Stop waiting for motivation. Start acting from identity. In this mindset kickoff for Master Fiction Writing, we shift the sentence that runs your day from “I want to write a book” to “I’m a person who writes.” You’ll hear a simple, athlete-style routine (warm-up, reps, cooldown), examples, and a 10-minute drill that makes writing easier to start than to avoid.You’ll learn:Why identity beats motivation for consistent pagesThe 3 design levers: place, time, triggerA tiny training loop: warm-up → reps → cooldownHow to separate Author Brain (draft) from Editor Brain (revise)The Minimum Viable Session: 10 minutes or 100 words—streaks over heroicsThe Creative ID Card: I write [genre] on [days] at [time/place] for [minutes] because [why]By the end, you’ll have a posted Creative ID Card, two sessions on your calendar, and tomorrow’s first 'ugly' line already typed!
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10:05
Open Strong, Close True: Drafting Your First and Final Scenes
Your novel’s bookends do the heavy lifting. In this episode of Master Fiction Writing, we pair Step 16 (Writing the Opening Scene) and Step 17 (Writing the Closing Scene) to help you start with momentum and finish with meaning. You’ll learn what a scene is (and why something must change every time), how to centre your protagonist’s thoughts and feelings, and a simple timer method to draft three different openings and three different endings - fast. Then we “mirror test” your bookends so the final scene proves the belief shift you promise on page one.You’ll learn:The four-beat scene engine: Want → Friction → Choice → ChangeHow to draft rough, 5–10 page scene sketches using TK placeholdersThree alternative ways to start (and end) the same story—by designThe “rhyme, don’t repeat” rule for opening/closing scenes that landLeave with a clear opening, a true ending, and a direction for everything in between.
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Plot With Heart: The Inside Outline
Outlining doesn’t have to strangle your creativity—or leave you drowning in spreadsheets. In this episode of Master Fiction Writing, we introduce The Inside Outline: a fast, 2–3 page method that pairs each major Scene (what happens) with its Point (why it matters to your protagonist). The result? A plot that moves and a character arc that means something.You’ll hear how to build 10–15 Scene/Point pairs, link them with clean cause-and-effect (“because of that…”), and pressure-test the outline so stakes rise, tension builds, and the story delivers on genre promises. We’ll walk through examples—romance, and thriller—so you can hear exactly how to do it.In this episode, you’ll learn:The Scene/Point pairing that keeps plot and emotion glued togetherHow to use “because of that…” to create momentum (not coincidence)A quick 8-question stress test for your outline’s stakes, pacing, and arcWays to turn your Inside Outline into scenes, revisions, and a query-ready synopsisLeave with a living map you can actually write from: short, sharp, and tied to why your story matters.
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Plot Without Panic: Using the Pixar Story Spine
Plotting doesn’t have to feel like wrangling an octopus into a cardigan. In this episode of Master Fiction Writing, we turn to Pixar’s Story Spine - seven simple prompts that reveal your story’s engine: who we meet, what upends the status quo, how cause-and-effect escalates, where the climax hits, and what the change means. We unpack each beat (from “Once upon a time…” to “And ever since that day…”) and keep things focused with just two “Because of that…” moves to force clean causality. You’ll hear quick, recognisable examples and leave with a concise spine you can expand into scenes—without drowning in index cards.You’ll learn:How to define your story’s “normal,” inciting incident, and rising consequencesWhy limiting yourself to two causal beats sharpens momentumHow to aim your climax at your character’s internal shiftHow to land an emotionally clear resolution
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16:24
Time & Bookends: Your Story’s Timeline, Start, and End
How much time passes between Page 1 and “The End” - and where, exactly, do you begin and finish? In this episode of Master Fiction Writing, we pair Step 12 (Story Timeline) and Step 13 (Opening & Closing) to shape your novel’s container and its proof of change. You’ll learn how to define your story present (the “now” of your narrative), pick a time span that supports tension, and design opening/closing scenes that mirror each other to reveal transformation.In this episode, you’ll learn:What “story present” is—and why tense and chronology aren’t the same thingHow different time containers (day, season, year, decades) change pacing and stakesThe “mirror technique” for opening/closing scenes that land emotionallyCommon pitfalls (timeline mush, flashback overload, soft starts) and quick fixesMini exercises to name your container and draft before/after snapshotsLeave with a clear time frame, a purposeful opening, and a closing image that proves how your protagonist changes.
With 25+ years in theatre, media, and coaching, I’ve honed the art of storytelling. Now, I’m thrilled to share that expertise with you on “Master Fiction Writing.” Whether you’re crafting memorable characters or building gripping plots, each episode is backed by examples from literary pros. Recognised as a top book coach, my mission is to help your stories shine. Ready to master the craft? Subscribe today!
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