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.

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

Whether you want to stand out from the crowd or take advantage of familiar and beloved themes, there's a right way and a wrong way to do it.

In this episode of What If You Wrote podcast, we talk about how to write something unique when every idea has already been used, whether you really need to be unique and how to figure out why people love popular or classic stories. You also hear my rant on how some writers actually discourage unique stories from being written.

Still missing your own unique story idea? Get our free workbook that uncovers what you'd love to write about: https://whatifyouwrote.com/workbook

Who doesn't love a good cry? In this episode, we talk about why people like to read stuff that makes them sad, and I tell you how you can make your readers sob.

I'm going to ramble about The Time Traveller's Wife but not nearly as much as I talk about Call The Midwife. Just be warned. (Also I'm going to talk about pet death a couple of times - maybe don't listen if you've just lost your cat.)

And as always, there's going to be a heart-wrenching writing prompt at the end, so don't fall apart before that.

Want to find a sad story idea of your own? Check out our free story idea workbook at https://whatifyouwrote.com/workbook