What if the fastest way to save your book is to do this one embarrassing thing?

In this episode, I talk about the genius of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ Id List and how it can make writing fun again (for you and your readers).

I share how the fanfic-within-my-book became a roiling cauldron of lusty fun and why I spent weeks telling myself it wasn’t allowed. 🚫

We’ll also get into the very important issue of ghost sex and why trusting what you want might just be the antivenom to giving up on your book.

Timestamps:

01:58 — Why I already know what happens in Book Seventeen

03:15 — What is an Id List, and why is it rad?

06:01 — The scene that got me all hot and bothered

10:20 — What do I love before I wallpaper over it with ten disclaimers?

15:19 — Why some people will hate your book

16:35 — Next week on Will I Ever Finish This Fucking Book?

Want to see my Id List in action? Hop on my mailing list at twinflames.life/freebies.

You’ll be the first to know when The Magician and the Labyrinth of Yesterdays releases, in all its Id List glory.

Full Episode Transcript

What if your scenes are dragging, not because nothing is happening, but because the real action is hiding somewhere you haven’t thought to look? 🔍

In this episode, I tackle scenes that look like they should work — goal, conflict, stakes, banter, the whole shebang — but still feel like limp little rags on the page.

I share the two books that turned my conception of storytelling upside down, a tool for resurrecting a shambling zombie scene 🧟 and how to use the magical art of bibliomancy to make your characters more compelling.

Timestamps:

00:43 — When scenes should work…but don’t

02:10 — The two books that blew up my writing process

07:35 — What this smutty novel taught me about character work

13:02 — Why the hell wasn’t I doing this in my scenes before???

17:06 — Does every single craft breakthrough belong in this book, or are you using revisions to procrastinate?

18:14 — Next week on Will I Ever Finish This Fucking Book?

Want to check out the short story where I toyed with stretching out the rubber band of romantic and sexual tension?

🔥 Read Falling Phoenix for free at twinflames.life/freebies.

Full Episode Transcript

What if finishing your book isn’t about having all the right answers? What if you need this magic ingredient instead? 🪄

In this episode, I share how a trip to Tacoma, WA accidentally changed my entire revision process—and the $3 item that became my new favorite revision tool.

I lovingly call out the part of my psyche that confuses “looking busy” with “actually doing shit,” and I break down the most useful change I made to my revision process (and why I’d resisted it for years).

Timestamps:

00:43 — Book Revisions: The Tacoma Edition!

03:09 — The $3 thing that changed everything

05:04 — What I really want when I read a romance

07:55 — My new favorite revision method

11:14 — Effective revisions vs. moving commas around

12:16 — Permission to do what works for your brain

13:55 — Next week on Will I Ever Finish This Fucking Book?

Mentioned in this episode: All of My 2025 Writing Craft Lessons

✍️ Want my annual deep-dive essays where I break down all the writing craft shit I learned while finishing each book?

Hop on my mailing list at twinflames.life/freebies and you’ll never miss a single one.

Full Episode Transcript