Counting Down The Best Writing Tips From FWME In 2025

In today’s episode, we’re going to do something fun and a little different. Since we’re nearing the end of 2025, I thought it would be fun to do a little highlight reel of clips from the top ten most listened-to episodes this year. So, I took the top ten most popular episodes, and I grabbed my favorite clip from each one to share with you today—and trust me when I say that you are in for a treat. You’re going to hear tips on everything from how to write a great plot twist, how to prioritize the romantic relationship in a Romantasy, how to edit using a reverse outline, and so much more.

And if a particular clip catches your ear, don’t worry—I’ve got you covered. All the links to these full episodes are waiting for you in the show notes, ready for a deep dive whenever you are. So, grab your favorite notebook, settle in, and let’s kick things off with number ten!

Tip #10: To create a twist that truly shocks readers, master the art of strategic misdirection. 

The first tip on our countdown comes from episode 187, How To Write An Unforgettable Plot Twist In Your Novel With Samantha Skal. In this episode, we dive deep into the mechanics of crafting plot twists that are both surprising and satisfying. In this clip, Samantha shares her secrets for using red herrings and misdirection to lead readers down the wrong path while still playing fair. Here’s the tip:

Once you understand your villain's agenda, it's time to lead your readers down the wrong path with a strategic mixture of true clues and red herrings. This deliberate misdirection is what makes plot twists both surprising and satisfying for mystery and thriller readers.

Red herrings (aka false clues) function differently depending on your genre:

• In mysteries, red herrings distract readers from what has already happened
• In thrillers, red herrings make readers incorrectly believe something is coming

Regardless of which genre you’re writing in, the key is to make your red herrings as plausible—or even more plausible—than the actual truth. 

Here are some tips for writing effective red herrings:

• Make everyone a little bit messy: Give multiple characters reasons to hide information. For example, maybe one of your characters is cheating on their spouse. They might not have anything to do with the crime, but they certainly don’t want to be questioned by police. These types of secondary secrets can make great red herrings!
• Lean into your protagonist’s perspective: Your protagonist's worldview, values, and biases affect how they’ll interpret clues. If they have an unfortunate history with infidelity, they might quickly suspect a cheating spouse of murder, creating character-driven misdirection that feels organic.
• Create logical distractions: Consider what would realistically draw your character's attention in each scene and lean into that. Don't draw too much attention to important clues. Mention them naturally and move on. Trust your reader to notice them without signposting.

Remember, you're not trying to trick readers unfairly but to give them all the puzzle pieces while artfully directing their attention elsewhere. When readers reach the twist at the climax of your story, they should see that all the clues were there—they just missed their significance because of your skillful storytelling.

Want to check out the whole episode? Click here to read or listen to episode #187: How To Write An Unforgettable Plot Twist In Your Novel With Samantha Skal.

Tip #9: In multi POV stories, each character needs a voice so distinct that readers know who's speaking without being told. 

Tip number nine comes from episode 210, 5 Tips For Writing A Multiple POV Novel Without Confusing Your Readers. If you've ever struggled to juggle multiple viewpoint characters or worried that they all sound the same, this episode is for you. In this clip, I break down exactly how to develop distinctive voices that make each POV character feel like the protagonist of their own story. Here’s the tip:

Once you've figured out which POV characters are truly necessary, it's time to develop each one fully. And I mean fully. Each POV character should feel like the protagonist of their own story, complete with their own distinctive voice.

Here's what I mean by distinctive voice: your readers should be able to tell whose perspective they're reading from the writing alone, without needing chapter headings or name tags.

This means each character should:

• Use different sentence structures (maybe one speaks in short, clipped thoughts while another uses flowing, descriptive language)
• Notice different details in their environment (a former soldier might spot all the exits in a room, while an artist focuses on the light and colors)
• Have unique vocabulary and speech patterns
• Use metaphors and references that reflect their background and experiences
• React emotionally to situations in ways that are true to their personality

But voice is just one part of the equation. Each POV character also needs their own complete character arc. They should start the story with specific goals and flaws, face challenges that test them, grow throughout the story, and reach some kind of resolution by the end.

Even if their storyline is secondary to your main plot, they still need meaningful development. Your readers are investing in these characters—they expect to see them change.

Action step: Create a character worksheet for each POV character that includes their unique voice characteristics, worldview, goals, and character arc. Then write a page from each character describing the same scene. The voices should be so distinct that someone else could read them and immediately know which character is which.

Want to check out the whole episode? Click here to read or listen to episode #210: 5 Tips For Writing A Multiple POV Novel Without Confusing Your Readers.

Tip #8: Stop editing while you write—your perfectionism is killing your productivity. 

The eighth tip comes from episode 175, 5 Easy Time Management Strategies To Write Your Novel Faster. This episode is packed with practical strategies for making the most of your writing time, but this particular tip is for all the perfectionists out there. In this clip, I challenge you to take off your perfectionist hat and embrace the messy first draft—because trying to write and edit at the same time is what's keeping you stuck. Here’s the tip:

This strategy is for all the perfectionists out there. And although it may feel uncomfortable at first, I’m going to challenge you to take your perfectionist hat off to attempt this one. 

Write an entire scene first—or better yet, the entire first draft—without pausing to edit. Take a deep breath, set aside your ‘editing hat’ and focus on finishing before revising. 

Are you squirming in your seat, just thinking about this? 

I know I get it. 

But the truth is, perfectionism can really hurt time management because when you’re hung up on creating the perfect sentence, you stay stuck. And that writing hour that you set up for the day, becomes a waste of time. And it’s really hard to move forward when you’re in this perfectionism state.

In fact—often perfectionism is the main cause of giving up altogether. You have to be willing to get messy and walk away when your writing day isn’t perfect. 

Let me share an analogy that really helps put this in perspective. 

Think about when you're spring cleaning. The first thing you do is pull everything from your closet and throw it on the floor. It looks like an utter mess, right? The next thing you do is throw away or donate the items you no longer need. And then put back the things you want to keep, neatly and orderly. The result is a gorgeous, fresh, clean closet that you're proud of. That’s a great feeling—a crisp closet space that doesn’t give you a headache every time you look at it. 

Your first draft works exactly the same way. First, you need to get all your ideas out on the page—messy and imperfect as they might be. Only then can you see what you're really working with and start organizing and polishing it into something you're proud of.

I know this can feel really uncomfortable. The urge to edit as you go is strong. But when you try to write and edit at the same time, you're constantly switching between your creative brain and your analytical brain. And every time you make that switch, you're breaking your momentum and making it harder to get back into the flow of your story.

So here's what I want you to try instead... 

When you sit down to write, give yourself permission to write messy. Yes, messy! Not tidy. Your first draft is supposed to be a work in progress—your only job is to get the story out of your head and onto the page.

If you notice something that needs to be fixed—maybe you need to research a detail, or you want to change a character's name—instead of stopping to fix it right then, just put a note in brackets like [fix this later] or [research needed] and keep moving forward. 

The beautiful thing about this approach is that it actually saves you time in the long run. Because let's be honest—how many hours have you spent perfecting a scene, only to realize later that the scene needs to change completely or maybe even be cut? Oomph. Yup. That hurts. 

If you're finding this tough (and many writers do), start small. Try writing for just 10 minutes without allowing yourself to edit. Then, gradually increase that time. You might be amazed at how much more you can accomplish when you're not constantly second-guessing every word. 

Remember: no one writes a perfect first draft, my friend—not even the authors you admire most. The magic happens in revision, but you can't revise a blank page. So, give yourself permission to write imperfectly. You can always come back and improve later.

Want to check out the whole episode? Click here to read or listen to episode #175: 5 Easy Time Management Strategies To Write Your Novel Faster.

Tip #7: In Romantasy, the central romantic relationship must be a catalyst for character transformation.

Tip number seven comes from episode 182, Writing Romantasy: How to Balance Fantasy Elements and Romance in Your Novel. With Romantasy taking the publishing world by storm, understanding how to balance these two elements is crucial. In this clip, I explain why the romantic relationship in your Romantasy novel needs to do more than just add romantic tension—it needs to fundamentally change your characters. Here’s the tip:

Whether you're writing Fantasy Romance or Romantic Fantasy, the romantic relationship between your characters is critical to your story's success. Start by fully developing both characters individually before bringing them together.

For each character, ask yourself these essential questions:

• How does each character feel about love?
• Do they want love? If so, why? 
• Do they avoid or fear love? If so, why? 
• Do they feel deserving or undeserving of love? Why?
• How do these beliefs change by the end of the story?

If you haven’t done the work to develop your character’s backstory already, you can use the questions in this article to uncover where each character’s beliefs (and inner obstacles) around love and relationships come from.

If you’re writing Fantasy Romance, your story will show how characters grow and change in their beliefs about love. Since these are romance stories first, the romantic relationship must be the primary catalyst for internal conflict and growth. The fantasy elements can contribute to character development, but the relationship remains central. The Fantasy/Action elements can contribute to character development, but the romantic relationship needs to be the primary catalyst for change.

If you’re writing Romantic Fantasy, your story will demonstrate how love helps change your protagonist (and how that change helps or harms their survival). Both the external conflict and the romantic relationship should drive your character's internal growth. 

This dual catalyst for growth is what distinguishes Romantasy (particularly “Romantic Fantasy”) from standard fantasy novels with romantic subplots. 

In regular fantasy novels, like The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, Kvothe's relationship with Denna isn't a primary driver of his growth—his education, experiences, and confrontations with external conflicts and sources of antagonism play a much larger role, challenging and encouraging him to grow and change.

But in true Romantasy novels (whether “Fantasy Romance” or “Romantic Fantasy”), the love interest must significantly contribute to or cause the protagonist's transformation.

Now, when it comes to the relationship in your Romantic Fantasy novel, remember that readers aren't necessarily expecting a guaranteed "Happily Ever After" ending, especially in a series. Your story might feature a slow-burn romance that develops gradually or even multiple romantic partners across a series (like Celaena/Aelin in Throne of Glass or Tory in the Zodiac Academy Series).

What matters most is that readers care deeply about your characters—both individually and as a romantic pairing. In stories with high-stakes action and complex plots, this emotional connection is essential. If readers don't care about your characters and their relationships, they won't be invested in their survival or happiness.

Want to check out the whole episode? Click here to read or listen to episode #182: Writing Romantasy: How to Balance Fantasy Elements and Romance in Your Novel.

Tip #6: Master scene writing before you worry about plot structure—it's the foundation everything else builds on. 

The sixth tip comes from episode 195, How Deliberate Practice Can Improve Your Fiction Writing With Tim Grahl. In this conversation, Tim shares a revolutionary approach from Story Grid that flips traditional writing education on its head. In this clip, he explains why starting with scene-level mastery instead of big-picture plotting is the key to actually finishing your novel. Here’s the tip:

In recent years, Story Grid has shifted its teaching from starting with the big picture to now focusing on the most fundamental unit of story: the scene.

"We realize now that starting at that macro level is really putting the cart before the horse," Tim explains. While many writing programs begin with genre considerations or story structure, Story Grid discovered that without mastering scene writing first, these larger elements can be challenging to master.

This shift to scene-level focus was revolutionary because most writers (maybe you included) get stuck trying to plot out their entire novel before they've mastered the building blocks. It's like trying to build a house when you haven't learned to lay a single brick properly.

So, according to Tim and Story Grid, here’s exactly how to do this: 

Start by writing extremely focused, constrained scenes. Aim for 800 words per scene because this forces you to eliminate fluff and focus on essential elements.

"Constraining it down forces you to cut out all of the fluff and get right to the point," Tim explains. "Once people can do that at 800 words and we start loosening up the word count, they get right to the point and the scenes actually become better and better."

Each of your scenes should include:

• A clear protagonist and antagonist with conflicting desires
• The five commandments of storytelling (inciting incident, progressive complications, crisis, climax, resolution)
• A definitive change where someone "wins" the scene

To simplify this exercise, Tim recommends starting by imagining a clear conflict: "Two characters that want different things. So if I come to you and I'm like, 'Savannah, I need to borrow $50,000,' and you're like, 'I don't want to let you borrow $50,000'—right there we have conflict."

Want to check out the whole episode? Click here to read or listen to episode #195: How Deliberate Practice Can Improve Your Fiction Writing With Tim Grahl.

Tip #5: If your plot sounds like "just a bunch of stuff that happens," you're missing narrative drive.

Tip number five comes from episode 192, 5 Big Picture First Draft Mistakes (& How to Fix Them). In this clip, I explain what narrative drive really is and why disconnected episodes that happen TO your protagonist instead of BECAUSE of their choices will lose readers fast. Here’s the tip:

Narrative drive is what keeps readers turning page after page. It's the compelling force that pushes the story forward through clear cause-and-effect relationships between events.

If your draft features a series of disconnected episodes where things happen TO your protagonist rather than BECAUSE of their choices, you're likely lacking narrative drive. 

It might feel like: "This happened, then this happened, then this other thing happened..." with no clear connection between events.

This creates what I call the "so what?" problem. Readers finish a scene and, instead of being pulled into the next one, think, "So what? Why should I care what happens next?"

Unlike real life, which is often random and chaotic, stories need to follow an internal logic that creates meaning. Each scene should grow naturally from what came before and plant seeds for what comes after. This deliberate cause-and-effect chain is what distinguishes a crafted story from a mere sequence of events.

To strengthen your story's narrative drive: Review each scene and ask yourself:

• Does this scene happen because of choices made in previous scenes?
• Does it force new choices that will affect future scenes?

If not, you may need to strengthen the connections between your scenes or reconsider whether a particular scene belongs in your story at all. This simple exercise can quickly reveal where your narrative chain breaks down and needs reinforcement.

Want to check out the whole episode? Click here to read or listen to episode #192: 5 Big Picture First Draft Mistakes (& How to Fix Them).

Tip #4: Being vague doesn't create mystery—give readers enough context to understand what they should be curious about.

The fourth tip comes from episode 197, How to Write a Novel That Hooks Readers Through Curiosity (Not Confusion). Too many writers think withholding information creates suspense, but it often just creates frustrated readers. In this clip, I break down exactly what information you need to share upfront so readers can focus on the mystery that actually matters. Here’s the tip:

Before you can make readers curious about the missing information, they need to understand the overall picture. This means establishing the big-picture context of the story, who your characters are, and the basic conflict and situation.

Your job isn't to hide everything—it's to ground readers so they can focus on the mystery that matters.

Consider how Gone Girl opens: Amy is missing, Nick is the husband, and the police are investigating. We're not confused about genre, setting, or basic situation. Flynn gives us our story GPS immediately, so we can focus on the real question: What really happened to Amy?

As you craft your mystery, make sure you're clear on these questions:

• Who is your protagonist? What do they want and why?
• What's at stake for your protagonist if they fail to get what they want?
• Where and when does your story take place?
• What's the central conflict? Who is the antagonist?
• What do readers expect from a story in your genre?

The key is providing enough context so readers can focus on the story instead of scrambling to understand where they are or what's happening.

Remember: any information you choose to withhold should be carefully constructed and intentional.

Readers should be able to understand the shape of what's missing while feeling completely grounded in your story. You're not hiding the foundation—you're strategically placing gaps within a clear context.

Want to check out the whole episode? Click here to read or listen to episode #197: How to Write a Novel That Hooks Readers Through Curiosity (Not Confusion).

Tip #3: Before revising, create a scene-by-scene summary to see your story's real structure and flow.

Tip number three comes from episode 209, How to Revise Your Novel Like a Pro (Without Losing Your Mind) With Alice Sudlow. If you've ever felt overwhelmed trying to revise your manuscript, this episode is a game-changer. In this clip, Alice shares the reverse outline method that helps you see your story's true structure and identify exactly where it needs work. Here’s the tip:

A reverse outline is a summary of what's actually on the page. And here's the crucial part: you're not reading to make changes. You're not even looking for things to change. You're simply documenting what exists.

For each scene, write a brief summary that captures both what happens externally (the action and plot events) and what happens internally (how it impacts your characters emotionally and psychologically). 

Alice's reverse outline process accomplishes three crucial things:

First, it makes your story manageable. Instead of trying to hold 100,000 words in your head, you're working with a 5,000-word summary. Your brain can actually process that amount of information and see the big picture.

Second, it reveals your story's true structure. You might think you wrote a romance, but when you outline what you actually put on the page, you discover you wrote a friendship story with romantic elements. Or you realize your "hero's journey" is missing several crucial beats.

Third, it separates thinking from execution. As Alice explained, when you try to analyze and fix your story at the same time, you get overwhelmed. But when you separate the problem-solving phase from the implementation phase, both become much more effective.

Once you have your reverse outline, here's where most writers want to jump back into the manuscript and start making changes. But Alice has one more step that's absolutely crucial, and it's the step that creates the real magic in your story.

You need to go back to fundamental questions about your story. Alice asks her clients things like: Why are you writing this story at all? What's the point? What is your character's goal, and what are the stakes if they fail? How will your character be different at the end than at the beginning? What genre does your story actually belong to?

Alice calls this "the heart of revision" because stories evolve during the drafting process. Your characters surprise you. Plot threads develop in unexpected ways. Themes emerge that you never planned. So even if you did this foundational work before, you need to do it again based on what you actually wrote.

These aren't abstract academic exercises. Alice describes them as "the hidden keys that are woven in underneath everything else that you've written." When you take this work seriously, when you allow yourself the time to think deeply about these questions, you'll discover layers of meaning and connection that were already there.

Want to check out the whole episode? Click here to read or listen to episode #209: How to Revise Your Novel Like a Pro (Without Losing Your Mind) With Alice Sudlow.

Tip #2: Reading another craft book won't help you finish your novel—but taking action on what you already know will.

The second tip comes from episode 177, 3 Things You Need To Write Your Novel In 2025. While many writers focus exclusively on learning craft techniques, that's actually what leads to perfectionism and procrastination. In this clip, I explain why craft is just one piece of the puzzle and how focusing on it alone can actually keep you stuck in writer's block. Here’s the tip:

Craft is what most aspiring authors focus on exclusively—the actual writing techniques and storytelling skills needed to write a story that works. 

And while craft is important, it's not everything. 

If you don’t have a process to follow to help you turn your ideas into an actual full-length story, it doesn’t matter if you know how to write technically good sentences or beautiful prose. If you don’t have the right mindset to stay in the game when things get tough, it doesn’t matter if you know how to develop your character’s backstory or build a story world from scratch. 

So, here’s what this boils down to…

I see too many writers focus on just learning the craft of writing—and this is what leads to perfectionism and procrastination. 

We know what we need to do, in theory—we see examples of stories that work, and then we try to write our own stories only to feel disappointed that our stories don’t live up to the examples we see or to our own expectations.

I also see too many writers discount the importance of mindset—and when you’re not in the right mindset to write a book and deal with all the ups and downs that happen to everybody (not just first-time writers), this is what makes us spiral into self-doubt.

And then I also see too many writers without a process to follow which leads to overwhelm and trying to do way too many things at once.

And here’s the thing… 

All of these feelings I just mentioned—self-doubt, overwhelm, perfectionism, and procrastination—this is all writer’s block. 

And just because you feel writer’s block… 

That has nothing to do with your capabilities or the quality of your ideas. 

It all boils down to trying to write a book with an imbalance of the three elements I covered in this blog post—process, mindset, and craft.

You need these 3 things working in tandem to be the kind of writer who finishes and publishes their book. And when these three things work together, magic happens. But when they're out of balance, that's when writers typically struggle.

This is why I get frustrated when I see advice telling aspiring authors they just need to "write every day" or "learn proper story structure." Those things matter, yes, but they're not the whole picture. 

Writing a novel is a journey that requires all three of these elements—mindset, process, and craft—working together in harmony.

Want to check out the whole episode? Click here to read or listen to episode #177: 3 Things You Need To Write Your Novel In 2025.

Tip #1: Following one complete writing method to "The End" beats trying to Frankenstein multiple approaches together.

Our number one tip comes from episode 203, Why Writing Advice Is Keeping You Stuck (And What to Do Instead). This might be the most important message for writers who've been consuming advice but struggling to finish their novels. In this clip, I reveal why having too much information creates paralysis and share the one question that changes everything for stuck writers. Here’s the tip:

Here's what's really happening when you're stuck in research mode:

You're not actually learning to write. You're learning to avoid writing.

Every new piece of advice becomes another reason to doubt what you've already written. Every expert's "must-have" becomes another standard you're failing to meet. Every contradictory opinion becomes another excuse to stop and reconsider everything.

And I get it. I really do.

When you're just starting out or you've been stuck writing your novel for a while, it feels safer to keep learning than to risk doing it "wrong." Your inner critic whispers things like:

• "You need to know more before you start"
• "Real writers understand all this stuff already"
• "If you just find the right method, writing will be easy"
• "You're not ready yet"

But here's the truth bomb you need to hear: You will never feel ready enough.

Think about this for a second...

When you're trying to write a novel, you're already juggling about 47 different elements: plot, character development, dialogue, pacing, world building, theme, voice, scene structure, and approximately 39 other things.

Now add to that the fact that every expert has their own terminology, their own "foolproof" method, and their own strong opinions about the "right" way to do things.

The Save the Cat method says your inciting incident should happen at the 10% mark. The Hero's Journey calls it the "call to adventure" and suggests 12-15%. The three-act structure puts it at the end of Act One. The Story Grid has different terminology altogether.

One expert swears by detailed 40-page outlines that map out every scene. Another insists outlines kill creativity and you should "write into the dark." Some say you must know your ending before you begin. Others say discovering the ending is half the fun.

No wonder you're paralyzed!

One of my students described it perfectly. They'd consumed almost every writing podcast (yes, even mine!), bought multiple courses, and knew more about writing craft than many published authors. But despite having all that knowledge, they couldn't finish a draft.

Why? Because too much information creates too many choices. And too many choices create paralysis.

Instead of asking "What else do I need to learn?" try asking yourself this:

"What would happen if I only followed one approach all the way through?"

Not the "perfect" approach. Not a combination of seventeen different methods. Just one complete system from start to finish.

Here's what happened when my students made this shift:

Jenny went from 12 years of false starts to completing her first draft in 6 months—despite being a busy mom with a full-time job and elderly parents to care for.

Lindsay spent six months trying to draft on her own and only managed 25,000 words. After committing to one clear process? She wrote 100,000 words in the next six months.

Another writer went from five years of rewriting the same chapters to actually finishing a complete manuscript.

And yes, these are people just like you who finally stopped collecting advice and started following a process.

Want to check out the whole episode? Click here to read or listen to episode #203: Why Writing Advice Is Keeping You Stuck (And What to Do Instead).

Final Thoughts

And there you have it—some of the best clips from the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast in 2025. If any of these clips sparked your attention and you haven't checked out the full episode yet, be sure to go back and take a listen. I'll have all of the episodes linked up for you in the show notes.

Thank you so much for joining me, not only today but week after week or whenever there’s a new episode. I am so grateful that I got to show up for you and share all these writing tips and strategies with you. And I'm so excited to see all the wonderful things 2026 has in store for us—talk to you in the new year!

👉 Want more help right now? Check out these free resources:

• Listen to the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast for weekly writing guidance
• Take the Author Success Blueprint Quiz to get personalized next steps for your writing, editing, and publishing journey

Grab my free guide to see how real writers (like you!) pushed past these roadblocks to finish their novels: 5 Writing Roadblocks Keeping You Stuck & How to Break Through