Writing Woods with Victoria Griffin

By Victoria Griffin

Welcome, storytellers. Step into the Writing Woods, away from pressures and distractions. Join professional book editor Victoria Griffin for relaxed chats about writing. Let's improve our craft, foste... more

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FAQs about Writing Woods with Victoria Griffin:

How many episodes does Writing Woods with Victoria Griffin have?

The podcast currently has 41 episodes available.

Writing Woods with Victoria Griffin episodes:

August 05, 2026Plot isn't what you think it is (it has one job)
A plot is more than just a series of events. If readers "just can't connect," you're probably missing one specific link between your plot and characters.

Today, we'll explore a character-first storytelling framework inspired by Will Storr's concept of the sacred flaw. You'll learn how to build a plot that applies pressure to your protagonist's deepest belief system, creating stories that readers connect with on a much deeper level.

🌳 Join our free Writing Woods community: ⁠https://writingwoods.com

⏱️ TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Let's build a plot
01:02 - Welcome to the Writing Woods
01:30 - Recap: The sacred flaw
02:26 - Character-first storytelling
02:56 - The real job of plot
03:51 - 1. Expose the belief
06:16 - 2. Challenge the belief
07:45 - Contradicting a sacred flaw
09:39 - 3. Escalate the pressure
11:04 - The three jobs of plot
12:57 - Choices and turning points
14:22 - The emotional climax
17:12 - Why this makes stories feel deep
18:37 - Final thoughts

📖 RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr
Sacred Flaw Part 1 - https://youtu.be/HsbOESOTG54

🎧 WRITING WOODS PODCAST
YouTube → https://writingwoods.com/youtube
Spotify → https://writingwoods.com/spotify
Apple → https://writingwoods.com/apple

📚 BOOK EDITING
Thoughtful, passionate editing → https://victoriagriffin.com

📌 FOLLOW ME
Instagram → https://instagram.com/vgriffinauthor
Facebook → https://facebook.com/vgriffinauthor
...more
20min
July 22, 2026One belief makes a story great (and it's not yours)
Most writing advice tells us to create an interesting character… and then make life difficult for them.

We're basically launching grenades at our characters, when we should be nocking arrows.

🌳 Join our free Writing Woods community: ⁠https://writingwoods.com

If readers keep saying they "just couldn't connect" or "didn't feel satisfied," the problem may not be your dialogue, backstory, or character development. It may be that your plot isn't aiming at the one thing that creates real emotional investment.

This is the first episode in a series on building character-driven stories. Next week, we'll look at how to design a plot that puts pressure on one exact point in your protagonist and creates lasting emotional impact.

⏱️ TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Why readers don't connect
00:43 - The grenade problem
02:10 - Every story needs a bullseye
02:39 - The sacred flaw
03:56 - Identity keeps us stuck
05:16 - The flaw they're hiding
08:04 - The emotional core of every story
09:31 - Finding sacred flaws everywhere
10:25 - Part 2: Designing the plot

📖 RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr

🎧 WRITING WOODS PODCAST
YouTube → https://writingwoods.com/youtube
Spotify → https://writingwoods.com/spotify
Apple → https://writingwoods.com/apple

📚 BOOK EDITING
Thoughtful, passionate editing → https://victoriagriffin.com

📌 FOLLOW ME
Instagram → https://instagram.com/vgriffinauthor
Facebook → https://facebook.com/vgriffinauthor
...more
12min
July 16, 2026 Become a consistent writer (don't buckle down)
Most writers think they need more discipline. But that's often not what's keeping them from writing consistently.

Inspiration isn't something you can chase, force, or hunt down. We all know not to wait for inspiration to strike. But the most consistent writers are actually doing something completely different.

They're cultivating the conditions where inspiration is most likely to appear. Those conditions have nothing to do with the state of your desk, porch, or pillow fort. They're inside you.

Let's talk about the conditions that support inspiration and great writing… and the one habit that can help you become a more consistent writer.

🌳 Join our free Writing Woods community: ⁠https://writingwoods.com

⏱️ TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Consistent writers
01:27 - Welcome to the Writing Woods
01:54 - Storm chasers and inspiration
04:45 - Curiosity
06:39 - Safety
08:58 - Playfulness
09:55 - Wonder
11:46 - Presence
14:05 - The habit that changes everything
14:34 - Stop buckling down
17:55 - The real goal for writers

🎧 WRITING WOODS PODCAST
YouTube: https://writingwoods.com/youtube
Spotify: https://writingwoods.com/spotify
Apple: https://writingwoods.com/apple

📚 BOOK EDITING
Thoughtful, passionate editing: https://victoriagriffin.com

📌 FOLLOW ME
Instagram → https://instagram.com/vgriffinauthor
Facebook → https://facebook.com/vgriffinauthor
...more
20min
July 08, 2026Write alone (but don't be a writer alone)
Writing is often a solitary activity, but does being a writer have to be? Let's explore the myth of the isolated writer and why community isn't a distraction from the writing process but an essential part of it.

Then we'll talk about how you can build a writing life based on what makes you feel creative and whole instead of based on someone else's idea of what a writer is supposed to be.

🌳 Join our free Writing Woods community: ⁠https://writingwoods.com

🏕️ The Camp waitlist is open: https://writingwoods.com/camp-waitlist

⏱️ TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Welcome to the Writing Woods
00:31 - The myth of the solitary writer
02:25 - When solitude becomes isolation
03:20 - Defining the writing process
04:19 - Why writers need community
05:16 - Designing a writing life
06:44 - Building your writing community
08:05 - Long-term creative relationships
09:04 - You're not meant to do this alone

📖 RESOURCES MENTIONED
Deep Work by Cal Newport (excerpt): https://medium.com/hackernoon/excerpted-from-deep-work-by-cal-newport-f58adfb24fd0

🎧 WRITING WOODS PODCAST
YouTube → https://writingwoods.com/youtube
Spotify → https://writingwoods.com/spotify
Apple → https://writingwoods.com/apple

📚 BOOK EDITING
Thoughtful, passionate editing → https://victoriagriffin.com

📌 FOLLOW ME
Instagram → https://instagram.com/vgriffinauthor
Facebook → https://facebook.com/vgriffinauthor
...more
11min
July 01, 2026Don't "just start" writing
"Just start." It's common writing advice, but what if starting is actually the hardest part?

We're exploring simple, research-backed ways to reduce friction at the beginning of your writing session. Make those first thirty seconds easier so you can get into the writing zone and build a more consistent writing practice.

🌳 Join our free Writing Woods community: ⁠https://writingwoods.com

📖 RESOURCES MENTIONED
Deep Work by Cal Newport
Atomic Habits by James Clear
"Pre-Performance Routines in Sport" by Stewart Cotterill - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233125559_Pre-performance_routines_in_sport_Current_understanding_and_future_directions
"Context-Dependent Memory in Two Natural Environments" by D. R. Godden and A. D. Baddeley - https://app.nova.edu/toolbox/instructionalproducts/edd8124/fall11/1975GoddenBaddeley.pdf

⏱️ CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Why "just start" isn't enough
00:58 - Welcome to the Writing Woods
01:28 - Willpower vs. reducing friction
02:56 - How environment shapes behavior
05:11 - Building a digital writing space
07:47 - Writing warm-up routines
09:06 - Habit stacking for writers
11:02 - Build systems, not willpower

🎧 WRITING WOODS PODCAST
YouTube → https://writingwoods.com/youtube
Spotify → https://writingwoods.com/spotify
Apple → https://writingwoods.com/apple

📚 BOOK EDITING
Thoughtful, passionate editing → https://victoriagriffin.com

📌 FOLLOW ME
Instagram → https://instagram.com/vgriffinauthor
Facebook → https://facebook.com/vgriffinauthor
...more
14min
June 24, 2026 "It's just my voice" (and other lies writers believe)
Some of the beliefs holding your writing back don't sound like excuses at all.

As a writer, I've said them. And in my decade as a professional editor, I've watched plenty of authors limit themselves with these simple phrases.

Let's explore three common writing myths that keep writers from improving. A simple mindset shift can help you become a stronger storyteller.

🌳 Join our free Writing Woods community: ⁠https://writingwoods.com

🏕️ The Camp waitlist is open: https://writingwoods.com/camp-waitlist

⏱️ TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Writing lies holding you back
00:27 - Welcome to the Writing Woods
00:55 - "It's just my voice"
01:47 - "The reader didn't get it"
03:11 - "It's just my process"
05:34 - Comfort vs. growth
06:00 - Stay humble and teachable

📖 VIDEOS MENTIONED
Deep Outlining - https://youtu.be/QLYma-lYUcE

🎧 WRITING WOODS PODCAST
YouTube → https://writingwoods.com/youtube
Spotify → https://writingwoods.com/spotify
Apple → https://writingwoods.com/apple

📚 BOOK EDITING
Thoughtful, passionate editing → https://victoriagriffin.com

📌 FOLLOW ME
Instagram → https://instagram.com/vgriffinauthor
Facebook → https://facebook.com/vgriffinauthor
...more
7min
June 17, 2026 Your book editor isn't right
Hiring a book editor can feel like going to a mechanic: "Tell me how to fix my story."

But evaluating a novel isn't like diagnosing a blown head gasket. Editors help writers understand reader experience, uncover possibilities, and discover what their story can become.

In my decade as a professional book editor, I've learned what the most productive author-editor relationships have in common. And using this approach can not only help you get the most out of your editing experience, but can also make you a stronger writer.

🌳 Join our free Writing Woods community: ⁠https://writingwoods.com

⏱️ TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Why editors aren't supposed to be right
00:42 - Welcome to the Writing Woods
01:07 - What is developmental editing?
01:37 - Finding the story's potential
03:56 - Understanding an editor's feedback
04:25 - The author-editor collaboration
05:43 - How line editing works
06:40 - Why editors make different choices
07:10 - What an editor's job really is
08:33 - Discovering the story you're meant to tell

🎧 WRITING WOODS PODCAST
YouTube → https://writingwoods.com/youtube
Spotify → https://writingwoods.com/spotify
Apple → https://writingwoods.com/apple

📚 BOOK EDITING
Thoughtful, passionate editing → https://victoriagriffin.com

📌 FOLLOW ME
Instagram → https://instagram.com/vgriffinauthor
Facebook → https://facebook.com/vgriffinauthor
...more
10min
June 10, 2026 Why readers DNF your book
One of the most common reasons readers abandon books has nothing to do with bad prose, weak characters, or boring plots. Often, writers accidentally push past curiosity and into confusion. And once readers are confused, they stop caring.

Let's discuss the difference between curiosity and confusion and simple ways to improve your story's clarity so readers stay emotionally invested and keep turning pages.

🌳 Join our free Writing Woods community: ⁠https://writingwoods.com

⏱️ TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Why readers DNF books
00:29 - Curiosity vs. confusion
01:55 - Orienting readers in opening pages
03:21 - Goals, obstacles, and stakes
05:20 - Common sources of confusion
06:08 - Creating questions, not frustration
07:52 - How to diagnose clarity problems
08:27 - Essential beta reader questions
10:17 - Using emotional context effectively
11:15 - Why clarity keeps readers invested
13:11 - Wonder versus work for readers

🎧 WRITING WOODS PODCAST
YouTube → https://writingwoods.com/youtube
Spotify → https://writingwoods.com/spotify
Apple → https://writingwoods.com/apple

📚 BOOK EDITING
Thoughtful, passionate editing → https://victoriagriffin.com

📌 FOLLOW ME
Instagram → https://instagram.com/vgriffinauthor
Facebook → https://facebook.com/vgriffinauthor
...more
14min
June 03, 2026 Why readers don't care (and the simple fix)
You can write beautiful prose, create compelling characters, and build an incredible world... But if readers don't care, none of it matters.

After critiquing the first ten pages of 80 manuscripts, I noticed the same issue appearing again and again. Let's look at what conflict actually is, why it's essential for reader engagement, and how to use it to strengthen your opening scenes.

✍️ If you'd like feedback on the first ten pages of your manuscript, you can learn more about my critique service here: https://go.victoriagriffin.com/10

🌳 Join our free Writing Woods community: https://writingwoods.com

⏱️ CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Making readers care
00:42 - The most common manuscript problem
01:11 - What conflict really means
02:38 - Curiosity vs. conflict
04:33 - Why openings feel flat
05:58 - Using micro-conflicts
06:25 - Small conflict examples
07:24 - Conflict in quiet literary fiction
07:54 - Writing in hard mode
08:24 - Goal, obstacle, stakes

🎧 WRITING WOODS PODCAST
YouTube: https://writingwoods.com/youtube
Spotify: https://writingwoods.com/spotify
Apple: https://writingwoods.com/apple

📌 FOLLOW ME
Instagram → https://instagram.com/vgriffinauthor
Facebook → https://facebook.com/vgriffinauthor
...more
10min
May 27, 2026 Advice for first-time authors
If you’re writing your first book, most of the writing advice you hear won't help you.

Your first manuscript isn't about being efficient, professional, or marketable. It’s about discovery. This is your time to explore how and why you write and to build a relationship with storytelling that will last a lifetime.

Today, we're talking about what first-time authors should really focus on… and what experienced writers can learn from the beginner mindset.

🌳 Join our free Writing Woods community: ⁠https://writingwoods.com

⏱️ TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Advice for first-time authors
01:23 - Stop trying to optimize early
02:20 - Protect the excitement of storytelling
02:48 - Don’t let the business take over
03:45 - The only thing that matters: a good story
05:38 - Stay radically open
06:36 - Experiment with your writing process
07:32 - Discovery vs optimization
08:30 - Building a sustainable writing practice
08:58 - Reclaiming the joy of storytelling

🎧 WRITING WOODS PODCAST
YouTube → https://writingwoods.com/youtube
Spotify → https://writingwoods.com/spotify
Apple → https://writingwoods.com/apple

📚 BOOK EDITING
Thoughtful, passionate editing → https://victoriagriffin.com

📌 FOLLOW ME
Instagram → https://instagram.com/vgriffinauthor
Facebook → https://facebook.com/vgriffinauthor
...more
10min

FAQs about Writing Woods with Victoria Griffin:

How many episodes does Writing Woods with Victoria Griffin have?

The podcast currently has 41 episodes available.