Writing Roots

S55E3 - Learning from TTRPGs: Diversity in Storytelling

From the other players at your table to the vast cultures available within the worlds, there is a lot to learn about diversity from engaging in TTRPGs. You can explore different experiences through your characters and their interactions. You can learn about team balance, where everyone has their unique role and contributions. All of this you can translate over into your own storytelling through writing.

S55E2 - Learning from TTRPGs: Designing Choices

In writing and in tabletop gaming, character choices are essential to plot progression. In either case, whether as a game master or author, it's easy to fall into the pattern of what's known in gaming spaces as "railroading." You know what needs to happen to get to the next point. You know where they should go, so you don't give the characters any other choice. In games, that removes the fun of autonomy from the other players. In writing, it makes for boring stories and flat characters.
There's a lot to learn about choices, from the kinds of choices presented to the variety of answers available. Tabletop gaming is a great place to experience that, because any experienced player or GM will have stories of the unexpected answers that people can imagine if they're given a choice.

S55E1 - Learning from TTRPGs: Collaborative Storytelling

One of our favorite tools for learning storytelling is through playing tabletop roleplaying games, also known as TTRPGs. Games like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Starfinder, or Call of Cthulhu are all about working together to tell a single story. Each player has their own character with a unique abilities to contribute to the party. The dungeon/game master (DM or GM) sets up the framework and uses the player's choices to help guide them through the plot. And of course, there's the bit of randomness thrown in through the use of dice. 
You can learn a lot about how to work together to tell a story through playing TTRPGs. We discuss how in this episode.

S54E9 - Finding Your People: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Horror

Thriller, mystery, and horror are all genres with their own strengths, but they do share a lot in common when it comes to marketing. They're all about exploring the dark, the mysterious, and the terrifying in the world. In this episode, we talk about how to use that knowledge to find the right audience.

S54E8 - Finding Your People: Cozy Fantasy and Cozy Mystery

While cozy mysteries have been around for a while (just look at shows like Murder, She Wrote), cozy fantasy is a relatively new classification of story that places you in a high fantasy world but with a slower pace. They're the kinds of books you can read while curled up with a blanket and mug of tea while it rains outside. They're the books that feel like warm hugs. But since this genre is new, marketing it and finding the right people to read it can be difficult.

S54BE - Finding Your People: Beta Readers, ARCs and Street Teams

Among new indie authors, the difference between beta readers, ARC readers, and street teams can be confusing. It may seem like these serve largely similar functions. This has never been more apparent than with recent discourse around ARC readers and indie authors treating them like a street team. But each one of these categories has their place in the writing and marketing process. We discuss the differences in this episode.

S54E7 Finding Your People: Children's Books

Stories are one of the most valuable things we can offer to children. In many cases, children learn stories before they learn to speak, walk, run. Children's books are an invaluable resource to help in the process of teaching kids. But getting your book in front of them is difficult. It's all about marketing to the parents. Learn more in this episode about the five Ws of marketing children's books.

S54E6 Finding Your People: Western and Historical Fiction

Western stories are having a slight resurgence, along with overall historical fiction. In this episode, we discuss the marketing aspects that will help you find those interested in this broad category.

S54E5 - Finding Your People: Romance

Though often disregarded in the literary world as frivolous, romance books are among the most popular kinds of books read today. If you're writing romance, you have a wide range of audience, all with different interests and niches. But there is also a challenge when it comes to marketing largely due to that stigma from the broader society.  In this episode, we discuss who your audience is and how best to capture their attention through your marketing efforts.

S54E4 - Finding Your People: Memoir

Of all the nonfiction books, memoirs are among the most difficult to market and sell. Unless you're a household name already, you have to give people a reason to read your story. That means everything from making sure you're focusing the story around a particular theme to finding the right places to market.