Inside Creative Writing is your go-to podcast for mastering the art and craft of storytelling. Whether you're writing your first novel or refining your skills, this podcast delivers practical techniques, deep insights, and real-world strategies to help you craft immersive, authentic stories.
Hosted by Brad Reed, a writer, educator, and coach, Inside Creative Writing explores the techniques behind compelling fiction and creative nonfiction. Each episode dives into essential writing topics, from developing complex characters and crafting vivid scenes to structuring powerful narratives and revising with purpose.
What You’ll Discover in This Podcast:
Proven Writing Techniques – Learn practical methods used by successful authors to enhance your storytelling.
Deep Dives into Craft – Explore the nuances of characterization, voice, pacing, and immersive world-building.
Inspiration & Motivation – Break through writer’s block and stay committed to your creative journey.
Expert Insights – Gain valuable lessons from the best literary minds, with references to Hemingway, Tim O’Brien, Philip Pullman, and more.
Actionable Writing Exercises – Apply what you learn with hands-on challenges designed to sharpen your skills.
If you’ve struggled with getting started, pushing through the messy middle, or figuring out how to revise, Inside Creative Writing provides the tools and guidance you need.
Resources to Take Your Writing Further:
Website & Blog – Explore in-depth articles and resources at htps://InsideCreativeWriting.com and join today at https://insidecreativewriting.com/join
Join the conversation and start writing the stories you’ve always wanted to tell. Subscribe now and take your writing to the next level!
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Inside Creative Writing is your go-to podcast for mastering the art and craft of storytelling. Whether you're writing your first novel or refining your skills, this podcast delivers practical techniques, deep insights, and real-world strategies to help you craft immersive, authentic stories.
Hosted by Brad Reed, a writer, educator, and coach, Inside Creative Writing explores the techniques behind compelling fiction and creative nonfiction. Each episode dives into essential writing topics, from developing complex characters and crafting vivid scenes to structuring powerful narratives and revising with purpose.
What You’ll Discover in This Podcast:
Proven Writing Techniques – Learn practical methods used by successful authors to enhance your storytelling.
Deep Dives into Craft – Explore the nuances of characterization, voice, pacing, and immersive world-building.
Inspiration & Motivation – Break through writer’s block and stay committed to your creative journey.
Expert Insights – Gain valuable lessons from the best literary minds, with references to Hemingway, Tim O’Brien, Philip Pullman, and more.
Actionable Writing Exercises – Apply what you learn with hands-on challenges designed to sharpen your skills.
If you’ve struggled with getting started, pushing through the messy middle, or figuring out how to revise, Inside Creative Writing provides the tools and guidance you need.
Resources to Take Your Writing Further:
Website & Blog – Explore in-depth articles and resources at htps://InsideCreativeWriting.com and join today at https://insidecreativewriting.com/join
Join the conversation and start writing the stories you’ve always wanted to tell. Subscribe now and take your writing to the next level!
Want to write a story that keeps readers up past midnight? Discover how small, unanswered questions—“little mysteries”—can quietly power your entire novel.
Discover why you might not be the kind of writer you thought you'd be, and why that's a good thing. This episode explores creative pivots, artistic growth, and how to follow your real writing voice.
Discover why your characters go off-script, and how Internal Family Systems (IFS) theory can help you understand your creative process in a whole new way.
What if planning your novel felt more like a game? Discover how this old-school screenwriting trick can revolutionize your story structure and spark creative breakthroughs and plan your novel with index cards!
What if your next big idea isn’t buried in research—but in boredom? Learn why stillness, silence, and doing nothing might be the secret to writing something truly original and why boredom and creativity go hand-in-hand.
Ever feel like your writing joy is slipping away? Discover why reconnecting with the reasons you really write could be the most important creative decision you’ll make.
Ever read a book so good you had no idea how the author pulled it off? In this episode, discover how to study those “magic tricks” and apply them to your own writing.
Is AI a revolutionary tool for novelists or a creativity killer? This episode explores the real impact of AI on storytelling—where it shines, where it fails, and how writers can use it without losing their creative spark
Resistance to writing is sneaky—it disguises itself as productivity, self-improvement, and even social connection. In this episode, Brad Reed explores the ways resistance keeps writers from their work, drawing insights from The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Plus, a special farewell message as the Inside Creative Writing Podcast takes a new direction.
Struggling with clunky dialogue? Many writers lean too heavily on spoken words, missing a powerful technique that can elevate their storytelling. In this episode, discover a game-changing approach to writing dialogue that most authors never consider.
Want to make your readers feel something real? It’s not about telling them—it’s about showing them in the right way. In this episode, we dive deep into how to craft immersive, emotional moments in your writing using sensory details, inspired by Alan Heathcock’s 27 Tenets of Fiction.
Conflict in writing is the tension, struggle, or opposition that drives a story forward. It can be external (character vs. character, society, nature) or internal (character vs. self), but it always creates obstacles that challenge the protagonist and force growth or change.
New writers often overestimate their skills, avoid feedback, and get stuck between rigid rules and total creative freedom. Many write in isolation, struggling to spot their own weaknesses. This episode explores these challenges and how to overcome them with self-awareness, critique, and a balanced writing process.
To write vivid descriptions, focus on one or two striking details rather than overwhelming the reader with long lists. Use sensory details—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch—to make scenes come alive.
A compelling opening is crucial because it sets the tone for your entire story and determines whether a reader will continue or move on to something else. Your first sentence should create curiosity, raise questions, or present an intriguing scenario that beckons the reader to delve deeper into your narrative.
Subtext is the unspoken meaning behind dialogue, character actions, and setting details. Instead of directly stating a character’s personality or emotions, skilled writers use small, intentional cues—like clothing, posture, or word choice—to subtly communicate deeper truths. This technique engages readers by letting them infer meaning rather than being told outright, making stories feel more immersive and authentic.
Developing a compelling theme in fiction writing is one of the most crucial yet misunderstood aspects of storytelling. A well-crafted theme gives your novel depth, emotional weight, and a sense of purpose, helping readers connect with your story on a deeper level.
What is Theme in Fiction Writing?
Theme is more than just a topic like "love" or "justice." Instead, it’s a statement or idea that reflects what your story is truly about. Instead of saying a novel’s theme is "friendship," a stronger theme would be:
"True friendship is tested in times of hardship."
Understanding this distinction helps writers create more meaningful stories that leave a lasting impact.
How to Identify and Strengthen Your Story’s Theme
In this episode, Brad Reed walks through a step-by-step approach to identifying and developing theme. He explains how to move beyond broad topics and craft arguable, engaging themes that drive your story forward.
Key strategies discussed include:
Using character beliefs and conflicts to reveal theme naturally.
Weaving theme into your story’s plot without forcing it.
Balancing multiple perspectives to create depth.
Choosing between "open" and "closed" themes based on your story’s message.
By applying these techniques, you’ll create a cohesive and powerful theme that enhances your novel’s emotional and narrative impact.
Want to Deepen Your Understanding?
For more insights into storytelling techniques, check out our resources at https://insidecreativewriting.com/
Writer’s block can be frustrating, but the real problem often isn’t a lack of ideas—it’s fear, perfectionism, or hesitation. In this episode, we explore what to do if you have writer’s block and how to move past it with practical, no-fail strategies.
Many writers think they need inspiration before they can write. But in reality, writing itself creates inspiration. The key is to remove the pressure and get words flowing in any way possible.
Three techniques to push past writer’s block:
Write What Won’t Happen – Instead of trying to find the right scene, write the wrong one. This removes pressure and often leads to surprising insights.
Write a Letter from Your Character – Let your character tell you what they need. This can spark ideas and help you see the story from a fresh angle.
Keep a Writing Journal – Like John Steinbeck, use a journal to warm up your brain before jumping into your actual project.
Another underrated strategy? Talk to another writer. Discussing your story out loud activates different parts of the brain and often leads to breakthroughs.
Great dialogue isn’t just about what’s said—it’s about what’s left unsaid. Writing subtext in dialogue helps create realistic, emotionally charged conversations that engage readers and reveal deeper character motivations. In this episode, we break down how to use the "third thing" technique to add layers of meaning to your dialogue without making it feel forced or unnatural.
Why direct, on-the-nose dialogue weakens your story
How subtext enhances tension, character depth, and realism
The "third thing" technique: what it is and how to use it effectively
Examples from TV, film, and literature to illustrate subtext in action
A writing challenge to help you integrate subtext into your current project
If you want your characters to sound more natural and your dialogue to carry more weight, this episode is for you. Looking for more ways to develop compelling character interactions? Check out our Character Development page at https://insidecreativewriting.com/character-development for more expert writing techniques.
Inside Creative Writing is your go-to podcast for mastering the art and craft of storytelling. Whether you're writing your first novel or refining your skills, this podcast delivers practical techniques, deep insights, and real-world strategies to help you craft immersive, authentic stories.
Hosted by Brad Reed, a writer, educator, and coach, Inside Creative Writing explores the techniques behind compelling fiction and creative nonfiction. Each episode dives into essential writing topics, from developing complex characters and crafting vivid scenes to structuring powerful narratives and revising with purpose.
What You’ll Discover in This Podcast:
Proven Writing Techniques – Learn practical methods used by successful authors to enhance your storytelling.
Deep Dives into Craft – Explore the nuances of characterization, voice, pacing, and immersive world-building.
Inspiration & Motivation – Break through writer’s block and stay committed to your creative journey.
Expert Insights – Gain valuable lessons from the best literary minds, with references to Hemingway, Tim O’Brien, Philip Pullman, and more.
Actionable Writing Exercises – Apply what you learn with hands-on challenges designed to sharpen your skills.
If you’ve struggled with getting started, pushing through the messy middle, or figuring out how to revise, Inside Creative Writing provides the tools and guidance you need.
Resources to Take Your Writing Further:
Website & Blog – Explore in-depth articles and resources at htps://InsideCreativeWriting.com and join today at https://insidecreativewriting.com/join
Join the conversation and start writing the stories you’ve always wanted to tell. Subscribe now and take your writing to the next level!
