The Write It Scared Podcast

Afleveringen

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  Write It Scared Summer Replay #4: Understand Story Structure and Character Arcs 16.08.2026 22min

  The podcast is on summer break, so please enjoy this vault favorite! And don't forget to submit a Courage File for a chance to be featured on the show and win a free editorial assessment and book coaching session in Fall 2026! SUBMIT TO THE COURAGE FILES Free Download: Understand Story Structure and Character Arcs Today, we’re diving deep into the magic of character arcs and how they intertwine with story structure and plot. I'll share insights on developing authentic characters so r...
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  Write It Scared Summer Replay #3 Encouragement for the Frustrated Writer 02.08.2026 10min

  The podcast is on summer break, so please enjoy this vault favorite! And don't forget to submit a Courage File for a chance to be featured on the show and win a free editorial assessment and book coaching session in Fall 2026! SUBMIT TO THE COURAGE FILES Are you feeling frustrated with your writing? Do you struggle with setting up unrealistic expectations of yourself and your words? You’re not alone, and today, I will offer up a mindset shift. Join me as we unpack the impo...
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  Write It Scared Summer Replay #2 Planning Your: Novel From Idea to Outline 19.07.2026 47min

  The podcast is on summer break, so please enjoy this vault favorite! And don't forget to submit a Courage File for a chance to be featured on the show and win a free editorial assessment and book coaching session in Fall 2026! SUBMIT TO THE COURAGE FILES Download Your Free Novel Planning Guide! In this episode of Write It Scared, I’m sharing my interview from the Be a Bestseller 6.0 Back to Basics Summit hosted by Emma Dhesi and we discuss practical strategies for planning and o...
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  Write It Scared Summer Replay #1: Outsmart Procrastination + Other Forms of Resistance 05.07.2026 15min

  The podcast is on summer break, so please enjoy this vault favorite! And don't forget to submit a Courage File for a chance to be featured on the show and win a free editorial assessment and book coaching session in Fall 2026! SUBMIT TO THE COURAGE FILES Are you procrastinating when you want to be writing your novel? You are not alone and we can fix it! Join me on the Write It Scared podcast, where we delve into the art of beating procrastination and finding the courage t...
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  Season 3 Finale: Writing When Life's a Shit Storm 21.06.2026 12min

  Submit your writing win to the Courage Files for Season 4! In this season finale, the host, Stacy Frazer, shares a deeply personal writing update and reflects on what happens when life interrupts creativity. This episode explores anticipatory grief, uncertainty, creative numbness, and what courage looks like when you can't find your way forward. Stacy also shares plans for the podcast's summer hiatus and a reminder about the Courage Files for Season 4. Have a comment or idea...
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  Turning Revision Up to 11: Sara F. Shacter on Resilience, Joy, and the Long Road to Publication 14.06.2026 45min

  Submit your writing win to the Courage Files for Season 4! What keeps a writer going through fifteen years of rewrites, rejection, and uncertainty? Middle-grade author Sara F. Shacter joins me to talk about the long journey behind her debut novel, Georgia Watson and the 99% Campaign, and how revision became less about “fixing” the story and more about uncovering its emotional heart. We discuss resilience, imposter syndrome, comparison, and the challenge of staying connected to joy while navig...
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  Can We Pull More Play into Our Writing Process? 07.06.2026 9min

  Submit Your Writing Win to the Courage Files for Season 4! Can we find more play in writing by lowering the stakes? This episode explores how perfectionism, pressure, productivity culture, and the need to “get it right” can slowly drain the joy out of creativity. I talk about where play naturally exists in the writing process—daydreaming, brainstorming, messy drafting—and why reconnecting with those moments might matter more than forcing constant productivity. Sometimes the path b...
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  The Fear Doesn’t Go Away After You Publish: A Conversation with MM Romance Author Alex Cross 31.05.2026 48min

  Submit to Season 4 Courage Files Here! What happens after the book is finally out in the world—and all the noise starts creeping in? In this conversation, indie MM romance author Alex Cross joins me to talk about emotionally intense storytelling, publishing pressure, writer’s block, and the challenge of protecting your creativity once readers, reviews, and big expectations enter the picture. We talk about the Fire Between Us series and its highly anticipated second installment, Fr...
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  Writing Middle Grade Historical Fiction with Shafaq Khan 24.05.2026 44min

  Submit to Season 4 Courage Files Here What does it take to keep believing in a story through rejection, rewrites, and years of uncertainty? Middle grade author Shafaq Khan joins me to talk about her debut novel, Zaina: Lost and Found, a historical adventure inspired by the real-life Hippie Trail through Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey in the 1970s. We discuss balancing research with fast-paced storytelling, writing about identity and belonging, and the emotional resilience requi...
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  Sometimes Walking Away From a Story is What Fixes it with Author Andromeda Romano-Lax 17.05.2026 42min

  Submit to Season 4 Courage Files Here! What if the answer isn’t forcing yourself or your story harder… but trusting the process a little longer? In this episode, I talk with author and book coach Andromeda Romano-Lax about her latest psychological thriller, What Boys Learn, the messy reality of revision, and why stepping away from a draft can sometimes be exactly what your story needs. We also dig into self-doubt, negativity bias, supportive feedback, and why writers grow by finishing more bo...
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  When You Don’t Know What Happens Next in Your Story, Try This 10.05.2026 11min

  Submit to Season 4 Courage Files Here! Ever hit that point in drafting or revision where you’re not sure what should happen next? You might know the next big plot point, but the how-to-get-there part… that’s the problem. In this solo episode of the Write It Scared podcast, I break down why the answer usually isn’t inventing a brand-new conflict. More often, the next scene is already hidden inside the consequences of what just happened. We talk about cause-and-effect storytel...
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  2 Years of Messy Growth and Trusting Her Process with Returning Guest AK Nevermore 03.05.2026 41min

  What if your growth as a writer isn’t supposed to be neat or linear? Who says it can't be chaotic as hell? AK Nevermore, author of more than 20 titles, returns to talk about messy growth, genre-hopping, indie publishing, and learning craft by doing. We dig into fear, doubt, and even spite as creative fuel, plus why not every piece of feedback deserves your attention. If you’ve ever felt like your process is chaotic or your career path doesn’t look “right,” because it’s different than an...
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  Making Smarter Author Career Decisions with Becca Syme 26.04.2026 44min

  Submit to the Courage Files Are you worried if you’re making the right moves in your author career (ads, audio, direct sales… all of it)? This episode will help you take a breath and zoom out. I’m joined by returning guest Becca Syme to talk about how publishing has changed—and why so many writers are making decisions from pressure, fear, or misread data. We dig into insights from her new book, Dear Writer, You Still Need to Quit, including why the old “gold rush” advice doesn’t a...
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  Remember Why You Started: Emy McGuire on Writing Through Doubt 19.04.2026 38min

  SHARE YOUR COURAGEOUS WRITING MOMENT to the Courage Files for Season 4 and Win a Free Edit What happens when the dream you’ve carried for years starts to feel too heavy? Author and performer Emmy McGuire joins me to talk about the long road to her debut thriller, No One Aboard—a chilling mystery about a family and crew vanishing at sea—and what it took to keep going through rejection, burnout, and years away from writing. We dig into the craft behind her dual-timeline, multi-POV struct...
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  Episode 100: Celebrating Writer Wins + Introducing The Courage Files 12.04.2026 10min

  SHARE YOUR COURAGEOUS WRITING MOMENT SUPPORT THE PODCAST We made it to Episode 100! And we are celebrating with a brand-new segment to the podcast called the Courage Files, which will launch in Season 4 (September 2026) This new segment is all about your writing wins—big, small, messy, hard-won, or quietly brave—because one of the most powerful antidotes to doubt is hearing that other writers are showing up too. If you’ve taken a courageous step in your writing life, I...
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  How to Reset Your Writing Goals (A Gentle Q1 Check-In for Writers + Personal Writing Update) 05.04.2026 10min

  We’ve reached the end of the first quarter of the year, and this is a perfect moment to pause and ask a far more useful question than “What did I accomplish?” Is the way I’m approaching my writing actually working for me right now? In this short solo episode, I share a gentle, guilt-free Q1 reset and reflection questions to help you course-correct, plus a behind-the-scenes look at my own writing progress — including finishing a draft, facing rejection, uncovering major plot issues, and doing ...
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  How to Write Horror That Truly Unsettles with Author Nicole M. Wolverton 29.03.2026 35min

  Want to write fear that actually gets under a reader’s skin—not just jump scares on the page? Start with what unsettles you. Horror and thriller author Nicole M. Wolverton joins me to discuss why discomfort can be more powerful than terror, how writing from your own fears creates unforgettable stories, and why horror can be deeply empowering during difficult times. Nicole is also very candid about the process, the realities of publishing, rejection, and the mindset she attributes to her...
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  Bitching About Writing: A Cathartic Necessity 22.03.2026 14min

  Writing can be hard, lonely work. Talking about the struggle can release pressure and help you get back to the page—but only if you’re sharing with the right people. I talk about why feelings aren’t facts, how isolation keeps writers stuck, and how to build a small circle of writing trust that you can lean into when you feel stuck. Timestamps 00:00 Writing Struggle + Isolation 01:44 Listener Question About Short Stories 03:44 Why Venting Helps Writers 05:45 Feelings Ar...
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  Writing with ADHD: Practical Strategies to Finish Your Novel with Nicole Bross 15.03.2026 38min

  If you’ve ever told yourself you’re lazy, undisciplined, or just “bad at finishing,” this episode might reframe everything. In this episode of the Write It Scared podcast, I talk with book coach and editor Nicole Bross about how ADHD impacts a writer’s mindset, motivation, and process—especially for those diagnosed later in life. We unpack the shame spiral so many writers fall into, why traditional writing advice doesn’t work for everyone, and how diagnosis can open the door to self-com...
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  What Literary Agents Look for in a Query Letter (with Ann Rose) 08.03.2026 43min

  If you’re querying—or even thinking about it—this episode is going to change how you approach your pitch. In this episode of the Write It Scared podcast, I sit down with literary agent and author Ann Rose to talk about what actually makes a query stand out. (Spoiler: it doesn’t have to be perfect. It has to be clear.) We dig into hook, stakes, market realities, why “Dexter meets Legally Blonde” works, and what happens after an agent requests a full. We also talk about imposter syndrome, the s...