Writer Unleashed
Episodes
#92: Five Episodes to Elevate Your Writing
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Writer Unleashed is coming up on its 2-Year Anniversary!So in the spirit of celebration, I'm giving you a 5-episode playlist to help you wherev...
#91: Four Simple Steps to Major Writing Breakthroughs
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to make major breakthroughs in your writing consistently? How do you put yourself into an optimal state of creativity every time yo...
#90: Four Ways to Master Show, Don't Tell
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Still not grasping the art of show, don't tell? That's because it's never fully explained. So writers show too little, or too soon, o...
#89: What Plotters and Pantsers Both Get Wrong About Story
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Plotters plot and pantsers wander. One approach isn't better than the other. They're just different impulses. But both are equally futile....
#88: "Outline First" and Other Rules You Should Break
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Many writers have fixed ideas about the best ways to write and finish a story. But they don’t work for every writer. And in many instances, they d...
#87: Four Writing Myths Holding You Back
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There’s no shortage of writing advice. Especially in the online space. Google is not the best gatekeeper. And some FB groups are doling out confli...
#86: Five Reasons You Have Writer's Block and How to Break Through It
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We all hit a block at some point in the writing process, even the best of us. Accomplished writers know how to navigate that impasse, to notice when a...
#85: How to Get Back into the Writing Zone After a Really Long Break
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Between careers, kids, and everything else life throws our way, sometimes we have to step back from our writing. Sometimes for months. Sometimes for y...
#84: How to Keep Writing After Rejection
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rejection never feels good. And it can throw our entire identity as a writer into doubt. The question is…How do you get your confidence back? So th...
#83: Four Ways to Open Your Story
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Your story opening is your only chance to hook your reader. So you want to start strong. It doesn’t matter if the middle of your story is brillian...
#82: How to Write Fiction That Feels True
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a piece of writing feel false? What makes it feel true? Why does it move us? Or fail to? How do we drop readers directly into a character...
#81: Story Details: What to Leave In, What to Leave Out
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Details are the lifeblood of your story. And writing is all about the selection of those details. But how do you decide which details matter? When...
#80: Four Tips to Writing a Page Turner
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What makes your story a page turner? What makes it so irresistible that readers devour every page? In today’s episode, we’re breaking down 4 tips ...
#79: How to Write Spellbinding Scenes
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Scenes are the building blocks of your story. But how do you craft scenes that draw us in every single time? That keep us turning the page? In thi...
#78: Five Elements of a Riveting First Scene
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Your first scene is crucial. It’s what sets your story in motion. It's where you keep your reader or lose em'. So you want to craft this...
#77: Common Writing Advice That's Holding You Back
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There’s no one size fits all way to write. Still, there’s no shortage of advice on how to do it. But some advice can derail you for months, mayb...
#76: Writing Inspiration From the Masters
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Writing is solitary. And if you’re anything like me, you like to dip into some inspiration from time to time for a creative boost or deeper insi...
#75: What Professional Dancing Taught Me About Writing
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever thought, Writing should be easier for me than this? I sure did. I didn't know there was a craft to writing a novel. I thought tal...
#74: How to Keep A Consistent Writing Routine When You're Crazy Busy
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do you keep a consistent writing routine when you're life is hectic as all hell? How do you find time to write and fulfill life's ne...
#73: Beyond the First Draft: 5 Storytelling Techniques for Better Story Structure
22 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How can you be more efficient with structuring your story? How do you balance structure while keeping the story fresh and surprising? In this episode ...
#72: Beyond the First Draft: 3 Ways to Craft a Compelling Point of View
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever feel like you're tying yourself up in knots with all the different points of view your story has? POV is one of the most misunderst...
#71: Beyond the First Draft: Captivating Characters
08 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You have your first draft. Or maybe you're stalled in your current work in progress. Now what? How do you finish what you started? Today, you&a...
#70: Five Common Writing Traps and How to Avoid Them
01 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There's a lot of writing advice floating around. But most of it shackles writers more than it helps, and sometimes leads to paint-by-number stori...
#69: How to Create Plot Continuity With Character Thought
17 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does character thought have to do with plot? It's the connective tissue that brings continuity to your story, scene by scene. It helps fill ...
#68: How to Use Subplots to Amplify Your Novel
10 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do you harness the depth and complexity of your story material? And orchestrate all those story threads so that they intensify your plot? By cre...
#67: The Most Overlooked Way to Show (Don't Tell) How a Character Feels
03 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the most overlooked way to show how a character feels?The vowel scale - the poet's secret weapon. Just like musical notes, vowel sound...
#66: Two Simple Ways to Amp Up Suspense
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do you create the kind of suspense that keeps readers riveted to your pages, hanging on every sentence? Suspense doesn't happen in the br...
#65: Cut The Cliches and Write Something Original
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Readers crave novelty and surprise. They don't want the same cliched description of a sunset. Or the expected character response to betrayal. B...
#64: Crush Self Doubt and Write Like You Mean It
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do you keep writing when you're paralyzed by self doubt?By reprogramming faulty thought patterns.In today's episode of Writer Unleashed,...
#63: Is Your Writing Style Upstaging Your Story?
06 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Style can be the downfall of an otherwise stunning story. That's because the writing calls too much attention to itself and upstages the charac...
#62: Two Common Mistakes That Land Your Manuscript in the Reject Pile and How to Fix Them
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What's one of the quickest way to get your manuscript in the reject pile? Too many adjectives and adverbs. Writers often think adjectives and a...
#61: Alternatives to Chronological Story Time You Probably Haven't Heard Of
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Don't think or write chronologically? No worries. Stories bend to their own laws of time. In today's episode, we'll look at 4 ways to...
#60: Three Flashback Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
15 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Flashbacks need to be handled with craft and intention. Just like any other interruption from the present story, a flashback can kick your reader out ...
#59: The Writer's Voice- A Conversation With Writer/Performer Bonnie Lykes Bigler
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bonnie Lykes Bigler is a writer and spoken word performer and host of The Writers' Voice on WIOX 91.3 FM. In this radio re-broadcast, we talk...
#58: Three Ways You're Telling When You Should Be Showing
01 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Show, don’t tell has got to be the most canned advice bandied about.Yes, you should show. But that doesn’t mean you never tell. Telling does have ...
#57: Three Essential Pillars of Point of View (That Have Nothing To Do With Which Person Your Write In)
25 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
POV is the thing that flummoxes writers the most. A big part of the confusion is a misguided focus on which person you write from. But this has v...
#56: Three Quick Editing Tips to Craft Riveting Sentences
18 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You can engineer a stellar plot line, dream up characters with compelling conflicts — all the broad strokes – but it’s the accumulation of sma...
#55: Is Your Story Plot Driven or Character Driven?
11 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The question isn't whether your story is character driven or plot driven. Or even how to write one or the other.The question is..How do you integ...
#54: Structure Your WIP With This 3-Act Framework
04 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where are you getting most stuck in your work in progress? The beginning? The end? Or are you getting stalled in the middle? In this episode, I&ap...
#53: How to Write Dialogue That Sounds Natural
16 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Story dialogue is not the same as real-life dialogue. It's shaped with intention, word by word. Even so, we should pay attention to the nuances ...
#52: The Number One Mistake Writers Make With Dialogue
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What's the number one mistake writers make with dialogue? Writing way too much of it.In today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll ex...
#51: Three Ways to Beat Writer's Block
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do you keep writing when you're totally blocked? When you feel like you have utterly nothing to say?In today's episode of Writer Unlea...
#50: How Much Backstory Does Your Reader Really Need To Know?
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How much backstory does your story need? And how much backstory does your reader need? Learn what backstory is important for you to know as the author...
#49: The Quickest Way to Engage Your Reader
19 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The way to engage your readers and keep them absorbed sentence by sentence is to draw them into the tactile world of your story and evoke their sensat...
#48: Does Your Story Need An Antagonist?
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Does your story need an antagonist?The short answer is yes. But to avoid the formulaic good vs. bad story, there are deeper questions to unwrap. In to...
#47: Even Minor Characters Play a Major Role
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Every character you include, no matter how minor, or however brief their appearance, must serve the story you're telling. Nobody should be in a...
#46: What's the Theme of Your Story? And Why Does It Matter?
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is theme? And why does it matter to your story? In today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll talk about what theme is, what it isn’t...
#45: How to Hook Readers in Your First Sentence
21 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If your first sentence is a dud, chances are readers won't give you a second chance. In today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we'll expl...
#44: How to Fix a Broken Plot
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is your plot broken? First, what is a broken plot? It's when you start out with one conflict but lose confidence in your ability to move that c...
#43: Five Ways to Transform Real People into Fascinating Fictional Characters
07 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Just because you're basing characters on real people doesn't make them believable or interesting. It's far more important for your stor...
#42: What Kind of Writer Are You?
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are you a memoir writer? Or a fiction writer? A novelist? Or short story writer? Lots of people have a story to tell. But some are still flying blind ...
#41: The Struggle Most Writers Never Talk About
24 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the theater of our mind, our story is a multi-dimensional, techno-color, high-def world teeming with life. But inevitably, in our early attempts to...
#40: Show Don't Tell: Revealing Character Through Body Language
17 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a scientific fact: body language speaks volumes about what’s truly in our hearts and minds. And the same is true of your characters. Facial ...
#39: How to Write Captivating Character Description
10 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're all tired of being introduced to characters like the young man in his twenties with jet black hair, emerald green eyes, and a chiseled ja...
#38: How to Create Characters Readers Care About
03 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do you create characters readers care about? So that the reader can't help but keep reading? In today's episode of Writer Unleashed, I&...
#37: Three Questions to Ask Before You Plot Your Story
24 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What questions should you ask before you plot your story? Whether you outline every chapter, or write from the hip, on today’s episode of Writer Unl...
#36: Three Storytelling Techniques to Steal From Superbowl Ads
17 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you're a football fan, or not, the Superbowl ads are often storytelling works of art.On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, we&apos...
#35: What Does It Take To Become a Successful Writer?
10 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to become a successful writer? On today's episode of Writer Unleashed, author and media consultant Simona David and I unpa...
#34: How to Write Backstory Without Boring Your Reader
03 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How much backstory is too much? Backstory is one of the trickiest things to get effectively onto the page. Too much of it and your reader loses track,...
#33: Three Ways to Avoid Melodrama
27 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There's a delicate balance between bringing a scene to the dramatic brim, and spilling over the top into melodrama. On today's episode of W...
#32: Five Ways to Avoid the Stock Villain
20 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do you avoid writing the stock villain? How do you move beyond the cliche to create a bad guy that surprises us? That goes against the status qu...
#31: What Most Writers Get Wrong About Point of View
13 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Of all the things I see tripping writers up, point of view is the most common and persistent.It's one of the most misunderstood elements of wri...
#30: How to Stop Dreaming and Write for Real in 2021
06 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
97% of writers never finish their book. And out of that 3% who do finish their books, only 1 to 2 percent of them ever publish. On today’s episod...
#29: How to Re-Ignite Your Motivation to Write
30 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Some days you're on fire. Other days, you feel like a dried up spec of dust. With no soul. You’ve lost motivation and may even have stopped wri...
#28: You Already Know How to Write Atmosphere
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do we create atmosphere in story in a way that evokes mood, and simultaneously reveals the inner life of your character? Well, you already know ...
#27: Writer Rejected: How to Bounce Back Fast
16 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve spent months, maybe years writing your story. So you finally get the courage to send it out into the world - to an agent, a literary magazi...
#26: Writing About Someone You Know - Is Your Story Worth It?
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You can change a character's hair color, geography, age, or gender, but often what inhibits our voice is a concern that we'll offend someone...
#25: Why Your Voice Matters
02 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Your voice is your most fundamental creative asset. But how do you access it? How do you let it flourish on the page? On today’s episode of Writer ...
#24: You Already Know How To Write Dialogue
25 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You have captivating characters, a page-turning plot, gorgeous imagery. But as soon as your characters start speaking, does your story falls flat?Here...
#23: The Number 1 Mindset All Great Writers Share
18 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What's the number 1 mindset that separates great writers from the novice? A willingness to embrace uncertainty. And to not only embrace it b...
#22: Three Ways to Avoid Character Stereotype
11 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do we create characters readers believe in? How do we write beyond stereotype? On today’s episode of Writer Unleashed, we’ll explore 3 w...
#21: How to Craft Your Ideal Story Ending
04 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do we craft an ending that lands with the reader? How do we avoid what author David Jauss calls "the literary equivalent of a faked orgasm?&q...
#20: Four Ways Your Writing Group is Holding You Back (and What To Look For In Your Next Writing Tribe)
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Is your writing group holding you back? Inhibiting for you? Confusing you? Making you doubt yourself? Or is it supporting you to grow? On today'...
#19: Should I Outline Before I Write?
21 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Or should I just wing it, flying blind?I get this question a LOT. And while there 's no one-size-fits all approach to the creative process, the o...
#18: How to Write With Unstoppable Inspiration
14 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Inspiration is a mysterious, mercurial force.Sometimes it shows up, sometimes it doesn’t.But what if we could summon inspiration at will? If each ti...
#17: How to Generate Unlimited Story Ideas
07 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do you nudge your way into a story? How do you generate ideas?Do you start with a childhood memory? A vintage photograph? An overheard conversatio...
#16: Five Things About Revision I Wish I'd Known Sooner
30 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I used to live for the rush of that first draft. And dread revision. The more I tried to revise the more lost in the mess of my draft I'd become....
#15: How to Find Your Creative Flow
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In order to nail down a solid, productive writing practice, to reach the level of mastery that ultimately leads to publication, you need to be in a st...
#14: How to Intensify Your Story's Drama
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Happiness may be great in real life. But it’s fatal in story.Few things numb readers more than characters surrounded by birdsong and puppies who are...
#13: How to Write for Emotional Impact
09 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We want to move our readers emotionally. We want them to feel our character’s joy, pain, and everything in between. But one of the surest ways to s...
#12: Four Ways to Write Effective Flashbacks
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A flashback moves readers back in time. It interrupts the flow of the story to catch up on what happened before page 1. But when writers overuse flas...
#11: How To Make Time To Write When You Have No Time
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Time is finite. It’s not a renewable resource. We have so much crammed into our day - our jobs, our kids, our spouses, our homes. And even if we d...
#10: What is Writer's Voice?
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You hear it all the time - Find your voice!Publishers say they're looking for "fresh new voices."But what does writer's voice mean...
#9: How To Keep A Consistent Writing Routine
12 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it so damn hard to keep a writing routine? In today’s episode, of Writer Unleashed, I’ll give you 3 strategies backed by science to break...
#8: Five Ways to Improve Your Writing (that have nothing to do with writing)
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Want to join a community of like-minded writers? Need inspiration and support? Join us in our private Writer Unleashed Community Facebook Group. It&ap...
#7: Losing the Plot
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A plot outline provides a blueprint. It’s safe, known territory. It would seem then that knowing where our story is going before we write should pro...
#6: Show and Tell
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Show, don't tell" is a common writing mantra. And while it's solid advice, it gives telling the short shrift. Sometimes it's...
#5: Five Ways Out of a Writing Funk
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re like me, there comes that moment when you loathe what you’ve written.You read what poured out on the page in a meteor shower of inspirat...
#4: What's Your Story About?
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What’s your story about? In other words, what's your plot? What happens?If you’re anything like me, you trip over this question. You find it...
#3: Three Story Opening Techniques to Hook Readers
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You only have a matter of seconds to hook your reader into your story. Start too soon or too late, give away too much or too little, and your reader m...
#2: How to Keep Writing After Your Work's Been Criticized
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do you keep writing after your work's been criticized? In today's podcast, I'm going to share 5 mindset shifts to help you not only...
#1: Why "Write What You Know" is Bad Advice
13 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You've heard it before - "Write what you know." Sounds simple. But writing what you know is deceptively complex. And when you take it a...
Welcome to Writer Unleashed
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you want to create stories that pull readers in, if you want to deepen your craft, get unblocked, and write with unstoppable momentum, Writer Unlea...