Writing Roots

There are some things that reader will simply accept as fact because they are reading fiction. We’re not talking about magic or futuristic science. In this episode, we’re discussing actual things that readers will suspend their disbelief even if they know what you wrote is wrong. You’ve probably read a book or watched a show where someone gets knocked unconscious. They always wake up after they’ve...

It is impossible to keep opinion out of your writing. It is impossible to keep current events from swaying the flow of a story. Both of these things can be both a benefit and a hindrance to your storytelling in the minds of readers. When deciding how far you want to go in presenting opinions, you need first to consider your audience. Those reading non-fiction about debated topics will gladly welco...

Why do you read? That simple question determines so much about how authors approach their books. Whether they’re writing a cook book or an epic fantasy, the author needs to know why someone may be interested in the book. With fiction, the most common reason people read is to escape. They want to spend some time away from their own battles and spend a little time fantasizing, whether it’s about mag...

Part of becoming a successful author is knowing your target audience. You need to know what they like, the kinds of stories that will interest them, and the types of characters they will align with. Even more important is to know the psychology behind reading. It’s more than simply enjoying a book and reading for fun. There are things that people subconsciously seek while they read. Throughout all...

Part of why we’ve taken this whole month to introduce you to the writing skills involved in various kinds of storytelling is because all of those skills can be useful while writing any story. News articles will show up in novels, commercials may be part of the game you’re writing, or you need a stage performance inside your screenplay. It also applies for taking a story written originally for one...

If you’re not looking for much notoriety, but enjoy writing flash and short fiction, consider getting into the world of actor monologues. These timed pieces are designed to help actors express a range of emotions in order to get hired into roles. They range from comedic to dramatic to everything in between. The important part is writing so the piece can be performed. Monologues have been performed...

It’s no secret that our hosts are into gaming. We talk about Dungeons & Dragons constantly, especially how to use it to build characters. It’s more than that, though. We understand that through games, you have a chance to tell amazing and intricate stories. This includes all kinds of games, from board games to tabletop to video games. Each one, even Monopoly, tells a story of some kind. If you...

One of the easiest ways to consume a story is through a visual medium, which includes comic books or web comics. All it takes is a bit of artistic skill and the desire to tell a story. The art doesn’t even have to be detailed or complicated. Take xkcd for example, which is make, usually, through simple stick figures and has been an active and popular web comic series for more than a decade. Whethe...

If you’re looking to get paid to write, a good place to look is in journalism. Even if you don’t want to stay in the field, it’s a wonderful learning opportunity. Being a journalist is difficult work. You write under strict, hard deadlines. Research often means going out to investigate and interview. Probably worst of all, you’re not writing about the bright and happy news in the world. What you w...

If you’re interested in making money with flash fiction, consider advertising. Honestly. Good commercials and ads tell some kind of story. They present a problem, and then the product provides the solution. And what is storytelling but writing a problem and a solution? You don’t have to look far to find examples of stories within advertisements. One of the first that comes to mind would be the All...

If you decide to write a script for a play, there are certain things you need to know and understand about the world of stage acting. Though some of the formatting may be similar to screenplays, writing for the stage means giving some of the control over to directors and actors. After all, they’re the ones that will be taking your words and giving them life. As Brian Greene once said, “Writing for...

Probably the second most-desired route to take as an author, besides writing for novels, would be writing screenplays. Choosing to write for movies or television takes an entirely different kind of skillset, as well as a focus on elements unavailable to those who write books. In this episode, we discuss what it means to write screenplays, as well as the advantages and disadvantages to it. First ai...

If you’re looking to get into writing but the idea of writing a whole novel is daunting, this series is for you. We’re starting off our series about different mediums for writing by discussing short form mediums written specifically to be shared online. This includes things like blogging, vlogging, and podcasting. What we mean by a short form medium is a piece of self-contained writing which may o...

One of the main staples in any Young Adult fiction is the Coming of Age theme. This is when the main character experiences personal growth and change which relies on their emotional responses and ties to the larger plot around them. It’s when the character discovers something integral about themselves or the world. They’re learning what it is to be. This trope most often accompanies drama and slic...

One way to keep the tension – whether comedic, romantic, or dramatic – going within a story is to make two characters at odds with each other throughout. Not in the protagonist vs. antagonist way, but in the way of allies working towards the same goal but not always seeing eye-to-eye. This can easily be achieved by using the Odd Couple trope. The Odd Couple of often seen within comedies and crime...

Not every narrator in a story needs to know everything. They don’t have to be omniscient, nor does the knowledge the get and share with the reader need to be accurate. You can, instead, have what is known as an Unreliable Narrator. This is when the narrator – whether intentionally or not – is deceiving the reader in a way that skews how the story is perceived. It’s not until the end that the unrel...

Among popular romance tropes, the Fake Dating scheme can be seen again and again. This is when two characters begin dating out of a mutual need rather than a mutual attraction. Often, this ends with real feelings developing and the characters fall in love. Another term for this trope is Faux-mance. Though it has found a beloved home in romance books, you can use it to boost a relationship plot in...

A good heist plot line can fit neatly into nearly every genre of writing. It’s part of what contributes to the trop being such a popular one. There’s something thrilling about seeing a crew of people work together to take part in a crime. When it comes to writing a heist story, there are lots of things to consider. First and foremost is that it is rarely about the thing they are trying to steal. T...

Not every character arc is a progression upwards into goodness. We can’t all be the hero who prevails and becomes brighter for it. Sometimes, the main character in a story will fall instead. And keep falling. Until they find themselves to be the villain in the story. Writing a Descent into Villainy/Madness story is not an easy task. It takes careful plans to make sure that each step down has a log...

While this plot trope is often restricted to certain genres (implied in the title), Portal Fantasies can be versatile and interesting, no matter how many times you’ve seen it. Popular examples of a portal fantasy include The Chronicles of Narnia, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and even Jumanji. They each share something in common: the characters emerging from one world into another, usually goi...

People love a good mystery. It’s the intrigue and the puzzle that draws readers in and keeps them enthralled with the story. One of the best plot tropes for this is the Locked Room Mystery. There are two ways a Locked Room Mystery can be told. The first a closed system, like in Clue, where there are a limited number of suspects because the murder or crime occurred with that set number of people wi...

Rags to Riches has long been a popular trope in fiction. It occasionally falls out of favor (especially during times of widespread poverty), but always makes a comeback. Part of that is because of the intrinsic hope of people to rise to higher stations. Most stories that contain this plot trope, though, also come with a fall to teach the dangers of wealth. Some stories you may be familiar with tha...

Enemies to Lovers has been around for centuries, but it has recently become an incredibly popular trope. Authors and other writers have used this trope to help build a relationship arc that pulls readers in and keeps them invested in the characters. All through this month, we’ll be talking about tropes which are commonly used to fill entire plots. It doesn’t have to be the plot, but needs to span...

Keywords are the vital piece of marketing which people never see, but rely upon in order to find what they want. As an author, you need to use the best keywords for your book in order to get your target audience’s attention and traffic. You can’t just put whatever keywords you want, though. It may be fun for you, but you have to consider if the word is searchable. Is it something people will type...

You don’t have to go on the marketing journey alone. There are people out there who specialize in the field – specifically in selling books – that can help guide and assist you in the process. We were able to interview Janine Pangantihon, who has spent several years working with authors to improve their book sales. Through this bonus episode, she talks about why marketing is important, different a...