Writing Roots

S30E8 – The Odd Couple

One way to keep the tension – whether comedic, romantic, or dramatic – going within a story is to make two characters at odds with each other throughout. Not in the protagonist vs. antagonist way, but in the way of allies working towards the same goal but not always seeing eye-to-eye. This can easily be achieved by using the Odd Couple trope.
The Odd Couple of often seen within comedies and crime dramas. You’ll have the law-abiding, by-the-book character working with the risk-taker with no rules character. They have some reason they’re forced together, when in any other circumstance, they’d likely never have more than a passing conversation.
When using this trope, balance is important. Both of the characters in an Odd Couple situation are equally the main characters. In the end, they both make the other a better person in some way. The focused one will help the zany one rise to responsibility, while the zany helps the focused relax. Listen to this episode for more tips and tricks to writing this plot trope.
First aired March 28, 2022.
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S30BE – The Unreliable Narrator

Not every narrator in a story needs to know everything. They don’t have to be omniscient, nor does the knowledge the get and share with the reader need to be accurate. You can, instead, have what is known as an Unreliable Narrator. This is when the narrator – whether intentionally or not – is deceiving the reader in a way that skews how the story is perceived. It’s not until the end that the unreliability is discovered and the real truth comes out.
There are exceptions to this rule, of course, such as the example of Odd Thomas we gave in the introduction of this episode. The narrator could be aware of their unreliability and share it with the audience for some reason. In most cases, though, there is something the narrator wishes to hide because it paints the story in a way that favors them. This is true in stories such as Gone Girl.
Having an unreliable narrator lends itself well to genres such as mystery, crime, and psychological thrillers. We discuss how to use this trope in this bonus episode. Listen now on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts.
First aired March 26, 2022.
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S30E7 – The Fake Dating Experience

Among popular romance tropes, the Fake Dating scheme can be seen again and again. This is when two characters begin dating out of a mutual need rather than a mutual attraction. Often, this ends with real feelings developing and the characters fall in love. Another term for this trope is Faux-mance.
Though it has found a beloved home in romance books, you can use it to boost a relationship plot in any genre. There are just a few things you need to keep in mind to help the fake-to-real romance grow naturally. First is to make sure that it’s a balanced relationship – they both need something from it or they both know it’s fake. There also needs to be a reason for public spectacle. After all, why pretend to date each other if it’s only for the other’s benefit? It’s also helpful to put a timeline on the fake part of the relationship.
In this episode, we discuss all of these suggestions, as well as pitfalls to avoid when writing a Fake Dating plot. Listen here, on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.
First aired March 24, 2022.
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S30E6 – Heist Stories, aka The Caper

A good heist plot line can fit neatly into nearly every genre of writing. It’s part of what contributes to the trop being such a popular one. There’s something thrilling about seeing a crew of people work together to take part in a crime. When it comes to writing a heist story, there are lots of things to consider.
First and foremost is that it is rarely about the thing they are trying to steal. There’s an emotional connection that at least one of the crew (usually the ringleader) has to who they’re targeting. Or there could be some secondary motivation, something else they hope to gain or achieve.
Another thing that makes heists so much fun is the chance for a big cast of characters. A word of caution, though. Each member needs to have a distinct purpose to their existence within the story. What are they contributing to the heist? Are they the acrobat who can get into tight places? Are the the mind behind the operations? Are they the explosives expert? No matter what, each one needs to have a role to fill to make the plan work seamlessly.
For more about how to write a caper in your story, listen to the full episode below, or on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts.
First aired March 21, 2022.
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S30E5 – A Descent Into Villainy and Madness

Not every character arc is a progression upwards into goodness. We can’t all be the hero who prevails and becomes brighter for it. Sometimes, the main character in a story will fall instead. And keep falling. Until they find themselves to be the villain in the story.
Writing a Descent into Villainy/Madness story is not an easy task. It takes careful plans to make sure that each step down has a logical progression – even if the character is no longer acting upon logic. Some examples of this arc include Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Breaking Bad, Wicked by Gregory Maguire, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and Two-Face’s story in The Dark Knight. All of these stories share the common thread of someone good and wholesome becoming corrupted.
This kind of plot trope is a wonderful chance to explore the darker side of human psychology. What does it take for someone to break? What would it take for this good character to start making the worst choices? After all, the difference between the villain and the hero is not usually the goal. It is the means by which they want to achieve their goal.
Listen to this episode for more on how to write a Descent into Villainy/Madness plot, and what kinds of things to avoid.
First aired March 17, 2022.
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S30E4 – The Portal Fantasy

While this plot trope is often restricted to certain genres (implied in the title), Portal Fantasies can be versatile and interesting, no matter how many times you’ve seen it. Popular examples of a portal fantasy include The Chronicles of Narnia, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and even Jumanji. They each share something in common: the characters emerging from one world into another, usually going from our mundane world to somewhere magical.
This trope also lends itself to being able to play with lots of sub-tropes. You can mix genres, swap the portal so the magical comes into our world, and even do a sci-fi version with technological time travel. There are even opportunities for a tragic love story of characters split by the portal, only able to reunite occasionally. Over all, portal fantasies lend themselves to the creativity of the author.
Listen to this episode for more about how to write one, what to avoid, and common pieces you can include if you choose to tackle this plot trope.
First aired March 14, 2022.
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S30E3 – The Locked Room Mystery

People love a good mystery. It’s the intrigue and the puzzle that draws readers in and keeps them enthralled with the story. One of the best plot tropes for this is the Locked Room Mystery.
There are two ways a Locked Room Mystery can be told. The first a closed system, like in Clue, where there are a limited number of suspects because the murder or crime occurred with that set number of people within a locked room/a cruise ship/a mansion in middle of nowhere. The second is when there is an actual locked room where seemingly no one got in or out, leaving only the victim inside.
Either way, this kind of trope takes planning (yes, pantsers, that means plotting), and a dedication to crafting a puzzle that seems unsolvable. Listen to this episode for more tricks on how to write a Locked Room Mystery that will keep your readers invested in your book.
First aired March 10, 2022.
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S30E2 – Rags to Riches

Rags to Riches has long been a popular trope in fiction. It occasionally falls out of favor (especially during times of widespread poverty), but always makes a comeback. Part of that is because of the intrinsic hope of people to rise to higher stations. Most stories that contain this plot trope, though, also come with a fall to teach the dangers of wealth.
Some stories you may be familiar with that have a rags to riches story include Cinderella, My Fair Lady, Great Gatsby, and The Greatest Showman. All are different takes on a story with the same basic structure: character falls into wealth (whether through inheritance, luck, marriage, or hard work) and finds themselves thrown into a new life. For some reason, though, they are pulled back to their old life or suffer a downfall from that wealth and a crumbling of their old life.
In this episode, we break down how to use this trope to build your own rags to riches story that will include good characters and realistic arcs.
First aired March 7, 2022.
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S30E1 – Enemies to Lovers

Enemies to Lovers has been around for centuries, but it has recently become an incredibly popular trope. Authors and other writers have used this trope to help build a relationship arc that pulls readers in and keeps them invested in the characters.
All through this month, we’ll be talking about tropes which are commonly used to fill entire plots. It doesn’t have to be the plot, but needs to span the story. Some of the tropes we’ll cover later include heists, fake dating, and coming of age stories. All designed to help build the base structure of your story.
In romance, enemies to lovers can be the main plot point. In other genres, it simply encompasses the relationship development. It should always, however, be an arc over the entire story. No enemies should become lovers (in other words, in an actual committed relationship) within a chapter or two of the book. There are actually more than two steps, after all, to this popular trope. Even if you’re doing the variants, such as rivals to lovers or friends to lovers.
Ley and Leigh discuss enemies to lovers in this episode, from examples to common sub-tropes, to how to use it in your own stories. Listen now below, or by subscribing on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget to review us wherever you listen.
First aired March 3, 2022.
Writing Retreat
Big news! We’re planning to hold another writing retreat this year in Northern California. If you’re interested, follow us on Instagram or Facebook. We’ll be posting more details there as we solidify venues. As of now, tentative dates are July 13th – 17th.
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S29E8 – Making the Most of Keywords and Blurbs

Keywords are the vital piece of marketing which people never see, but rely upon in order to find what they want. As an author, you need to use the best keywords for your book in order to get your target audience’s attention and traffic.
You can’t just put whatever keywords you want, though. It may be fun for you, but you have to consider if the word is searchable. Is it something people will type into Google or Amazon? You also need to make sure they are accurate for your book. You don’t want people searching for romantic comedy books finding your slasher fiction.
Blurbs are another vital part of the searchable part of marketing. Most authors dread this part of the writing process, but it can make or break a sale. In this episode, we talk about how to write an effective blurb and what to do to make the most of your limited keywords.
First aired February 28, 2022.
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