Writing Roots

S4E3 – Finding the Right Place to Write

Every writer needs tools to help them along the way. This series will be focusing on the toolbox. We’ll talk about the pros and cons of the medium used for writing, how to find the ideal location and setting to optimize your writing time, and get into the details of punctuation and word use.
A key element to being able to write is finding a good environment in which to sit and focus. For some that means a quiet, solitary room. For others it’s a bustling cafe. Ley and Leigh discuss in this episode how to find the right place for you to get the most out of your time spent writing.
First aired November 11, 2019.
The post S4E3 – Finding the Right Place to Write appeared first on Writing Roots.

Industry Spotlight – Dennis Medbury

Writing Roots is beginning a new segment called Industry Spotlight. These episodes will feature interviews with people involved in the publishing process, including authors, editors, and publishers.
Our first Industry Spotlight features Dennis Medbury, author of the newly-released Secrets of the Runestones.
First aired November 9, 2019.
Author information– Amazon: Secrets of the Runestones– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dpmedbury/– Twitter: @DennisMedbury
The post Industry Spotlight – Dennis Medbury appeared first on Writing Roots.

S4E2 – Battle of the Pen and Keyboard

Every writer needs tools to help them along the way. This series will be focusing on the toolbox. We’ll talk about the pros and cons of the medium used for writing, how to find the ideal location and setting to optimize your writing time, and get into the details of punctuation and word use.
In this episode, Ley and Leigh battle it out to attempt to figure out which is the better starting point: Writing it down with a pen, or typing it up into a keyboard. They point out the benefit and struggles in hopes of helping you figure out what works best in your own style.
First aired November 7, 2019.
The post S4E2 – Battle of the Pen and Keyboard appeared first on Writing Roots.

S4E1 – Getting the Most from NaNoWriMo

Every writer needs tools to help them along the way. This series will be focusing on the toolbox. We’ll talk about the pros and cons of the medium used for writing, how to find the ideal location and setting to optimize your writing time, and get into the details of punctuation and word use.
November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for short. Writers everywhere set out to write 50,000 words in the month. It can be a daunting task, especially when you have school, work, or other hobbies. In this episode of Writing Roots, Ley and Leigh break down the numbers and offer suggestions on how to get the most out of the month.
First aired November 4, 2019.
The post S4E1 – Getting the Most from NaNoWriMo appeared first on Writing Roots.

S3E9 – Monsters and Horror

Every writer has heard the adage “write what you know” at least a dozen times. What does it even mean? As writers, especially of fiction, we constantly write what we don’t know. This month, we explore how to navigate the balance between imagination and reality.
Happy Halloween! In this episode, Ley Esses and Leigh Hull talk about the things that go bump in the night and how to make it work in your stories. We discuss what makes something scary, the difference between horror and terror, and how to build a monster.
First aired October 31, 2019.
The post S3E9 – Monsters and Horror appeared first on Writing Roots.

S3E8 – Building a Pantheon

Every writer has heard the adage “write what you know” at least a dozen times. What does it even mean? As writers, especially of fiction, we constantly write what we don’t know. This month, we explore how to navigate the balance between imagination and reality.
Religion is a large part of earth’s history and the motivation for more than a few wars. In fiction, religion can play a part in not only your world as a whole, but in your character’s motivations and desires.
Leigh Hull and Ley Esses discuss how to create a religion or a pantheon that works with – or against – your characters and world.
First aired October 28, 2019.
The post S3E8 – Building a Pantheon appeared first on Writing Roots.

S3 Bonus – The Forge: Short Horror Stories

Every writer has heard the adage “write what you know” at least a dozen times. What does it even mean? As writers, especially of fiction, we constantly write what we don’t know. This month, we explore how to navigate the balance between imagination and reality.
We return with the Forge in this episode, the writing group that helped start AspenHouse Publishing. Listen to hear Halloween-themed stories written by authors in The Forge.
First aired October 26, 2019.
The post S3 Bonus – The Forge: Short Horror Stories appeared first on Writing Roots.

S3E7 – Weaknesses

Every writer has heard the adage “write what you know” at least a dozen times. What does it even mean? As writers, especially of fiction, we constantly write what we don’t know. This month, we explore how to navigate the balance between imagination and reality.
Weaknesses are for more than just powers. Characters need weaknesses to make them interesting. Leigh Hull and Ley Esses talk about what weaknesses can do for your story, and what kinds of weaknesses can work.
First aired October 24, 2019.
The post S3E7 – Weaknesses appeared first on Writing Roots.

S3E6 – Superpowers

Every writer has heard the adage “write what you know” at least a dozen times. What does it even mean? As writers, especially of fiction, we constantly write what we don’t know. This month, we explore how to navigate the balance between imagination and reality.
What is the difference between superpowers and magic? Ley Esses and Leigh Hull discuss what superpowers mean in a story and how those powers can influence your characters.
First aired October 21, 2019.
The post S3E6 – Superpowers appeared first on Writing Roots.

S3E5.5 – Murder 102: Director’s Cut

Every writer has heard the adage “write what you know” at least a dozen times. What does it even mean? As writers, especially of fiction, we constantly write what we don’t know. This month, we explore how to navigate the balance between imagination and reality.
In this extended version of our last episode, Ley Esses and Leigh Hull dive deeper into how to write death via a range of weaponry, and what happens to a body as it dies.
First aired October 19, 2019.
The post S3E5.5 – Murder 102: Director’s Cut appeared first on Writing Roots.