Writing Roots

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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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.

The post S14E7 – Performance Arts with Linda Bott appeared first on Writing Roots.

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.

The post S14E6 – Nursing with Lorainne Woodworth appeared first on Writing Roots.

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.

The post S14E5 – Martial Arts with Jeremiah appeared first on Writing Roots.

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.

Part of being an author is knowing where to go for advice. If you are writing anything about a real-world profession or area or expertise, it’s best to find someone in that sphere to go to for advice. The guest on this episode is Megan Browning, a Ph.D. candidate in Biochemistry at the University of Utah. She is also the person Leigh turned to when writing a scientist character in her upcoming novel. She and Leigh talk with Megan about what Biochemistry is about, how it can be used in fiction, and why it’s important to get the details correct.

First aired September 14, 2020.

The post S14E4 – Biochemistry with Megan Browning appeared first on Writing Roots.

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.

Especially in the mystery or police procedural genres, journalists are a very common character. The actual job, though, is not all it appears in popular media. We invited Julia Avery, a local journalist, to join us in this episode to talk about her job, what it takes, and how that knowledge can be applied to writing a journalist character.

First aired September 10, 2020.

The post S14E3 – Journalism with Julia Avery appeared first on Writing Roots.

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.

A very common character, especially in the mystery or action genres, is a law enforcement officer. This can range from a rural Sheriff to an FBI agent and beyond. The problem with writing someone in law enforcement is knowing how things really happen. Too many new authors use popular media as their resource for realistic cop tactics. To help combat this, we sat down with a retired police sergeant and author of Cops and Writers, Patrick O’Donnell.

Find Patrick O’Donnell’s book at Amazon, join his group on Facebook, or check out his website.

The post S14E2 – Law Enforcement with Patrick O’Donnell appeared first on Writing Roots.

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.

Firearms are very common in stories around the world. You can find them in historical to science fiction, from muzzle-loading single-shots to laser blasters. In our first episode, we speak with Nick Mangum, a firearms instructor and enthusiast, to talk about what authors need to know if they want to write a character familiar with guns. We discuss the lingo and general stereotypes of firearms owners.

First aired September 3, 2020.

The post S14E1 – Firearms with Nick Mangum appeared first on Writing Roots.

Diagnosing problems in writing can be one of the most difficult tasks for any author. The creators are most often blinded to their own shortcomings. Readers may notice when something is awkward or boring while the author thinks it’s one of the more interesting excerpts. The August series is dedicated to diagnosing these problems, from continuity errors to gaps in logic the readers will inevitably question.

There is a strong argument for a character-driven story. Plot is essential, but without relatable and developed characters, a story will always fall flat. That problem is compounded if all characters act or talk in the same way. Leigh and Ley discuss in this episode ways to identify when characters are too similar and various ways to fix it, from combining them to creating more conflict.

First aired August 31, 2020.

The post S13E9 – All Characters Feel the Same appeared first on Writing Roots.