Writers in the Storm

by Jenny Hansen

Gaining confidence is an often-difficult task for most people, but for creatives it's exceptionally hard. We create something tangible out of our own imaginations. Our "something" is typically judged by others as valuable vs not valuable. Creatives rarely know in advance how their creations will be received.

It's quite the cycle. But. . .

Uncertainty is a cornerstone of a creative life.

We begin our creative journey with whatever gifts are innate, but then we have to build upon them. We spend weeks or months planning a project. Years learning the skills to bring those projects into being. Decades dialing in our creative journey so we understand our process, and can duplicate it from project to project.

Maybe we're armed with a mirage of a road map at the beginning.

Maybe we learn to overcome our doubts about whether we're heading in the right direction.

Maybe we choose the right tools and courses in our struggle to augment our innate skills.

The uncertainty of all those maybes has killed many a creative career. But, since you're here reading this, I'm pretty sure it hasn't killed YOURS. (Brava to you and your beautiful, persevering, creative soul!)

I offer you some inspiration from George Costanza

(Okay, it's from Jason Alexander, but I still hear George Costanza when he speaks...)

My brother sent me this very short video (under a minute) and it has given me several hours of thinking. Alexander is talking to a group of musicians, but really he's talking to every person who is trying to create something difficult. It's the gasp from the audience at the 17 second mark that got me.

Go ahead and listen to the video...we'll wait.

https://youtu.be/8lUweB40Mgw?si=uTesXsLMz3tJEEgL

To sum up:

• Sometimes we have big dreams or plans that we don't know how to achieve right now.
• The most important part of that video to me is the call to give ourselves patience. I'd add two more gifts to that -- grace and trust.
  • Patience - we're just not quite there yet.
  • Grace - it's okay. We are where we are. We don't need to beat ourselves up about it.
  • Trust - we will get there. The universe will provide, if we just keep working at our craft.

I don't know about you, but patience is by far the hardest of those three qualities for me. I do trust that I will get there, but I want to be there NOW. It is very hard to wait at being good at something you want more than anything.

What do you do while you're being patient?

When the business of writing drives you cray-cray, the way to move forward is to focus on the job that only YOU can do. Write the current story, or the next one. If your story is as good as you can make it, then you have done your job. If your story isn't yet as good as you can make it, learn some new writing craft skills so you can make it better.

Everything in your writing life starts with a story.

When the uncertainty creeps up the back of your neck and gives you anxiety, just know that at the bottom of it all, you have one job that rules all the others: Finish your story. Then start on the next one.

Focusing only on what you can control is, in my humble opinion, one of the only ways to achieve true happiness as a creative. Bring your trust and grace and patience to that.

Here's a great post if you get stuck: Getting Unstuck and Avoiding Writer's Block by Tiffany Yates-Martin

The wear and tear of uncertainty.

Most people don't like change. But creative growth thrives on change, even if it's just a change in your own skill level. Becoming more comfortable with uncertainty, and truly knowing that it's okay to not know something, is the foundation for that trust that I spoke about above.

You have to be able to trust that the answer will come to you for all manner of things:

• Your character's internal conflict
• A story's theme
• Your book's title (or blurb, or Amazon keywords)
• Deep POV (or whatever other writing mechanics you struggle with)
• Your character's all-is-lost moment

Everyone of these things might be something you start off not knowing. But, as you bring your story into being, you will come to know these things, and it will feel glorious.

What are the advantages to embracing uncertainty?

I talked about this in a previous post. There are advantages to embracing, or at least being able to cope with, psychological uncertainty. There are gifts and opportunities that come from the unexpected. Growth and resiliency tend to walk hand-in-hand.

Remember: we can do hard things.

HelpGuide.org offers five not-so-easy-to-follow tips on managing uncertainty (see below). To their credit, they break each tip down with a full section of actionable advice.

1. Take action over the things you can control
2. Challenge your need for certainty
3. Learn to accept uncertainty
4. Focus on the present
5. Manage stress and anxiety

Further Reading:

• The science of uncertainty, published by the American Psychological Association
• Dealing with Uncertainty by HelpGuide.org

Final Thought

It's hard to wait for "the good stuff," especially in this world where we rarely need to wait for anything. And waiting for ourselves. . .to learn, to know, to become. . .is the hardest of all.

To trust in tomorrow, we just have to be willing to try today.

People always say there are two best times to plant a tree -- today and ten years ago. And let's face it, lightning might strike that tree that you planted and nurtured along for years. It's okay. You got joy from the first tree, and you can always plant another.

Be brave. Plant the tree. And write your story, even if you don't know where it's going yet. You'll know soon.

Do you have confidence in your writing and creative life? Why or why not? Of the three behaviors I mentioned above -- patience, grace, and trust -- which is the hardest for you? I'd love to hear about your journey down in the comments!

About Jenny

By day, Jenny Hansen provides brand storytelling, LinkedIn coaching, and copywriting for accountants and financial services firms. By night, she writes humor, memoir, women’s fiction, and short stories. After 20+ years as a corporate trainer, she’s delighted to sit down while she works.

Find Jenny here at Writers In the Storm, or online on Facebook or Instagram.

Top photo created in Canva.

By Kris Maze

Let’s get one thing straight—love does not conquer all.

I know, I know. The poets lied. The movies exaggerated. But as much as we all want to believe love is the answer, it alone does not sell books. Readers don’t come back just because two characters gaze at each other across a dimly lit room. They come back for emotional movement…the ups, the downs, the twists that keep them turning pages instead of scrolling TikTok.

And yet, too many stories get stuck in one emotional gear. Love, pain, fear, hope. These feelings are powerful, but without change, they become background noise. If your characters are embedded in the same emotion for too long, your readers are going to put your book down and mentally check out.

So how do you keep your readers engaged? One certain way is when you make sure every scene delivers an emotional shift.

How I Learned (the Hard Way) That Emotions Matter

Confession time: I don’t write romance. And you’re welcome. That mushy, doe-eyed, slow-burn tension isn’t my thing. (Neither are s’mores, if we’re being honest. Sticky, crumbly chaos. Why?)

But one fabulous day, I entered a NYC Midnight short story contest and got assigned—you guessed it—romance. My required elements? A hearing-challenged person and a roommate conflict.

“No problem,” I told myself. “I watch rom-coms. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice. I got this.”

Spoiler alert: I did not got this.

What I wrote was a small-town drama that landed somewhere between deadpan comedy and daytime soap opera. It had zero handholding, zero emotional spark—just two people bickering over rent and noise levels. One judge, with brutal clarity, wrote, “Not romantic.”

Yikes.

But to be honest? They were right about one thing. My story lacked emotional shifts, which made it flat. And that’s when I realized the importance of having a character show change on every page of my novel or in that case, short fiction. If you want readers to invest in your story, you need to take them on an emotional journey—one that changes in interesting ways, scene by scene.

The Key to Creating Emotional Shifts

Readers don’t just want to witness emotions. They want to feel them. They want the belly-drop of a disappointing heartbreak, the rush of a well-deserved victory, the simmering tension of a will-they-won’t-they moment. And one of the best ways to do that is to mix up their emotional state in every scene.

Here are three steps to track your character’s emotions your manuscript. See how your characters evolve and consider places where to strengthen your story. 

Step 1: Map Out the Emotional Journey

Look at your novel scene by scene. For each one, identify the main character’s emotional state at the beginning and the end. If they stay in the same place emotionally, that’s a red flag. Even subtle shifts make a difference.

For example:

• Scene 1: (Start) Anxious → (End) Hopeful
• Scene 2: (Start) Excited → (End) Devastated
• Scene 3: (Start) Angry → (End) Vulnerable

It doesn’t always have to be a drastic change (not every scene should end in screaming or sobbing), but even a slightshift makes a scene feel dynamic rather than stagnant.

Want to try this method? Make a copy of my free emotional scene tracker template (make a copy).

Want more help getting emotional depth in your writing? Try using this questionnaire (make a copy) to help you fix tricky scenes.

Step 2: Track Emotional Patterns

Once you’ve mapped your emotional shifts, step back and look at the overall pattern. If your book stays in the same emotional range for too long, you risk losing your readers.

Here’s a few patterns to avoid:

• Too much negativity → Readers get overwhelmed. This isn’t a silent film starring Sarah Bernhardt—we’re not here for nonstop melodrama.
• Too much positivity → Readers get bored. If everything’s fine for too long, why keep reading? Conflict is what keeps people engaged.
• No emotional contrast → Readers disengage. If every scene feels the same, there’s no momentum.

A mix of positive and negative emotions creates tension, and tension keeps readers glued to the page.

Step 3: Make Emotional Transitions Feel Natural

Readers don’t just want a character who says they’re scared or sad. They want to see it. How to write emotions into our stories is a complex process and many writers struggle in this area. Try some of these suggestions to improve your work.

• Pairing emotions together – Love and fear often go hand in hand. Hope and doubt can exist in the same breath. Use contrast to keep readers wondering which emotion will win.
• Using visceral reactions – Show the tightness in a character’s chest, the shaky exhale, the way their hands ball into fists before they speak. Describing the body’s involuntary reactions is a great way to convey what a character is really thinking and feeling. 
• Writing authentic dialogue – Read it aloud. If it sounds stiff or unnatural, tweak it. People don’t always say what they mean, especially when emotions are high.

There are many resources for writers looking to improve how they craft emotional scenes. One WITS post by Jenny Hansen provides a wonderful place to start, and it gives insights and examples for writing emotions in scenes.

Emotional Ions: Keep the Energy Moving

Think of emotions like an electric motor. The electric motor runs off diametrically opposed magnetic fields that alternate. If your character stays in one emotional state for too long, the ‘motor’ stalls. But when emotions shift, even slightly, energy builds. That’s what makes your story compelling.

Love doesn’t conquer all, but it can evolve, shift, and deepen as characters learn about themselves and each other. And that’s what readers really want. Give them an emotional journey that feels real, messy, and earned.

So go ahead. Serve up that sweet-and-spicy emotional rollercoaster. Your readers will thank you for the ride.

What about you? How do you make your scenes more moving and emotional? Tell us your tricks for ensuring your story have the right amount of emotional shifts in it.

About Kris

Kris Maze is an author, writing coach, and teacher. She has worked in education for many years and writes for various publications, including Practical Advice for Teachers of Heritage Learners of Spanish and the award-winning blog Writers in the Storm where she is also a host. You can find her horror stories and young adult writing on her website. Keep up with future projects and events by subscribing to her newsletter.

Find her newest collection of speculative stories HERE .

A recovering grammarian and hopeless wanderer, Kris enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time outdoors. And sometimes she teaches Spanish dancing.

Feeling Overwhelmed? You’re Not Alone.

I don’t know about you, but last year was a wild ride for me, and, I think, for a lot of writers. Between the tech shifts, ever-changing marketing demands, and the constant pressure to do more faster, it’s no wonder so many of us are feeling drained.

We’re constantly told we need to write faster, market harder, master new tools, and somehow still enjoy the process. It’s exhausting. And honestly? It’s not sustainable.

So, let’s try something different this year.

Instead of chasing the next big thing, let’s focus on writing more with less stress. No burnout. No guilt. Let’s build a simple, low-pressure plan to help get words on the page while keeping our sanity intact.

Step 1: Define Your “Enough”

One of the biggest causes of overwhelm is the feeling that we’re never doing enough.

We see other writers publishing five books a year, running TikTok empires, and launching massive newsletters. Meanwhile, we’re just trying to get a few words down between life’s demands.

Here’s the truth: You don’t have to do everything.

Even those people we’re looking up to and watching don’t do everything!

Remember: we only see snapshots of other people’s lives. Likewise, they only see snapshots of ours. That TikTok influencer may struggle with cooking healthy meals or getting enough sleep, but we rarely see that part.

I’ve worked with authors who put out rapid-release books with great reviews, but who secretly longed to write something different, something closer to their heart. From the outside, they look successful, but inside, they’re not doing what they really want to.

I’ve coached authors who look great on social media, but who are so burned out and depressed, they’re struggling to write. They’ve drained their creativity tank on things that look good but that don’t meet their personal goals.

Before you even think about setting your goals, take a step back and ask:

What is “enough” for me this year?

For some, it might be finishing one book. For others, it could be writing three times a week or sending a newsletter once a month.

Your version of success doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. The moment we stop measuring ourselves against what other authors are doing, the weight of “not enough” starts to lift.

I have lofty goals for this year. I run multiple businesses, and I have goals for each one. Write more. Build the school. Publish more client books. The list could be endless.

But what is “enough” for me?

I want to find time to write and enjoy writing the stories I love, whether that means finishing them or not.

In my other businesses, I want to maintain the pace I have now. If I can grow them, great. But if they just continue as they are, that is “enough.”

Step 2: One Small Change at a Time

If you’ve ever tried to overhaul your entire writing routine in one go, you know how that usually ends—burnout and frustration.

Instead of aiming for a total reset, focus on one small shift at a time.

• Want to write more? Instead of setting a massive word count goal, start with 10 minutes a day. Or if a daily goal is too much, schedule a special time once a week to let your writer self come out to play.
• Feeling stuck on social media? Choose one platform you actually enjoy and let the rest go. When I talk to writers struggling with social media, I often find they’re trying to be some place they don’t want to be. You don’t HAVE to be anywhere. People are attracted to those who are having fun. If you aren’t having fun, you won’t succeed there anyway. So give yourself permission to be somewhere else.
• Struggling with marketing? Set aside one day a month to batch your content instead of trying to keep up daily. I have found this one particularly helpful.

Small changes lead to lasting habits. And lasting habits lead to progress that sticks.

Step 3: Set a Low-Stress Writing Rhythm

Somewhere along the way, we picked up the idea that “real” writers write every day and churn out books at lightning speed. That might work for some, but for many of us, it just leads to guilt. And—shock—guilt does not lead to productivity! Instead, it drains away our energy, which leaves us tired… and feeds the guilt monster.

Here’s the reality:

• Not every season is a high-output season. And that’s okay.
• Writing more doesn’t mean writing faster. Slow, steady progress still gets you to the finish line.
• Your best writing rhythm is the one that fits your life.

Maybe you write best in morning sprints. Maybe weekends are your time. Or maybe you need to embrace short bursts rather than marathon sessions.

Whatever it is, own it—without guilt.

I’ve coached writers dealing with huge life crises. The guilt they pile on themselves for things completely outside their control is stunning. They’d never criticize another writer for not writing during a disaster, but they DO criticize themselves.

Give yourself even more grace than you’d give your best writing friend.

If you’re going through something—and aren’t we all?—reward yourself with some writing play time. And then look at those words with joy.

Step 4: Build a “Stress-Free Writing Toolkit”

We often think of writing as just putting words on the page, but the environment we create around our writing matters just as much.

A stress-free writing toolkit can help you stay grounded and keep creativity flowing. Some ideas:

• A writing playlist that signals “it’s time to focus.” I have a few of them for different stories and moods.
• A designated writing space—even if it’s just a favorite chair. Or maybe a change of place. Going to a coffee shop, a beach, or a park can give you a sense of freedom and adventure.
• A list of “easy” writing tasks (brainstorming, outlining) for days when drafting or editing feels impossible.
• A low-pressure accountability group (or just a good bestie) where the goal is progress, not perfection.

Writing doesn’t have to feel like a constant uphill battle. Set yourself up for success by making it easier to start.

Let’s Make This Year About Sustainable Success

This year, let’s trade stress for sustainability. Burnout isn’t a badge of honor, and writing more doesn’t mean sacrificing everything else.

Here’s to more words, less stress, and a successful writing year.

What’s one small, low-stress change you’re making this year? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear your plan.

About Lisa

Lisa Norman's passion has been writing since she could hold a pencil. While that is a cliché, she is unique in that her first novel was written on gum wrappers. As a young woman, she learned to program and discovered she has a talent for helping people and computers learn to work together and play nice. When she's not playing with her daughter, writing, or designing for the web, she can be found wandering the local beaches.

Lisa writes as Deleyna Marr and is the owner of No Stress Writing Academy. She also runs Heart Ally Books, LLC, an indie publishing firm.

Interested in learning more from Lisa? Sign up for her newsletter or check out her school, No Stress Writing Academy, where she teaches social media, organization, technical skills, and marketing for authors!

Top image from depositphotos.