Forgiveness and Despair – Writing Coach Kevin Johns with Author Susan Leon - Ep. 225

What happens after the crime? In this episode of The Writing Coach podcast, writing coach Kevin T. Johns talks with author Susan Leon about her debut novel, 'If They’d Only Known', a dark, emotionally layered crime novel set in Northern Ontario. But this conversation goes far beyond mystery, murder, and plot twists. Kevin and Susan discuss grief, trauma, forgiveness, family, historical research, writing difficult subject matter, and the ripple effects one terrible event can have on an entire community for years. Susan shares how she moved from scattered scenes to a finished novel, how real conversations with detectives, veterans, and families touched by loss shaped her research, and why forgiveness does not mean excusing harm. It means deciding you no longer want to carry the weight. If you are a writer working on crime fiction, mystery, historical fiction, literary fiction, or any story dealing with grief, trauma, family, or forgiveness, this conversation will give you plenty to think about. In this episode, we discuss: Susan Leon’s debut novel, If They’d Only Known Writing crime fiction set in Northern Ontario Why the emotional aftermath of a crime can matter more than the crime itself Grief, trauma, family, and forgiveness in fiction How to write dark material without being consumed by it Historical research and getting period details right The value of speaking with real people during the research process Moving from scattered scenes to a finished manuscript Working with beta readers and writing community Why writing a novel is a craft you can learn Listen to the podcast now! Learn more about Susan Leon and If They’d Only Known at https://susanleon.com Learn more about Kevin T. Johns and writing coaching: https://www.kevintjohns.com Subscribe for more conversations about writing craft, storytelling, creativity, mindset, productivity, and the long, strange, wonderful journey of becoming a better writer. #WritingCommunity #CrimeFiction #MysteryWriters #AuthorInterview #WritingTips #CanadianAuthors #NorthernOntario #Forgiveness #GriefInFiction #TheWritingCoachPodcast