Writing Roots

S15E5 – Chimera: The Mix-and-Match Monsters

From those that go bump in the night to ones that offer hope, mythical creatures and monsters are abound in fiction. You can find them in anything from horror to science fiction and fantasy. But where do our ideas for creatures to scare or inspire come from? Throughout October, Writing Roots will be delving into the myths of monsters across the world to help bring inspiration for anyone seeking to write a classic creature or one with a bit of a twist.
The oldest monsters in the world are mashed-up combinations of creatures familiar to mankind. The Löwenmensch, a figurine that was half-lion, half-man, is the oldest known record of what humans considered monstrous. Since then, stories have been riddled with the mix-and-match creatures that have become known as Chimera. In this episode, Leigh and Ley explore different combinations that haunted stories around the world.
First aired October 15, 2020.
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S15E4 – Giants and Creatures of Large Stature

From those that go bump in the night to ones that offer hope, mythical creatures and monsters are abound in fiction. You can find them in anything from horror to science fiction and fantasy. But where do our ideas for creatures to scare or inspire come from? Throughout October, Writing Roots will be delving into the myths of monsters across the world to help bring inspiration for anyone seeking to write a classic creature or one with a bit of a twist.
It’s time to think on a large scale. Or rather, about the large-scale creatures. Giants have been part of myth and legends for a very long time, though surprisingly, mostly in European-based countries. In this episode, Ley and Leigh explore stories of giants and other creations of large stature.
First aired October 12, 2020.
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S15E3 – Man-Made Monsters and Creatures

From those that go bump in the night to ones that offer hope, mythical creatures and monsters are abound in fiction. You can find them in anything from horror to science fiction and fantasy. But where do our ideas for creatures to scare or inspire come from? Throughout October, Writing Roots will be delving into the myths of monsters across the world to help bring inspiration for anyone seeking to write a classic creature or one with a bit of a twist.
Long before Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, people have been imagining and creating counterfeit life. While it is sometimes helpful, most of the stories end with it turning against the maker. In this episode, Leigh and Ley break down common types of man-made creatures and some of the tropes that accompany them.
First aired October 8, 2020.
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S15E2 – The Fae and Fairies

From those that go bump in the night to ones that offer hope, mythical creatures and monsters are abound in fiction. You can find them in anything from horror to science fiction and fantasy. But where do our ideas for creatures to scare or inspire come from? Throughout October, Writing Roots will be delving into the myths of monsters across the world to help bring inspiration for anyone seeking to write a classic creature or one with a bit of a twist.
Though they may have become wildly popular with young children through characters such as Tinker Bell, stories of the fairies were used to warn children away from wandering too far away. Leigh and Leigh discuss in this episode some of the history of the fae, different types in classical and modern stories, and how to use them in your own creations.
First aired October 5, 2020.
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S15E1 – Mythical Creatures of Purity

From those that go bump in the night to ones that offer hope, mythical creatures and monsters are abound in fiction. You can find them in anything from horror to science fiction and fantasy. But where do our ideas for creatures to scare or inspire come from? Throughout October, Writing Roots will be delving into the myths of monsters across the world to help bring inspiration for anyone seeking to write a classic creature or one with a bit of a twist.
For centuries, cultures across the world have envisioned creatures of light and goodness that are meant to guide and protect the world or gods. From the phoenix to the unicorn, many cultures have something they associate with some aspect of purity. In this episode, Ley and Leigh explore some of the cultural myths and weird history that surround the good monsters of myth, such as the rabbit on the moon.
First aired October 1, 2020.
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S14E8 – Artists with Travis Micheal

Characters in any genre need to have skills that contribute to their purpose in the story. That could come from their profession or even a hobby. Whether it’s a cop in a mystery or a field medic on a medieval battlefield, there are things authors can learn from modern experts to develop realistic characters. This month, Ley and Leigh sit down with experts in fields from biochemistry to journalism and talk about important aspects of those skills authors should know.
Sometimes you’ll fine yourself needing a character that is a bit of a Jack-of-all-trades (or a Jane-of-all-trades). There’s a reason another term for this kind of character is a renaissance man. We brought Travis Micheal into the studio to discuss his own talents, focusing mostly on music composition. On top of composing, he is also a chef and theater performer.
Find Travis on SoundCloud, YouTube, and Instagram.
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S14BE – We Liked You First: A Podcast for Writers and Performers

One struggle for many new writers is finding a way to get their name out there. This is even more difficult for those aiming to be screenwriters. That’s why we at Writing Roots were excited to find out about a new podcast. It’s called We Liked You First. They bring the worlds of writing and performing together and give them all a way to showcase their talents.
We spoke with the creator, Patrick Carlile, to talk about their goals and how their podcast can be a launching point for creative types. This is a good resource for screenwriter and novelist hopefuls, or anything in between.
Find We Like You First on Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify.
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S14E7 – Performance Arts with Linda Bott

Characters in any genre need to have skills that contribute to their purpose in the story. That could come from their profession or even a hobby. Whether it’s a cop in a mystery or a field medic on a medieval battlefield, there are things authors can learn from modern experts to develop realistic characters. This month, Ley and Leigh sit down with experts in fields from biochemistry to journalism and talk about important aspects of those skills authors should know.
Many of the most charismatic characters in a book are performers of some kind. They could be actors, musicians, or teachers with a lot of flare (looking at your, Lockhart). There are certain aspects to a performance artist that apply no matter which category they fit into. We talked with Linda Bott to talk about common attributes and about things authors should know when they tackle these complicated characters.
First aired September 24, 2020.
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S14E6 – Nursing with Lorainne Woodworth

Characters in any genre need to have skills that contribute to their purpose in the story. That could come from their profession or even a hobby. Whether it’s a cop in a mystery or a field medic on a medieval battlefield, there are things authors can learn from modern experts to develop realistic characters. This month, Ley and Leigh sit down with experts in fields from biochemistry to journalism and talk about important aspects of those skills authors should know.
Whether your characters are working in an ER or they are doing field medicine on the battlefield, nearly every genre of adult fiction will have some need for knowledge of nursing. We sat with a wound nurse to discuss common mistakes in popular fiction and good resources to get things right.
First aired September 21, 2020.
UPDATE May 2022: Lorainne is no longer available to answer questions.
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S14E5 – Martial Arts with Jeremiah

Characters in any genre need to have skills that contribute to their purpose in the story. That could come from their profession or even a hobby. Whether it’s a cop in a mystery or a field medic on a medieval battlefield, there are things authors can learn from modern experts to develop realistic characters. This month, Ley and Leigh sit down with experts in fields from biochemistry to journalism and talk about important aspects of those skills authors should know.
Whether it’s an action or fantasy novel, nearly every adult fiction book will have some kind of fight. For the flow of a story and the ease of reading, it’s important to have those fight scenes make sense. New authors with no experience with either make continuity mistakes or rely too much on movie physics to present a realistic battle. We talked with a martial arts master, Jeremiah, to find out what authors should know if they decide to tackle a fight scene.
First aired September 17, 2020.
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