If you've ever said YIKES while reading your own writing or when thinking about sharing your stories with the world, this episode is for you. When you stop worrying so much about whether your writing sucks or not, you have a lot more time to actually improve it. I know, weird.

Don't forget to get your writing exercises: https://whatifyouwrote.com/exercises

You can find more useful resources here: https://whatifyouwrote.com/

Having a story idea is nice, but it's not a novel until you have a PLOT, too. In this episode, you find out what your story is actually about and how to come up with the events that your protagonist needs to go through.

It's a bit of a rambling episode, but hopefully you can follow along anyway! Stay tuned until the end to get your writing prompt of the week.

Find the Genius Plotting System here: https://protagonistcrafts.thrivecart.com/genius-plotting-system/

Don't have a story idea yet? Get the free story idea workbook: https://whatifyouwrote.com/workbook/

Find all the other useful links at https://whatifyouwrote.com/

Not all "writing tips" are created equal - and neither is commentary on said writing tips. In this episode, I'm diving into Instagram comments about useless advice, but we also talk about weird attitudes in the writing world.

SPOILERS for the Doctor Who episode The Well at 4:10 - 6:25.

Don't let the new episode title format fool you, this is still the same What If You Wrote podcast by Protagonist Crafts that you know and love. If you want to hear more advice that actually means something and get seriously inspired to write great stories, you'll want to stick around.

Didn't find the advice in this episode useful or specific enough? Let me know and I'll dig into the subjects even deeper.

Get your FREE writing exercises at https://whatifyouwrote.com/exercises/

Find more links and information here: https://whatifyouwrote.com/podcast/15-why-vague-writing-tips-suck-and-what-to-do-instead/

I get it, it's impossible to feel inspired and motivated to write all the time, and sometimes you have things going on that kill your creativity. If you can bother listening to this episode, you can find some tips that help you out of your writing funk, or not, whatever. I'm setting the bar pretty low this time.

If your current story ideas have left you feeling, well, not much at all, you can find your best one in our free workbook: https://whatifyouwrote.com/workbook

Surely you know that your characters need flaws, but do you know why? And do you know how your protagonist's flaws and strengths need to be relevant to your specific story? Listen to this episode to learn how to write full, realistic and interesting characters without ever having to refer to a character flaw list. Be prepared to hear me complain about the word S-T-R-E-N-G-T-H.

As always, there's a sparkling new writing prompt at the end, but if you'd like more writing prompts about character flaws, check out the links at https://whatifyouwrote.com

Do you have any questions about writing or requests for future episodes? Let me know!

The Ultimate Character Workbook: https://writerlifestyle.etsy.com/listing/1763406008

Use character flaws to plot your story: https://protagonistcrafts.thrivecart.com/genius-plotting-system/

Don't know what to write? Stories lacking material? You can stop agonising over your empty brain, because in this episode, I'm giving you my best tips for finding intriguing new things to write about. (Content warning for infant death at 14:40-15:05.)

Find your very best story idea from the free workbook: https://whatifyouwrote.com/workbook/

They began as enemies but now they're lovers. How did that happen? If "from enemies to lovers" is your favourite trope, too, you're going to want to listen to this episode. I will tell you what actually makes this trope appealing and I'll show you how to craft this romance arc for maximum impact (and suffering, don't forget the suffering) whether you're writing romance, fantasy or something completely different.

And as always, there's a writing prompt at the end of the episode, whether you want it or not.

Find the Enemies to Lovers Outline Template and other resources at https://whatifyouwrote.com

You know the exact vibe of your story but there's still a big problem: you don't know what your plot is. If you've ever suffered from "all vibes no plot", this episode walks you through a process of turning those awesome vibes into a story that you can finally start working on. All you need is Pinterest and something to write your ideas on.

You can find the From Vibes To Plot workbook in my Etsy shop: https://writerlifestyle.etsy.com/listing/1576452146

All other links and useful resources can be found at https://whatifyouwrote.com