Getting results in our writing is great. But a result-oriented mindset can hinder creativity and authenticity.

In this throwback episode, you'll learn how to evaluate your work based on 2 important qualities: presence and truth.

This is all about your emotional connection and belief in your story. It's a more transformational approach that values the ongoing journey, and the evolving relationship with your work.

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The most common struggle writers have when writing a novel is structure. Both plotters and pantsers get overwhelmed with the sheer volume of material and ideas they have about their story. Invariably, the story becomes unwieldy and falls apart. When a story breaks down, it's because the underlying foundation isn't strong enough to hold the story up.

So in this episode, I'm going to give you 3 character foundations to help structure  your story.  You'll learn the symbiotic relationship between plot and character.

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Why do we read stories? And why do we write them? We'll uncover the irresistible pull stories have on us, and why your story matters to those who read it. But in order for your story to matter to readers, it must matter to you first. So in this episode, you'll learn that why you write is far more important than what you write.

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Keeping your story grounded in time balances the pace of your story and helps readers navigate your character’s journey. But how do you show the passage of time in your novel without jarring, or worse, boring your reader?

In this episode, you’ll get clear on the passage of time in your story so you can seamlessly guide the reader as your characters move through time and space.

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Well, it's officially gift giving season, and your family and friends might be asking, “What do you want for Christmas?” 

Maybe you have a writer in your life and you want to get something special, and you’re wondering, What would support her? What would help her develop her craft?

Maybe you want to buy a gift for yourself. 

In this episode, I’m sharing 5 great gift ideas for writers. I have 5 categories with my personal recommendations for each.

You'll find links to all these gifts by clicking here and scrolling down to Links Mentioned In This Episode.   

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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.

Cause and effect is one of the major tenets of a cohesive plot so everything is knit together to shape your story.

Every cause leads to an effect.

It's often described as a chain reaction. One event leads to another, and another and another.

But when we think of cause and effect solely in what happens, we're missing a big piece of the story.  When taken at face value, cause and effect can lead to relatively shallow stories where things just happen to the characters. The characters feel more like pawns to move the plot forward.

 So what do we mean by cause, and what do we mean by effect? What's the cause? What's the effect?

In today's episode, we'll go deeper so that you can use cause and effect more effectively.

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How do you build character into the structure of your story? What's the story beneath the plot?

Structure alone won't create the energy and  momentum a story thrives on. There's the story underneath driving the plot, and that's all about character.

In this episode, I'll reveal 3 secrets about your character that will help you build momentum right into the structure of your story.

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Predictability may keep us feeling certain and safe in real life.

But it's fatal in story.
 
You never want the reader to see what's coming next. Once the reader can predict how the plot will unfold -  when there's nothing to wonder about, worry about, guess, or infer - there's no reason to read any further.

So you want to stay one step ahead of your reader, and in most cases, one step ahead of your characters. You know what's going to happen to your characters. You know what the outcome of the story will be. But your characters don't, and neither should your readers. 

So in this episode, you'll learn 4 ways to create and sustain uncertainty in your story and keep readers guessing.

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How do you write beyond the stock, archetypical villain? ? How do you make him or her believable and intriguing?

How do you surprise us?

In this episode, I'm sharing 3 ways to make your villain multi-dimensional and complex, even if he or she's downright evil. You'll learn how to write a villain who fascinates.

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If I were to ask you what is your story’s central idea, could you sum it up in a few sentences?

A big challenge many writers face is keeping their story focused on one single driving point, let alone articulate it.

When there’s no central focal point, readers get lost, confused, frustrated and bored. They stop reading.

In today’s episode, I’ll give you 5 quick questions to help you get clear and focused on the central idea driving your story. The focal point from which all your story's events revolve.

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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.