers in the thick of it
 38:03 What Charlene is working on now

Links mentioned

Leigh Bardugo’s Ted Talk: The Art of Discomfort

Ira Glass The Gap

Charlene’s debut novel, I’ll Follow You, is out now.

You can learn more and connect with her at charlenewangauthor.com or on Instagram @charleneshiyi

Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.

Support the show

To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:

Email: [email protected]

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis

https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared:

Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide

Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

What happens when you stop trying to make your story palatable—and start making it true?

Today, I'm joined by author Ivette Diaz for a powerful conversation about writing hopeful dystopian stories, the importance of representation on the page, and choosing integrity over marketability. We talk about writing through hard seasons, navigating self-doubt, and why community—not competition—is what sustains a writing life.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your story belongs, felt pressure to soften your voice, or needed a reminder that you are doing enough, this episode is for you.

Guest Bio: Ivette N Diaz is an author of dystopian sci-fi/fantasy novels, an entrepreneur, and a daydreamer who, through the gift of storytelling, strives to provide an element of hope in each story and help each person realize the unique purpose for their life. She has published Rise of Power, Choices of Power, and Struggles of Power, all part of the I Am Chronicles series. Her short story, Taino: An Untold Story, is featured in the Flame Tree Publishing Anthology Beyond & Within: Latin American Shared Stories, edited by V. Castro.

To connect with Ivette and read her work:

Website: ivettendiaz.com

Instagram & Threads: @ivettendiazauthor

Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.

Support the show

To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:

Email: [email protected]

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis

https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared:

Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide

Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

Draft It Scared Group Coaching

Real Talk: Writer to Writer

Are you afraid of being judged for what you write? 

You’re not alone. Me too. And in this episode, I get personal by sharing my writing updates, how publishing a short story felt exposing, and how I’m learning to navigate the fear of being seen for what I write.

We also talk about changes to the podcast and setting writing intentions for 2026 that align with your life, not work against it. 

Timestamps:
 00:00 Personal reflection
 01:23 Easing into the new year
 02:02 The fear of being seen
 03:53 Writing update
 07:55 Writing intentions for 2026
 10:48 Reflection + next steps
 11:33 Closing

Links Mentioned:

Draft It Scared Group Coaching

The Leave Still Fallow: An Anthology of Queer Love

Big Thinking Publishing 

Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.

Support the show

To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:

Email: [email protected]

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis

https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared:

Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide

Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

Draft It Scared Group Coaching Open For Enrollment–Apply Here!

If you’ve ever questioned how to find the right critique partner—or survive traditional publishing—this episode will feel like a deep breath.

Fantasy author and book coach Gabrielle K. Byrne joins me to talk about building healthy critique relationships, navigating the realities of publishing, and learning to let go so you can fall back in love with your writing process. 

It’s honest, grounding, and full of the writer-to-writer wisdom we all need.

Timestamps
 01:23 Meet Gabrielle K. Byrne
 03:54 Gabby’s winding path to publishing
 09:42 Evolving your writing process
 21:11 Imposter syndrome + comparison
 29:21 The truth about traditional publishing
 32:12 What really happens in revisions
 35:23 The Three Ps: practice, persistence, patience
 40:23 How to work with critique partners
 46:50 Finding your writing community
 51:08 Gabby’s wish for writers

Links: 

Julie Artz CP Match

Gabrielle Byrnes Books and Book Coaching 

Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.

Support the show

To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:

Email: [email protected]

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis

https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared:

Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide

Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears