Helping Writers Become Authors

Ep. 525: The Power of Chiastic Story Structure (Especially in a Series)

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

An overview of chiastic story structure itself, along with four tips to employ this technique over the longer work of an entire series.

Ep. 524: The Midpoint as the Swivel Point of Your Story's Linked Structure

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How can you keep your pacing tight and the story interesting over the long haul of the Second Act? The simplest answer: Mind the Midpoint.

Ep. 523: The Link Between Your Story's Pinch Points

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Learn to identify and leverage several important story structure similarities between your story's Pinch Points.

Ep. 522: The Link Between Your Story's First Plot Point and Third Plot Point

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Deepen your understanding of story structure by examining the parallel functions of the First Plot Point and the Third Plot Point.

Ep. 521: The Link Between Your Story's Hook and Resolution

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You can think of the link between your story's Hook and Resolution in four different ways. Ask these questions to help in brainstorming.

Ep. 520: The Crucial Link Between Your Story's Inciting Event and Climactic Moment

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Structurally speaking, the Inciting Event initiates the story's conflict, while the Climactic Moment fully resolves it.

Episode #519: 15 Steps to Self-Publish Your Book

07 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Once you've decided in favor of the indie route, what are the actual steps to self-publish your book? Use this actionable list.

Episode #518: 7 Considerations for Your Antagonist's Motivations (Which Will Save You SOOO Much Trouble)

31 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Your antagonist's motivations can make or break your story. If they are weak, unconvincing, or complicated, your story suffers in key areas.

Ep. 517: Afraid to Let Anyone Read Your Writing? 5 Steps to Move Past Fears

24 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Once you understand why you are afraid to let anyone read your writing, you can come up with a successful plan to mitigate the fears.

Ep. 516: 5 Exercises for Honing Your Story Instincts

17 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Your story instincts and your ability to tap into them clearly will define how much "talent" you may have as a writer.

Ep. 515: Critique: 4 Ways to Write Sequel Scenes That Grip Readers

10 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Learning how to write sequel scenes is a specialized technique that will allow you to grip readers' attention on every page.

Ep. 514: 5 Ways to Help Writers During the Pandemic (+Giveaways to Get You Started)

02 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Want to help writers during the pandemic? Here are five ideas--along with giveaways to help you get started in bolstering the writing community.

Ep. 513: 7 Misconceptions About Being a Writer

26 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The more lightly we grab hold of certain misconceptions about being a writer, the more easily we can discard them when they're no longer of use to us.

Ep. 512: 4 Questions to Prevent Plot Holes

20 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you're outlining or editing, here are four questions you can ask to help identify, rectify, or prevent plot holes.

Ep. 511: How to Get Stuff Done as a Writer (or How This INTJ Leverages Her Te)

05 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sooner or later, procrastination is stumbling block for most of us. As an INTJ, here are my top four tips for how to get stuff done as a writer.

Ep. 510: The 3 Acts of a Writer's Life--Or How Your Age Affects Your Writing

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Writing looks a little different in every stage of a writer's life. Here's a look at the way your age affects your writing in the Three Acts of your l...

Ep. 509: Using All Four Cognitive Functions as a Writer

22 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How to better understand the four cognitive functions as a writer by consciously developing them--Intuition, Sensing, Thinking, and Feeling.

Ep. 508: 11 Exercises to Enhance Your Visual Thinking

01 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

To help you improve your writing and storytelling, here are eleven exercises you can use to consciously access your visual thinking and creativity.

Ep. 507: Editing Your Novel Q&A

24 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Have questions about editing your novel? The best way to find good answers is to ask good questions. Here are eight excellent questions about editing.

Ep. 506: Creativity vs. Distraction: 13 Tips for Writers in the Age of the Internet

18 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Controlling and cutting down on distraction is the first step in reclaiming our full creative capacity. Here are 13 tips to get started!

Ep. 505: 7 Possible Hooks for Your Opening Chapter

11 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In order to grab readers, you'll need to consider several specific types of hooks for your opening chapter. You may want to use one--or all of them.

Ep. 505: 15 Productive Tasks You Can Still Do Even When You Don't Feel Like Writing

27 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you find you don't feel like writing right now, here's a list of 15 important writing tasks you may be more in the mood for.

Ep. 503: 4 Ways Writing Improves Your Relationship With Yourself

20 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The more you learn to listen to the self that appears on the page, the more writing improves your relationship with yourself in an ever-deepening jour...

Ep. 502: How to Get Some Writing Done: Discipline vs. Enthusiasm

13 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes the hardest part of getting some writing done is just... doing it. Here are 10 tips for cultivating discipline and renewing enthusiasm.

Ep. 501: 7 Ways Writing Saves Us When Life Is Hard

06 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Writing and stories have the power to help all of us--but especially writers. Here are seven ways writing can help us keep going in times of uncertain...

Ep. 500: 8 Challenges (and Solutions) When Writing From Home

30 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you're writing from home (or honestly, trying to accomplish just about anything from home), here are eight tips for maximizing your daily routine.

Ep. 499: The Power of Hopeful Stories in a Stressful Time

22 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Want to put something good into the world right now? Here are five ways the power of hopeful stories can create change in a positive way.

Ep. 498: 5 Questions About How to Balance Multiple POVs in Your Story

15 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Knowing your story's ending will help you know the right answer to almost any POV question. Let's look at 5 questions about using multiple POVs.

Ep. #497: Critique: 6 Tips for Introducing Characters

08 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Your goal in introducing characters should be to do so with the least amount of info possible while still making the characters memorable. Here's how!

Ep. 496: Creativity vs. the Ego (Or, the Value of Unpublishable Stories)

01 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When creativity becomes a servant of the ego, rather than the other way around--we can get confused about what we're doing and why.

Ep. 495: The Professional Writing Resources I Use for All Parts of the Writing and Publishing Processes

23 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Here are fourteen professional writing resources to help with all parts of authorpreneurship: writing, editing, blogging/podcasting, book formatting, ...

Ep. 494: Thoughts on How to Be Critical of Stories in a Way That Makes a Difference

17 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Learn how to be critical of stories in a way that turns the potential for negativity into a positive force that drives your own creativity.

Ep. 493: 6 Steps to Create Realistic (and Powerful) Scene Dilemmas

04 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Of all the many aspects of scene structure, scene dilemmas are among the most powerful but also the most overlooked. Here are six steps to acing yours...

Ep. 492: 2 Different Types of the Lie Your Character Believes

20 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 491: 3 Life-Changing Rules for Finding More Writing Inspiration This Year

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 490: My Top Books of 2019

06 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 489: Critique: Supporting Characters and Theme: 6 Important Questions to Ask About Your Story

16 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 488: Critique: 10 Ways to Write a Better First Chapter Using Specific Word Choices

09 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 487: How to Choose the Right Antagonist for Any Type of Story

25 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 486: How to Overcome Fear as a Writer and Embrace Your Profound Courage

18 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 485: 23 Tips for a Zero Waste Home Office

04 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 484: How to Know Which Parts of Your Story Readers Will Like Best

28 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 483: A Writer's Guide to Understanding People

21 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 482: This Is How to Transform Info Dumps Into Exciting Plot Reveals

14 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 481: A Challenge to Write Life-Changing Fiction

07 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 480: 5 Questions for Choosing a Protagonist Who Represents Theme

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 479: Are You Struggling to Be Creative? This Might Be Why

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 478: Critique: 10 Ways to Write Excellent Dialogue

16 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 477: Creating Your Character's Inner Conflict: Want vs. Need

02 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 476: How to Use a Truth Chart to Figure Out Character Arc

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 475: How to Tell if Your Story Has Too Much Plot, Not Enough Character

19 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 474: Learn 5 Types of Character Arc at a Glance, Pt. 2: The 3 Negative Arcs

05 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 473: Learn 5 Types of Character Arc at a Glance, Pt. 1: The 2 Heroic Arcs

29 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 472: How to Make Your Plot a Powerful Thematic Metaphor

22 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 471: Taking Your Writing to the Next Level: Whole-Life Art

01 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 470: Critique: 4 Ways to Write Gripping Internal Narrative

24 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 469: 5 Ways to Earn Audience Loyalty

17 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 468: 6 Requirements for Writing Better Character Goals

10 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 467: How to Write Interesting Scenes

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 466: 4 Challenges of Writing for a Modern Audience

27 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 465: Helping Authors Become Artists

22 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 464: How to Use Your Outline When Writing Your First Draft

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 463: What Is the Relationship Between Plot and Theme?

08 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 462: 5 Ways to Use Theme to Create Character Arc (and Vice Versa)

01 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 461: 4 Pacing Tricks to Keep Readers' Attention

25 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 460: How to Find Your Thematic Principle

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 459: Plot, Character, and Theme: The Greatest Love Triangle in Fiction

11 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 458: 7 Things to Try When Writing Is Hard

25 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 457: How to Use Paragraph Breaks to Guide the Reading Experience

11 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 456: 10 Advantages of Writing a Single-POV Story

04 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 455: My 9 Writing Goals for the New Year

28 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 454: How to Create the Perfect Writing Process for You

21 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 453: My Top Books of 2018

17 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 452: The 10-Step Checklist to Writing an Above-Average Novel

10 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 451: The 10 Rules of Writing Large Casts of Characters

03 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 450: How to Choose Your Story's Plot Points

19 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 449: 5 Ways to Successfully Start a Book With a Dream

12 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 448: When Writing, How Do You Know When Enough Is Enough?

05 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 447: 5 Lessons From a Lost Novel

29 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 446: Words Are Radical! (or, How to Cherish Language)

15 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 445: Story Structure Q and A: 6 Outstanding Questions About Structure

01 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 444: 3 Tips for Improving Show, Don't Tell

24 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 443: Do You Have Sloppy Writing Habits? (And 4 Things to Do About It)

03 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 442: 5 Ways to Use the Enneagram to Write Better Characters

27 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 441: Writer's Envy--And 3 Thoughts on What to Do About It

20 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 440: How to Market Your Book When You Hate Marketing

13 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 439: 4 Ways to Choose a Better Theme for Your Book

06 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 438: 4 Steps for How to Turn an Idea Into a Story That Rocks

23 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 437: How to Write Unique Themes

16 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 436: Never Let Anybody Tell You How to Write: 8 Tips for Learning Responsibly

09 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 435: Judge Yourself Less, Trust Yourself More, and Write Better Stories

02 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 434: Writing as the Art of Thinking Clearly: 6 Steps

25 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 433: How to Intertwine Plot, Character, and Theme in Every Scene

18 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 432: 5 Steps to Writing Great Character Chemistry

11 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 431: 4 Ways to Write a Better Antagonist

04 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 430: How the Truth Your Character Believes Defines Your Theme

28 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 429: How to Grow as a Writer: 5 Logical Steps

21 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 428: 5 Lies Writers Believe That Are Holding Them Back

14 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 427: Most Common Writing Mistakes, Pt. 64: POV Problems

07 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What Should Your Characters Talk About?

30 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas