Writing Roots

S43E3 – Characters: Secondary Characters

You will find in most stories that the main character is surrounded by a supporting cast. These secondary characters often fill specific roles as they help the main character progress through the story. They cheer on the hero, provide key knowledge and skills to the team, and are often the source of much-needed comedic relief.
Listen to this episode for more on the common tropes, traits, and archetypes for your secondary characters.
First aired May 8, 2023.

S43E2 – Characters: The Mentor

Even if you aren’t telling a Hero’s Journey story, you may have a mentor in your cast. They don’t have to be the wizened old person who lives as a hermit. They can simply be a friend or family member who helps guide the character through their trials.
In this episode, we talk about what makes a mentor and how their story can grow without interfering with the main character’s arc.
First aired May 4, 2023.

S43E1 – Characters: The Sidekick

This month, we are covering the second of the three pillars of storytelling: characters. Without characters, there is no story. But it’s more than simply the hero and the villain. There is a whole cast of characters who can help you build a story that will draw readers in and keep them interested in the outcome.
Our first focus will be on the trusty sidekick. This is an essential piece of support for your main character. They need someone to turn to, to rely on, and to motivate them into taking down the antagonist. A sidekick can take many forms.
In this episode, we look at types of sidekicks and what kind of role they can play in your story.
First aired May 2, 2023.

S42 Bonus – When Not to Worldbuild

Part of your job in worldbuilding is knowing when to stop. Knowing when you don’t actually need to give the information to the readers, or even know it yourself. Knowing when to not worldbuild applies no matter what kind of writer you are.
There are a few theories to help you decide what you need to know and what actually needs to go onto the page. We take a closer look at these, as well as give you advice on how to go about showing off your world without the info dump.
First aired April 29, 2023.

S42E8 – Worldbuilding: Creating a Multiverse

This is our 400th episode! Thank you to all of our followers and supporters for helping us make it this long talking about writing.
The concept of a multiverse is incredibly popular in today’s media. From big names like Marvel to smaller stories that explore extra dimensional concepts, there seems to be plenty of room to play in this particular genre of worldbuilding.
Listen to this episode for a look into what a multiverse can be and how you can use it in your own story.
First aired April 27, 2023.

S42E7 – Worldbuilding: Make it Accessible

When you build your world, you also need to consider how the reader will understand what you’ve created. If you throw a bunch of new words at them with little to no explanation, they get lost. If all you are doing is explain, they get bored.
In this episode, we talk about the best ways to make your world accessible to the reader, from making sure you minimize made-up terms to finding ways to connect it to our own world.
First aired April 24, 2023.

S42E6 – Worldbuilding: Make it Explorable

Fans love getting immersed in the worlds of the media they consume. This can be anything from detailed worldbuilding to providing them with ways to make it their own. As an author, one of the best ways you can make this possible is by leaving room for your world to be explorable.
An explorable world can be for you to expand in the future or for your readers to build upon with fanfiction. Listen for more on how.
First aired April 20, 2023.

S42E5 – Worldbuilding: Make it Immersive

Scene-setting is one of the hardest parts of the author’s job, especially if you’re dealing with made-up worlds and locations. Even if you’re basing the story in the modern, known world, you will need to set the scene for your readers. That can be anything from describing the room they’re in, or a whole country.
The problem when it comes to scene-setting is the level of detail involved. Too much and it’s overwhelming or boring, too little and the book becomes a blank stage without any real environment for the characters.
In this episode, we talk about finding that balance to make your world immersive.
First aired April 17, 2023.

S42E4 – Worldbuilding: Make it Real

Even if you are writing fantasy, sci-fi or any other speculative fiction, you need to make your worldbuilding feel real. There needs to be reason and order to those cool elements you want to include. As fun as it is to be able to add dragons and magic and incredible artificial intelligence, if you don’t connect it to the world, readers will feel lost.
In this episode, we talk about ways to help your world feel real and make it easier to convey those cool concepts without harming your reader.
First aired April 13, 2023.

S42E3 – Worldbuilding: Make it Small

Zooming in is one of the most powerful tools of storytelling. The same goes for the worldbuilding. Authors can, at times, get wrapped up in the expanse and scope of the world they’ve created – on the geography and cultures, the monsters and heroes. It can be easy to forget the most powerful way to show that worldbuilding is to focus on the small pieces.
By zooming in, explaining something small, you can show your reader you’ve put thought and attention into creating the world. That allows you to skip over those details which don’t matter to the actual story. (This principle was explained well by TikTok user, studentofwhim.)
In this episode, we talk about ways to zoom in, how to go for the emotional impact in large-scale worldbuilding, and focusing on the details that will mean much more to your reader.
First aired April 10, 2023.