Podcasts · Education · Arts

Write The Darn Book | How to Write a Novel, Writer’s Block, Writing Motivation & Story Structure

Maddison Michaels | Fiction Writing Coach & Award-Winning Author

82 episodes

Welcome to Write The Darn Book™, a mindset-first, craft-supported, spiritually aligned podcast for fiction writers who feel called to write a novel, but keep getting stuck somewhere between the idea and the finished draft.

More about the show

If writer’s block, procrastination, self-doubt, perfectionism, overthinking, or the everyday chaos of life keeps pulling you away from the page, you’re in the right place.

And my friend, you are not broken!

You are a writer with a story inside you. And sometimes what you need isn’t more pressure, more hustle, or another generic writing routine. Sometimes what you need is a deeper understanding and awareness of how your mind works, how you are uniquely wired to write, what’s happening within the manuscript itself, and what actually helps you move from stuck… into creative flow.

I’m Maddison Michaels, an award-winning, multi-published author of 9 books, certified Life Coach, NLP Practitioner, and creator of the Write The Darn Book™ Method.

And I know exactly what it feels like to desperately want to write your book, but still struggle to actually get it to the finish line, because that was me for years. That’s why the work we do here focuses on both sides of finishing: the writer and the manuscript.

Each week, we’ll explore the inner work of writing, including writer’s block, procrastination, self-doubt, perfectionism, fear, resistance, creative flow, writer identity, nervous-system safety, confidence, self-trust, NLP tools, intuition, and the deeper patterns that shape how you show up to the page.

But we’ll also get practical with the manuscript itself, exploring how to write a novel, story structure, character, dialogue, pacing, first chapters, messy middles, revision, writing routines, publishing pathways, query letters, author life, and the practical steps that help you keep your story moving towards the finish line.

Because writing a novel is never just about the manuscript. It’s also about the writer you become while you’re writing it.

Each episode will help you:

✨ Break through writer’s block, procrastination, and self-doubt

✨ Develop a stronger writing mindset and deeper creative confidence

✨ Understand your writing personality and unique creative wiring

✨ Build a writing process that works with how you’re uniquely wired to write

✨ Strengthen your craft, story structure, and manuscript momentum

✨ Use NLP, emotional regulation, and neuroscience-supported tools to reconnect with flow

✨ Navigate the practical realities of writing, revising, querying, publishing, and finishing

✨ Trust your voice, honour your story, and finally finish writing your novel

Whether you’re writing your first novel, returning to a manuscript you’ve been carrying for years, or you’re already published and trying to find your way through the next one, I’m here to support both you and your manuscript all the way to the finish line.

So grab your cup of liquid gold, settle in, and let’s write the darn book together. 💕

And…

Episodes page 1 of 2

  1. 79. No Time To Write? How To Keep Your Novel Moving In 15-Minute Pockets

    · 23 min

    Do you feel like you never have enough time to write your novel because your days are already full? Maybe you keep waiting for the perfect hour or two to open your manuscript, only to find those bigger blocks of…

  2. 78. Can’t Focus on Writing? How to Stop Doomscrolling and Get Back to Your Novel When the World Around You Feels Loud

    · 32 min

    EPISODE 78: CAN’T FOCUS ON WRITING? HOW TO STOP DOOMSCROLLING AND GET BACK TO YOUR NOVEL WHEN THE WORLD AROUND YOU FEELS LOUD Can’t focus on writing because you keep picking up your phone, checking one thing and…

  3. 77. Struggling to Find Your Writing Voice? How to Write the Book Only You Can Write (Without Overthinking Every Word)

    · 33 min

    EPISODE 77: Struggling to Find Your Writing Voice? How to Write the Book Only You Can Write (Without Overthinking Every Word). Have you ever read another author’s work and thought, Why doesn’t my writing sound like…

  4. 76. Self-Doubt Keeping You Stuck? 3 Ways to Stop Overthinking and Start Writing Again!

    · 26 min

    Episode 76: Self-Doubt Keeping You Stuck? 3 Ways to Stop Overthinking and Start Writing Again! One difficult scene becomes a question about the plot. Then the characters. Then your voice. Before long, you’re…

  5. 75. Can Dictation Help You Write Your Novel Faster? How to Speak Your Story Onto the Page

    · 31 min

    EPISODE 75: Can Dictation Help You Write Your Novel Faster? How to Speak Your Story Onto the Page Can dictation help you write faster? For some writers, speaking a scene or idea can create a completely different kind…

  6. 74. Why Can’t I Finish My Book? The Real Reason You Keep Getting Stuck!

    · 26 min

    Episode 74: Why Can’t I Finish My Book? The Real Reason You Keep Getting Stuck! Why can’t I finish my book? If you’ve been writing the same manuscript for years, that question can start to feel deeply personal. You…

  7. 73. What Could Your Writing Future Look Like? Imagine 3 Possible Futures and Start Creating the One You Want

    · 24 min

    73. What Could Your Writing Future Look Like? Imagine 3 Possible Futures and Start Creating the One You Want! What if the writing life you’re working towards isn’t the only one available to you? Writers can become so…

  8. 72. Writing When You Have No Motivation: What to Do When the Excitement Is Gone

    · 29 min

    Episode 72: Writing When You Have No Motivation: What to Do When the Excitement Is Gone What do you do when you still want to finish your book, but you have absolutely no motivation to write? Maybe the excitement…

  9. 71. How Social Media Has Changed What Readers Want From Books (And What That Means for Your Writing)

    · 24 min

    Episode 71: How Social Media Has Changed What Readers Want From Books (And What That Means for Your Writing) Social media has changed what readers want from books, especially during those crucial first moments when…

  10. 70. How to Write When Your Inner Critic Says You Can’t

    · 19 min

    Episode 70: How to Write When Your Inner Critic Says You Can’t Does your inner critic start editing before you’ve even finished the sentence? It might tell you the scene is boring, the writing isn’t good enough, or a…

  11. 69. Stuck on Your Plot? How Scene Cards Can Help You Find What Happens Next

    · 19 min

    Episode 69: Stuck on Your Plot? How Scene Cards Can Help You Find What Happens Next Is your plot stuck, even though you’ve already written plenty of scenes? Sometimes a novel loses momentum because it needs a…

  12. 68. Fallen Behind With Your Writing? How to Get Back on Track Without Giving Up

    · 19 min

    Episode 68: Fallen Behind With Your Writing? How to Get Back on Track Without Giving Up You made a writing plan. You chose your sessions, set your goals, and genuinely intended to show up. Then the week unfolded…

  13. 67. Writing Your Protagonist: How to Build a Main Character Readers Root For From Page One

    · 25 min

    Episode 67: Writing Your Protagonist: How to Build a Main Character Readers Root For From Page One Your protagonist is the emotional doorway into your story. They’re the character asking your reader to follow them…

  14. 66. How to Plan Your Writing Week So You Actually Make Time to Write

    · 20 min

    Episode 66: How to Plan Your Writing Week So You Actually Make Time to Write Mindset Monday episodes explore the inner work of writing: blocks, beliefs, identity, resistance, procrastination, perfectionism, and…

  15. 65. Is Your Writing Setup Making Writing Harder? Simple Changes for Comfort, Focus and Flow!

    · 21 min

    Episode 65: Is Your Writing Setup Making Writing Harder? Simple Changes for Comfort, Focus and Flow Writing Wednesday episodes explore the outer work of writing: craft, structure, revision, publishing, process, and…

  16. 64. How to Start Writing Your Book Without Waiting For Permission!

    · 21 min

    Ep 64 - Mindset Monday episodes explore the inner work of writing: blocks, beliefs, identity, resistance, procrastination, perfectionism, and creative flow. There may be a book calling to you deep in your heart and…

  17. 63.5. Create a Writing Process That Works for Your Brain (Workshop Series Part 3)

    · 29 min

    Welcome to the final part of this special three-part workshop series exploring NLP modalities and how they influence the way you write. Over the past week we've explored how understanding your unique creative wiring…

  18. 63. How Your NLP Modality Shapes the Way You Write (Workshop Series Part 2)

    · 24 min

    Welcome to Part 2 of this special three-part workshop series on NLP modalities and writing. In this episode, we continue exploring how your natural creative wiring influences the way you write, think, create, and…

  19. 62. Why Writing Feels So Hard: Discover Your NLP Writing Modality (Workshop Series Part 1)

    · 23 min

    This week I'm doing something a little different! I'm sharing a special three-part workshop all about NLP modalities and how the way your brain naturally processes information shapes the way you write. If you've ever…

  20. 61. How to Build a Chapter Roadmap Without Boxing Yourself or Your Writing In

    · 28 min

    Episode 61: How to Build a Chapter Roadmap Without Boxing Yourself or Your Writing In! Writing Wednesday episodes explore the outer work of writing: craft, structure, revision, publishing, process, and the practical…

  21. 60. The Joy of Writing: How To Fall Back in Love with Your Story

    · 29 min

    THE JOY OF WRITING: HOW TO FALL BACK IN LOVE WITH YOUR STORY Mindset Monday episodes explore the inner work of writing: blocks, beliefs, identity, resistance, procrastination, perfectionism, and creative flow.…

  22. 59. Traditional, Indie, or Hybrid? How to Choose the Publishing Path That Fits You and Your Writing

    · 26 min

    Traditional, Indie, or Hybrid? How to Choose the Publishing Path That Fits You Writing Wednesday episodes explore the outer work of writing: craft, structure, revision, publishing, process, and the practical steps…

  23. 58. Why Resistance Spikes on the Page Right Before a Writing Breakthrough

    · 33 min

    Episode 58 Show Notes Why Resistance Spikes Right Before a Breakthrough Mindset Monday episodes explore the inner work of writing: blocks, beliefs, identity, resistance, procrastination, perfectionism, and creative…

  24. 57. Mind Maps For Writers: How To Untangle Your Story When Your Brain Feels Full

    · 30 min

    Episode 57: Mind Maps For Writers: How To Untangle Your Story When Your Brain Feels Full Writing Wednesday episodes explore the outer work of writing: craft, structure, revision, publishing, process, and the practical…

  25. 56. Writing From Imagination: How To Access Your Creative Subconscious

    · 32 min

    Episode 56: Writing From Imagination: How to Access Your Creative Subconscious Mindset Monday episodes explore the inner work of writing: blocks, beliefs, identity, resistance, procrastination, perfectionism, and…

  26. 55. Body Language for Writers: How to Reveal Character Emotion, Secrets and Lies on the Page

    · 37 min

    Body Language for Writers: How to Reveal Character Emotion, Secrets and Lies on the Page Writing Wednesday episodes explore the outer work of writing: craft, structure, revision, publishing, process, and the practical…

  27. 54. Starting Your Book for the Third Time? Here’s How to Stop Starting and Actually Finish

    · 30 min

    Starting Your Book for the Third Time? Here’s How to Stop Starting and Actually Finish Mindset Monday episodes explore the inner work of writing: blocks, beliefs, identity, resistance, procrastination, perfectionism,…

  28. 53. Is Your Writing Setup Making It Harder to Write? Ergonomics, Energy, and Creative Flow

    · 25 min

    Is Your Writing Setup Making It Harder to Write? Ergonomics, Energy, and Creative Flow Writing Wednesday episodes explore the outer work of writing: craft, structure, revision, publishing, process, and the practical…

  29. 52. How to Write the Book Only You Can Write: Accessing Your Unique Creative Truth

    · 24 min

    Mindset Monday episodes explore the inner work of writing: blocks, beliefs, identity, resistance, procrastination, perfectionism, and creative flow. Have you ever looked at your book idea and felt that little tug…

  30. 51. Can Coloured Pens Help You Write? How Stationery and Handwriting Can Unlock Your Creativity

    · 29 min

    Writing Wednesday episodes explore the outer work of writing: craft, structure, revision, publishing, process, and the practical steps that help you finish your book. Have you ever walked into a stationery shop and…

  31. 50.The Magic of Words: How Writers Shape Their Creative Reality

    · 30 min

    Mindset Monday episodes explore the inner work of writing: blocks, beliefs, identity, resistance, procrastination, perfectionism, and creative flow. Words are never just words, especially for writers. In this episode…

  32. 49. Can Music Help You Write? How Sound, Silence, and Background Noise Shape Creative Flow!

    · 30 min

    Writing Wednesday episodes explore the outer work of writing: craft, structure, revision, publishing, process, and the practical steps that help you finish your book. Can music actually help you write, or is it…

  33. 48. What to Do When You Stare at the Blank Page and Nothing Comes

    · 29 min

    Mindset Monday episodes explore the inner work of writing: blocks, beliefs, identity, resistance, procrastination, perfectionism, and creative flow. Have you ever opened your laptop, placed your hands on the keyboard,…

  34. 47. Show Don't Tell - How Your Creative Wiring Shapes What Lands on the Page!

    · 34 min

    Writing Wednesday episodes explore the outer work of writing: craft, structure, revision, publishing, process, and the practical steps that help you finish your book. Have you ever been told to “show, don’t tell” and…

  35. 46. Part 2 - The Walt Disney Strategy for Writers: Three Guided Visualisations to Access Your Dreamer, Realist, and Critic

    · 39 min

    Episode 46: The Walt Disney Strategy for Writers Part 2: Three Guided Visualisations to Access Your Dreamer, Realist, and Critic Mindset Monday episodes explore the inner work of writing: blocks, beliefs, identity,…

  36. 45. Pantser or Plotter or Something In Between? Find Your Writing Style and Stop Fighting Yourself

    · 27 min

    Writing Wednesday Episode 45: Pantser or Plotter or Something In Between? Find Your Writing Style and Stop Fighting Yourself Are you a writer who needs a detailed outline before you begin, or do you prefer to discover…

  37. 44. The Walt Disney Strategy for Writers Part 1: How to Dream Big, Plan Smart, and Edit Without Killing Your Ideas

    · 34 min

    Mindset Monday Episode 44: The Walt Disney Strategy for Writers Part 1: How to Dream Big, Plan Smart, and Edit Without Killing Your Ideas Have you ever had a writing idea that felt alive and exciting, only to have…

  38. 43. Your Writing Space Is Holding You Back: How to Clear the Energy and Unlock Your Creative Flow

    · 29 min

    Episode 43 - Your Writing Space Is Holding You Back: How to Clear the Energy and Unlock Your Creative Flow What if your writing block has nothing to do with your story… and everything to do with the space you’re…

  39. 42. What To Do When Someone Doesn’t Support Your Writing Dream - and How to Keep Writing Anyway

    · 19 min

    Episode 42 - What To Do When Someone Doesn’t Support Your Writing Dream - and How to Keep Writing Anyway What do you do when the people closest to you don’t understand your writing? When your partner doesn’t ask…

  40. 41. How to Write Dialogue That Sounds Real (And Stop Making Your Characters Sound Like Robots) using how you are wired to write!

    · 27 min

    Episode 41: How to Write Dialogue That Sounds Real (And Stop Making Your Characters Sound Like Robots) Using How You Are Wired to Write! If your dialogue feels flat… stiff… or like your characters are talking at each…

  41. 40. Writing Perfectionism Is Not High Standards — It’s Fear. Here’s How to Tell the Difference

    · 19 min

    Episode 40: Writing Perfectionism Is Not High Standards — It’s Fear. Here’s How to Tell the Difference Perfectionism is one of the most common reasons writers stay stuck — and one of the hardest patterns to recognise,…

  42. 39. What to Do With Your First Draft: The Writer’s Guide to Revision Without Panic

    · 30 min

    Episode 39 -What to Do With Your First Draft: The Writer’s Guide to Revision Without Panic You did it. You finished your first draft. 💗 But now comes the part many writers fear most — opening that draft again and…

  43. 38. How to Handle Negative Feedback on Your Writing Without Falling Apart

    · 22 min

    Episode 38 - How to Handle Negative Feedback on Your Writing Without Falling Apart Negative feedback can feel devastating when it lands on something as personal as your writing. Maybe it was a beta reader. A…

  44. 37. Why Your Book’s Messy Middle Feels So Hard — and How to Fix a Sagging Second Act

    · 31 min

    Episode 37: Why Your Book’s Messy Middle Feels So Hard — and How to Fix a Sagging Second Act If your novel felt exciting at the start but now feels flat, disconnected, or like it’s losing momentum… this episode is for…

  45. 36. Why Your Phone Is the Real Reason You Can’t Sit Down to Write (And How to Take Your Focus Back)

    · 21 min

    Episode 36 — Why Your Phone Is the Real Reason You Can’t Sit Down to Write (And How to Take Your Focus Back) If you’ve ever sat down to write… only to find yourself picking up your phone before you’ve even written a…

  46. 35. Lost in Your Story? How to Find Your Way Back Without Restarting Everything

    · 18 min

    Episode 35: Lost in Your Story? How to Find Your Way Back Without Restarting Everything Have you ever been deep into writing your book… and suddenly realised you have no idea where your story is going? Not at the…

  47. 34. Writing While Working Full Time: The Real Strategy for Fitting Your Book Into a Busy Life

    · 22 min

    Episode 34 — Writing While Working Full Time: The Real Strategy for Fitting Your Book Into a Busy Life What if the biggest lie in writing culture isn’t about talent or discipline… but about time? So many writers…

  48. 33. Why Writing Your First Chapter Feels So Hard — and How to Write One That Hooks Readers

    · 27 min

    🎙️ Episode 33 — Why Writing Your First Chapter Feels So Hard — and How to Write One That Hooks Writing your first chapter can feel like the most important moment in your entire book… and for many writers, it’s also…

  49. 32. Am I a Real Writer? The Truth About Imposter Syndrome and What You Can Do to Move Through It

    · 20 min

    🎙️ Episode 32: Am I a Real Writer? The Truth About Imposter Syndrome and What You Can Do to Move Through It There’s a voice that shows up for writers at the most inconvenient moments… telling you you’re not a real…

  50. 31. How to Get Into a Flow State for Writing (Even When You Only Have 30 Minutes)

    · 21 min

    Episode 31 How to Get Into a Flow State for Writing (Even When You Only Have 30 Minutes) Many writers believe creative flow is something mysterious that either appears… or doesn’t. That it requires a long stretch of…

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them. Explicit shows are for adult profiles only, and children’s profiles hear only children’s shows. More about this list.