Writing Roots

What happens after reaching “The End” in a manuscript can be a very difficult and daunting time. In series two of Writing Roots, hosts Leigh Hull and Ley Esses dig into the steps between finishing the manuscript and getting it into the hands of the readers. This episode explores the marketing process. After writing and editing comes actually trying to sell the book. Self-publishing makes this a ch...

What happens after reaching “The End” in a manuscript can be a very difficult and daunting time. In series two of Writing Roots, hosts Leigh Hull and Ley Esses dig into the steps between finishing the manuscript and getting it into the hands of the readers. While we all try to tell ourselves that people don’t judge books by their covers, everyone does anyway. A good cover can make or break the sal...

What happens after reaching “The End” in a manuscript can be a very difficult and daunting time. In series two of Writing Roots, hosts Leigh Hull and Ley Esses dig into the steps between finishing the manuscript and getting it into the hands of the readers. Beta readers are an invaluable resource for knowing how well your book is going to be received by your target audience. Ley and Leigh have a c...

What happens after reaching “The End” in a manuscript can be a very difficult and daunting time. In series two of Writing Roots, hosts Leigh Hull and Ley Esses dig into the steps between finishing the manuscript and getting it into the hands of the readers. Getting your work edited can be hard. It takes a tough skin and the ability to accept constructive criticism. It sometimes feels like letting...

What happens after reaching “The End” in a manuscript can be a very difficult and daunting time. In series two of Writing Roots, hosts Leigh Hull and Ley Esses dig into the steps between finishing the manuscript and getting it into the hands of the readers. In this episode, we focus on editing the rest of the books. Too often in the self-publishing world, we see books that haven’t been edited, let...

What happens after reaching “The End” in a manuscript can be a very difficult and daunting time. In series two of Writing Roots, hosts Leigh Hull and Ley Esses dig into the steps between finishing the manuscript and getting it into the hands of the readers. The first episode deals with the first step: The first chapter. It’s often one of the roughest parts of a manuscript because authors don’t alw...

A special guest joins this BONUS episode of Writing Roots. Ley Esses and Leigh Hull are joined by a member of their writing club, Crystal Hart. The Forge is a group that gathers monthly to practice writing, editing, and being edited. It’s a great opportunity to share ideas and get help in developing your writing. This episode, we talk about our works in progress and how having a writing group has...

Join hosts Ley Esses and Leigh Hull as they talk through the experiences they’ve gathered in all aspects of writing. Our first series is called First Draft, where we talk about content and building a story that readers can’t put down. This episode we’re getting into the details of resources available to help you write, namely the Alpha Readers and Developmental Editors. These are people who can re...

Join hosts Ley Esses and Leigh Hull as they talk through the experiences they’ve gathered in all aspects of writing. Our first series is called First Draft, where we talk about content and building a story that readers can’t put down. It’s time for real talk. Simply writing is often one of the most difficult things for authors, especially new ones. In this episode, Ley and Leigh break down what ha...

Join hosts Ley Esses and Leigh Hull as they talk through the experiences they’ve gathered in all aspects of writing. Our first series is called First Draft, where we talk about content and building a story that readers can’t put down. In this episode, we discuss designing brand new worlds. Creating vast and interesting planets is always a blast for the writer, but how does one avoid making it a ch...

Join hosts Ley Esses and Leigh Hull as they talk through the experiences they’ve gathered in all aspects of writing. Our first series is called First Draft, where we talk about content and building a story that readers can’t put down. In this episode, we discuss designing cultures that are interesting and believable. Can a fan fiction be written about it? How do your characters interact with it, o...

Join hosts Ley Esses and Leigh Hull as they talk through the experiences they’ve gathered in all aspects of writing. Our first series is called First Draft, where we talk about content and building a story that readers can’t put down. In this episode, we discuss how to design support characters that leave an impact on the reader and the story as a whole. Why are they often the favorite characters...

Join hosts Ley Esses and Leigh Hull as they talk through the experiences they’ve gathered in all aspects of writing. Our first series is called First Draft, where we talk about content and building a story that readers can’t put down. In this episode, we discuss good guys, bad guys, and the transformation that comes to each. Also included is how to tell which character is the main character in you...

Join hosts Ley Esses and Leigh Hull as they talk through the experiences they’ve gathered in all aspects of writing. Our first series is called First Draft, where we talk about content and building a story that readers can’t put down. In this episode, we discuss how to access the best elements of story structure without feeling cliche. There are a lot of models and theories regarding story structu...

Join hosts Ley Esses and Leigh Hull as they talk through the experiences they’ve gathered in all aspects of writing. Our first series is called First Draft, where we talk about content and building a story that readers can’t put down. In this episode, we discuss understanding genres and how it affects the writing process. Knowing which genre you’re writing in also helps you know how to best reach...

Welcome to our very first episode! Join hosts Ley Esses and Leigh Hull as they talk through the experiences they’ve gathered in all aspects of writing. Our first series is called First Draft, where we talk about content and building a story that readers can’t put down. In this episode, we discuss different approaches to the writing process, primarily outline writing (“plotters”) represented by Ley...