“Writing from the Heart — nurturing your voice, honoring your story, and letting faith guide every word.”

Good morning friends, and welcome back to The Heart of Writing Podcast. Today we’re exploring one of the most powerful forces behind unforgettable stories: ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances.

When characters are pushed into impossible situations, we don’t just test their strength—we test their love, morality, and identity. That’s where the true heart of storytelling lives.

In this episode, we’ll talk about:

• Why the fear of loss drives character decisions
• How morality shifts when survival is at stake
• Why flawed, messy, morally gray characters feel the most real
• How to ask the right questions to uncover your character’s emotional depth

Plus, I’ll share a free resource—the Character Profile Checklist—to help you dig deeper into your characters’ backstories, wounds, and contradictions so they leap off the page.

Writing isn’t about perfect heroes. It’s about honest, human characters who stumble, struggle, and grow. That’s what makes a story unforgettable

Visit my website at https://wearewisethinkers.com for worksheets and in-depth writing articles

#WritersBlock #CreativeReset #KeepWriting #FaithAndCreativity #WritingEncouragement #WritersJourney #WiseThinkers #WritingLife #PodcastForWriters

“Writing from the Heart — nurturing your voice, honoring your story, and letting faith guide every word.”

Visit my website at https://wearewisethinkers.com for worksheets and in-depth writing articles

Endings are one of the hardest parts of storytelling—but they’re also the most important. In this episode, J.E. Nickerson explores what makes a powerful ending, the five types of story conclusions that resonate with readers, the most common mistakes to avoid, and practical tips to finish your story well. Whether you’re writing a novel, short story, or screenplay, this episode will help you create an ending that feels earned and unforgettable.

#WritersBlock #CreativeReset #KeepWriting #FaithAndCreativity #WritingEncouragement #WritersJourney #WiseThinkers #WritingLife #ChristianEncouragement #PodcastForWriters

“Writing from the Heart — nurturing your voice, honoring your story, and letting faith guide every word.”

Visit my website at https://wearewisethinkers.com for worksheets and in-depth writing articles

Not all strong characters are loud or commanding—some shape the story through quiet resilience, compassion, and steady presence. In this episode of Heart of Writing, J.E. Nickerson explores how to write characters with quiet strength, why they matter, and practical ways to bring them to life on the page. Discover how these overlooked yet powerful figures can become the heartbeat of your story.

#WritersBlock #CreativeReset #KeepWriting #FaithAndCreativity #WritingEncouragement #WritersJourney #WiseThinkers #WritingLife #ChristianEncouragement #PodcastForWriters

“Writing from the Heart — nurturing your voice, honoring your story, and letting faith guide every word.”

Creating Tension Through Displacement in Fiction

One of the most powerful ways to create suspense in fiction isn’t through gunfights or explosions—it’s by placing your character where they don’t belong. Displacement breeds vulnerability, and vulnerability draws readers in. In this episode, we’ll explore why this technique works, and walk through practical writing exercises you can try today.

Visit my website at https://wearewisethinkers.com for worksheets and in-depth writing articles

#WritersBlock #CreativeReset #KeepWriting #FaithAndCreativity #WritingEncouragement #WritersJourney #WiseThinkers #WritingLife #ChristianEncouragement #PodcastForWriters

In this episode of Heart of Writing, we explore a crucial storytelling principle: Just because a character can, doesn’t mean they should. I break down how giving your characters power is only half the battle—the tension between ability and morality is where your story comes alive.

We’ll discuss:

• How ethical dilemmas create suspense and emotional depth

• How environment and past experiences shape moral choices

• Practical techniques to make your characters wrestle with decisions that matter

If you want your characters to feel real, relatable, and unforgettable, this episode shows you how to weave morality, hesitation, and consequence into every page.

Plus, you can download the companion resource, Questions to Ask Your Characters About Power, Morality, and Choice, from the Wise Thinkers Help Desk at www.wearewisethinkers.com. Start building stories that challenge, inspire, and stick with readers long after the last page.

“Writing from the Heart — nurturing your voice, honoring your story, and letting faith guide every word.”

Visit my website at https://wearewisethinkers.com for worksheets and in-depth writing articles

Subtext is the heartbeat of powerful dialogue. In this episode, we’ll explore what subtext really is, why it matters, and how it transforms flat conversations into layered, human, and unforgettable moments on the page. I’ll walk you through simple writing exercises that will help you practice subtext in your own scenes—from small talk with hidden tension to breakups where the real pain lingers between the lines.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make your characters say one thing but mean another, this episode will show you how.

#WritersBlock #CreativeReset #KeepWriting #FaithAndCreativity #WritingEncouragement #WritersJourney #WiseThinkers #WritingLife #ChristianEncouragement #PodcastForWriters

“Writing from the Heart — nurturing your voice, honoring your story, and letting faith guide every word.”

Visit my website at https://wearewisethinkers.com for worksheets and in-depth writing articles

Why do legal thrillers have such timeless appeal—and what can they teach us about storytelling in any genre? In this episode of Heart of Writing, John Edward Nickerson unpacks five lessons writers can learn from the world of high-stakes drama.

You’ll discover how to:

• Make the stakes deeply personal, not just situational

• Create pressure-cooker moments for ordinary, vulnerable characters

• Use secrets as the dynamite of your plot

• Keep morality shifting in the gray zone

• Turn your setting into a character that raises the tension

Whether you’re writing a thriller, a romance, or a character-driven drama, these principles will help you raise the stakes, deepen your characters, and keep your readers turning pages.

✨ Listen now to explore why the best stories don’t just ask what justice means—they ask what it costs.

“Writing from the Heart — nurturing your voice, honoring your story, and letting faith guide every word.”

Visit my website at https://wearewisethinkers.com for worksheets and in-depth writing articles

“Writing from the Heart — nurturing your voice, honoring your story, and letting faith guide every word.”

Visit my website at https://wearewisethinkers.com for worksheets and in-depth writing articles

Hello friends, I’m John Edward Nickerson, author and writing coach. In this episode, we explore how to write wounded heroes — characters defined by their pain, resilience, and reluctant strength.

Not all heroes wear capes; some carry scars inside and out. Your characters’ trauma shouldn’t just be a plot accessory — it should shape their choices, their empathy, and their moral compass.

We’ll cover:

• How to use trauma as the engine for your character’s journey

• Ways your characters protect and reveal their pain

• Triggers that bring their wounds to the surface

• How to show growth and hope without erasing their struggles

• Questions to help you define your hero’s moral compass

Learn how letting your characters bleed, hesitate, fail, and rise again can make them feel real — and unforgettable to your audience.

#WritingTips #WritersLife #CharacterDevelopment #Storytelling #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #FictionWriting #AuthorTips #WriteFromTheHeart #HeartOfWriting #WoundedHero #CharacterArcs #EmotionalWriting #TraumaInFiction #RelatableCharacters #CharacterGrowth #WritingPodcast #AuthorPodcast