The Write It Scared Podcast

Submit Your Writing Win to the Courage Files for Season 4! 
Can we find more play in writing by lowering the stakes? This episode explores how perfectionism, pressure, productivity culture, and the need to “get it right” can slowly drain the joy out of creativity.
I talk about where play naturally exists in the writing process—daydreaming, brainstorming, messy drafting—and why reconnecting with those moments might matter more than forcing constant productivity. Sometimes the path back to creativity isn’t pushing harder. Sometimes it’s lowering the stakes enough to let yourself explore.
So if you’ve been feeling stuck in drafting or revision, overwhelmed by expectations, burned out by productivity culture, or guilty because writing hasn’t felt fun lately… this one’s for you.
There’s also a quick season update and information about the new Courage Files segment coming in Season Four.
Timestamps:
 00:00 When expectations block creativity
 00:24 Welcome to Write It Scared
 01:21 Season update + Courage Files
 03:48 What “play” means in writing
 04:43 When writing starts to feel heavy
 07:23 Lowering the stakes
 08:33 Reflection prompts
 09:21 Closing thoughts
Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.
Support the show
 To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:
Email: Stacy@writeitscared.co

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis
https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared: 
Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide 
Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

Submit to Season 4 Courage Files Here! 
What happens after the book is finally out in the world—and all the noise starts creeping in? 
In this conversation, indie MM romance author Alex Cross joins me to talk about emotionally intense storytelling, publishing pressure, writer’s block, and the challenge of protecting your creativity once readers, reviews, and big expectations enter the picture.
We talk about the Fire Between Us series and its highly anticipated second installment, From Our Ashes, which released May 4th, 2026, as well as her stunning Us duet—Echoes of Us and Becoming Us. 
We dig into the craft, including keeping track of dual timelines, writing toxic relationships, character psychology, and messy, deeply human love stories. Alex also shares her journey into self-publishing, the realities of revising published work, navigating social media and comparison, and learning how to reconnect to why she writes in the first place.
It’s an honest conversation about creativity, vulnerability, and continuing to write even when fear and doubt get loud.
Timestamps
04:04 Meet Alex Cross
08:29 Choosing a risky debut
11:37 Echoes of Us
19:11 Crafting dual timelines
24:44 Revising published work
29:49 Fire Between Us update
33:30 Writing high-angst stories
35:53 Writer’s block + sequel struggles
37:56 Reviews, doubt, and social media
41:35 Boundaries and support systems
44:48 Protecting the magic of writing
47:26 What’s next + where to find Alex 

To connect with Alex and read her books, go to her website and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.

All of Alex's books are available in KU. 
Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.
Support the show
 To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:
Email: Stacy@writeitscared.co

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis
https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared: 
Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide 
Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

Submit to Season 4 Courage Files Here 
What does it take to keep believing in a story through rejection, rewrites, and years of uncertainty?
Middle grade author Shafaq Khan joins me to talk about her debut novel, Zaina: Lost and Found, a historical adventure inspired by the real-life Hippie Trail through Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey in the 1970s. We discuss balancing research with fast-paced storytelling, writing about identity and belonging, and the emotional resilience required to survive the long road to publication.
Shafaq also shares the behind-the-scenes reality of querying, revising after difficult feedback, finding community, and learning to trust her voice as a writer.
If you’re deep in the messy middle of your own writing journey, this conversation is a reminder that persistence matters—and sometimes the long road is part of becoming the writer you’re meant to be.
Timestamps
 00:00 – Grounding Through Story
 07:12 – The Premise of Zaina: Lost and Found
 11:42 – Research vs. Storytelling
 24:07 – Querying and Rejection
 30:00 – Tough Feedback and Big Rewrites
 35:12 – Learning to Trust Her Voice
 41:59 – Advice for Writers
Links Mentioned:
Shafaq Khan Website
Instagram
Tiktok 
SCBWI
Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.
Support the show
 To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:
Email: Stacy@writeitscared.co

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis
https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared: 
Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide 
Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

Submit to Season 4 Courage Files Here!
What if the answer isn’t forcing yourself or your story harder… but trusting the process a little longer?
In this episode, I talk with author and book coach Andromeda Romano-Lax about her latest psychological thriller, What Boys Learn, the messy reality of revision, and why stepping away from a draft can sometimes be exactly what your story needs.
We also dig into self-doubt, negativity bias, supportive feedback, and why writers grow by finishing more books—not by obsessing over making a single book perfect.
Timestamps
 00:00 Permission to Think
 01:20 Meet Andromeda
 08:38 Why She Turned to Thrillers
 13:53 The Draft Breakthrough
 21:07 Villains + Mystery Craft
 25:46 Negativity Bias
 28:17 Trusting the Process
 32:56 Helpful Feedback
 38:17 Why Writers Need More Manuscripts
To connect with Andromeda, read her many helpful Substacks, and purchase her books, please visit her website.  
She enjoys hearing from readers.
You can also find her on Instagram

Other links mentioned:
The Career Novelist™ Podcast With Camille Pagán

Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.
Support the show
 To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:
Email: Stacy@writeitscared.co

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis
https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared: 
Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide 
Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

Submit to Season 4 Courage Files Here!
 Ever hit that point in drafting or revision where you’re not sure what should happen next? 
You might know the next big plot point, but the how-to-get-there part… that’s the problem. 
In this solo episode of the Write It Scared podcast, I break down why the answer usually isn’t inventing a brand-new conflict. More often, the next scene is already hidden inside the consequences of what just happened. We talk about cause-and-effect storytelling, tracking what changed in the previous scene, and how pressure from other characters and antagonistic forces naturally creates momentum.
I also share a simple trick for getting unstuck when your brain goes blank: writing a messy reaction scene first. 
Plus, there’s a quick update on The Courage Files coming in Season 4.
Timestamps
 00:00 Why Writers Get Stuck
 02:07 The Courage Files Update
 04:08 “What Happens Next?”
 05:12 Cause-and-Effect Story Logic
 05:52 Finding the Consequences
 08:04 Pressure From Other Characters
 09:51 The Reaction Scene Trick

Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.
Support the show
 To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:
Email: Stacy@writeitscared.co

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis
https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared: 
Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide 
Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears