Writing Roots

Fairy tales have been one of the go-to ways to teach children about the world for centuries. Though the stories have changed greatly since their origination, we can recognize titles such as Snow White, Thumbelina, and The Little Red Riding Hood. When it comes to the history of storytelling, fairy tales and bedtime stories cannot go ignored. While they had a surge of popularity in the 1700s to 1800s, parents had already been reciting these tales for centuries. Most have some kind of moral or warning, teaching children to avoid very real dangers even if the objects in the story were fairies and witches. Most importantly, though, are the impacts these types of stories had in developing fiction as we know it today. Many fantastical works have some kind of basis in the extraordinary fairy tales told centuries ago to children falling asleep for the night. The magic and mystical elements of these tales helped spawn the fantasy genre. For more about how fairy tales helped shape fiction, listen to this episode below. First aired September 20, 2021. We’re still buying your books to celebrate our two-year anniversary and thank all of you listeners for your support! Hosts Leigh and Ley are buying self-published books from our listeners and followers. We’ll keep buying until our fund runs out. Find out more on our Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (found on our homepage) while you’re here. The post S24E6 – Fairy Tales and Bedtime Stories appeared first on Writing Roots.

Both William Shakespeare and the invention of the printing press had a major impact on storytelling across the world. This is when stories for entertainment alone became popular – and accessible – for the masses. Books were no longer for the elite and plays were written for the common man as well as royalty. This was also brought in a time where common folk could be writers. Education was becoming more widespread and access to printing was much easier. After the printing press and especially after the Protestant Reformation, he most popular stories to be told and shared no longer held a moral lesson – or at least, it was not the sole point of the story. At the same time, literature started to explore deeper themes that did not tie to religion, using more metaphors and satire. Shakespeare helped bring in stories meant for the “everyman” – tales that would appeal to the rich as well as the poor. He was well-known for puns, wit, and even making up words to help tell his tales. His impact on history is incalculable, and his works are still studied in-depth today. Learn more about this time in the history of storytelling in this episode. First aired September 16, 2021. We’re still buying your books to celebrate our two-year anniversary and thank all of you listeners for your support! Hosts Leigh and Ley are buying self-published books from our listeners and followers. We’ll keep buying until our fund runs out. Find out more on our Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (found on our homepage) while you’re here. The post S23E5 – Shakespeare and the Printing Press appeared first on Writing Roots.

There came a time in the history of storytelling, especially around the rise of Christianity in Europe, where story became a way to educate the general populace. However, it started long before Christianity was even established. Back in the times of the Greeks and then Romans, theater was used to teach the common people about the gods and their workings. It was one of the main ways outside of direct worship, to tell people how the gods operated. This same trend continued into Christianity, when nunneries and other religious establishments would hold plays to teach bible stories. One of the biggest changes this era brought to storytelling was the use of writing to not only preserve story, but to distribute it in a collaborative effort. Scripts would be written and sent out to be performed. This is also the time where tropes and character stereotypes became solidified beyond the idea of a “hero” working for unseen forces. Ley and Leigh discuss this development in storytelling and what it can teach us today for our own writing and goals. First aired September 13, 2021. The post S24E4 – Educational Storytelling and the Use of Theater appeared first on Writing Roots.

There was a point in the history of storytelling where the tales began to include a character arc. They also became more about man versus man, rather than man versus monsters. The stories became about overcoming the external foe as well as becoming something better. About starting as the underdog and becoming the hero. One such example is the biblical story of David and Goliath. Not only did the David overcome the giant of the enemy forces, but doing so changed him from a simple shepherd boy to king. The phrase David and Goliath has become commonplace even outside religious contexts to represent the tale of the underdog rising up to the challenge. This era also saw the introduction of the Hero’s Journey in storytelling. That structure is still used in modern fiction, acting as a guide for how to develop a character arc from start to finish. Listen to this episode for more about how stories about man versus man and the introduction of character arcs changed the storytelling world for good. First aired September 9, 2021. We’re still buying your books to celebrate our two-year anniversary and thank all of you listeners for your support! Hosts Leigh and Ley are buying self-published books from our listeners and followers. We’ll keep buying until our fund runs out. Find out more on our Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (found on our homepage) while you’re here. The post S24E3 – Introduction of Man vs. Man and Character Arcs appeared first on Writing Roots.

Some of the earliest stories we know from the time around the beginning of written language were stories about gods and fate. This is where stories started to transform from being primarily for survival to conveying ideas beyond the individual. This was a pivotal time, not only because of the introduction of written language, but for the concept of believing there is something else out there – a something else that might be in control. This is when we got stories such as Gilgamesh, the Hebrew Bible, and even early Greek and Roman stories. There were great heroes who fought for and against the gods themselves. In this episode, we discuss what came out of this time of gods and fate within storytelling and how it can still help our writing in modern times. First aired September 6, 2021. We’re still buying your books to celebrate our two-year anniversary and thank all of you listeners for your support! Hosts Leigh and Ley are buying self-published books from our listeners and followers. We’ll keep buying until our fund runs out. Find out more on our Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (found on our homepage) while you’re here. The post S24E2 – Stories of Gods and Fate appeared first on Writing Roots.

Story has been imbedded in human culture since the beginning, even since those prehistoric times before written language. Though we may not have those written records of what stories they told, we do know they were telling them. Prehistoric people showed story in their art on cave walls, in the traditions they passed down from generation to generation, in the warnings they gave to survive. In those early days, story was all about survival. Before gods and heroes and invented monsters, there were stories about how to avoid predators. Even today, those themes are still relevant. Listen to this episode to find out what we can learn and apply in our writing today from the traditions of prehistoric storytelling. We’re still buying your books to celebrate our two-year anniversary and thank all of you listeners for your support! Hosts Leigh and Ley are buying self-published books from our listeners and followers. We’ll keep buying until our fund runs out. Find out more on our Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (found on our homepage) while you’re here. The post S24E1 – Storytelling in Prehistoric Times appeared first on Writing Roots.

Choose Your Adventure books are a unique way to involve the reader in the storytelling process. Many of you may remember the old Goosebumps “Choose Your Own Adventure” stories, but it’s not a structure reserved for middle grade books anymore. Writing a Choose Your Adventure, or interactive, structure is difficult. For you pantsers out there, it’s even more difficult. This structure takes plotting out not just one ending, but several. Branching from those endings and beginnings is a complicated weave of different choices, allowing the reader to take control of how the story progresses. Don’t let that discourage you, though. This is a structure that allows your creativity to flow. Have you ever written a story and thought of the multiple ways it could end? Choose Your Adventure lets you explore all of those options, then present them to the reader to discover. It also connects you with the reader in ways that other narrative plots don’t allow. For more on how to use this style, listen n First aired August 30, 2021. We’re still buying your books to celebrate our two-year anniversary and thank all of you listeners for your support! Hosts Leigh and Ley are buying self-published books from our listeners and followers. We’ll keep buying until our fund runs out. Find out more on our Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (found on our homepage) while you’re here. The post S23E9 – Choose Your Adventure appeared first on Writing Roots.

Serial stories have started to make a comeback in the writing format recently. While it’s always been there in the form of comic books and fiction magazines, the internet has helped this unique structure gain popularity and strength. Many authors have created episodic and serial stories over the centuries. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published the Sherlock Holmes detective stories as serials originally, creating a massive following that has continued to today. Television was a natural adaptation for this type of story. Comic books and other graphic novels also benefit greatly from being able to publish small pieces of a larger story over time. Fanfiction authors embraced the serial style as they crafted new tales for known characters and worlds. Websites such as Royal Road and Wattpad helped open this structure to authors original fiction. That interest is only growing stronger with Amazon’s recently released Vella, their own platform for serial stories. Writing a good story in this format, though, takes more than just breaking up a story into chapters. There are a few tips and tricks that can help you stand out in the crowd. Leigh and Ley discuss framing devices, the difference between episodic and serial, and break down Vella and it’s uses in this episode. First aired August 28, 2021. We’re still buying your books to celebrate our two-year anniversary and thank all of you listeners for your support! Hosts Leigh and Ley are buying self-published books from our listeners and followers. We’ll keep buying until our fund runs out. Find out more on our Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (found on our homepage) while you’re here. The post S23 Bonus – Episodic and Serial Stories appeared first on Writing Roots.

If you’re looking for a unique way to tell a slow burn suspense, consider the reverse story structure. This is all about going backwards in time. The reverse structure isn’t just hitting rewind and watching the whole thing from front to back, but by taking pieces of the story and telling them out of order. Most often it’s happening to the main character. Maybe they’re suffering from amnesia and remembering how they got where they are in reverse order, like in Momento. Maybe it’s a detective following the trail of a crime to its source. No matter what the plot of the story is, using the reverse story structure takes time and planning. It’s a focus on the how of a story, the what. We know how it ends – that’s where we started – but we need to find out why. Listen to the episode below to get a closer look at this structure and the best practices when you decide to use it. First aired August 26, 2021. We’re still buying your books to celebrate our two-year anniversary and thank all of you listeners for your support! Hosts Leigh and Ley are buying self-published books from our listeners and followers. We’ll keep buying until our fund runs out. Find out more on our Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (found on our homepage) while you’re here. The post S23E8 – Reverse, Reverse! Telling a Story Backwards appeared first on Writing Roots.

“Story within a story” is a fun framing device for writing your novel in a unique way. The idea behind this structure is that the narrator is actually a character. We get to see what is happening in their life as well as what’s happening in the tale they’re telling. This structure is anything but new. One of the oldest uses is in the 12th century tale One Thousand and One Nights. The main character, Scheherazade, begins to tell her husband, the king, a new tale every night. She stops before finishing the tale with the promise to continue the next night, which keeps him from beheading her in the morning. The story is of Scheherazade, while the stories within are tales such as Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp. We also see modern uses of this structure in shows like The Simpsons with their Treehouse of Horror episodes, The Princess Bride, and even in The Emperor’s New Groove. This structure doesn’t always have to be a framework for the entire plot. Sometimes it’s a simple as a single scene, like Shakespeare’s famous use of a play within a play. There are things to consider, though, before jumping into this structure. We discuss how to and how not to use a “story within a story” structure in this episode. First aired August 23, 2021. We’re still buying your books to celebrate our two-year anniversary and thank all of you listeners for your support! Hosts Leigh and Ley are buying self-published books from our listeners and followers. We’ll keep buying until our fund runs out. Find out more on our Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (found on our homepage) while you’re here. The post S23E7 – A Story Within a Story appeared first on Writing Roots.

A paradigm shift structure is more than a simple plot twist. As the definition states, it’s a fundamental change to the underlying assumptions. One of the most famous uses of this structure is The Sixth Sense, a film by M. Night Shyamalan. In the movie, both the audience and the main character experience a paradigm shift that completely reframes the entire story. Authors who want to use this structure must be prepared to plan how the story will unfold. In the beginning, the audience needs to make key assumptions about the story. In The Sixth Sense, that assumption was that Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is a child psychologist assigned to help a young boy who sees dead people. The paradigm shift comes when both Crowe and the audience discover that he’s been dead the entire time. Suddenly, the whole story is different. Events that took place earlier suddenly make more sense. And if you read or watch it a second time with the knowledge of that paradigm shift, it becomes a whole new experience. The difficulty, though, comes in making sure that second read still makes sense. In this episode, we discuss using this paradigm shift structure to tell a unique story. First aired August 19, 2021. We’re still buying your books to celebrate our two-year anniversary and thank all of you listeners for your support! Hosts Leigh and Ley are buying self-published books from our listeners and followers. We’ll keep buying until our fund runs out. Find out more on our Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (found on our homepage) while you’re here. The post S23E6 – Structuring a Paradigm Shift appeared first on Writing Roots.

Amnesia has been used in storytelling for a very long time. Soap operas and telenovelas use lost memory frequently to ramp up the drama in their stories. You can use it to, and for more than just a subplot in your own story. There are lots of ways to use amnesia. It can be a witness to a crime having to remember what exactly they saw, or a character who lost their memory once they passed through a portal to a new fantasy world. This device is not limited to any genre in particular, which is another reason any author can use it. Another benefit is that readers usually forgive authors for unrealistic representations of amnesia. In fact, that’s almost guaranteed. Amnesia is rarely accurate in fiction, though it helps to still understand the different kinds in order to tell a good story. In this episode, we discuss amnesia in fiction and how you can use it for your own plot. First aired August 16, 2021. We’re still buying your books to celebrate our two-year anniversary and thank all of you listeners for your support! Hosts Leigh and Ley are buying self-published books from our listeners and followers. We’ll keep buying until our fund runs out. Find out more on our Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (found on our homepage) while you’re here. The post S23E5 – Using Amnesia in a Story Plot appeared first on Writing Roots.

One way to play with structure and step outside the normal bounds of linear storytelling is to consider the recursion structure. You may know this best from the film Groundhog Day. Recursion is when at least one character relives the same day (or other period of time) again and again. This structure really lends itself to a story focused on the character development and story arc. Outside conflicts are usually secondary to the need of the main character to change in some way. The recursion storytelling technique is incredibly flexible, which makes it perfect for nearly any genre. It’s not, however, a simple and straightforward structure. There are a lot of things to consider and include, like making sure your readers are following easily when the timeline resets. Listen to this episode for suggestions and a full breakdown of what recursion can mean for your story. First aired August 12, 2021. We’re still buying your books to celebrate our two-year anniversary and thank all of you listeners for your support! Hosts Leigh and Ley are buying self-published books from our listeners and followers. We’ll keep buying until our fund runs out. Find out more on our Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (found on our homepage) while you’re here. The post S23E4 – Structure with Recursion appeared first on Writing Roots.

If you’re looking for a unique way to tell a story – especially a crime story – consider the Rashomon structure. Originally a Japanese film, Rashomon told the storyh using the subjective views of those involved in the events. The same scene was shown several times from all different perspectives. Using the Rashomon structure means digging into the characters and how they view the world. People often see and notice what they know or what they want to see. Those with tactical training – military and police for example – will see threats and weapons. The bookworm that would rather be home than out on a Friday night would probably notice the dogs or cats at a party. Telling a Rashomon story will help you convey what matters to the character. Who they really are at the core. It is not an easy structure, however. You need to plan out not just the event, but how each character perceives that event. It takes thought and deep knowledge of your character. No viewpoint should be completely accurate. Listen to this episode to learn more about the Rashomon structure and how it can be used in your own story. First aired August 9, 2021. We’re still buying your books to celebrate our two-year anniversary and thank all of you listeners for your support! Hosts Leigh and Ley are buying self-published books from our listeners and followers. We’ll keep buying until our fund runs out. Find out more on our Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (found on our homepage) while you’re here. The post S23E3 – Rashomon Stories appeared first on Writing Roots.

It’s about time. Stories about time. Throughout August, we’ll be talking about the use of time within story structure, as well as less common structures available. Story structures are the framework used to build a fiction novel or even short stories. Common ones include the three-act, five-act, seven point, or the hero’s journey. Some stories, though, allow for more creativity in the way the story is presented. It’s not all linear, but could be a “big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff.” It’s difficult to pull off in a sensible way, but worth at least trying. This episode is about the use of parallel structure in creating a style that has readers leaning toward the end of your story without knowing exactly how you’re going to get there. Listen now to learn how to use multiple points of view and play with timelines – even across centuries – to tell your story in a fresh and interesting fashion. First aired August 5, 2021. It’s also our two-year anniversary! We’re celebrating by buying your books! Hosts Leigh and Ley are buying self-published books from our listeners and followers. We’ll keep buying until our fund runs out. Find out more on our Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (found on our homepage) while you’re here. The post S23E2 – Parallel Structure appeared first on Writing Roots.

It’s about time. Stories about time. Throughout August, we’ll be talking about the use of time within story structure, as well as less common structures available. Story structures are the framework used to build a fiction novel or even short stories. Common ones include the three-act, five-act, seven point, or the hero’s journey. Some stories, though, allow for more creativity in the way the story is presented. It’s not all linear, but could be a “big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff.” It’s difficult to pull off in a sensible way, but worth at least trying. This episode is about the use of time within stories. This could be through time travel, portals where time flows differently, or even having an immortal character. Listen now to learn how to use time within the plot without simply confusing your listeners. First aired August 2, 2021. It’s also our two-year anniversary! We’re celebrating by buying your books! Hosts Leigh and Ley are buying self-published books from our listeners and followers. We’ll keep buying until our fund runs out. Find out more on our Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter (found on our homepage) while you’re here. The post S23E1 – Stories About Time appeared first on Writing Roots.

Every editing conversation should end with positives and those favorite moments your editor found while reading. An editor isn’t there just to tell you what you did wrong. They should also tell you what you did right, what you did well. This is part of constructive criticism. There will always be things that could be improved, but it is easy to get disheartened when all you see – and all anyone ever shows you – is what is bad. This is also an important note for any editors out there. Make sure you’re looking and making note of those moments that are good. Especially for those moments that are great. Draw a smiley face. Circle it. Tell the author. Let them know when they are doing good things, so they can keep doing those good things. The last thing you want is to make an author feel like they need to change everything about the way they write because you neglected to point out what worked. In this episode, Ley and Leigh conclude their editing discussion by doing just this. Leigh talks about her favorite moments and themes in The Modakku Anthologies, while Ley shows her favorites from K/D Ratio. If you haven’t yet, check out for K/D Ratio by Leigh Hull and The Modakku Anthologies by Ley Esses on Amazon. First aired July 30, 2021. Stay tuned for August. We’ll be talking about different ways to play with time in your story structure. The first episode of Series 23 drops August 2. The post S22 Bonus – Favorite Moments appeared first on Writing Roots.

Worldbuilding can apply to all types of writing, but it is essential for speculative fiction. Modern – and even historical – fiction is easy when it comes to worldbuilding. There is an expectation that the readers will know what you mean when you say a small town or big city. They have knowledge of our world already. When you’re showing a world that you created, there is some obligation to describe. To set the stage, so to speak, for your readers’ imaginations. Ley requested an extra look at her worldbuilding and magic when she asked Leigh to edit. This episode continues our demonstration of the editing process by looking at how Ley’s worldbuilding in The Modakku Anthologies could be improved and where it worked. First aired July 29, 2021. The post S22E9 – Fog and Flame: Worldbuilding appeared first on Writing Roots.

Dialogue can be tricky for authors, especially if you’ve never heard of the idea of beats in dialogue. It can either feel stilted in an attempt to make it grammatically correct, or end up nonsensical with a lack of structure. What goes in the dialogue and what goes around it? What actually needs to be said out loud? These are all things writers work to improve over time. Unfortunately, they’re not the only things about dialogue that need attention. There’s also a lot more to writing dialogue than just knowing the right words to put on the page. You need to find the beats in dialogue. Stage actors and others involved in the theater are familiar with the idea of beats. It’s the timing of the whole play. Pauses and actions need to be in just the right place to compliment the dialogue. Take the famous line “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” from Shakespeare’s play. When said with the wrong beats as it often is in high school readings, it comes off as asking where Romeo is located. Skilled actors, though, convey the true meaning by maintaining the beats. “Why must you be Romeo?” In this episode, Ley introduces this idea and how it applies to Leigh’s K/D Ratio. They discuss specific lines where the beats in dialogue, often demonstrated with a dialogue tag, is misplaced. First aired July 26, 2021. The post S22E8 – K/D Ratio: Beats in Dialogue appeared first on Writing Roots.

Stories generally develop in one of two ways: with a focus on the plot with the characters playing their parts, or a focus on the characters as they navigate the world. In other words, plot-driven or character-driven. Both are valid storytelling techniques and play to the interests of readers in varying genres. Even if you are driven by one, though, you should still be putting effort into developing the other. After all, characters are not just puppets and plot isn’t just a sandbox. Before editing Ley’s Modakku Anthologies, she asked Leigh to help make sure the characters were strong in their respective roles. When she chose to write in first-person omniscient, she also decided to never name her main character, the narrator. It proved to be a challenge and with that came some concern that the character would feel disconnected. Leigh and Ley discuss her characters in this episode, with a focus on Fog and Flame, and things she could do to improve the characters within the plot. First aired July 22, 2021. The post S22E7 – Fog and Flame: Character Development appeared first on Writing Roots.

A key to unique characters is to develop and maintain character voice. Think of your favorite books. Can you tell who is speaking without needing to read the dialogue tag? If you can, that means that author developed the character voice. Each character should have their own unique way of thinking and speaking within the story. This doesn’t mean you need to write in accents or use completely different words. It does mean you need to consider your character. Dig into what they would notice in the world, their education level, and maybe the jargon they’d use. Part of voice is also making sure their motivations are intrinsic in their actions. In this episode, Ley points out occasions where character voice needed to be tightened up in K/D Ratio. From making sure characters don’t overexplain to making sure the main character’s thoughts are tracking in the right direction. First aired July 19, 2021. The episodes in this series, Editing Demonstration, contain spoilers for Ley Esses’ The Modakku Anthologies as well as Leigh Hull’s Gamer Files series. Read them before you listen if you don’t want to have the endings spoiled. The post S22E6 – K/D Ratio: Character Voice appeared first on Writing Roots.

Narrative flow is important for keeping your reader engaged in the plot. You want to keep driving them forward to the next event or next reveal. There are times, though, when it’s okay to reveal something, then step back in time to explain how you got there. This was a major piece of the Disney movie, Emperor’s New Groove. It was also a narrative style used in Brandon Sanderson’s Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series. Ley’s use of first-person omniscient played well into using this as a plot device. It also led to using it more than was necessary. Another piece of editing that the hosts wanted to demonstrate was the role of the editor to look for continuity errors. Having someone else take that step back to look at the work objectively is vital. Ley, though a plotter, still changed elements of her book through the process of self-editing. Leigh was able to find and fix those holes during her editing process. In this episode, the hosts analyze the first book in the Modakku Anthologies, Fog and Flame. This episode does contain spoilers. If you haven’t read it yet, you can find on Amazon. First aired July 15, 2021. The post S22E5 – Fog and Flame: Take it Back Now Y’all! appeared first on Writing Roots.

You’ve probably heard about the trope of Chekov’s Gun. We’ve talked about it here multiple times. The idea behind it is that if there’s something, such as a gun, described in the story then it needs to come into play somehow. It’s the idea of setup and payoff. This can be fairly easy for plotters. Leigh, however, is adamantly not a plotter. This leads to the opposite problem. Each piece of the story that contributes directly to the plot should have been presented by act one. This can be objects, fighting techniques, or even just character interactions. During the edits, Ley noticed several scenes that could be improved by using it to prepare for a future scene. Throughout this episode, Leigh and Ley discuss how to make sure the entire story connects within itself, that there is setup and payoff. These episodes still contain major spoilers for K/D Ratio and Toxic. You can find both on Amazon here. It’s recommended to read before listening to the episodes. Don’t forget to check out Ley’s Modakku Anthologies as well. First aired July 12, 2021. The post S22E4 – K/D Ratio: Setup and Payoff appeared first on Writing Roots.

The narrative in a story has so much influence on how the story will progress. Most authors are familiar with the broad categories of first person and third person, but there are subtle differences within those broader categories. One of the less-used POVs is first-person omniscient, which comes with its own difficulties. When you choose a narrative POV, you’ll want to make sure it stays consistent. With third-person close, you want to make sure you’re not “head-hopping.” In third-person omniscient, you’ll need to make sure the characters don’t know everything the narrator knows. In first-person omniscient, tenses cause the most trouble. Ley Esses decided to use first-person omniscient to write her most recent series, the Modakku Anthologies. This narrative is tricky, though, because it can contain several different timelines. The narrator is writing the story of how a young woman fulfills a prophecy from his own perspective. That’s two timelines: the current writer and the past teacher who experienced the events. On top of that, the narrator also reminisces on prior experiences. This makes tenses within the story incredibly difficult. It’s vital to keep them straight so the story is cohesive for even the casual reader. Despite the trouble the tenses can be, first-person omniscient is well worth the effort. It gives the reader a sense of hope and further connection with the main character. This continues our series on demonstrating the editing process and help other writers understand how to use POV to their advantage. Leigh and Ley discuss the use of the first-person omniscient point-of-view and the changes that were needed to maintain a cohesive story line. As a reminder, these episodes contain major spoilers for the Modakku Anthologies. Pick up Fog and Flame, Snow and Ash, and Water and Bone today at this link. You’ll also want to get K/D Ratio as well as Toxic for future episodes. You can find both on Amazon here. First aired July 8, 2021. The post S22E3 – Fog and Flame: First-Person Omniscient appeared first on Writing Roots.

One major part of the editing process is doing what’s known as developmental edits. These are structural changes to a story. That can be removing scenes or making sure the stage is properly set for the end. As the author, these needed changes can be difficult to see. We get attached to scenes or characters that may have no purpose overall. If you’re a pantser, setting up for the end can’t always happen because you don’t know exactly how the end will go. Leigh knew K/D Ratio needed major structural changes, but couldn’t identify what changes would be best. She asked her editor, Ley, to keep an eye on what could be changed to reduce the word count and make sure only the relevant information was included. Some of the things they discuss in this episode include combining up to three scenes into one, focusing on tension and release, and setting up to make the final fight move faster. As a reminder, these episodes contain major spoilers for K/D Ratio as well as Toxic. You can find both on Amazon here. It’s recommended to read before listening to the episodes. Don’t forget to check out Ley’s Modakku Anthologies as well before her episodes begin. First aired July 5, 2021. The post S22E2 – K/D Ratio: Structural Changes appeared first on Writing Roots.

Editors are an invaluable piece of the publishing process. No one should publish without having someone with editing knowledge look at the manuscript. If you think about all of the books with a New York Times Bestselling label, they’ve all been pushed through a meticulous editing process. For new authors – especially self-published authors – that process can be unfamiliar and frightening. It’s difficult to give a piece of yourself – since that’s what our stories are – to someone to be essentially torn apart. That’s good, though. Trust us. Writing Roots is back! The hosts have published their books and we’ve successfully moved into our new studio. This episode was recorded as we were still getting set up because we were still in the editing process and wanted the recordings to be genuine reviews. This means the sound may be a little rough since we’re still exploring settings, but we’ve done what we can to smooth it out. In this first episode of our editing demonstration series, Leigh and Ley work explain the process of working with an editor and share key points that needed work from their most recent novels. They explain the process, how each episode will work, and share with each other an overview of what they wanted their editor to focus on through the story. Leigh needed the most help with cutting back on the word count, while Ley wanted advice on the magic system and worldbuilding. SPOILER ALERT: This whole series contains major spoilers for K/D Ratio by Leigh Hull (along with spoilers for Toxic), and for The Modakku Anthologies by Ley Esses. If you don’t want to have spoilers, click the links to get their books today. If you’re not worried aobut spoilers or have already read the books, enjoy the episode! First aired July 1, 2021. The post S22E1 – Editing Demonstration: Overview appeared first on Writing Roots.

There are so many subgenres listed in KDP and other self-publishing sites that it can be more than overwhelming to figure out the right ones. Experienced authors and publishers know the importance of picking the right one, which just increases that pressure. In this extended episode from our archives, we take a closer look at how to figure out your genre so the right target audience can find your book. Original episode first aired December 14, 2020. The post Extended Archives: Determining the Genre appeared first on Writing Roots.

No matter where you are in your writing journey or what kind of writer you are, there are some things you need to know before you ever put that pen to paper (or fingers to a keyboard). It doesn’t always have to be the plot of the story or a detailed history of the characters. It can simply be the spark of an idea. In this extended episode, we take a look at what any author needs to know before they start writing, whether this is their first venture into writing novels or their fifteenth. Original episode aired December 28, 2020. The post Extended Archives – Before You Write appeared first on Writing Roots.

Reviews can mean everything for book sales. Good ones can help a book thrive, while bad ones can drive away potential readers. In this episode, Leigh and Ley discuss ways to get the most effective reviews. Original episode aired July 23, 2020. The post Extended Archives – Getting Effective Reviews appeared first on Writing Roots.

No book can become a bestseller without outstanding marketing, and one of the best platforms for marketing in this age is social media. Whether it’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or even TikTok, social media is an essential tool for getting the word out about your books. This extended episode takes a closer look at the use of social media and some of the best practices for marketing on those platforms. Original version first aired July 13, 2020. The post Extended Archives – Social Media and Marketing appeared first on Writing Roots.

One of the most difficult things about working on a first draft is accepting it for what it is: a first draft. Some authors feel a compulsion to edit it constantly before the draft is even completed. Others get discouraged if it’s not shaping up to be exactly like a bestseller right away. As all authors experience, writing takes time. In this extended archive episode, Leigh and Ley discuss their own troubles with discouragement in a first draft, and talk about ways you can write right starting right now. Original version first aired November 2, 2020. The post Extended Archives – Writing Right Right Now appeared first on Writing Roots.

You will encounter rules about writing everywhere you turn. We’re taught grammar and structure in school. Teachers demand specific formats, like APA or Chicago. What about fiction writing? Is it necessary to stick rigidly to all of the rules, or do you even have to follow them at all? The real answer for fiction is in balance. Like Captain Barbosa said, they’re more guidelines than actual rules. However, it is essential to at least know the rules before you break them. This makes all the difference between intentionally breaking the rules and accidents that look like mistakes. Original version first aired April 27, 2020. The post Extended Archives – Rules of Writing appeared first on Writing Roots.

Welcome to the Extended Archives episodes! Writing Roots is on a temporary hiatus until July. Until then, we’ll be releasing extended versions of episodes from our archives, previously released only on Patreon. Finding the right target audience is a major piece to the process of marketing, especially if you’re self-publishing. It changes how you market on social media, ad targeting techniques, and more. But you can’t do any of that until you know your target audience. This episode breaks down the process of finding your audience. Original version first aired June 2, 2020 The post Extended Archives – Target Audience appeared first on Writing Roots.

Villains can make or break a story. Their purpose is intertwined with the hero of the story. But what are their motives? Are they truly evil or are they simply a normal person who believes they’re doing right? Part of the answer depends on what role you need the villain to play, along with the genre of the story. It could be the villain is a contrast to the protagonist and you need the extremes. It could also be that you need a sympathetic villain for your plot. Ley and Leigh debate which is better in this episode. First aired April 29, 2021. The post S21E9 – Villainy: Should Villains Be Evil? appeared first on Writing Roots.

Any story can be very different depending on whose point of view is taken during the narrative. The question, then, is whose story do you follow as you write? Do you only follow one character, or use several to help paint the story progression? Both styles present their own unique challenges and carry their own benefits. Ley and Leigh debate the use of narrative point of view in this episode, discussing genre standards and how the choice can made a difference in the information relayed to the readers. First aired April 26, 2021. The post S21E8 – Point of View: Single or Multiple? appeared first on Writing Roots.

New authors often wonder what they should focus on more when building a story. Should they focus on the plot itself, or the characters? What should be built first when first deciding to tackle a story? There are benefits to either way, though each also come with their own pitfalls. Leigh and Ley debate the different aspects of designing a story primarily by the plot or by the characters in this episode, breaking down their own process in order to help you find what works best for your stories. First aired April 24, 2021. The post S21 Bonus – Story Building: Plot First or Character First? appeared first on Writing Roots.

The idea of story is nebulous. Humans have been telling stories from the dawn of time, even before there was written language. Even still, ideas are constantly being compiled into something new. That leads us to the question of whether there is a finite number of stories. It depends on your perspective. Leigh and Ley discuss the idea of story and what it means for those who wish to create, even if you feel your story is too much like someone else’s. First aired April 22, 2021. The post S21E7 – Stories: How Many Different Stories Exist? appeared first on Writing Roots.

There is no real wrong answer to whether you should choose first or third person when deciding on the narrative perspective. However, there are some things you should consider as you decide, such as the genre, how much information you need revealed, the main character(s), and the connection you want developed with the reader. In this episode, Leigh and Ley debate the uses and problems with both main perspective styles to help you make the decision on your own. First aired April 19, 2021. The post S21E6 – Point of View: Third- or First-Person? appeared first on Writing Roots.

It can seem sometimes that every story has some kind of love interest, even if the story isn’t a romance. After all, it’s a great way to build connections between the characters and the readers. However, some authors argue that romance isn’t necessary unless you intend to write a romance novel. Leigh and Ley debate the virtues and pitfalls of including a romantic subplot in other kinds of stories, from the connection it builds to only being there for extra drama. First aired April 15, 2021. The post S21E5 – Romantic Subplots: Are They Necessary? appeared first on Writing Roots.

How many words should be in one novel? There are standard answers for all genres, especially for authors starting out (we’ve discussed as much in prior episodes). Yet there still seems to be an ongoing debate about how rigidly those standards should be followed. Some like to push the limits, writing thousands more words than is recommended. Others barely skirt in on the low end of the scale. Is there a right answer? Ley and Leigh discuss word counts and the benefits or pitfalls to shooting high or low on the word count suggestions. First aired April 12, 2021. The post S21E4 – Word Count: Push the Limits or Stay Reserved? appeared first on Writing Roots.

Finding the right word for the moment can be a difficult task that slows down any author’s writing process. But how do we know which word is the right one? Is there anything we can do ahead of time to arm ourselves? Or are we better off keeping it simple? The answer isn’t as clear as you might hope. Ley and Leigh debate the pros and cons of using complex words to help you find the best option in your own writing. First aired April 8, 2021. The post S21E3 – Word Choice: To Use Big Words or Not to Use Big Words appeared first on Writing Roots.

Writing comes in all forms, from short poems to epic tales that span hundreds of thousands of words. One form of writing, though, is often looked at as not really writing. Despite that, fanfiction is wildly popular especially among new writers. Fanfiction consists of taking worlds or characters from the author’s favorite fictions and creating something new with them. In this episode, Leigh and Ley debate the usefulness of fanfiction, whether it can be considered writing, and whether it helps those who want to publish their own unique works. First aired April 5, 2021. The post S21E2 – Fanfiction: Is it Really Writing? appeared first on Writing Roots.

If you search for writing prompts in Google, you’ll get hundreds and hundreds of suggestions. They range from silly suggestions to academic treatises. Prompts are wildly popular and common, but are they actually helpful? Can prompts be used to get you published one day? Leigh and Ley debate the benefits and downfalls of writing prompts in this episode. Leigh takes the stance that prompts are incredibly helpful for those wishing to practice their skills or learning to write. Ley argues that prompts can never really be used in published works and pull writing time away from the end goal. What do you think? Join us in the debate on Facebook. First aired April 1, 2020. The post S21E1 – Writing Prompts: Helpful or Not? appeared first on Writing Roots.

It seems that so many of the popular books these days – especially in the YA genre – are set in a trilogy. That must be the recipe for success, right? Yes, but also no. While there is use in having a series or even a trilogy, just because a book does well doesn’t mean it must continue on in a series. Sometimes books can be alone if they are strong enough on their own. Listen to this episode for more on how and when to know if your book should be made into a series. First aired March 29, 2021. The post S20E9 – Myth Nine: Everything is Better as a Trilogy appeared first on Writing Roots.

Self-publishing has many advantages, from avoiding the stresses of getting traditionally published to having total control over the product. However, it should not be seen as a shortcut, and though it is often thought to be so, it definitely is not free. At least, it shouldn’t be. It is possible to self-publish without any cost to the author, but that feeds into the stigma that self-published works are of poor quality. That’s because too many indie authors don’t take the time to get an editor and professional cover design. In this episode, Leigh and Ley discuss how self-publishing done the right way is anything but free and fast. First aired March 27, 2021. The post S20 Bonus – Myth Ten: Self-Publishing is Free appeared first on Writing Roots.

Writers spend a lot of time on their projects before they even start putting words down on a page. That leads to a strong attachment to the idea alone and a desire to protect those ideas. At the same time, it also leads writers to being discouraged by ideas they don’t think are unique enough. Both of these ideas – that good ideas are entirely unique and need to be protected from plagiarism – are myths. We discuss why in this episode, discussing the usefulness of cliches, stealing plot structure, and what parts of writing can actually be legally protected. First aired March 25, 2021. The post S20E8 – Myth Eight: Worthy Ideas are Unique appeared first on Writing Roots.

It’s rarely said by those who actually try to write a book, but it can be discouraging to hear. The myth for today’s episode is that writing is easy. After all, why shouldn’t it be? Those who wish to be authors usually know how to write – basic sentence structure, grammar, and an idea. However, getting those things onto a page in a compelling fashion is anything but easy. Listen to this episode to learn why writing is such a difficult task as we discuss what it is that makes writing so difficult and why writers can’t simply rely on a natural talent. First aired March 22, 2021. The post S20E7 – Myth Seven: Writing is Easy appeared first on Writing Roots.

While it is true that the quality of a book can influence its success, it is only a myth that a good book will sell itself. This myth exists more because of hope than reality. We all wish our books would just fly off the shelves and we’d become instantly famous without the effort of marketing. That, however, is a fantasy of its own. There are parts of marketing entirely out of the author’s control, but that should not be used as an excuse to let the book “sell itself” with no effort on your part. We discuss why this is a myth in this episode. First aired March 18, 2021. The post S20E6 – Myth Six: A Good Book Will Sell Itself appeared first on Writing Roots.

It’s a phrase you see everywhere, especially on any number of writing blogs. A “true writer” will do this or be that. It could be anything from how the writer spends their time to what words they use in their stories. While there are trends often followed in writing, we at Writing Roots don’t believe there is any one way to be a true writer. First of all, writers are not born naturally good writers. They are made. It takes years of dedicated work to become a good writer, but it doesn’t only apply to fictional narratives. We talk about all the kinds of writers that help prove this myth to be false in this episode. First aired March 15, 2021. The post S20E5 – Myth Five: A True Writer is _____ appeared first on Writing Roots.

In any writing group, you’ll encounter someone who says their characters are like living voices in their head that control their own actions throughout a story. This idea, however, is like saying mortals control Zeus. While it’s true that authors can develop characters so fully that they become like living people in their mind, the author is still in ultimate control. In this episode, we discuss why this myth exists, how it can help in some ways, and how allowing characters to control the story can do real harm to the outcome of the story. First aired March 11, 2021. The post S20E4 – Myth Four: Characters Control the Author appeared first on Writing Roots.