Writing Roots

S21E4 – Word Count: Push the Limits or Stay Reserved?

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.
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S21E3 – Word Choice: To Use Big Words or Not to Use Big Words

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.
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S21E2 – Fanfiction: Is it Really Writing?

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.
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S21E1 – Writing Prompts: Helpful or Not?

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.
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S20E9 – Myth Nine: Everything is Better as a Trilogy

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.
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S20 Bonus – Myth Ten: Self-Publishing is Free

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.
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S20E8 – Myth Eight: Worthy Ideas are Unique

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.
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S20E7 – Myth Seven: Writing is Easy

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.
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S20E6 – Myth Six: A Good Book Will Sell Itself

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.
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S20E5 – Myth Five: A True Writer is _____

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.
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