Fiction Writing Made Easy | Top Creative Writing Podcast for Fiction Writers & Writing Tips

Discover the five craft techniques that make morally gray characters impossible to put down—so you can write complex, compelling figures readers will argue about, defend, and love despite everything.
Morally gray characters are some of the most memorable in fiction. Think Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones), Kaz Brekker (Six of Crows), Severus Snape (Harry Potter), or Amy Dunne (Gone Girl). These are the characters readers can't stop thinking about long after the book is finished.
But what actually makes them work? It's not randomness or shock value. And it's definitely not just "bad person with a sad backstory." It's intentional craft.
In this episode, I'm breaking down five tips for writing morally gray characters that feel authentic, nuanced, and impossible to look away from—whether you're writing fantasy, thriller, romance, or any other genre.
You'll hear me talk about things like:
[02:45] What "morally gray" actually means and how it differs from the antihero—so you can stop conflating the two and start building true moral complexity.
[04:25] How to create a character worldview that justifies their actions, including the role of backstory, goals, and the personal code that reveals what they truly value.
[07:51] Why lose-lose dilemmas are essential for morally gray characters—and how to construct impossible choices that test your character and keep readers emotionally invested.
[10:05] The importance of letting your character make questionable choices with real consequences—and why softening the gray undermines everything you've built.
[12:50] How to keep readers invested in a morally gray character even when their choices are hard to stomach (hint: it's not about making them likable).
[14:54] The redemption arc trap most writers fall into—and why the best morally gray characters don't get "fixed" by the end of the story.
If you've ever struggled to write a complex antagonist, a flawed protagonist, or a love interest readers can't quite root for but can't look away from either, this episode will give you the tools to craft morally gray characters with confidence and intention.
🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:
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Ready to finally finish your novel? Click here to join Notes to Novel before doors close January 28th →
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Discover how five Notes to Novel students stopped guessing their way through drafts by planning and outlining their stories with a clear structure.
In this Student Spotlight episode, you’ll hear from five Notes to Novel students who entered the program actively writing, but couldn’t see why their drafts weren't working or how to fix them.
Each case study shows what changed once these writers had a clear process to follow—one that helped them turn their ideas into a story that works.
You’ll hear how confusion turned into clear decision-making, how outlines became practical tools for guiding the draft, and how stalled stories started moving forward once these writers understood what their stories actually needed.
Here’s what we cover: 
[03:00] How Maggie moved from self-doubt and “am I even a real writer?” thinking to confidently outlining a rich fantasy novel with a clear antagonist and story direction.
[07:00] How John spiced up the middle of his story by strengthening stakes, side characters, and theme, and learned to treat his outline as a flexible, living document.
[12:00] How Insa rebuilt her women’s fiction novel by clarifying genre, layering conflict into every scene, and writing over 15,000 words in just days after finishing Notes To Novel. 
[17:45] How Emily broke out of over-learning mode, found the missing middle of her story, and gained clarity on conflict, antagonists, and scene-level momentum.
[23:45] How Samantha uncovered the core misunderstanding holding her romance novels back and finally found a clear path to revising and finishing her draft.
Ready to finish your novel without second-guessing every word, sentence, or scene? Join Maggie, John, Insa, Emily, and Samantha, along with hundreds of other writers who've discovered that drafting doesn't have to feel hard. You just need the right roadmap.
Get on the waitlist for the next open enrollment of my Notes to Novel course and get my complete, step-by-step framework for writing a story that works. Doors open January 22nd until January 28th. Don't miss your chance to turn your ideas into a finished, easy-to-edit first draft you love. 
🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:
Learn more about Notes to Novel
Maggie Rose Instagram
Emily S. Instagram
⭐ Follow & Review
If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!
Ready to finally finish your novel? Click here to join Notes to Novel before doors close January 28th →
Support the show
👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

Five writers. Five different starting points. One clear framework that turned stalled first drafts into steady progress.

In today’s episode, I’m sharing real stories from five Notes to Novel students who were stuck in very different ways but wanted the same thing: clarity and forward momentum on their novels.
You'll hear from writers who were buried in craft books, sitting on drafts that didn’t work, rewriting in circles, or unsure if they were “too far along” or “not far enough” to get help.  What changed was simple: they stopped guessing and started working with a clear framework they could trust.
If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure what your next step should be, there’s a good chance you’ll hear your own experience reflected in this episode.
Here’s what we cover:
[04:01] How Carolyn went from a shaky first draft structure to confidently plotting a new novel with clear scenes, stakes, and forward momentum.
[07:42] How Hazel broke free from information overload and rebuilt her outline from the ground up with a clear theme and scene-level direction.
[11:20] How Josephine stopped over-learning, trusted one proven process, and moved from endless brainstorming to fast drafting with confidence.
[17:03] How Warren, a self-published author, fixed the middle of his story using key scenes, antagonists, and pinch points.
[19:49] How Rachel turned 130,000 words into a clear, pitchable 85,000-word story that she’s proud of and can explain with confidence.
Ready to finish your novel without second-guessing every word, sentence, or scene? Join Carolyn, Hazel, Josephine, Warren, Rachel, and hundreds of other writers who've discovered that drafting doesn't have to feel hard. You just need the right roadmap.
Get on the waitlist for the next open enrollment of my Notes to Novel course and get my complete, step-by-step framework for writing a story that works. Doors open January 22nd until January 28th. Don't miss your chance to turn your ideas into a finished, easy-to-edit first draft you love. 
🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:
Join The Notes To Novel Waitlist
Carolyn Freudenthal Website
Hazel Dawson Instagram
Josephine Noble Website
Warren Dunn Website
⭐ Follow & Review
If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!
Ready to finally finish your novel? Click here to join Notes to Novel before doors close January 28th →
Support the show
👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

Discover how three Notes to Novel™ students stopped guessing their way through drafting and built steady, sustainable momentum toward a finished first draft.
In this short bonus episode, I'm sharing three real case studies from past Notes to Novel students who were all stuck in different ways but wanted the same thing: to finish their first draft. 
You’ll hear how each writer went from stalled, inconsistent drafting to steady momentum once they stopped overthinking and started working with a clear story structure and scene-level direction. 
These aren't theories or abstract tips. They're real examples of what changes when writers have a proven process that they can trust.
Here’s what we cover:
[03:56] How Lindsay went from 25,000 words in six months to a 100,000-word draft after finding the missing piece that finally made her story flow.
[08:47] Why Alison kept putting finished drafts in a drawer, and the realization that finally explained why her scenes weren't working.
[10:40] How Sharon, a first-time novelist, set a realistic goal of 6,000 words per week and finished her entire first draft two days ahead of schedule, stress-free. 
[13:18] The drafting strategy that keeps you moving forward with confidence instead of second-guessing every scene you write
Ready to stop stalling and start finishing? Join Lindsay, Alison, Sharon, and hundreds of other writers who've discovered that drafting doesn't have to feel like a slog. You just need the right roadmap. 
Get on the waitlist for the next open enrollment of my Notes to Novel course and get my complete, step-by-step framework for writing a story that works. Doors open January 22nd—don't miss your chance to turn your ideas into a finished draft you're proud of.
🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:
Get on the Notes To Novel Waitlist
⭐ Follow & Review
If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!
Ready to finally finish your novel? Click here to join Notes to Novel before doors close January 28th →
Support the show
👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

If you've been working on your novel for months—or even years—without making real progress, this episode will help you understand why.
Maybe you've started multiple books but never finished one. Maybe you sit down to write and have no idea what to work on. Or maybe you keep rewriting the same chapters over and over, hoping clarity will finally come.
Here's what I want you to know: this isn't a talent problem or a motivation problem. It's a process problem—and process problems are fixable.
In this episode, I'm walking you through five signs your writing process is broken, what's really causing all of them, and the one fix that will help you finish your novel.
This is what I talk about:
[02:13] Why you keep abandoning novels around the 20-30k word mark—and what's really happening when a new idea feels easier than finishing your current draft.
[04:30] The real reason you sit down to write and don't know what to work on, even when you've protected the time and eliminated distractions.
[06:53] How perfectionism disguises itself as productivity—and why rewriting the same chapters keeps you stuck instead of moving your draft forward.
[10:24] The difference between having a story idea and having a story that can support a full-length novel (hint: it comes down to knowing your ending).
[12:39] The one root cause behind all five signs—and how building a solid story foundation before you draft changes everything.
If you recognized yourself in any of these signs, stop blaming yourself and start looking at your foundation. The fix isn't more willpower or a better story idea—it's building a solid foundation before you draft.
🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:
Get on the Notes to Novel waitlist
⭐ Follow & Review
If you loved this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review will help other writers find this podcast and get the insights they need to finish their books. Thanks for tuning in to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast! See you next week!
Ready to finally finish your novel? Click here to join Notes to Novel before doors close January 28th →
Support the show
👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.