Writing Roots

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.

The post S21E1 – Writing Prompts: Helpful or Not? appeared first on Writing Roots.

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.

The post S20E9 – Myth Nine: Everything is Better as a Trilogy appeared first on Writing Roots.

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.

The post S20 Bonus – Myth Ten: Self-Publishing is Free appeared first on Writing Roots.

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.

The post S20E8 – Myth Eight: Worthy Ideas are Unique appeared first on Writing Roots.

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.

The post S20E7 – Myth Seven: Writing is Easy appeared first on Writing Roots.

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.

The post S20E6 – Myth Six: A Good Book Will Sell Itself appeared first on Writing Roots.

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.

The post S20E5 – Myth Five: A True Writer is _____ appeared first on Writing Roots.

In any writing group, you’ll encounter someone who says their characters are like living voices in their head that control their own actions throughout a story. This idea, however, is like saying mortals control Zeus. While it’s true that authors can develop characters so fully that they become like living people in their mind, the author is still in ultimate control.

In this episode, we discuss why this myth exists, how it can help in some ways, and how allowing characters to control the story can do real harm to the outcome of the story.

First aired March 11, 2021.

The post S20E4 – Myth Four: Characters Control the Author appeared first on Writing Roots.

Dialogue tags are one of the more controversial and debated topics in the writing world. Some say they shouldn’t be needed at all while others say action tags are the best. One camp in this debate, though, is based on a myth. “Said is dead” is a common phrase shared often by those who want their writing to be more grandiose. In most cases, though, if you must have a dialogue tag without action, then ‘said’ is the way to go.

Said is absolutely not dead in the writing world, but it is invisible. We discuss in this episode how sometimes it is the best option for noting who is speaking without distracting from the purpose of the phrase, and how invisible is a good thing.

First aired March 8, 2021.

The post S20E3 – Myth Three: Said is Dead appeared first on Writing Roots.

If you are writing non-fiction, the common phrase to “write what you know” is actually sound advice. You need to be an expert if you are going to advise others on a certain topic. However, this is often wrong if you want to write fiction. There are so many instances in fiction that require authors to work outside their expertise. To learn something new and explore topics they had never thought interesting.

Ley and Leigh discuss the reasons why “write what you know” is soundly bad advice for fiction writers and how to go about writing those things you don’t know.

First aired March 4, 2021.

The post S20E2 – Myth Two: Write What You Know appeared first on Writing Roots.