Writing Roots

S42E2 – Worldbuilding: Make it Personal

Readers explore the world through the eyes of your character. This means that if you want to make your worldbuilding real to your reader, you need to make it relevant to your characters.
This can be done through having the character learn about the world, such as in a portal fantasy or hidden society story. Or you can simply reveal the world by showing how the world interests the characters.
Listen for more about how to make your worldbuilding personal.
First aired April 6, 2023.

S42E1 – Pillars of Storytelling: Before You Begin

Storytelling rests on three main pillars: the world, the characters, and the plot. All three should work together to help you craft a story that will capture the reader’s heart and mind. Over the next three months, we will talk about these pillars, starting with worldbuilding.
When it comes to creating the world, from the physical locations to the cultures to the magic, you need to know a lot less than you think you do. Trust us.
Worldbuilding is an easy trap to get stuck in that will keep you from ever telling the story. In this episode, we talk about what you actually need to know in order to begin writing, and what you can discover along the way.
First aired April 3, 2023.

S41E9 – Writing Emotions: Confusion

Characters don’t always know what’s happening as the plot unfolds. When they get confused, as the author, it is your job to make sure the reader isn’t also confused. This is why understanding how to convey this emotion is so important.
It comes down to a delicate balance of giving a reason for the character to be confused while still making your reader feel comfortable that they know enough – or will soon know enough – to keep them from feeling like they missed something.
In this episode, we break down that balance, as well as how you can portray a confused character.
First aired March 30, 2023.

S41E8 – Writing Emotions: Happiness

While this is one of the four core emotions we have covered before, we wanted to take a deeper dive into it. Happiness is often forgotten in storytelling, especially when the characters are in a world full of war, destruction or constant fighting. Yet happiness is essential in order to show the full range of a character, and for the readers to truly experience the tragedy of losing that happiness.
From the nuances of happiness at different levels to how to set up a moment of joy, we talk about everything you need to know to write this emotions.
First aired March 27, 2023.

S41 Bonus – Playing it Close to the Chest

Characters have secrets. It’s a given, really, in the realm of storytelling. Some characters, however, have more secrets than others. In this episode, we are talking about the types of characters who play things close to the chest – where no matter what the subject, they’re likely to hold something back for one reason or another.
This often stems from one of two reasons: they’re either just like that naturally (such as introverts and some neurodivergents) or they have a past trauma that has taught them a “lesson” to keep things to themselves.
Listen for more about these two different kinds of characters and how to write their secrets in a way that won’t confuse readers.
First aired March 25, 2023.

S41E7 – Writing Emotions: Guilty and Apologetic

Guilt weights heavily on many protagonists in a story. It’s not often an emotion felt by the villain, though it can be the root for a different emotion which they use to fuel their motivation. Overall, guilt is a useful tool to include in your arsenal of characters. Which means you need to understand it and its companion emotions.
In this episode, Ley and Leigh discuss both guilty and apologetic emotions, how they play into different characters, and what circumstances usually surround them.
First aired March 23, 2023.

S41E6 – Writing Emotions: Smugness

Whether it’s a lovable but infuriating protagonist or a punchable antagonist, it is quite common to include a character whose defining trait is smugness. In this episode, we take a look at this form of pride and break down the variety of ways to employ it in a story.
First aired March 20, 2023.

S41E5 – Writing Emotion: Vengeance

Much like courage, the emotion of vengeance is easily a plot device. It’s common enough in stories and has seen a rise in popularity with the morally gray heroes. If you want to use it in your own story, it’s important to understand the emotion itself – how it starts and grows into action.
Listen for a breakdown of vengeance, what it is, what it means, and how you can use it in your own story.
First aired March 16, 2023.

S41E4 – Writing Emotions: Physical Pain

If you ever write a physical conflict, pain will be a key element to the story. Too many authors forget about injuries or gloss over the reality of what a punch or stab would mean for the character. Unless magical healing is involved, any hit will have consequences.
In this episode, we break down what pain means, how it affects the body, and how you can accurately include it in your story.
First aired March 13, 2023.

S41E3 – Writing Emotions: Terror and Horror

While similar, terror and horror are two different ways to represent fear in your story. Knowing when to apply each one is the important part. Most characters will feel some kind of fear during their story. It could be the fear of the unknown future, fear of loss, fear of something they just witnessed, and many more. Listen for more about the specific fear experienced with terror and horror and how you can use it in your story.
First aired March 8, 2023.