The Wordslinger Podcast The Writing Trick That Unstuck My Novel
Ever hit that moment in a story where everything just… stops?
You’re tens of thousands of words into a novel and suddenly the story feels stuck. The momentum disappears. The next chapter won’t come. The whole thing feels like a pill stuck in your throat.
In today’s Wordslinger 10-Shot, J. Kevin Tumlinson shares the writing breakthrough that helped him restart a novel he abandoned nearly two years ago—and the surprisingly simple storytelling technique that unlocked the entire book.
The answer wasn’t rewriting the premise or scrapping the story.
It was adding a subplot.
In this episode, Kevin breaks down how B-stories and secondary plotlines can relieve pressure on your main story, deepen character relationships, and create the pacing that keeps readers turning pages. He also shares lessons about stepping away from a book when you're stuck—and why professional writers always come back to finish the story.
If you're a novelist, storyteller, or creative entrepreneur trying to push through a stalled project, this episode will give you a practical way to get your momentum back.
• Why writers get stuck in the middle of a novel
• The storytelling technique that unlocked Kevin’s stalled book
• How subplots improve pacing and tension
• The real purpose of a B-story in fiction
• Using secondary characters to deepen your narrative
• Why stepping away from a manuscript can sometimes save it
• The difference between amateur writers and professionals
0:00 – When a story feels “stuck”
1:10 – Why this novel stalled for nearly two years
2:35 – Coming back to the manuscript with fresh eyes
3:50 – The subplot breakthrough
6:05 – How B-stories improve pacing and tension
9:10 – The importance of anticipation in storytelling
11:40 – Learning from movies and TV subplots
14:10 – Avoiding clunky exposition in dialogue
17:20 – Giving readers breathing room in your story
19:00 – The “House moment” storytelling technique
21:20 – Why rewriting makes you look brilliant
24:00 – When it’s okay to step away from a book
26:00 – The difference between amateurs and pros
27:00 – Writing as both art and business
Wordslinger Podcast
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Find Kevin and his books
https://kevintumlinson.com
Join Kevin on Substack
https://kevintumlinson.substack.com
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