How do you write first drafts? Do you outline first and then write the story following that outline? What if outlining just isn't your jam?

In this episode, you'll learn a different approach to writing first drafts. And it doesn't require starting with an outline.

We'll generate material first. Outline second.  This method isn't just for first drafts. It works at any stage of the drafting process.

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There are many ways these days to earn money writing.  And if you enjoy tinkering with words, these 5 will help you earn cash while giving you the time freedom to devote to your novel, memoir, or story collection.  All while sharpening your skills as a wordsmith.

In this episode we'll cover:

• Copywriting
• Feature Writing
• Email Marketing
• Social Media 
• Writing Contests

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We want our readers to feel our character’s pain, their joy, and everything in between. But one of the quickest ways to sever the reader’s emotional connection is to be overly direct about how our character feels. In this encore episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll break down 4 ways to evoke an emotional response in readers.

We'll explore

• The biology of emotion.
• How to blast through the reader’s intellect to his most primitive emotions.
• How to avoid emotional cliches.
• The power of juxtaposition.
• The Think Large, Write Small approach to writing for emotional impact.
• How to recreate your character’s experience to transfer emotion directly to your reader.

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts.  

Love what you're learning from the Writer Unleashed podcast? Pease consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers -- just like you -- to write the story that won't let them go.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. 

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.

In this encore episode, we talk about common plot problems that plague first-time novelists, and how to solve or avoid them completely.  

• You'll explore how to:
  • Define the central problem driving your protagonist;
  • Build and intensify the action;
  • Move your plot logically from one event to the next;
  • Up the ante on what's at stake, and;
  • End your story in a way that's emotionally satisfying to your reader.

 
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts.  

Love what you're learning from the Writer Unleashed podcast? Pease consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers -- just like you -- to write the story that won't let them go.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. 

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.

An image paints a picture for readers, giving them a sensory experience.

Some images are just meant to be descriptive. They're not insignificant. Nothing in story is.  But they don't carry any particular figurative meaning. Not every image needs to be symbolic. 

But some images carry more emotional weight. They represent the meaning of your story.  They're woven into the fabric of your story, and remind your reader what your story's about.

In this episode, we'll talk about how to locate  a central image and create a pattern with it throughout your story, allowing it to gather meaning and emotional weight with each repetition.

This can amplify your story's theme and meaning. And even  help you organize and shape your material. 

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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.

You've just received your 10th agent rejection. Or the story that's so vivid in you mind just isn't translating onto the page.  Maybe you're stuck in the murky middle and can't see your way out of it. 

How do you push through?

In this episode, you'll reframe your relationship to failure,  glean the lessons from setbacks, and ultimately, write a better story. 

Episode Website

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts.  

Love what you're learning from the Writer Unleashed podcast? Pease consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers -- just like you -- to write the story that won't let them go.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. 

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.

Should you self publish?  Or traditionally publish?

In this episode, we'll weigh the pros and cons of both.  So you can make an informed decision on which publishing path is right for you.

We'll cover:

• What  steps to expect as a traditional author
• How much time it takes to bring a self-published book vs. a traditionally published book
• Upfront costs self publishers shouldn't ignore
• Royalties (and why marketing and distribution are key to sales)
• A side by side comparison of income potential for traditional and self published authors

So, whether you're on the fence, just curious, or you've already decided which path to take and want some tips and pointers, you won't want to miss this episode. 

Episode Website

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts.  

Love what you're learning from the Writer Unleashed podcast? Pease consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers -- just like you -- to write the story that won't let them go. 

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. 

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.

The mark of a great story is specificity. And to make your writing pop, you want to bring concrete details into the scene.

In last week's episode, we talked about setting a scene in a particular place. And each particular place  - whether it's a room, a yard, or an alley -  will have objects.

In this episode, we're going to talk about objects to give your story more muscularity and vividness.

We'll explore 3 different types of objects and the various purposes each play in a scene, and in the story as a whole.  And I'll give you examples of each.

Episode Website

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In story, setting is an essential yet often under-used element. 

Setting allows for the interaction between characters and their environment, weaving together a vivid world. 

In this episode, I’ll share 4 ways to bring vivid, multi-dimensional settings to your scenes.

We’ll explore how setting influences character development and gives the reader an immersive experience. So that the setting doesn’t serve as mere backdrop, but transports readers into the world of your story.

Episode Website

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What undermines an otherwise compelling story?  Poorly written scenes.

So, how can you write more captivating, impactful and structured scenes?

In this episode, you'll learn 5 essential elements that make a scene, along with an example to illustrate. 

We'll cover:

• What a scene is (and what it's not)
• The difference between scenes and chapters, and why I recommend writing in scenes first
•  Different types of action that give a scene immediacy
• How setting each scene's intention will create tension and raise the stakes
• The withhold and reveal technique to keeping your reader anticipating each and every scene 

Episode Website

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.