Writing Roots

Symbolism is a great tool to hint at what it is to come in your story. This is the kind of element your school teachers might have pointed to in classic novels regarding the weather or color of the curtains. Intentional symbolism can set the mood for the rest of your story. Listen to learn more about different ways you can use symbolism to hint at the ending of your story. First aired October 16,...

There are many ways to have prophecies in your story act as foreshadowing, even if they aren’t mystical and blatant events. It could be as simple as a character joking about an outcome, or as subtle as a character expressing concern that turns out to be a poor choice of words. In this episode, we talk about the different ways to use prophecies and narrator omniscience to help guide the foreshadowi...

Dialogue can be a powerful way to foreshadow what is to come, whether intentional to the character or not. It can be anything from a joking comment to an active prophecy. In this episode, our hosts talk about the different ways dialogue can be used to help lay the foundation for what is to come in your story. First aired October 9, 2023.

Foreshadowing is a tool that takes careful planning and often shows up a few times through the course of the story before the event it foretells takes place. One way to do this is through breadcrumb foreshadowing: laying down a trail for your readers to follow. However, it doesn’t always need to lead to the right answer. In this episode, we talk about how to foreshadow through misdirection and bre...

Foreshadowing has been a popular literary tool for centuries. We see it in Shakespeare’s collection and in ancient Greek tales. Good foreshadowing can help hook the reader and keep them invested in the story, even if they have an idea of the outcome already. From giving away the ending, such as in Romeo and Juliet‘s opening lines to a retelling of a known historical event, sometimes it’s about the...

When we got a series of questions from our listeners regarding writing contests, we decided to get in contact with an expert. Rebecca van Laer is a writing contest judge with Reedsy . She sat down with us to answer your questions and talk about submissions, crafting a story for a contest, and more. First aired September 30, 2023.

An anthology is a collection of stories or poems, often by a variety of authors, centered around a common theme. These are a great opportunity for new authors to expand their reader base by joining with other authors who share a similar target audience. Listen for more about anthologies, their purpose, and what to look for when submitting. First aired September 28, 2023.

If you want to enter your stories into writing contests, it’s good to go in knowing what to expect. From having an understanding of the contest and the judges to having an idea of the sequence of events, any bit of information you have can help ease anxieties. Listen for more about the process of judging and what to expect once you hit submit. First aired September 25, 2023.

Most of this month is dedicated to helping you know what to do when writing for and submitting to story contests. In this episode, we want to summarize those things you should avoid. These are common mistakes authors make when creating short stories or interacting with contests. First aired September 21, 2023.

While every contest will have its own rules and guidelines for submission, there are some general standards across the industry that you can follow now to make submissions easier. In this episode, we talk about the tips from Writer’s Digest on how to get your story ready to submit so it doesn’t get rejected out of hand for poor formatting. First aired September 18, 2023.

Before you submit your short story (or any piece of writing) to a contest, you absolutely must edit it. This is more than simply checking for punctuation, spelling, and grammar mistakes. Editing for a contest must be done with the understanding that everyone else is also putting forward their best work. Listen for tips on how to comb through that story and make it the best polished version you pos...

Writing a short story, especially with the goal of entering contests, means breaking down the standard storytelling structure into its basic parts. It involves focusing on the most important aspects of the character development or plot. In this episode, we talk about how to write a short story that will grab the attention of judges. First aired September 11, 2023. For more on this topic, visit Wri...

There are many different writing contests out there, especially in this digital age. Anyone can technically host a contest and charge a fee for submissions. That can make it difficult to find ones that align with both your budget and your writing goals. In this episode, we discuss how to find contests and how to determine if submitting will be worth your time. First aired September 7, 2023.

Writing contests can be a foot in the door or a way to gain experience for authors of all kinds. There are many different contests you can enter, from short stories and poetry to cover design and audiobooks. Throughout this series, we will be talking about contests, how to write for them, how to find them, and the pros and cons of submitting your name. We start by talking about the different kinds...

Every editor needs to be prepared with a variety of tools at their disposal in order to help authors. From editing/writing programs to technical knowledge to style guides, each piece in your toolkit will benefit your overall work. Ley and Leigh discuss different options to consider for your own toolkit, and how to determine what belongs based on genre. First aired August 31, 2023.

There are a variety of ways you can make money from editing, but you have to have an honest understanding of your ability, experience and skill. Three things come into play when determining how much editors charge for their work: quality, speed, and cost. Often, editors will be able to meet expectations for two, such as being good quality and cheap, but they won’t be fast. In this episode, we talk...

A good author/editor relationship is the basis for any good editing project. They need to communicate and coordinate with each other so the story can grow and become its best version. It starts right with the first interview, but continues through both parties actively engaging throughout the process. Authors need to do and understand several things about editing in order to help that process alon...

Editors and authors need to have a good relationship. They need to have open communication and a mutual understanding of the goals for the book or story. That’s why the first interview or meeting needs to be for a purpose. There are several questions you can ask an author to gauge if their book would be a good fit and if you are able to work together. In this episode, we talk about what kinds of q...

Even the best editors need reference guides. We all have those words we simply can’t spell (and spellcheck may not be able to fix it) or rules we just can’t remember. That’s why creating your own cheat sheet can save you from wasted time Googling everything. In this episode, we talk about what our cheat sheets look like, how we developed them, and how this information can help you as you delve int...

You’ve probably heard of official style guides, such as Chicago or MLA. These are standardized guidelines for how to format words, punctuation, and more. Each type of writing – whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, or journalism – uses one of these standard guidelines. As an editor, you can also create or build upon a custom style guide for a book or series. The rules found in guides like Chicago are...

The work of the proofreader is the final filter for a story before it goes out into the world. These are the people whose whole purpose is to catch misspelled words, incorrect punctuation, and any other formatting issue that may arise. More than any others, the proofreader needs to know the manual of style as well as the author’s own style guide. They also need to have a good mindset: the knowledg...

When most people think of editing fiction novels, they often think of the line editor. This is the person looking at the sentence structure, word choices and character/narrator voices. They help keep the style consistent. They will also help as much as possible with grammar and punctuation, as well as applying style guidelines (a job sometimes also called copy editing). This is one of the most imp...

There are many kinds of roles you can take if you want to become an editor. If you like being involved early in the process, helping guide an author through the plot and past their roadblocks, you may consider the role of a developmental editor. Developmental editors are not about the correct grammar and punctuation. Rather, they are the ones who look at the structure of a story as a whole, checki...

Editing is a vital part of the publishing process, whether you’re a self-published author or looking into traditional publishing. But what about those who want to become editors? No matter who you are in this process, there are a things you should know about editors and editing. In this series, Ley and Leigh will be talking about the ins and outs of editing, mostly as it applies to freelance editi...

If you want to captivate your readers, a good beginning is essential. Even more so, however, is the story needs to continue to hold them. When the plot meanders and wanders from place to place without much direction or motivation for the characters. When you look at each scene, consider what purpose it has for the overall story. While not every scene needs to drive the plot itself forward, they sh...